Making a rustic picture frame with Dad

Every year or so my dad comes out for a short visit. Dad enjoys talking about woodworking and catching up with the changes in my shop since his last trip. We usually spend most of the time gabbing so I choose to take the week off as a vacation.
Not a lot of thought or planning went into this project or video. It was sort of like a couple of kids sitting around and one of them asking, "Hey, I know...you wanna put on a show?" In this case, I was that kid.
Dad is a little reluctant to appear in front of a camera, but more than happy to help out with a woodworking project. The funny thing is that he actually comes across quite natural on video. Mostly, its a lot of fun to just spend time building something together. Doesnt matter what it is, the time spent together is worth it.
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Rustic picture frameI cant believe how much of that pallet wood I have from last month. I think I picked up about eight pallets and still have a large stash of boards. Its the free wood that keeps on giving!
The picture frame couldnt be simpler. Just a few rough-cut boards glued and nailed together. I saved the rusty spiral nails from the pallets and used them to give it an even more authentic look. Finally, I wrapped some sisal twine around the corners. The string gimmick is just decorative, but gives it all a hobbled-together look.
I decided to print out a vintage vegetable crate label for inside the frame to tie it all together. I think a picture frame should complement its content. A successful frame and picture might be viewed as a single object.

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Rustic side table made with pallet wood

Spring is here! Time for outdoor DIY projects. 

This week Ive designed a shabby-chic side table for your deck or patio. Anyone can build this project with just a few basic tools and no large workshop space is necessary. I made this entire project using free wood obtained from old pallets.

• You can make this entirely using hand tools, but it will be much easier if you have a jigsaw and a power sander. Both are inexpensive, easy to use, and will save you a lot of time and muscle aches. 
• If you would like to try your hand at busting apart a pallet (its quite easy to do) you will need a crowbar and a hammer with a claw for prying out nails. 
• I used 1/2" dowels for the exposed pins. These are decorative and not necessary for the strength of the table. If you would like to include them, you will need a drill and a 1/2" bit for boring holes.
• I used wood glue, 1", and 3/4" nails to assemble the project. The glue gives the table its strength: the nails are just needed to hold the pieces in place while the glue dries.
• A couple of clamps would be handy.
• I finished my table using Spar Urethane. Its a great outdoor finish that will protect the wood from the elements.
•  I used 80 grit (rough) sandpaper, mostly to clean off dirt, and stopped there. 

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If you would like to give this project a try here are some plans:

• WWMM Rustic side table plans (PDF)
• SketchUp file

Building it is very easy. If you are new to woodworking, maybe a new home owner who wants to get ready for outdoor entertaining this summer, this is a great project to start with. There is no need to get too fussy about any of it: its supposed to look rustic!*****

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Make a rustic wheelbarrow for the garden

Inspiration from an unlikely source

I was watching an episode of Adventure Time recently featuring the Snow Golem. In one scene he was pushing around a rustic little cart. Even though it is just cartoon drawing, I love the wooden wheels (complete with a chip that I included quite by accident in my wheelbarrow) and the unevenness of the side boards.
I was so intrigued by the simplicity whimsy of it that I decided to make one for the garden. A perfect pallet wood project.
Soon, my idea evolved and became a bit more stylish as I transformed it into a wheelbarrow. Inspiration is one of those things that just happens. The trick is to keeping yourself open to it all the time.
Relax. Its rustic.The advantage to rustic projects is that you really dont need to stress out about any of this. No protractors or exact measurements needed. If parts are a little off, dont sweat it: its a rustic project! Got any rusty nails lying around? Use them! If a nail bends over when you are pounding it in, leave it that way. And any uneven, split boards and chipped out wood you use adds to its charm, just as with the Snow Golems little cartoon cart.

Plans This is another project that anyone can build with very little experience and limited tools. I used my miter saw, but you could just as easily use a circular saw or a jig saw. You will need a hammer and nails and a drill and screws.
If you decide to use pallet wood (its free!) watch the first part of my Rustic Side Table video to see my method for breaking them apart into wood you can use.

• WWMM Rustic wheelbarrow plans (PDF)
• SketchUp file
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Rustic wine rack ideas

Crystal Zeller has been making my rustic wine cabinet with some interesting changes. I really like the idea of including wine glasses. If you are interested in making some woodworking projects for sale, consider these. Pallet projects and anything made with reclaimed wood is extremely popular right now.

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Mere Minutes

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Build a rustic wine cabinet using free pallet wood Great upcycling project

In case I ever become a grape farmer and bottle my own wine, my son Wyatt designed this hipster bottle label that will work out perfectly. ("Its so exclusive, youve probably never heard of it.")

Over the years I have had a number of people ask me to build a wine rack or cabinet. Oddly enough, I live near the heart of Californias Wine Country, but am not a wine drinker myself which probably accounts for why it has taken me this long to make one. 

I decided to make a display cabinet for those of us who like to keep a few bottles on hand for special occasions or guests. I designed it to resemble a wooden crate, possibly one that has been taken apart and hobbled together for a new purpose. I also wanted the bottle labels to show, making the entire unit a decorative piece: I like the juxtaposition of the rustic assembly with fine wine. The shelves tilt to the side to keep the corks from drying out.

Monetize your woodworking

Rustic projects using recycled wood are very trendy at the  moment. This project would sell well at craft fairs. (Probably starting at around $80 - $100.) It is simple to make and if you use free pallet wood the profit margin is huge. Buyers like to feel they are part of an effort to reduce waste, and expensive wine displayed in a unique cabinet is a great conversation starter. 

Free plans:

• WWMM Rustic wine cabinet (pdf)
• SketchUp file
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Make a rustic potting bench for your garden

Upcycling. Building with pallet wood.I still have a bunch of pallet wood leftover from last weeks side table project. I have really become enamoured with using this stuff: of course because its free, but also because it looks great for rustic outdoor projects.
Shipping pallets are readily available for free. Check Craigslists free section and you will be able to find some. Or ask local businesses who are often eager to rid themselves of pallets.
All it takes is a little elbow grease to break them apart. See last weeks Rustic Side Table video to see my easy method. 
I designed this potting bench to be super simple to build. Anyone can make it with almost no woodworking experience and a few tools. All you will need is a saw (any kind you want...a jigsaw or circular saw would be great), a hammer, glue and nails. It looks great and is useful if you enjoy gardening.
Watch the progressAll week Ive been shooting short videos showing the progress of this project, from my initial idea, to design and modifications, to building and completing this weeks video. If you are interested, you can watch them all by searching  #pottingbench on Keek or Twitter.

Download plans:

• Rustic potting bench plans (pdf)

• SketchUp file

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WWMM for babies Rustic babies

I sometimes hear from people who tell me their kids watch my show. I think I have a voice that either perplexes youngsters or puts them to sleep. When my son was a baby, he was hooked on "Unpack Your Adjectives" from Schoolhouse Rock. Not sure what it was about that song, be he just loved watching it on the computer.
Heres Matthew Purdy and his baby Madison who have taken to watching WWMM at feeding time. Oh dear. She may just grow up with the inexplicable desire to paint wood.

Besides feeding Madison, Matthew does some woodworking. Here are his versions of my patio side table and potting bench. 

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By the way, if you want to pick up a few bucks or even get rich, consider getting into the potting bench business! I saw these at a local street fair last weekend.

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Make a rustic pallet wood bath cabinet

As we gain experience as woodworkers, we begin to get a feel for the properties of all types of wood species. We understand that sawing hard maple is completely different from sawing pine.

The way to achieve success when building with pallet wood is to understand the material you are working with. Think of it as a separate species, in a way, and you wont fall into the trap of trying to revert the individual boards to their original, freshly milled, lumberyard states.

All the use and abuse they have been through in their lifetimes show in every nail hole, rust stain, gouge and split. Work with those features as if they were the grain on an ebony board. Design projects around those defects. Emphasize and highlight them! Those pallets worked hard to earn those blemishes. 

The Bath Cabinet

When designing this cabinet, I wanted it to say, "simplicity". There is nothing complicated about the construction or the design. "Rustic" refers not only to the quality and condition of the wood, but to its humble purpose. 

If you build with pallet wood, you will discover that the boards come in all different widths and thicknesses, so if you use my plans, observe the measurements loosely. Use the boards you have available and work them into custom dimensions. 

I used my router to square up the edges of my boards for gluing together into wide panels. If you dont have a router or a jointer, you can make do by just by sawing straight edges on two boards and gluing them together. Like everything on this cabinet, nothing has to fit together perfectly. In fact, if you strive for absolute precision (the way so many woodworkers learn) you will end up very frustrated. Remember to use the wood as it wants to be used!

Download Plans

• WWMM Rustic pallet wood bath cabinet (pdf)
• Sketchup file
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