Elm/Maple Wall Table & Elm/Walnut Coffee Table

Today I made a wall table with an elm slab top and maple legs.  I also made a coffee table with an elm top and walnut legs with oak spindles.  I stained the wall table clear after plaining and sanding the heck out of each piece and I stained the coffee table clear on the elm top, black on the walnut legs, and clear on the oak spindles that I left the bark on.  The wall tables make such nice and good looking accent tables for knick knacks, picture frames, candles, etc... and the coffee table will make a nice accent piece in someones home to throw off their Ikea cheap furniture and add some life and character to their room!

Old Wood Ironing Board Wine Rack

I swear I staired at this old wooden ironing board for two hours straight after I bought it, trying to figure out what I was gonna do with it.  Do I just sell it and try to make a few bucks?  Do I sand it down and stain it, then sell it to make a few more bucks?  Do I take the legs off and use the top as a shelf?  Do I paint it a country theme and put a hook on it to hang on the wall?  Do I make it into a plant holder?  Etc...  The whole time I was thinking about what to do with this thing, I was finishing off a bottle of Sake that was already 3/4 gone and set the empty bottle on the cross section of the legs and went to bed.  The next morning I woke up and went out into the garage to work and saw I forgot the Sake bottle on the ironing board and just laughed, because using it as a wine rack and decor shelf made perfect sense.  The next challenge was how to do it...I did not want to use to much material and take away the old look, but needed to have strong and stable bottle supports of some kind. I stared at it for another hour and gave up.  After working on a shelf with some barnwood boards for a while, I accidently leaned a cut piece on the front leg of the ironing board.  When I was cleaning up, a light bulb went off when I saw the board leaning.  "if I just add some 2" x 5" board pieces that the bottles can rest on...It will work and not take away the look of the ironing board.  I know this is not a glammerous piece of furniture, but it is just comical how an idea comes to you. 

More Fun Stuff

I added a post to the cowboy standing coat rack.  It now holds 5 coats and two hats.  I added jute rope and a large horse shoe for accents.  This coat rack is balanced better with the new post!  I also bought some old pullys on a pick and made some candle holders with them.  They look pretty cool and easy to make.  I took two oak 3x3 boards I had, sanded them down (especially the edges and corners), stained them natural oak and clear coated them after drilling the candle holder holes and mounting holes in the back.  I also threw together another square nail towel holder with a horse shoe to make it a bit more rustic.  It looks basic and it is on purpose.  If you add to much, it looks like to much.  Use the KISS rule.  keep it simple stupid.  Basic designs will work in any home, apartment, cabin, place of business and go with just about any decor as an accent piece.

Small Fun Stuff I Built Today

I used some of the rustic hardware I bought when I went picking not to long ago.  Hors shoes, square nails, hooks, small fire place cover, etc... It is fun to make and accents a room well without going "all log" or "all rustic". 

Kids Table and Stools and Night Stands/End Tables

I broke the belt in my plainer the other day, and of course, no one had them in stock.  I had to order them on line on a Friday and of course they don't ship out on the weekends.  Good news is they are cheap and I bought 5 of them so I don't have to wait 4 days to get another one if it brakes again.  Since my plainer was inop.  I preped a bunch of table tops, stools and legs so they would go together faster when my belts came in and I could finish plaining the table tops and stools.  I built a cute little kids table with stools today and two night stands/end tables to match the oak log bed with barnwood I have not sold yet.  Grrrrrr.  Maybe  the bed will sell better as a set....  I still have to do some touch up sanding, glueing to the legs, and stain them, but they are sturdy and look good!

The Cowboy Coat Rack

This is the "cowboy" coat rack.  it Was fun to make with a unique stand, a large worn horse shoe, and jute rope to accent it.  It is fun to accent furniture, but sometimes hard to find the accents, especially at the right price.

Nook Table and Bench Set

I am almost done with the elm, walnut, and oak table and bench set.  I know I keep saying I'm almost done, but this time its true.  I also made a barnwood shelf that has a few rustic hooks and a cow bell.  (kinda country style)

Holiday Candle Holders

I'm getting ready to put my log furniture in a Market Store December 1st.  It is the holiday season and I had fun making these log candle holders and decorating them!  The decorations can be taken off, changed, or just left on for next year.  Having an imagination is key to log and rustic furniture!

Kids Stool and Oak Log Mirror Frame

These are some fun things to make out of logs and branches.  The mirror frame can be a little tricky though.  There are so many ways to mount a mirror or picture in a log frame.  They are very beautiful on the wall and make a very nice accent piece that will spark compliments and conversation!  The stools are not as easy to make as they look.  You have to get the seat level and the legs sturdy.  Adding a back rest takes room off the stool seat and you have to position the slab and the legs and back rest so it looks right and is level and sturdy. 

10 More Hours Working On The Elm Table And A Few Stools

It is amazing how time goes by so fast when your working on trying to finish a few pieces of furniture.  I thought I would be almost done today, but I still probably have another 10 plus hours on this table and chairs.  I originally made stools for the table, but they don't look right with such a nice table, so I'm gonna make chairs that match up!

Nook Table Getting Finished

This table took some trial and error to get sturdy using two elm slabs.  I have some plaining to do and I need to level out the legs a bit more.  I will pull the two halves tigher, finish sanding to match up the ends and make ready for staining...

Walnut and Elm Table

I am working on a elm table top with walnut legs.  I will make chairs/stools for the table next.  This table is constructed of two slabs that had one end cut straight, so they butt up.  Using toung and grove to lock the two halves in place and I will add some spindles close to the bottom of the table top, conecting all 4 legs. This project took a lot of plaining to get the two elm slabs the same thickness, level with eachother, and to butt up tight!  I have to finish the toung and grove slots on the other half, sand the legs, make and put in the leg spindles, cut the legs so the table is level, bolt the legs and toungs to the table top, flip it over and plain and sand the top, and stain and clear coat it.  fewwww.

Two Tone Wallnut Indoor/Outdoor Log Bench

This walnut bench has a slight s curve and beautiful colors on the top!  I stained it black walnut and clear on the ends and top to bring out the natural wood tones.  Benches can be used for extra seating indoors or outdoors, extra seating at the coffee table to play games with those sitting on the sofa.  They make nice shelves to put pictures, candles, or what ever on, and they are sturdy and easy to refinish.

Rustic Ladder Shelves and end tables/night stands

Using old ladders to make unique rustic shelves and tables is so much fun!  They look so old and ordinary until you get some pictures, candles, books, etc... on them, Then they POP OUT!  They really add to your decor and make a nice conversation piece.  I even added a flip up and down table top on the smaller step ladder.  It has 3" sections that make it into a nice end table or night stand.

Holiday Candle Holders

These little candle holders are fun to make!  You can do just about any thing to decorate them and use them all year round.