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Check out these easy and budget friendly DIY flower beds!
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-Grey Birch Designs-
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Check out this easy and budget friendly topiary DIY project!
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-Grey Birch Designs-
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I love this project! It was so easy and they make a beautiful statement that is easy on the budget too! I looked into buying floating shelves before but ran into a few problems: First, I needed a unique size. Second, the ones I found were pricey and I needed 6!! That’s when I decided that we needed to build them ourselves. I’m so happy with how they turned out and we were able to build all 6 for less than the price of buying 1!!! These are my favorite kind of projects. Here is our quick, easy tutorial so you can make some too!
Supply List
1″ x 4″ pine boards (shelf sides)
1″ x 8″ pine boards (shelf top + bottom)
2″ x 3″ wood studs (cleat frame)
Brad nail gun or hammer and finish nails
Drill/driver and wood screws
Miter saw
Sander/sand paper
Glue
Level
Stud finder
Wood Stain (we used Minwax Expresso)
Board lengths will vary depending on how many shelves you are going to build
Step:1
The first thing you need to do is determine where you want the shelves and use a stud finder to mark the studs on your wall. The shelves are not heavy but I do not recommend securing them to just drywall. Once you have done this you can start building the cleats. They will be hidden and attach to the wall and what your shelf will slide on to. Make each cleat out of two short and one long piece of 2″ x 3″ stud. The total width of your cleat should be about 1.5 inches less than the desired width of your finished shelf. You can glue/nail or screw them together. Remember these will be hidden so they don’t need to look perfect.
Step:2
Mark the desired location of each cleat on the wall so they are equally spaced and level. Secure the cleats to the wall using screws long enough to reach into the studs – I recommend 3″ screws. Remember to pre drill your holes to avoid splitting the wood.
Step:3
Once you have installed the cleats you can start building the shelves. You are basically building a simple wood box that is missing one side. Cut the top, bottom, and face boards all to the same length. This length should be approximately a half inch longer than the width of your cleat (so the shelf will easily slide on). Secure the face board to the top and bottom boards as shown in the picture below. I recommend using glue and 1.5″ brad nails.
After the 3 sides are secured, cap the ends using scrap wood. Carefully measure and cut the caps so they fit exactly. Secure the caps with glue and 1.5″ brad nails.
Step:4
Sand the shelves so that the wood joints are nice and smooth. You can hand sand them but I recommend using an electric sander. Next, stain or paint the shelves. We used Minwax Expresso 273 oil stain without a pre stain. We also added 2 coats of satin polyurethane to make the shelves easier to clean and to add a slight sheen.
Step:5
Finally the fun part! Slide the shelves onto the cleats and check for level. If they are not level simply remove the shelf, add a thin piece of wood or folded paper to the top of the side of the cleat that is too low, and replace the shelf. Lastly, secure the shelf to the cleat with several brad nails to hold it in place.
-Grey Birch Designs-
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There are so many different ways you can make a blanket ladder, and I have made a few different styles myself, but I think this is the most straight forward and easy way I have found!
Supplies list
- Miter Saw
- Finish Nail gun
- Nails
- Wood dowels (you will need 2 or 3 depending on how many slats you want)
- 1″x 2″ pine board (these are for the sides so you will need 2 of these)
- Wood Glue
Step 1
First thing you are going to want to decide is how tall you want your ladder and about how many slats you want to have. I made mine 90″ tall and cut my dowels to 11 3/4″ I wanted a thinner look with more slates so that’s why I picked those measurements. Once everything is cut lay out your pieces and decide how far apart you want the spacing to be, mine are 7″ apart. Then mark the side pieces so you know where to attach each dowel.
Step 2
Now to assemble it you will want to put a dab on wood glue on one end of the dowel, line it up with the mark you made on the side piece and carefully fire a nail into the wood. Attach each dowel to the piece of wood you are using for the sides of the ladder then repeating the steps until all your dowels are attached to one side. Once that’s done you can turn it on its side and attach the other piece of wood with the same steps!
Step 3
Sometimes you ladder can be slightly bent after its assembled and that is completely normal due to the face that the wood isn’t perfectly straight most of the time. To fix this problem lay your assembled ladder on a flat surface and put some heavy objects on the top and the bottom and leave them there until your ladder is dry, I let mine sit overnight. Once the glue is dry its will stay in it’s new straight position. Now you can paint or stain it whatever color you like!
Hope you enjoyed this super easy and quick DIY Ladder!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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If you follow us on Instagram then I’m sure you saw our project this weekend that I shared through my stories. I’m absolutely in love with how it turned out – it looks like it was always supposed to be there. When we built our home we always felt like something was missing, something to make our home feel more like a custom home and less of a track house. We thought about putting beams in our living room and actually planned on do that, until I came up with this idea. So I explained to my husband the picture I had in my head and he ran with it, figuring out how to make it possible. I can design, but when it comes to construction, I’m at a loss……… so thank goodness for him! The project came together perfectly and I couldn’t be happier with the result and the way it has completely transformed the space! So as promised here is our tutorial for this project!!
(Since each home’s wall openings are different size, I cannot provide measurements, as you will have to do those based on your home and the entryway you want to do this in)
Supply List
- Miter Saw
- Table saw (optional)
- Brad Nail Gun and brad nails
- Tape Measure
- Caulk Gun and caulk
- Multi Cutting Tool (to remove sections of base board)
- Pry Bar (Small)
- Paint (we used a pure white paint by Valspar in a semi-gloss finish)
- Masking Tape
- Paint Brush, Short Paint Roller, Paint Tray
- Construction Adhesive
- 1″x 6″ Pine Boards (choose your length)
- 1″x 8″ Pine Boards (choose your length)
- 4″x 4″ Pine Board (this is to make the corbels so you just need 1)
- 1″x 2″ MDF Trim (this is for the trim on the top beam)
Step 1
Before you start this project it’s important to get all your measurements so you know how much wood to buy. You will be making 3 hollow 3 sided beams, one on the top and one on each side. Our space was quite large (16′ wide) so we ended up needing eight 1″x 6″ boards at 8′ and five 1″x 8″ boards at 8′ for our beams, and twelve 1″x 2″ MDF trim pieces for the trim work.
Step 2
The first thing you are going to do is cut your boards to build your top beam. We decided to cut the width down a bit so we ripped our boards first and then cut them to the right length, (this step is optional and just personal preference)
Step 3
Now that your boards are cut you can build the top beam. To do this you are going to place a 1″x 8″ board on the underneath of the header then a 1″x 6″ board on each side, essentially wrapping that section on wall to look like a beam. You are going to want to put some construction adhesive on the back of each board then place it on the the wall and secure it with nails.
Step 4
Before you can build your side beam you are going to want to cut out any base board you may have on your wall so that the beams can sit flat against the wall. This is where you are going to use your cutting tool to carefully cut the sides and then the pry bar to remove the piece of base board.
Step 5
Next step is to build the beams on each side. For our space on one side we were able to attach the beam to the side of the wall, but on the other side we had to build a cleat to attach the wood to since the wall was flat. Depending on your walls you can attach you side beams either way. For our first side we built a hollow 3 sided beam that we attached to the wall.
Step 6
For the next side beam we attached it to the wall using a cleat. You are going to want to attach your cleat (board) to the flat wall first, then build your hollow beam around your cleat. Use wood glue where your boards touch each other, and construction adhesive where your boards touch the wall. Once your cleat is in place you will attach the other sides of the beam to the wall and secure with brad nails, making sure to fire the nails into the wood cleat.
Step 7
Now that the main structure is built it’s time to add the trim. Use the 1″x 2″ MDF boards to trim out the top beam. Start by attaching a piece to the bottom then another piece to the sides, making sure to overlap the side of the MDF you just attached to the bottom of the beam, essentially forming an L shape on the bottom of your top beam. Then attach a piece of the MDF to the top side of the beam and repeat for the other side of the beam. Secure with wood glue and nails.
Step 8
Now it’s time to build the corbels on the side of the beams. Cut your 4″x 4″ at a 45 degree angel to the size that fits your space. Take some of your scrap pieces of wood used to build the beams and cut a piece to attach to the bottom of your corbel. (This is just decorative and an optional step) Attach the base plate for the corbel to each side beam with wood glue and nails
Step 9
Now its time to attach the corbels, use wood glue and nails. Shoot your nails at the base and top of the angled cut of the 4″x 4″
Step 10
Now that the build part is finished it’s time to get it prepped for painting. You are going to need to fill all the nail holes and seams in the wood with caulk for a seamless looking finish. This dries pretty quickly (about 30 min) so once that is done and dry you can start painting.
Step 11
Now it’s time to paint!! We used a true white Valspar paint in a semi-gloss finish. You can paint this any color or use any brand paint you like, I just recommend getting it in a semi-gloss so that it can be easy cleaned and its not overly shiny.
This project took us 2 days to complete. It’s definitely not a beginners DIY project but if you have some building knowledge then it will come together nicely! I’m so excited with how well this project turned out and I hope you will give it a try in your home!!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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One of my favorite things in the world is shiplap walls!! I love the look and the impact they make in a space. They are also an inexpensive update you can do yourself to give your room a high end look! We have put shiplap in a few of our rooms and I get asked questions about them all the time, so here is my step by step tutorial on how to shiplap a wall.
Supply List:
- Plywood (standard 4’x8′ sheets)
- White paint (or whatever color you want to paint your shiplap)
- Paint supplies (Paint Roller, Paint Brush, Paint Tray)
- Nail gun with 18 gauge brad nails or hammer and finish nails
- Stud Finder
- Level
- Pencil
- Miter Saw
Step 1:
The first thing you will want to do is measure your wall to figure out how much plywood you will need to buy. For our wall we used 4 sheets of plywood and ripped (cut) them into 7 3/4″ strips at Home Depot. This size got us the most use out of the sheets of plywood with very little left over scraps. This is the type of plywood we used for our living room wall but there are a variety of types/thicknesses to choose from.
*TIP: If you buy your plywood at Home Depot they will rip your boards for free. If you are at Lowes they charge .25c a cut, and that can add up when doing a project like this!
If the wood you are using is rough you will want to sand the boards before you put them up on your wall. If they are smooth you can skip this step!
Step 2:
Once your boards are relatively smooth it’s time to get them up on your wall. Start by marking your wall studs. Use a stud finder to locate each stud at the top and bottom of the wall. Draw a vertical line down the wall in pencil to mark where each stud runs down the wall. You must nail the wood to the studs – drywall alone is not strong enough.
Step 3:
For this style of shiplap we wanted the breaks in the horizontal pieces to look random, so you are going to want to cut some of your boards at different lengths. Start working in the top corner and work your way across and down. To get the spacing the same we used a couple nickels and placed then in between each row. Once each board was nailed we removed the nickels and repeated this step all the way down the wall.
*Tip: You are going to want to cut your boards around any vents or switch plates on your wall so that when you put them back on you will have a nice clean look.
Step 4:
Now that your shiplap is all up it’s time to paint! I always recommend getting a satin finish in your paint so that it can be cleaned. If you want a more glossy look you can always go with a semi gloss or gloss. We used a satin finish on our shiplap wall.
That’s it!! Let your paint dry for 24 hours before you put anything back up on your wall and enjoy!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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How to Paint a Door
I have heard many concerns about painting doors, but I have a few tips to help you get that perfect streak-free finish!
1. Lets talk paint
The most important part of any painting job is to make sure you have the right paint and supplies. I always suggest a paint+primer. This will give you the best coverage, and because the primer is already mixed in with the paint it also saves you a step, and who doesn’t love that!! Since doors are excellent dirty finger magnets, you want to make sure you can easily clean them. I use a satin finish on all my walls and doors. I find it’s much easier to clean than a flat finish but not as flashy as a semi gloss or gloss.
2. Supplies
For this job you will need a paint brush and a small paint roller. These items are my products of choice when I paint doors for a couple reasons. The angled brush really helps you get into those detailed areas of the door that your roller just can’t reach, and since it’s cut at an angle it gives you better control then a flat cut brush. The rollers should be low pile or foam, and small since the area you’re working with is not a large space.
3. The Process
Before you start painting you should remove the door handles. Most handles have two screws on the inside of the door that are easily removed. I do not recommend removing the hinges as you can easily strip the wood out of the screw holes in the door. Start with your brush and trim all the tight edges where your roller won’t fit. You will generally need to do two coats on all these areas because the coverage with a brush is not as good as a roller. You also want to do this step first to avoid any brush strokes in your paint after it’s dry. I usually wait about 20-30 minutes between coats.
Once you are done with this step it’s time to get out that roller and finish up your door! Put a generous amount of paint on your roller and cover your door with thick even strokes. Work the roller in one direction (usually up and down), and watch out for obvious overlap or drip marks. After you’re finished, give your door the once over and check for thin areas. While your paint is wet it may look patchy, but this will disappear when it dries.
Once your door has dried overnight you can put your hardware back on and enjoy your beautiful painted door! Happy painting!!
-Grey Birch Designs-
