Running With Scissors

Vintage Soda Crates

10:32 PM

I saw these vintage soda crates at the thrift store.

I kind of ran over to them when they caught my eye.

As I was looking at the crates I noticed the cities stamped on the end and gasped.

I guess it's not too shocking since this is where we live. The soda was apparently bottled here, purchased here, and sat in someone's garage for a long time until they cleaned it out and took these to the thrift store.

There was a Pepsi and 7up crate. I was really excited and then I saw the price tags: $12.00 EACH. mwaaaw. mwaaaw. mwaaw.

I thought: "what the crap?" and noticed they were in the "collectibles" section. My heart sunk a little and I put them back and went to look at the fabric.

They were so cool, the old divided soda crates, plus our town stamped on the ends. But $24.00 for both? Seemed too pricey. But then I thought of them as a memento, since we'll be moving in two years to a new location. These could be a symbol of our lives while we lived here. It seemed more nostalgic and worth it and I decided I would regret walking away from them. So they went in my cart.

I was checking out and the woman ringing me up saw the prices said: "this must mean 2 for $12.00" I answered I thought each was priced at $12.00 since they weren't taped in a set. She looked inside them and said: "Twelve dollars for that? That's ridiculous. Hold on. Let me get a manager." He came over and confirmed they were $12.00 each. She gave him a look and he got defensive explaining they had just been marked down that day from $15.00 and walked away. Apparently this wasn't the first item she called out on the prices. She turned to me and said: "Well I tried. It's still ridiculous."

I left thinking "I like that cashier"...even though she probably thinks I'm an idiot for buying these. And I wondered the whole way home if I really was an idiot.

I showed my husband when he got home from work and showed him it even had the ABC American Box Corporation San Francisco stamp on the inside in pretty good condition.

I think my husband agreed with the cashier.

So I have thirfter's remorse. Do you think I overpaid a ridiculous amount?

I guess it came down to the fact I really liked them and in the end it obviously seemed worth it to me. I knew myself well enough that I would have regretted not seizing the opportunity.

So I think I've justified the purchase and just need to clean the grime off and put them to use.

Has anyone else felt you paid too much for thrifted junk?

Did I overpay for thrifted junk?

Who's side are you on:

me vs. husband/ cashier

hand-built

Scrap Ladder for Outdoor Decor

12:18 AM

Pattern Testers Wanted {CLOSED}

1:41 PM

hand-built

Whiskey Barrel Side Table

11:51 PM

For our patio, I wanted some kind of side table. Last fall I bought these two plastic turquoise chairs on clearance for $9.00 each. We needed something to go between them.

I found this idea of using a whiskey/ wine barrel as a table outdoors.

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This worked out perfectly for me because the previous owners of our home left us a few. This one had weeds growing in it. But I decided these barrels really don't have much table top area once upside down, and it would also be great for storage if I left it right side up. Thus I needed to make some kind of table top for it.

But first I needed to make the actual barrel a little more easy on the eyes. I used Minwax brand wood stain in ebony and stained the wood. Stain got all over the metal rings, but it cleaned off with mineral spirits. I didn't seal the wood or anything, just one coat of the stain and it was ready to go.

TABLE TOP

Next I had to make myself a table top to go on the barrel. Because I'm cheap, I used these weathered junk 1x3s from the junk pile the prior homeowners left. They were gross and covered in nasty spider sacks, dirt, etc.

I measured the diameter of the barrel top and added 2" to make a square top for it. I cut the 1x3s into varying lengths and with a Kreg jig, screwed them together in a flat table top. Because they had been rotting outside for who knows how long, they were very uneven. I did try to sand it as smooth as I could, but the warped, aged wood was left pretty rugged in the end.

To better reinforce the table top, I nailed 1x2 strips along the outside edges. It also makes the table top look a little thicker. After sanding, I used the same Ebony wood stain on the table top. But this did get a coat of outdoor polyurethane.

To keep the lid from sliding off the barrel, I nailed scrap 2x3 hunks underneath to secure it, like big pegs that fit 1.5" lower into the barrel so it can't slide off to one side.

Some areas of the wood grain ended up pretty light despite the super dark ebony wood stain. I just did one coat and called it good.

You can see the table top has big enough gaps to support some dandelions, but it works, and the whole project was used with things I already had around so it didn't cost me anything.

We use the barrel to store all our firewood (for the firepit), so it has dual purposes!

hand-built

Outdoor Console Table

12:09 AM

Last summer I bought a folding closet door set from the thrift store for $10.00. The first $5.00 hollow closet door became my sewing table in the craft room/ office.

So I finally got around to using the other hollow door and made pretty much the same table again, but added the slatted lower shelf.

This table fits right against our house on the patio by the back door. I plan on using it as a buffet when we eat outside, and also a potting table when I need it, and all around backyard table. It's long and narrow, so it's pretty light if you need to move it for an event or something.

We don't have many parties to host, so it most likely will stay there most of the time.

The legs are just 2x4s and the aprons and support are 1x3s. This time around I was smarter and planned the base support under the hollow door to be the same dimensions. The first craft table I built I made it smaller to have a little overhang on the sides, but it made it a lot harder to attach the hollow door to the frame because it's obviously hollow.

This second time around, I could screw the frame into the door edge where it's solid. I'd say the 1" border on the edge of the door is solid and sturdy, past that you get to the hollow weak stuff.

For the bottom shelf, I used 2x2s, so their narrow enough water or mud can go through and not puddle, but thick enough to hold things. I sanded and painted all the 2x2s separately, than used a nail gun to secure them when everything was all painted. This made it easier to paint the long skinny pieces rather than trying to jam a paint brush between them once their close together as a bottom shelf.

I primed the table with oil based primer, then rolled two coats of Glidden exterior latex paint: semi-gloss and the color is swan white. After all the paint coats dried overnight, I applied an outdoor polyurethane, so I hope being outside the exterior paint and poly will protect it.

It's nice to have the bottom shelf to store things we use all the time in gardening and all our Wellington boots.

I've been loving having the buffet table outside. When we grill, we never had a place to put all the fixings and it's nice to get all the serving dishes off the little patio table so we have room to eat. It's also good for dessert too.

I've never shared recipes on this blog, it seems weird to me to mix sewing/ crafts/ furniture with food. (Also there are amazing foodie blogs out there so why try) Craft blogs are just kind of an odd place to have food...like eating a tube of cookie dough in a theater while watching a play like I did in college. But I do love food as much as I enjoy making junk. So here's an awkward recipe thrown in the middle of a furniture building post.

So this is my mom's recipe for banana cream pie.

One of my favorites.

She makes a coconut crust and if you omit the 1 T of flour, the whole pie can be gluten free. I also added in the link my own orange/ berry variation that was good at Christmas time.

(If you can believe it, I actually was one of four winners in a holiday recipe contest a few years ago and had my picture in a magazine. I'm holding my pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and I call the photo the "troll behind the rolls"...it's pretty funny and I did get $50 to a nice local restaurant though)