One of the most exciting purchases a beginning DIYer – actually any DIYer makes – is a new table saw. It can also be a nerve wracking tool for beginners. I’ve created a video tutorial to walk through table saw basics, from safety through making that first cut. For convenience, I’ve written out the information […]
How to work with reclaimed wood
For many of us, reclaimed wood is our gateway to the world of woodworking. Be it wood from the side of the road, pallets collected from the back of businesses, or 2x4s ripped out during a remodel, creativity blossoms when materials speak to us. Long associated with the terms “rustic,” “farmhouse,” or “shabby,” reclaimed […]
Woodworking Starter Pack: Essential Must Haves
Woodworking Starter Pack: Essential Must Haves Woodworking can be intimidating to break into. Fortunately the woodworking community is extremely welcoming, gracious, and supportive. If you are getting into working with wood, I recommend hopping on Instagram and making friends. It’s one heck of a terrific community. I am at thecreatedhome, come look me up […]
Building your DIY Workshop
Our family moved back into our current home after renting it for two years. We had spent those years working in another town and renovating a home together. In that time I started to play around with woodworking as an extension of what I was learning doing remodel work. When we moved back here I […]
On Creativity
Hey you. Yes, you. I have something to tell you. Are you listening? You are creative. In fact, there really are not limits to what you can create and do, if you want to. A few years back I would spend my time poking fun at my supposed lack of creativity when I would find […]
How to be a good parent while developing your hobby, passion, and/or business
Congratulations, mom (or dad) you found your passion. Now how do you make time for it? No joke, being a parent is not getting any easier. Sure, we have a lot of modern conveniences, but today’s parents live in a dichotomy that says you are not a good parent if you don’t develop yourself as […]
How to set up a DIY workshop
I’m making some assumptions here. I am assuming you, like me, are a DIYer. I’m assuming you probably work out of a garage, or a shed, or something entirely glamorous like that. I am assuming you don’t have saws that cost more than a new car, but you have worked hard for what you do […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Repairing Broken Wood
If you are like most people, you have some piece of furniture with broken wood in need of repair somewhere in your home. Well, pull that thing out of storage, because I’m going to show you how to fix it in a jiffy. Before we get started, you’ll want to invest in a couple of […]
How to distress wood
There are a lot of tutorials about how to distress wood. Basically they involve beating it with anything you can find laying about. I have never really been happy with any of them. I’m going to sound like a total snob here and say that the only way to get a truly, madly, deeply weathered […]
What is reclaimed wood (and where to find it)
Reclaimed wood has become quite the buzzword in recent years, and its popularity seems only to increase. From pallet projects to farmhouse tables to shiplap galore, recycled wood is everywhere. It is easy to see why. Salvaged wood is a beautiful material for furniture, walls, flooring, decor, and so many other places. It warms a […]