Blog world is filled with ideas...its easy to get lost bouncing around from one blog to another...no shortage of inspiration to be sure!
There's been grumbling on a couple of the blogs that I follow that people are not sharing nicely...and its disheartening to hear. I know that once you put something on your blog, its out there...but it would be nice if people didn't steal ideas/photos/how-to instructions without credit/permission/link to the original creator.
It has happened to me...I would gladly give permission - just ask...enough said.
When I saw this "how-to" post at Funky Junk Interiors, I was inspired to make my own version of the ubiquitous wooden tool tote. Click here to see the Funk Junk Interiors Post that gives you step by step instruction. I read through the instructions and thought it seemed easy enough...should have printed them out...had a few glitches along the way...
First - I rummaged through my scrap wood...given the material list to make the tote, I figured I had at hand what I needed...found a length of wood moulding with perfect white chippy paint...
This piece would be the sides of the tote. For the ends, the instructions call for cutting two boards with angled sides...I had a couple of old pickets...looked like I could use those since they were angled...I cut every thing to size and then sanded it smooth...this is where having an electic sander really makes the task so much easier.
Second, I started to nail it all together...there are no photos here...I needed a third hand to hold boards straight while I hammered into old, hard wood...needless to say, it wasn't always pretty...once the box was completed, I put on the bottom piece of wood, just as the directions indicated...except one major glitch...I forgot to insert the handle!
OK - everything was nailed together, edges flush and even...no way was I taking it apart to drill holes into the end pieces and insert the handle...my brain went into overdrive...I went searching for a handle...found a broken garden rake...figured I would drill a 1" hole with my spade bit and insert the handle and secure it somehow with the metal rake protuding from the opposite end. Got out the spade bit, started drilling...and drilling...and drilling...old wood is very hard. Only able to drill 1/2 way into the end but that will work since the end of the handle can then rest in the hole without sticking out.
On to drilling the hole in the other side so I can slide the rake into place...again, it was torture...and I forgot to have a piece of wood underneath the place where I was drilling...when I finally broke through, I tore up the wood from the bit still turning...good thing I was going for that rustic look!
Third, I sawed off the end of the broken rake so the length would fit snugly from end to end. I threaded the rake through the one hole and secured the other end with a nail hammered through the end board into the butt end of rake.
And voila!
I whitewashed the cut ends of the boards as well as the bottom piece of wood to make them blend in with the rest of the tote. I didn't whitewash the portion of the pickets where they were once attached to a fence...wanted to give it a proper provenance!
I love the jaunty end of my rake handle...
Lots of lessons learned...will make the next one so much easier!
I'm linking up to Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors where everyone else is showing off their tool totes...no stopping a woman with a jigsaw!
