Kelsie's Blanket Chest

So for Christmas every year me and my wife make each other gifts. I spend all year thinking of what I'm going to make her. Since we've got married she has asked for a hope chest or blanket chest every year. So this year that's what I wanted to make her.

Because money is tight I just used a piece of plywood. I got a nicer quality so it wouldn't look like crap when it was done.

After I cut out the box pieces I cut a grove for the bottom of the chest out so it would look super clean once put together.

Then I used a biscuit cutter on the side to give it more strength once together.

The box went together way better than I thought it was going to. I always think something will go amiss once I start.

This is exactly how I wanted the inside of the box to look. Clean and nice.

As you can tell putting on the trim took all my clamps. But those pieces shouldn't fall off.

This is the trim for the lid. I routered the bottom with a grove like so, so you could lift the lid easier.

I mitered the corners for the most clean and sharpest look.

I used biscuits again on the lid trim. I really don't want this to come apart.
I

Chest ready for staining. Lid is to just not in the picture.

I had to use my work shop to stain because it got to cold in my garage shop. It was nice because they have a overhead heater and more space.

Back hinges.

So I found out that installing lid supports are not that easy or I did it a difficult way.

This is the finished product. My camera I guess had dust on the lens so this isn't a great picture. But it turned out great and she loves it. So does my three year old who thinks it's his and hides everything in it.

Sawdust Tip #3

Spread it around your tire in the winter to help get traction if stuck in the snow.

Karlin's Vanity

So for Christmas every year all the grand kids on my wife's side pick names for the kid they will get a gift. Of course the kid doesn't get it the parent does so I picked who I wanted this year because I wanted to build my favorite little niece a vanity.

I started with the base. Pre-cut the drawer hole out and 45 Cut the corners.

I then glued it together which proved to be difficult with the clamps I have but I figured it out.

I then glued the top to the drawer piece using granite glue.

The legs

The bench I made the exact way as the top.

For the back I just made up a design I didn't really know what I was doing I made it up as I was going.

After I cut it out I routered where the mirror was going to sit.

When I got to this point I felt that something was missing.

So I went and bought some accent pieces to make it a little more girly.

Painted and drying

Done all accept for the mirror and seeing I did this in two days then took it to my mother-in-laws house after I didn't get a picture with a mirror in it.

When I gave it to her she didn't quite know what it was but after I told her what it was she loved it so It was worth building it.

Ashton & Collins Family Tree

So I took this project on because I love my little sister and I like a good challenge. She wanted to make a family tree for her new in-laws but wanted to include both family's. Anyone who has looked at my blog knows that last year I did some family tree but they were just one family, so two seemed liked a challenge. But I said I'd do it and got to work.

I tried to just draw it out first but of course it didn't work so I had to tape a bunch of paper together and draw it out til I got what I needed. After we cut it out and used it as a template for the rest of the project.

After we drew it out my brother in-law router ed out the tree outline

We then filled it with black paint and sanded it.

We then taped it off to stain it.
(At this point I forgot to take some pictures so we fast forward)

Because everything was custom on this project i got to make one of my first frames. Which ends up being the biggest frame I make.

So stained and ready for the bottom leaves. I bought 200 2 1/4 leaves for this tree and used about 180 of them it was insane.

One hour and I got the bottom laid out and glued on. What I learned with the last one was that wood glue didn't hold up well when moving so I used glue that I use to laminate granite with. If those leaves fall off now I'd be real surprised.

Collins side

Ashton side

Names penciled on

Names marked on

I pre did all the leaves before I got to far so I was ready once I got to this part

Up close of what it looked like once done.

With my other trees it was just one family name so I was able to do a neat banner across the trunk so I was a little stumped what to do with this.

So I came up with these granite name plates

Collins side

Ashton side

Finished Product
this board is 3' x 4'

The Boy's Door Signs

I really can't take any credit for these. I just bought the materials and glued them together. The most I did was paint the letters and the backboard.

This is my new nephews

My oldest

My youngest