DIY Fence and Gate

 Our fence was falling apart and we knew it was time to replace it.  Chris helped me pick out new redwood 2x4s and fence boards.  I started with the gate.  I had seen a really awesome one on Pinterest (of course)!!  I copied my design from the blog, How a Girl Built a Gate.  Check out the link here How a Girl Built a Gate.

So I started by measuring the width of the gate and laying out my fence boards.  I had to cut two a bit to make it fit.

My puppy just wanted so badly to help.  How nice to have such good help!!  I laid out all the 2x4's and cut them to match the design of the door.  It is not perfect (I have never done this kind of thing before).  But it was fun to figure it out.  I used screws to keep the boards in their place and then flipped the gate over.  I secured the boards from the front of the gate.

Then I cut the top of the door.  I used a sawsal to cut it.  I found out later that I should have done this with a  jigsaw.  No kidding!  I was shaking so hard from the sawsal bouncing all over.  The girls were watching and howling with laughter.  Please use the right tool.  It is ever so much better for you, though less fun for your kids.

I bought a really cool metal window to put in the door.  Since I didn't want to screw it up, I had my darling husband help me.  We stapled the template to the door, drilled four holes in the corner and then used the jig saw to cut the hole.  We ended up having to sand a bit to get the window to fit just right.  I LOVE having the window in the door.  It is what makes it beautiful!!

I had to wait to put the door in until the fence boards were done.   It is so pretty though!

I cut all the 2x4's and had them ready to go.  Then the real work began.

After beating the boards off and installing the 2x4's, I put up all the fence boards.  I used a 2x4 to try to get them all even.  Again, not perfect, but good enough.

This long fence took me two hours to do.  I'm sure it would take professionals a lot less time, but I'm learning.  Once the 2x4's were up, the rest went pretty quickly.

Here is the finished product.  I am in love with my new fence and gate.  Hope it inspires you to get out there and do your project.  I haven't done this kind of thing before, but it is really fun.  I have to admit, I was giggling and giddy when it was done.  It is awesome to learn something new and do it.

My metal window was purchased through Nuvo Iron.  It was $60 and shipped to my house in a week.  I also go the  latch, ornamental door handle and hinges.  The hinges that came with this didn't look strong enough.  I bought separate ones the could hold 48 pounds each.  

All done!!

DIY Platform Bed

My sweet sister, Megan, was the inspiration for this project.  She made a bunk bed for her kids and the bed frame for her queen bed.  She is amazing and I love that she just sees something that she wants to do and she does it.  So after our bed frame broke (four times) and we gave up fixing it, I thought about making my bed frame too. After many months of having our mattress on the floor, I decided to just do it.  Pinterest lead me to the shanty-2-chic blog.  They had step by step instructions to a cute DIY Platform bed.  I found similar ones on Amazon for $1300.00.  I made mine for $280 and love it.

My patient and kind husband helped me pick out the wood that I needed. We decided to use cedar wood.  Smells great and it has great pattern in the wood.  After measuring the wood and marking it, my husband helped me cut it.  Then I sealed it with a clear polyurethane.   The next day I drilled all the pocket holes.  That was fun!  I had never done this, so again, my dear husband showed me how.  While he was at work, I carried all the wood upstairs and assembled the bed.  I got it all done before he got home.  It was so awesome surprising Chris with a finished bed that didn't collapse on him.  

This is my super cute Sis-in-law's puppy. He was helping me with my work!!

Measuring all the boards and marking them.

I used this polyurethane clear coat on the wood.  It brought out a beautiful color in it!

Here are some of the pocket holes I cut!

The frame is together!

Got all the supports in and now adding the boards.

My bed is all done!!  I love the way it turned out and it 

even looks like it matches the furniture in my bedroom.

This is a special quilt that my mom gave to me.  She sewed a letter inside the quilt with the history of the quilt.  "This quilt was given to Laurie Reynolds in 1980.  It came from a lady, 90 years old, going into a nursing home.  She said it had been made by her mother, and was very old.  It was only the top and had never been quilted.  I, Laurie, quilted about 1/2 and then the ladies at Heritage Baptist Church in Pennsylvania quilted the remainder.  The quilt came from a house in Elmira, New York.  The quilt was finished in 2007 and given to Sarah Jeanette Kuhner, Laurie's Daughter.  Laurie Reynolds"

I love the detailed quilting on here.

The Shanty-2-Chic blog had great instructions on how to make this platform bed.  It was for a twin bed and I had to measure every thing for a queen.  Here are the measurements if you want to make a queen bed.  

Two 2x8's- Cut these 62 1/2 inches long.  These are the bottom pieces for the top and the bottom.

Two 2x8's- Cut these 79 1/2 inches long.  These are the bottom pieces for the sides.

Two 2x6's- Cut these 86 1/2 inches long.  These are the side top pieces.

One 2x6- Cut this 59 1/2 inches long.  This is the top end piece.

Two 2x2's- Cut this 79 1/4 inches long.  These are the side cleats to support the boards holding up the mattress.

One 2x4-Cut this 79 1/2 inch.  This is the middle support under the boards holding up the mattress.

Thirteen 1x6's-Cut them 59 1/2 inches long.  These boards hold up the mattress.

I measured this for a 60x80 queen bed.  I cut it just slightly smaller and it is perfect with the mattress on it.  The rest of the directions on Shanty-2-Chic blog are great and easy to follow.