Flower Box Base for Arbor (Wedding Arch)

Karen is a designer. That goes for both at our home and at her business. When it comes to our home, she is the mastermind behind most of my projects on this blog. She thinks it. I create it.

However our home is not the only place where this teamwork comes in play. She is a truly gifted floral designer (IMHO one of the best...anywhere!). As with any designer - they are always looking to up the ante and create something new. Karen likes to say each couple she works with deserves her undivided attention and as such she spends weeks thinking about every wedding - from getting to know the couple to thinking about their design. As a result, each wedding is different and Karen tries not to repeat her designs (unless that is what the bride/couple absolutely wants).

New designs sometimes means new structures are needed to support these designs. Case and point was a wedding she did at The Hall of Springs two weeks ago. Karen was to create a whimsical arch for the coupe to be married in front of. She spent more than a day looking for just the right arbor to use as the basis of the arch. You would think simple enough. Build the arbor. Stick it in the ground. Cover it in branches. Voila. Beautiful. Well it is never that easy.

Two things. First - Karen wanted flower boxes at the base so it would appear as though the branches were growing out of the boxes. Second - the 10 day forecast called for potential rain on the wedding day. So it was a potential this would need to be set up indoors. Therefore I needed to design a way to both allow Karen to design at the bottom of the arch and to support the arbor indoors. It had to be self supporting - both indoors and outdoors.

Flower Box Base for Arbor (Wedding Arch):

Step 1 - Pre-build

About 1 month before the wedding Paige and I pre-built the arbor to make sure everything went together properly and to see what were were dealing with. Also it would let Karen see how many florals she would need to cover it.

Geez thanks! One whole page of instructions with no words.

It was nice having Paige help me.

She helped turn work time into quality time!

Step 2 - Engineer in my Mind
So my original plan was to just build a four sided bottomless "box" around each of the two legs of the arbor for Karen to design in. The arbor spikes would just be driven into the ground. Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy.

Step 3 - Re-Engineer
I am in the HVAC industry and most jobs that we quote end up being re-engineered because something always seems to change from the original blue prints to the final building plans. No different here.

Karen mentioned the potential for an indoor ceremony so I needed to come up with a way to both support the structure and allow Karen to design the bottom.

As such I disassembled some of the arbor and brought it inside to get to work on my new plan.

Step 4 - Build the Flower Box

I decided to build weighted flower box with the appropriate holes to accept the legs of the arbor.

I attached the four sides and the bottom of each window box with my nail gun and wood glue.

Step 5 - Test fit the Arbor Legs

Step 5 - Add PVC, Duct tape and Cement

My plan - build a way to allow the arbor to slide in and out of the flower boxes as needed, but still prove a stable platform so the arbor could not tip over.

I purchased PVC pipe that fit over the spikes at the bottom of each leg (there are 4 spikes on each leg). These spikes are what usually are driven into the earth.

I cut each pvc sleeve to 6 inches and covered one end in duct tape (what doesn't duct tape do?).

I then filled each flower box half way with Quikrete. Before the Quikrete set I put each pvc sleeve onto the spikes and worked the pvc covered spikes into the cement until they settled at the bottom of each box making sure everything was centered.

The duct tape served two purposes: 1) it kept each of the sleeves in place while I woked the pvc into the cement (because the spike would stick to the duct tape at the bottom of the sleeve) and 2) it kept the sleeve from filling with concrete so that the legs could be slid in and out as needed after the cement was dry.

I let the concrete set for 24 hours with the legs in place as in the above picture.

Step 6 - Pre-design and delivery
My portion of the build was done. With the legs removed from the flower boxes Karen was able to fill the upper portion of the box with floral foam (provides water to her designs). We then installed the bottom portion of the legs back into the sleeves (as in the picture in step 5). She pre-designed the arbor with flowering branches in four sections - each leg, plus the upper left and right sections (as in the picture in step 3). Her plan was to do the final touches on site.

We delivered the arbor in the four sections. When we arrived it was still undetermined whether the ceremony would be indoors or outdoors, but it was comforting to know we were covered for either decision.

Step 7 - Wedding Bells
We are always happy when nature cooperates. The ceremony was going to be outside! We assembled the arbor on site and then Karen worked her magic to add more beautiful florals and made it just perfect!

So pretty
btw in this picture you can also see the two pedestals I made last fall that I wrote abut here

Between our home and Splendid Stems - I am sure staying busy! I get equal enjoyment and satisfaction from building things for our home and from helping to make an object that is part of a wedding. Karen loves her couples and I am glad to do my part to help her feel like she provided them with her best!

Decorative Magnetic Chalkboard from an Old Screen Door

I have so many projects to get caught up with. Since the kitchen was finished (for now) earlier this month, Karen (aka Splendid Stems) has been extremely busy with wedding season! Karen should be posting on her blog soon (hopefully), but as I know all too well - sometimes you have to keep moving on to the next project or baseball or softball or wedding...it leaves very little time to write...but we will get there I promise. I too have a vested interest in her getting her blog rolling again, because besides seeing and sharing her wonderful floral creations, many of my latest projects have been related to structures I had to build for her creations....and they are REALLY cool! Sorry no spoiler pictures yet.

Karen has always said - she thinks it - and I make it happen. This entry is no different...Karen had this great idea for our new kitchen. She wanted a control center for the family. A chalkboard, magnet board, cork board message center if you will. To her credit - she did most of the leg work on this one. She has been saving the main 'ingredient' for years now from one of our previous rentals. Then she went out and purchased all the other components. She was determined to do this one, but unfortunately ran into trouble cutting the other components to size...and I'll admit - it was not easy.

Decorative Magnetic Chalkboard from an Old Screen Door

We have moved this old wooden screen door from house to house for a while now. Every time we moved I would bellyache, "Do we really need to bring this?" She would say, "Some day we will use that old screen door for something cool."

Step 1 - Remove the Old Screen

Step 2 - Paint
We chose the same paint we have used for all our trim work - see any of my previous painting related entries for the specs.

Step 3 - Purchase sections of flat sheet metal from a hardware store

Step 4 - Cut the sheet metal to size
I used my tin snips to cut the sheet metal to fit in each of the 3 sections of the screen door

Step 5 - Chalkboard Spray Paint
Sand one side of the sheet metal so the spray paint will stick. Spray a primer on the sheet metal. Then spray a few coats of Chalkboard spray paint.

Step 6 - Attached the Sheet Metal

Flip the screen door over so the back of the door is facing up (see picture)

I used self tapping screws to cut throw the metal and into the wood frame.

Step 7 - Hang it

After Pictures

The board is both a chalkboard and a magnet board. We have an old window we want to make into a cork board, but we have not finished that one...yet!

Just the Staples

As you can see the kids have taken over the shopping list duties....hey at least Apples made the list! (thank you Luke).

...who knows maybe one day I will learn my lesson and just stop complaining...because Karen was right - we did make something cool out of that old screen door.

Kitchen Renovation #4 - Refacing Kitchen Cabinets...reusing the originals!

Not as groovy as it once was

I remember walking through the house during our inspection day with my iPhone taking a video. I was making a video tour of the house to post to my YouTube channel so my parents could see the house.  On the video you can hear me tell the listeners - so far the house has looked very good....until you walk through this door. Behind that door was the bulter's pantry, breakfast nook and kitchen. Everything was just so ugly. Don't get me wrong...I'm sure Greg, Marsha, Peter, Jan, Bobby and Cindy would have thought it was groovy back in the 70's...but it was not up to 2015 standards (or the 80's or 90's for that matter).

Everything in the kitchen was in need of help. So far I have: 

1. Rehabbed the kitchen floors...including linoleum removal and restoring the wide plank pine floors 
2. Replaced the gross stove and built a great new range shelf and  
3. Removed the hideous wallpaper, painted and changed the light fixtures.

Kitchens take a long time. I have been working on the kitchen for 5+ months (over the past 14 months)...and there was just one more area I wanted to refinish during this stage of the kitchen renovation - the cabinets. 

Refacing Kitchen Cabinets...reusing the originals

Step 1 - Take Before Pictures

 

Step 2 - Make a Plan

There were 18 cabinets plus 7 drawers. Do to space constraints in my workshop - I divided the kitchen into 3 sections. Therefore every step you see below was actually done three separate times...did I mention? Kitchens take a long time!

Step 3 - Remove the Cabinet Doors

Number all the doors before you take them off the cabinets with a Post It so you know which order you took them off in and what order to put them back up in.

Enlist good help...lucky for me good help is NOT hard to find - My Little Helper never disappoints.

Step 4 - Remove the old hardware

Step 5 - Sand and Wipe 

Sand the naked doors then wipe the dust off with a tack cloth

Step 6 - Measure & Cut

I used 1/4" x 3" pieces of poplar, cut to size, to frame out the doors to create the illusion of a recessed panel.

Step 7 - Glue and Clamp

In this pictures you can see my new favorite glue. Up to this point I had always used Elmer's, but then I saw Tom Silva using Titebond II Premium Wood Glue on This Old House. I have learned so much from Tom Silva over the years...and he did not disappoint. This glue is just better...and the round hot dog stand ketchup style bottle is much more ergonomically correct for squeezing over and over again...

Step 8 - Sand, Wipe & Paint the Cabinet Boxes

While the wood glue was drying on the cabinet doors, I sanded the cabinet boxes. I followed that with wiping the dust off with a tack cloth, then painting them with the same Benjamin Moore White Dove paint I used on all the trim work. I then protected all the tops of the shelves with MinWax Polycrylic. Again it is a water-based clear coat for white finishes. Remember polyurethane will add an amber shade to any project...so don't use polyurethane on anything you want to be white!

Step 9 - Add Baseboard Trim

Ok so this step really has nothing to do with refacing your cabinets....but I also took the opportunity to add some matching baseboard trim to the cabinets ends to match the rest of the walls. Note: it is easier to pre-paint the baseboards and any quarter-round trim prior to cutting and installing. Then just touch up any necessary areas after installation.

The proper way to end a piece of baseboard

Most of the time your baseboard will end at a door frame or a inside or outside corner - in which case you will just need to miter the baseboard. However, it doesn't happen often, but in case this ever comes up - there is really only one proper way to end a piece of baseboard in the middle of a wall (or cabinet in my case).

You want to cut a piece to fit into the end that you can glue into place so there is no end grain showing. See the picture to the right. I could write the steps, but seeing is much easier. Here is a video I found that shows you the process. 

Step 10 - Don't forget the Drawers

I was not changing the face of the drawers, because the new drawer pulls (see the After Pictures) will add enough interest and be the focal point of the drawers. However I did have one drawer that needed some reconstructive surgery.

As you can see this drawer was missing a major section of the lower center and right. I built a form around the drawer with some sections of wood covered in packing tape. I then used a Wood Filler. Note there is a difference between Wood Putty and Wood Filler. Wood Putty is for just filling small nail holes or indentations in a wood surface. A wood filler has the structural strength capable of rebuilding the wood. I used MinWax High Performance Wood Filler. The packing tape I mentioned above was used to keep the wood filler from adhering to the form I made. After the filler dried I was able to sand it to shape, then paint. Good as new.

Step 11 - Spackle

In order to hide the fact that the 1/4" trim boards were glued on top of the existing cabinet doors, I used joint compound along the 4 edges of each cabinet. Then I sanded everything smooth with my orbital sander with 220 grit.

Step 12 - Paint the Cabinet Doors

Painting the cabinet doors was a another monotonous job by itself. Each door had to be painted 6 times which included 13 steps!...and remember I had 18 doors (plus 7 drawers). That is 108 door sides I painted - how many things can you think of that you want to do 108 times!...and that is just the cabinet doors!

1. Prime the back of cabinet door (#1)
2. Flip over & prime front of the door (#2)
3. Sand both sides
4. Wipe of dust with tack cloth
5. Paint coat 1 of the back (#3)
6. Sand
7. Wipe off dust
8. Paint coat 2 of the back (#4)
9. Wait to dry for a full day or more (cure)
10. Flip over and paint coat 1 of the front (#5)
11. Sand
12. Wipe off dust
13. Paint coat 2 of the front (#6)

Of course it took me until my last 5 doors to get smart. Thats when I finally raised the cabinets onto boxes. It was easier because I had to bend over less, plus I could paint all 4 edges without having to lift up the door. 

Note 1: when painting the edges I always had to wipe the underside of the door to remove any extra paint that overlapped onto the bottom - this way I wouldn't end up with some unsightly overlap lines. I wore rubber gloves and wiped the paint onto my pants. I started out using rags, but it was just easier to use my pants. Those pants could now stand on their own...literally because they are so stiff from the dried paint!

Note 2: I used Benjamin Moore's ADVANCE Waterborne Interior Alkyd Paint. It self levels much better to a smooth finish. Brush strokes are barely noticeable

Note 3: Talking about brushes...buy a good brush - expect to pay $14-$18 for a 2.5" angle brush. A cheap brush will ruin your paint job, no matter the brand of paint...and if you are going to spend the money on B.Moore paint - you obviously care about the finished product so don't ruin it by using a cheap brush. FYI if taken care of properly you can us the same brush for multiple projects.

Step 13 - Drawer Pulls

The key to nice looking drawer pulls are:

• centered, 
• leveled and 
• evenly spaced from drawer to drawer.

In order to achieve the above you must create a template (well must may be an over exaggeration - but it sure will make your job a hell of a lot easier!). Once your template is perfect - so will be every drawer pull!

Here is how I made and used mine:

Make sure the guide lip on the back is level with the your guide holes
and the distance between the lip and holes are the desired distance you want the pull to be from the top of the drawer.

Make a Center Line (on the tan masking tape)

Rest the guide lip on top of the top of the drawer,
line up the center line on your guide with the center line on your drawer front,
then clamp in place. Drill your holes. Perfect every time.

Step 14 - Hang the Cabinets and Knobs

Definitely a chore in and of itself. It is not easy to get everything to line up. To make your job easier make sure your new hinges have slotted holes so you can make slight adjustments up and down. You will also need to adjust for plumb. Every style of hinge will require a different process to make sure every door is level and plumb.

As for the knobs - just make sure they are all even and level (on the same plane) with each other.

The After Pictures

Side by Side Comparison

So after almost 5 months this stage of the kitchen renovation is finished....the next stage...counter tops will have to wait...wedding season is upon us so Splendid Stems will be very busy these next few months...and we don't even know what material we want yet! (well actually we both know what we want - but we both want a different type of counter top). So wait we will. In the meantime I will start knocking off some other great projects. Stay tuned.