Catching up on the Honey – do’s

I participate in a lot of craft fairs and festivals throughout the Summer and Fall.  But the first few months of every year are devoted to building inventory and improving my woodworking skills by catching up on the “honey-do” list.  Kim likes to keep a running list of projects around the house, with the understanding that time permitting, I’ll knock them off one-by-one.  We also hired out a couple major renovation projects in the past few months that I wasn’t capable of handling myself in a reasonable timeframe.  But that doesn’t mean that some of the finishing touches weren’t added to my plate.

First up was a backyard renovation so we can enjoy our yard more this Summer.  I built a couple club chairs to place around our fire pit, and am getting ready to start a matching loveseat.  As with most projects like this, I spent time looking on Etsy and Pinterest looking for images of styles I like.  For this chair, I found an image on Pinterest of a similar chair that retailed for over $1200!  Using that chair as inspiration, I began to draw out images and dimensions.  The build process started with scrap wood before even purchasing more expensive lumber.  Not until I was happy with a test piece did work on the chair begin.  I chose Sapele, also known as African Mahogany, for it’s weather resistance and lower cost than Teak.  Even with the help of my friend Glenn, the first patio chair took the better part of two weeks to complete.  We made a few errors, but really liked the finished product.  Chair two was faster, and the loveseat should be done in days rather than weeks. 

Next up was a linen cabinet for our newly renovated bathroom.  The cabinet was made to match the existing vanity, with the quartz top fabricated from the same slab.  YouTube videos were a big help in learning the proper construction process for the carcass and doors.  I was gifted a Graco airless paint sprayer for Christmas, and put it to work on this project.  It was a steep learning curve, but I think it turned out pretty well. 

Next item on the list is tiling an existing fountain in the backyard.  For every item finished, two more seem to take its place.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  The skills I learn doing these honey-do’s are eventually put to use in my creations at Wine Country Woodcraft.  I hope you see something on my site and take advantage of what I can build for you.