Fun Photo Collage

I found this fun photo collage at WIP:

You upload your photos to Shape Collage and choose your shape.  Voila!  That easy.

Butterfly Goodie Bag

This pretty butterfly packaging has me hoping for spring (and would be a cute way to wrap up treats if you are having people over for Easter):

You can get the directions to make some of your own HERE at Torie Jane.

Alfajor

My husband saw the pictures of the crepe cake and thought that it was an Alfajor:

These were some of his favorite treats he lived in Chile.  I don't really see the resemplance to the crepe, but maybe it was just him subconsciously (or purposely) begging me to make them.  So I did a little searching and I found THIS reacipe for Alfajores from Matt Bites.  And I think we are going to give them a shot tomorrow.

What you need:

1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
2 unbeaten eggs
3 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you do:

Cream together the sugar, shortening and the unbeaten
eggs. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the milk and vanilla
extract and then add to the flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon
onto a greased cookie sheet or a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes, depending on oven. Keep an eye
on them, cook until the edges are light brown. The cookies will be
extremely soft and will need a few minutes to rest and firm.

To assemble the alfajores, place a dollop of dulce de leche on the
bottom of the cookie and top with another cookie. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar and enjoy until your tummy hurts.

Crepe Cake

Found these pretties on Real Simple

:

What a fun cake or a fun way to serve your breakfast cake on a pretty cake stand.  You can buy one HERE at Charelsong Crepe Company.

Birds Nest

Amanda, from I Am Baker made these cute edible nests:

Which are a lot more realistic (and probably taste better) than the ones I have made from chocolate and chow mien noodles.

You can see her tutorial HERE.

Sassy Stool Cover

Stacy from Red Door had one of her projects published in the BHG's 100 Decorating Ideas for Under $100 and I have to say that I have never seen anything like it before:

 I love it!  I have three of these standard boring stools in my kitchen right now:

 And they would be cute with new little covers. 

You can check out more about Stacy and her stool HERE and you can buy her pattern HERE.

And thanks to the DIY Showoff for pointing me in the direction of Red Door.

Nikole Herriott Cakes and Cute Little Ribbon Flags

Poppy Talk posted some gorgeous cakes by Nikole Herriott:

And although my frosting skills might not be that great, I think I can handle those cute little flags:

And hopefully they will distract people from the fact that my cake isn't as beautiful as this:

Mint Cookie Cupcakes

These cupcakes from Pleasant Home are beyond cute:

And even better they couldn't be easier!  I mean seriously they COULDN'T be easier!  A box of cake mix, a package of cookies.  Even the cute sparkly shamrocks are doable!  You can check out the recipe HERE.

Love Cake and Cocoa Crepes

This is amazing:

And I can't even begin to describe how she did it.  But you can see it HERE at Confections of a Master Baker.

And these Cocoa Crepes are pretty amazing too:

Another Lovely Pinata

I have never been a huge fan of pinatas.  Having my kids beat their favorite cartoon character with a stick while hoping that some child doesn't wonder too close and get clobbered himself, and then coming away with a bag full of sugar...

Now I am not opposed to them, I mean fun is fun at a party, but I have never purchased one for a party.  Or made one.

But lately there have been some pretty pinatas popping up around blog land and I can't help but post them.

First it was the beehive, and now it is this flowering pinata from Inchmark:

made to look like the Camellias in her front yard:

You can see the rest of the party and the pretty pinata in process HERE.

Cupcake Purse

These cute cupcake purses from Just Another Hang Up would make the PERFECT Easter basket:

And I can only imagine how much Toots and Lou would LOVE them.  You can see them HERE.

Easy Flower Arranger

I saw this fun goodie at Lasting Memories:

This is the Easy Arranger:

 And you place them over your vase and they give you a grid to arrange your flowers in to insure you get a symmetrical design:

Pretty darn clever and very useful for the arrangement disabled like myself!  You can check out more about them HERE.

Shower Curtains

These are from Anthropoligie and I love them all:

And although I love this...I wish it were white:

My bathrooms are definitely not this pretty!

Zipper Love

Who would have thought that the next cute thing in crafting would have been zippers?

A zipper daisy tutorial from Craftaholics Anonymous:

And I am sure you have seen the cute ballet flats tutorial also from Linda:

A zipper rose tutorial from Beyond the Picket Fence:

And a cute zipper bracelet from Those Northern Skies with a tutorial posted on Suite 101:

What will they think of next?  I am sure we will find out next week!

Shaggy Pillow

Young House Love took a shaggy rug and turned it into a cute lumbar pillow:

And the best part is there was no sewing.  Zero!  Zilch!  If you can operate a safety pin you can make this pillow.  You can check it out HERE.

Book Wreath

I have always been a fan of crafty ways to use old books.  But this wreath from Katydid and Kid has to be one of the most gorgeous ideas I have seen around:

The fabric inside of the door helps too!  You can see the full tutorial HERE.

Cupcake Doilie

Found this cute cupcake doile at No Fuss Fabulous:

The perfect way to fancy up any cupcake, especially one for a pretty princess.  You can get the how to on turning a regular 4 inch doilie into a cupcake skirt HERE.

Hanger Space Saver

The brilliant Little Birdies Secret has come up with this clever DIY project:

What?  You don't know what it is?  It is just like this:

but about a million times cuter and less expensive:

You can see her tutorial HERE.

Shamrock Rug

See this cute doormat:

It is from Sew Dang Cute.  It is easy.  It is inexpensive.  It is a great way to decorate for St. Patrick's Day.  But the BEST part about this door mat is that when you make it, you automatically have the pieces to make this one too:

It is a two for one craft project!

You can get all of the instructions HERE.

Olympic Bread Bowls

The Closing Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics are this Sunday and these bread bowls from The Sweetest Celebration would be a fun addition to your Olympic festivities:

And how fun to come up with items for each color!  I love a challenge.

Nautical Party Ideas

There have been a lot of Nautical themes floating around blog land.  From baby showers to home decor, they have me craving summer and a trip to the beach.

Here are some of my favorites:

I love these seashells (and oars) from Completely Coastal that I found via The Little Things:

Although I don't have any beach decor in my house, I think both of these would be fun for party decor.  The board of sea shells would make a great table runner and one strand of those seashells is the perfect nautical garland.

I always love clever ways to label the dishes, and these messages in a bottle from Over Cocktails work as cute place cards too:

And lots of fun ideas from Frost Me, like these fun edible boats:

Melons with place card sails and veggies filled with tuna salad with sails made from lettuce and cheese.

LOVE these ribbon napkin rings from Social Couture (that can be EASILY replicated and used for all sorts of fun things just by changing out the color of ribbon:

And these boats are cute, but what I really love are the life preservers made from Lifesavers candy:

image found here. 

Anyone else ready for summer?

The Ultimate St. Patty's Day Dessert

Amader  from I Am Baker took her Ultimate Dessert and spruced it up for St. Patrick's Day:

Cookies, mint frosting, and drizzled chocolate.  YUM!  (Although I think mint ice cream would be pretty tasty too!  And if you slice your ice cream (in carton) you can lay the slices flat and cut them out with the cookie cutter too.

You can get the recipe for this yummy treat HERE and see the full shamrock version HERE.

An Interview with Ana (Knock Off Wood)

I am sure you all know Ana:

Yes, THE Anna of Knock Off Wood:

And I am sure, like me, you have about 50,000 projects bookmarked on her blog that you would love to build one day.  I am so so sad that I didn't find her blog when I lived in Arizona and had all of my Father's tools at my disposal!

But honestly, I WANT to build almost everything I see on her site.  Even if I could afford to buy it all, it really appeals to me to attempt to make it on my own.  So I am very impressed by what Ana does.  I wanted to do a special feature with her on my blog, but instead of having her post as a guest, I thought it would be fun to ask her some questions that I was dying to know and hopefully get some advice and motivation to start putting together some of my own furniture using her amazing plans.

And hopefully it will help motivate you to do the same.

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I read a LOT of blogs, and it seems you are showing up on just about all of them these days. When did you start blogging and why did you start blogging about your projects?

Just three months ago, I was not completely sure what a blog was, and why people loved blogs so much. Pretty embarrassing for a girl who once worked in the Silicon Valley as a Systems Engineer for a large computer company, but that's what happens when you marry a man from Alaska and become a stay at home mom in the middle of nowhere. You focus on sneaking vegetables into chocolate cake and figuring out that baby powder is like baking powder and has multiple uses, my favorite being dry shampoo.

Another cool trick I learned was how to build my own furniture. Now I could get my workout in (carpentry burns alot of calories), save a ton of money, have the home I always wanted, and satisfy my creative instincts. The only problem was people saw my furniture and wanted to buy pieces. Great at first, but even I don't look forward to building twenty identical bookcases in a week. I could not keep up. But I wanted to. I wanted everyone to have my furniture.

A friend suggested I blog about building furniture. Not completely sure what blogging is, I googled "furniture blogs." Nothing. "How to build Pottery Barn Furniture." Nothing. Then I tried craft blogs. And you all know what door was opened to me . . . an amazing portal to creative people, full of inspiration and ingenuity. I knew I had to add my own creative craft. I knew this was how I was going to share my furniture with everyone.

On October 25, 2009, I posted my first blog post.

(Aren't we all so glad she did!!)

I have seen the videos of your "shop." Tell me about it? What do you love about your shop? (My personal favorite is the pink sawhorse). What would your dream shop have that your garage doesn't?

When I met my husband, he owned a gigantic garage turned bachelor pad with a sleeping loft over a bathroom, a pool table, some cheetos, and a whole bunch of tools. And it wasn't long before I married him, and was also living in the garage with him. As awful as it was, we were able to build our own house out of pocket. And when I say build, I mean build - we hired no one. I was tying rebar while I was pregnant, painting ceilings in between nursing a baby. And that is what I love the most about my shop - my family started out right here in the garage.

Ana's house:

(And I thought I was impressed with the furniture)

Now that we have moved out, it seems everything else has moved in. Sometimes I wish my shop was just for me, no boat parked in the middle, no welder shooting sparks, no tricycles running over my tools. But I'll climb over the boat and close my eyes when my husband welds, and I'll stop and give my daughter a push on her trike, because I would rather my family be a part of what I am doing then them not.

As Knock-Off Wood grows, I understand the new needs for a more attractive shop. I need better photos. And I have a plan. We are going to build a false wall down the center of the garage, and half of the garage will be mine. I would like to see my tools stored in colorful hutches and cabinets, and a huge farmhouse table for my work bench. And some industrial track lighting.

Sounds appealing, but it's like having a side of the bed. Were you not happier when you were so in love that there was no defined bed sides? Practicality eventually sets in, and now we are going to have our own sides to the garage, too . . .

I know that one thing that is keeping me from starting on one of your projects would be my lack of tools, something I hope to change this year. What are the must have tools to get the job done?

Tools, or rather the lack of tools, is the biggest challenge for a new woodworker. With this in mind, I try to post plans that only require seven tools:

1. Compound Miter Saw. This is your kitchen aid mixer. Splurge, you won't regret it.

2. Circular Saw. These are less expensive. You will need this saw for a variety of uses, and you can actually use a circular saw until you save up for your Compound Miter Saw.

3. Jigsaw. Even less expensive. And yes, you could use it for a circular saw, but the cuts will not be as straight. Jigsaws are used for curved cuts.

4. Screwgun. Everyone needs a good screwgun.

5. Pnematic Nailer, shooting 1 1/4" - 2" nails. You are going to love your nailer. It's like a supercharged staple gun!

6. Table Saw. Unless, of course, if a nice man works at the hardware store and will make your cuts for you.

7. Hand Sander. Must have, cheap and will make your projects beautiful.

This is what a Compound Miter Saw looks like:

Isn't it pretty!  Just owning one would make you 

feel like you could build something.

What was the first power tool you ever purchased?

A screw gun and a jigsaw. When I was in college, I used a screw gun and a jigsaw to build all sorts of DIY projects. These tools followed me to the Bay Area after college, and I would use them to repurpose and refinish furniture.

(I am thinking if you don't have ANY tools, then starting 

with what Ana started with would be a good way to go!)

What big tool purchase should I be saving for?

Definitely a compound miter saw. This is your Kitchen Aid Mixer. You will want to splurge because as you build more projects and become more aware of your joints, you are going to want your saw to be perfectly accurate. You are going to want straight, clean cuts. And a cheap saw isn't going to give you that.

Also make sure you compound miter saw cuts a double bevel - as in will cut corners for crown moulding. You may not be ready for fancy crown moulding on your pieces right now, but someday you may wish your saw had that option.

In case you are reading miter and bevel and going *huh* this might help:

A miter is a cut (at an angle other than 90 degrees) along the length of width of the material, 

such as the kind you would make at the corners of a picture frame.

A bevel is a cut (at an angle other than 90 degrees) along the thickness of the material, 

such as along the edge of a table to prevent sharp corners.

If you're using a table saw, miters are cut by pushing the flat on the table at an angle to the blade. 

Bevels are cut by changing the angle of the blade with respect to the surface of the table.

What project, or type of projects, do you suggest a beginner start out with?

No angles, no doors, no drawers. Fewer pieces. Benches, coffee tables, bookcases, and easy console tables will be the most forgiving. Many, many people have had success with the Hyde collection. Also, I recommend using pine for your first project, because it's cheap and easy to work with.

You can check out the plans for the Hyde Console HERE and the End Table HERE.

Out of all the plans on your site, what was your favorite knock off? 

Definitely my Farmhouse Bed. There is no question, I love my bed. Many projects I build, and find myself gifting or selling because something better will come along. Not my bed . . . nope, still love it, even after all these years. I only spent about $120 on it and made it in one day. It was my first truly successful project, and many readers have duplicated my efforts with the same success.

Isn't her bed gorgeous:

You can see the plans for it HERE.

What project was the easiest to knock off? The hardest?

The more difficult plans to "knock-off" are the plans with the angles. I made a wine rack for a wedding gift for some friends, and struggled to get the big X just right. Also, all those stemware holders were rather tedious, but the end results are defintiely worth it.

As far as designing plans goes, the most difficult part is creating plans that people can build with the 7 tools I listed above. If we all had a New Yankee Workshop in our yard, well, we wouldn't need a Knock-Off Wood blog.

On average, how long does a blog post (plan) take you to create?

I generally allocate two hours to put a plan together and post it to my blog. Drawing up the plans can take as few as fifteen minutes, but exporting photos, coming up with cut lists, materials lists and instructions can take much longer. I am trying to spend more time on my plans to ensure accuracy and the greatest reader success.

But this time estimate doesn't include the amount of time I spend thinking about how I am going to design the plans, or any shop time I use to refine the building process. If we are going to include these steps, you could say I spend 24 hours a day working on my blog. Sometimes a plan will come to me in the middle of the night or while I am watching Winnie the Pooh, studying the furniture in the background.

(just trying to keep her inspired...)

What percentage of your plans have you actually built?

Probably more than half, in some variation or another. For example, the Farmhouse Bed has plans for the King, Queen, Twin, and Full, and I'm working on the California King Plan. I have built the queen and king, and it's really all the same. The same goes for bookcases, hutches, coffee tables, tables, and benches. When a project comes along that I am skeptical about the results, I will go to the garage and build it before posting plans. This is how the pink sawhorses came about.

Your finished products always look great. And not just the woodwork. What is your favorite brand of primer/paint/glaze/varnish/you name it? What is your favorite tip/shortcut to completing a project?

Thank you. Finished products are all about the finish. Truly, even the most remarkable piece can be destroyed with a careless finish.

As far as a favorite paint or stain, I think this just depends on what finish you are trying to achieve. My current favorite is Antique White by Valspar, slightly distressed with a couple of coats of satin varnish on top. This is the finish I used on the Simple, Cheap and Easy bookcases. I also love using just a tiny bit of stain on a sock, hand rubbing the finish into the wood.

To get the best finish, clean your shop. Even a tiny bit of sawdust can show up in your finish if you don't sweep. Vacuum the actual piece to remove any sawdust. Then turn the piece over and paint or stain the bottom first. Then the insides. Then finally do the outsides. Work your brush in the direction of the wood grain. Sand with fine sandpaper between coats. And don't judge your piece until you are finished!

And last but not least, what do you want to say to everyone that reads your blog,
 but hasn't gotten off the computer chair to complete a project?

 (*cough*cough*me*cough*cough*)

That if I can do it, so can you. I'm not especially handy or strong. I would not even consider myself to be an exceptional carpenter. It's the plans that make building easy. I hope you take an opportunity to look through the Knock-Off Wood Bragging Board - it's all reader projects. And most of them put my work to shame.

I also hope you just try. I could go on and on about how carpentry isn't just about saving money . . . it has saved me in so many ways. I have become a stronger, more confidant, less envious, generally better person through the satisfaction of building my own furniture.

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I have started saving my pennies for a compound miter saw.  My Dad will be so impressed.  I hope this post has motivated you to start one of her projects that you have been dreaming of...or at least watch Winnie the Pooh.