Scrap Wood Projects — Budget Wise Home
August 12, 2011

Scrap Wood Projects

Budget Tip of the Day: DIY Magazine File

I saw this amazing project in my “This Old House” magazine and it inspired the entire week of scrap wood projects.  I fell in love and can’t wait to make my own.  Isn’t this the prettiest magazine file you’ve ever seen?!

via This Old House

It’s made from a board (easy to find in a scrap bin) and shelf brackets.  Here is what you need.

via This Old House

You also need a saw to cut the board and a nail gun.

Step 1: Carefully remove the L-shaped frame from the bracket with a chisel and a hammer.  This will allow the magazines to sit directly against the scrollwork.  In my opinion, you could probably skip this step if you want.

via This Old House

Step 2: Cut the base and back.  You’ll want both pieces slightly longer than your brackets.

Step 3: Assemble the base and back using a nail gun (or a hammer and nails).

Step 4: Attach the first bracket.  Use wood glue to set it in place and then nail through the back to secure it.

Step 5: Attach the remaining brackets the same way.  Use a spacer if necessary to keep the brackets parallel and evenly spaced.

Step 6: Cut the molding strips with a miter saw and attach to the frame with a nail gun.  This gets a little tricky if you’re not familiar with cutting a 45 degree angle on a bevel.  One side will be a regular 45 degree angle cut like the picture below.  The pieces will come together in the corner like a picture frame.

The top and front piece need to be cut at 45 degrees on a bevel like the picture below.

It’s not as hard as it sounds.  It just takes a little thinking to get the cuts right.  If you are confused, you can opt to leave the molding out completely.  It won’t look as finished, but it will still look fine once you sand those edges and paint the whole thing.

Step 7: Use spray paint to prime and paint your new magazine file.

via This Old House

I just love it.  So what do you think?  Anyone up for making this one?

Hope you all have a great weekend.  See you back here on Monday.

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August 11, 2011

Scrap Wood Projects

via do it yourself

Budget Tip of the Day: DIY Hooks

A great way to add some presence to ordinary hooks is with a simple block of wood.  Cut your wood to size, sand, prime, and paint it.  Then simply attach your hooks with screws.  You’ll need longer screws than those that came with your hook because of the added width of the block.  So easy and so cheap!

Come back tomorrow for another scrap wood project.

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August 10, 2011

Scrap Wood Projects

Budget Tip of the Day: Block Shelves

I was at Home Depot yesterday and took a stroll past the scrap wood bin.   It was a little sparse, but I did find a nice chunky block that would make some gorgeous shelves.

Can you spot that piece on the far right?  You can easily turn a chunky square block like this into some of these beauties.

via do it yourself

If you can use a screw driver and a paint brush, you can make these.  Just cut the block to your desired length and sand all sides.  Next, prime and paint the block (spray paint will make this a fast project).  Use hardware hooks to hang the blocks and you’re done.

via do it yourself

Custom shelves couldn’t be any easier and cheaper, right!  The piece I found was only $2.00 and easily had enough length to make 3 shelves.  Even if you can’t find a scrap piece like this, buying one is still very cheap.

Come back tomorrow for another scrap wood project.

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August 9, 2011

Scrap Wood Projects

via do it yourself

Budget Tip of the Day: DIY Wood Coasters

This is probably the easiest project in the world.  You don’t need any tools for this one.  It’s super easy to turn leftover wood into beautiful coasters.  Just cut your pieces (or have the home store cut them for you) and then sand all surfaces with very fine grit sandpaper (150 +) on all sides.  To bring out the wood grain, apply a couple coats of wood stain and then seal it with polyurethane.  The spray or wipe-on poly are perfect for these small pieces.  Once dry, apply cabinet bumpers to the underside on each corner to keep surfaces from scratching.  That’s it.  These are practically FREE to make and look awesome.

Come back tomorrow for another scrap wood project.

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August 8, 2011

This Week: Scrap Wood Projects

The wood scrap cast-off bin at your home improvement store is a treasure chest of CHEAP projects just waiting to happen.  This week I’m going to show you how to put those scrap pieces to good use in your home.  Trust me, these projects are easy, very cheap, and require minimal tools.

via Chez Larsson

Budget Tip of the Day: DIY Chic Tray

Making your own tray is an simple project that anyone can do.  You’ll need one flat piece of wood, trim molding, and wood glue.  Ask someone at the store where the wood scrap bin is and see what you can find.  There are always lots of different sizes of wood, trim, and molding.  Use a miter saw to cut your molding at a beveled 45 degree angle to fit around your flat piece.  If you don’t have a saw, have the store cut your molding for you.  They will do it for free.  Once you have your molding cut, use wood glue to attach it to your flat piece.  Prime and paint the whole thing and you’re done.  SO easy!  Doesn’t everything looks better on a tray?!  You can see the full tutorial on this tray here.

Come back tomorrow for another scrap wood project.

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