Board Up and Clean Up: Essential Hurricane Tips for Coastal Residents - Today's Homeowner

Wet & Forget shares some must-have tips on preparing for a hurricane and cleaning up afterward.

from Home Improvement 1 http://ift.tt/2kRZ4wu

Oh, Hello There! DIY Speech Bubble Sign

Hello Remodelaholic readers! Colleen here again from Lemon Thistle. Today I’m bringing you a simple afternoon project to add some fun to your gallery wall. This speech bubble sign is so versatile- you could go bright, paint it instead of leaving the wood raw, change up the phrasing, or even make it a chalkboard (who doesn’t love a chalkboard?). I am such a sucker for natural wood tones and simple black/white details, so chose to go with a natural finish with black edging and lettering on this one- I love how it plays with the gallery wall in my bedroom.

The steps to this project are really simple and the supplies are easy to get your hands on. I would love to see someone take this on in a bright color for a kiddos space.

DIY Speech Bubble Sign

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here. 

To make your own speech bubble sign, you’ll need:

• Quality plywood (not OSB; I chose pre-sanded)
• Jigsaw
• Pencil and eraser
• Sandpaper and sander (I used 120)
• Paint (I used chalkboard paint) and brush
• Sawtooth hanger and hammer for hanging

Start by sketching out your speech bubble on plywood. I freehanded this, but you could blow up a graphic you find online to trace on. I played with which way to face the bubble tail and my husband and I both voted for this one. When you are happy with your shape, plug in your jigsaw and get cutting! When cutting a curved shape on a jigsaw, try to keep moving on a smooth motion instead of starting and stopping. Keep your jigsaw on a high setting for plywood. If you’re unsure, just practice on a scrap piece first until you get the feel for curves (as someone who has cut wonky circles in the past!).

When your shape is cut, move to sanding. I just sanded off my many pencil marks instead of erasing, then I took care to sand all the cut edges smooth. Give it a wipe with a damp cloth before moving on to paint.

At this point, you can pretty much do whatever you want. I chose to paint just the edge of the sign with black chalkboard paint before adding the lettering. I actually used a chalkboard paint, but any acrylic based paint would be a good choice. I sketched the lettering out with a pencil before painting over with a brush. If I were to do this again, I would have chosen a much lighter weight acrylic as I found the chalkboard paint didn’t spread quite as smoothly and I had to reload my brush more often. If you aren’t comfortable freehanding a design, you can totally print out a design and transfer it using carbon transfer paper BUT I’m such an advocate for learning. You can do so many things with it! I’m not a natural, I talk all about that and WHY I bothered learning in this post here… but think of all the signs you can make if you take the time to learn!

Finishing touches… the hanging hardware! I’m a hoarder of sawtooth hangers, I use them on everything- they’re so versatile. Then, hang it on the wall.

I’d love to hear what colors you would choose and what you would write on your sign! Or if you’d go chalkboard

---

More easy DIY decor signs — perfect for gallery walls!

The post Oh, Hello There! DIY Speech Bubble Sign appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from Home Improvement 1 http://ift.tt/2kNvsV6

How to Build an Easy Tiered Spice Rack

Hi, it’s Amy from Hertoolbelt back with another DIY build for your home. My pantry shelves are in need of some major organizing, my spice bottles in particular.  I used to have this cool hanging gadget that was a carousel for the spice bottles.  It was nice and kept the spices off of the shelf and saved room, but was a little tedious waiting for the spice bottles to make the rounds.

However the motor died and I had to have all of the spice bottles sitting on the shelf, which ended up being a mess. Instead of replacing the gadget, I built a cheap and easy tiered spice rack.  This tiered spice rack is made from a simple $3 2×4 board and a few screws. You can build it in less than 30 minutes + paint dry time. It is a great solution to get those spices organized and visual. 

I made two versions of the spice rack. The first is a 3 tiered spice rack that holds the small spice bottles great.  Note: my pantry shelves are 11″ high.

The second version is for a 2 tiered spice rack that I can keep my club store (Costco/Sam’s) sized spice bottles behind the rack and still access them.  

I’m using this rack in my pantry, but you can also use it in a cabinet, just adjust the length for your cabinet width.

How to Build a Tiered Spice Rack

Click here to get a free printable version of this building plan

Materials

• 1 – 2″ x 4″ x 8′ board
• 7 – 2 1/2″ wood screws
• wood glue
• sandpaper
• paint
  • Approximate lumber cost is $3!

Tools Used

• Miter Saw
• Drill and bit for the screws
• Sander
• Countersink bit

** Before cutting any wood. Measure and decide the length of rack that you want for your space. For this example I used 24″. Adjust the board lengths accordingly. **

Step 1 – Cut the boards

3 Level Tiered Spice Rack 

• 3 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 24″ pieces of 2×4 (note the 2×4 actually measures 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″)
• 1 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 3″ piece of 2×4

2 Level Tiered Spice Rack

• 2 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 24″ pieces of 2×4 (note the 2×4 actually measures 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″)
• 1 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ piece of 2×4

Step 2 – Sand the boards

It is easiest to sand the boards before assembly. Sand the 2×4’s with 80 grit sandpaper until smooth. If painting the rack I will usually stop at 80 grit paper. If staining the wood then I will do a finish sanding with 120-180 grit sandpaper, sanding with direction of the grain. 

Step 3 – Drill holes

3 level tiered spice rack drill holes in 2 boards. 2 level tiered spice rack drill holes in 1 board.

On the boards measure and mark in from one long edge about 3/4″ in 3 places evenly spaced.  Use a countersink drill bit to pre-drill holes for the screws. 

 

Step 4 – Assemble the spice rack

3 Tier 

1. Turn all of the boards so the bottom side is up (countersink hole side). On the 24″ boards, measure and mark 2″ from a long edge. Take the board without holes drilled and place one of the boards with holes on it and line up with the 2″ marks. 
2. Apply wood glue where the 2nd board will be attached and use 2 1/2″ screws to secure the 2nd board to the first.
3. Place the 3rd board on the 2nd board and line up with the 2″ marks.  Apply wood glue and secure the 3rd board to the 2nd board with 2 1/2″ screws.
4. Drill a hole in the 3″ support piece about 3/4″ from the bottom. Use wood glue and a 2 1/2″ screw to secure it to the center of the second board as shown. 

2 Tier 

1. Turn all of the boards so the bottom side is up (countersink hole side). On the board without holes, measure and mark 2″ from a long edge. Place the board with holes on top and line up with the 2″ marks. 
2. Apply wood glue where the 2nd board will be attached and use 2 1/2″ screws to secure the 2nd board to the first.
3. Drill a hole in the support piece about 3/4″ from the bottom. Use wood glue and a 2 1/2″ screw to secure it to the center of the second board as shown. 

Step 5 – Paint spice rack (optional)

This is totally an optional step.  I applied 2 coats of Behr pure white latex paint to the tiered spice rack and let it dry fully.  To label my spice bottles, I used a Brother label maker with black on clear tape. 

There you go an easy peasy way to organize those spices.

3 Tier Spice Rack

3 Tier spice rack with spice bottles.

The 2 tier spice rack leaves room to access large club sized bottles in the back.

 

For more build plans check out Hertoolbelt:

Cordless Drill Organizer // Farmhouse Table // Mail Organizer

---

More easy pantry organizing ideas:

slim space-saving spice shelf

build a custom spice rack

organize a pantry with clear containers

printable chalkboard labels for pantry items

The post How to Build an Easy Tiered Spice Rack appeared first on Remodelaholic.

from Home Improvement 1 http://ift.tt/2kKJ9UG

Tackling Winter Chores in the 4 Seasons of Home Ownership - Today's Homeowner

To roll out our 4 Seasons of Home Ownership winter checklist, we travel to Carmel, Indiana, to help the Cooper family get ready for the season.

from Home Improvement 1 http://ift.tt/2jKLcqi