Hot tool helps newbies build fantastic furniture  

As spring sneaks in, it’s fun to go through each room in your house and create a punch list of things you’d like to change, add or replace.  The list can hold all of the items that bug you, from minor to major, not including relatives.  

Don’t hold back; put everything down on that list, from faucet repairs to paint jobs to pictures that no longer give you a happy feeling.  If there’s anything you see that messes with your well being - ping! (magic wand sound effect) - it goes on the list.  

If your list reveals lots of holes in the furnishings department, don't be bummed.  It’s never been easier to build stuff.  And try not to feel overwhelmed if you've got a long list; here are a few of my must-builds for comparison:  

• pine recycling center for the kitchen
• wainscoting in basement
• big framed whiteboard for the home office
• computer hutch for the kitchen
• matching nightstands for the master bedroom
• built-in cabinets and shelves for the master bedroom
• floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for the den
• window bench in the guest room
• bed frame and headboard for the guest room
• storage benches in the mudroom 
• storage shelves for dumbbells in the workout room
• built-in storage for the laundry room
• tool storage shelves and boxes in the workshop

So, what are the chances of any of these projects actually getting built, whether in your house or mine? 

Pretty darn good.  Even if your desire level is way higher than your budget.  

The Kreg Jig ($30-$100) is a ridiculously simple tool that allows you to create lightning fast, professional looking wood projects using nothing more sophisticated than a cordless drill.  

You don’t even need glue.  The whole process is so simple and stressless, you’ll be freakishly excited to take on projects you’ve never attempted before.  

You can choose solid wood, particle board or medium density fiberboard (in thicknesses starting at a half-inch) to get results that look insanely good.  

How does the Kreg Jig work? It allows you to drill precise high-speed flat-bottomed “pocket holes” that you’ll use to create right angle joints and butt joints.  After drilling out the holes (10 seconds), you drive a special self-tapping screw into each hole (10 more seconds) for a strong, tight joint that requires no gluing.   

The Kreg Jig has an integrated clamp that locks the board in position so you can drill at the perfect angle.  When it comes time to assemble your project, just clamp the boards together on the jig and drive two screws into the pocket holes in each corner.  Done. 

Wood and Plenty

I got my Kreg Jig about a week ago and it’s been so much fun I’ve actually lost sleep lying there in bed thinking up projects to make, from picture frames to art easels and porch swings.  

The speed of the thing is what really gets the romance flowing, and when you see the quality of the joints you feel like some kind of a woodworking god, even if you’re only a hack like me. 

You can get simple or deluxe Kreg Jig kits at Lowe’s and Lee Valley Tools.  I like the 'Master' kit because it comes with a DVD packed with tips for all kinds of applications and projects.  The  DVD presentation isn't boring either; it's fast-moving and inspiring. 

If you’re considering accessories, I’d advise buying one additional clamp to start - the Kreg face clamp ($30); it really speeds things up.  And you’ll need a packet or two of specialized Kreg screws, which come in two styles - fine threads (for hardwood) or coarse threads (for poplar, soft woods and particle board).  If the pocket holes will show on the work piece, you can also buy Kreg’s precision-made plugs to cover the screw heads.  

The Kreg Jig easily gets my vote for Tool of the Year; it makes furniture construction safe and easy, even for beginners; if you need proof, Rachel Ray used the Kreg Jig on her show and she’s not exactly a full-time sawdust diva.  

For ideas on easy pocket-screw projects you can build, check out www.ana-white.com (she offers many free plans for knock-off versions of furniture carried in trendy shops).  Or visit the free Kreg Users’ Community on the web at www.kregjig.ning.com.  

It was standing room only at the Real Home Show in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  I had 5 packed shows and we gave away more than 500 free packs of Sugru (not an affiliate link), the silicon putty that fixes, improves and customizes just about anything. Lots of people brought busted stuff for me to fix, and we had some great laughs. Thanks to Herald Homes for inviting me to speak, and to Sugru for supplying the free samples for all of our show visitors. And it was great to meet some of you there!

One of my favourite repairs was Margie's hose reel, which had a cracked housing.  

We reinforced and buttressed the bejeez out of the plastic base, which had split around one of the screws.  Naturally we did our best to complement Margie's colourful personality using orange, blue, green and marbled black and white Sugru!

Plus, I learned (well, sort of) to step dance at the opening night party, courtesy of Herald Homes editor Claudia White! Toe, heel, toe, hop, bang bang...

When I saw drop spindles for sale for $50 at the local wool shop, I came home and made one with some doweling, a picture hook and a chopped-off bit of old candle stand (the circular part). I fastened the parts together with Sugru, the mouldable silicone putty that air cures to a resilient, springy toughness.  

Bottom view:

via big-design.blogspot.com

Love this fearless tutorial on how to apply and grout pennies to make a cool looking floor

via thatsmyletter.blogspot.com

Want to know how to personalize stuff perfectly on wood? This lovely blogger has figured it out.  Hint: Think pointy.

via inthiscrazylife-bethany.blogspot.com

This girl has a fantastic collection of tips for DIY and household stuff. I love the paint can elastic that saves you from gobbing up the rim, and using marshmallows as a hydrating agent for brown sugar.

via www.colormeglamorous.com

Renew a pizza stone by letting it run through your oven's self-clean cycle. The worst that can happen is that it'll crack and you'll have to replace it, but most of the time it works fine because the ceramic was fired at a much higher temperature. It might help to warm it slowly to 400 or so before engaging the self-clean cycle.

via yogachrissy.blogspot.com

Cool tutorial for a headboard made from steel pipe and connectors

via www.instructables.com

It doesn't get cooler than a penny desk. Love this tip-laden tutorial.

The plumbing pipes above the new water heater collect condensation, which then drips on the top of the water heater and wants to run into the electrical well on top of the water heater.  IX-NAY!  I made a nice white gasket around the electrical controls so no pesky water can find its way into the workings.  

via www.instructables.com

I'm weirdly attracted to this whole wine-bottle-cutting-in-half movement.

via www.eieihome.com

I'm a sucker for reclaimed anything and these wood/tree/driftwood/branch/chair designs at the International Design Show 2012, as reported by eieihome.com, are inspiring.

via www.realsimple.com

Freakishly simple fix for the problem of closet-floor Trail Mix.

via www.prettyhandygirl.com

Ingenious method for stabilizing those twisted wonky dollar-store plastic bins - force 'em into shape with runners created from strips of MDF.

via www.designsponge.com

Anyone else remember learning to sew in Home Ec using paper templates with a spiral pattern (and shrieking as you went off course at full speed)?

Well, sewing on paper just came back in a big way. This is a cool improvised basket constructed from packing paper sewn into lengths with black thread.

via diygadgets.blogspot.com

Continuing my fascination with round things plunked in grout, this would be a great treatment for a basement bar top or even a backsplash.

Leah chose a few of my photographs from around the farm and we applied them to sanded plywood

Sometimes the transfers have raggedy edges but I kind of like the randomness.

via www.mandolinmosaics.com

I know, I know, I'm obsessed with coin flooring this week!  Amanda Edwards' stunning kitchen floor is tiled with pennies using black sanded grout. Then Amanda sealed it with clear polyurethane.  And this is only a sliver of her skill.  Lift your spirits in under 5 seconds; visit her web site to see the breathtaking stained glass works she spins from her limitless imagination. The colours and movement in her pieces will make you feel like you just took a vacation.  

via www.apartmenttherapy.com

After the penny tiling investigation (in the previous post), I discovered some long-suffering souls who figured out one way to solve the coin-embedding mystery in their bathroom renovation. Their step-by-step instructions are a testament to determination.

via www.curbly.com

It's gorgeous, even if it belongs in the curriculum of the Kill Me Now School of Decorating. So tilers, do you think they used black grout? Or did they use clear epoxy over the pennies?

This was one of the more successful Christmas presents Daniel and I made for our little friend Charlotte (3). 

We used poplar, small hinges and string.  

The red side of the easel is a chalkboard (homemade chalkboard paint, baby), the other side is a dry-erase board cut from a cheap 4x8 sheet of white bathroom paneling.

Charlotte's mum clamps newsprint to the whiteboard side any time Charlotte wants to paint. The easel folds flat for storage.  

P.S. I forgot to take step-by-step photos during the white-hot frenzy of creation so let me know if you want instructions and I'll build another.