There are mixed emotions as I
type, er, pluck out this post. I am super excited to be sharing my snack crate!!
But, I am sad to report I do have a broken hand. Totally stupid, I hit it on the floor really hard last Friday night. I finally went into the doctor Monday and it is fractured. Luckily it is pretty small, but I am in a splint for at least 4 weeks (eek!) and it is my right hand. I am right handed.
So, besides all my fun projects and furniture makeovers I had planned the rest of the summer...that won't be getting done, I also won't be blogging much. I am lucky to get any thing done at this point. It's a good thing I have so many great helpers around here!!
Anyway...back to the crate. I actually made this before Mother's day. I originally used it for a vase holder and fresh flowers with "Happy Mother's Day" written on the chalk board. It was super cute (sorry no picture!) but what I really wanted it for was a snack crate.
You see...with six kids (5 of which are bottomless pit boys) I was going crazy with them CONSTANTLY getting into the cupboard! Aaaaaand with complaints like, "I am starving can I have some thing to eat?" Sure you think normal kid stuff, but 20 minutes after dinner???!!! I mean we are still cleaning up!
In an effort to gain some control and sanity, I decided we needed a system. My kids now know that they get three square meals a day, and three snacks from the snack crate. This is my plan to help them learn to fill up at meal time, and for those moments where they are going to DIE they can dip into the snack crate.
Please note that we also have snacks in the fridge, fruits/veggies and dairy snacks. They still need to limit it at three a day! Mean mom? Maybe, but otherwise they would only snack all day and not eat a good meal, get it?
Let's see how I put it together.
I started with some five gallon paint sticks and some scraps.
At this point I just guessed a size and started cutting.
For my support boards (which are 1/2'' by 3/4'') I cut them 8 1/2'' long. I cut 4 boards at this length. Then I cut the paint sticks at 7'' long. I needed 14 at this length.
I just lined up the first paint stick onto two support boards, making it flush on the top and sides.
Next I added the bottom piece. I glued and nailed them together. My nail gun didn't like the 5/8 inch nails, so a lot went in funny...I just kept at it.
Once I had both side pieces to this point, I put them next to each other...
And added the middle pieces. This way they were just the same.
Next I needed to figure out my chalkboard side. I placed the chipboard (which ended up being approx. 5 1/2'' wide and approx. 8'' tall) in between the two side pieces. I determined that 7'' would work for the top and bottom trim to the chalkboard. Which was good because it would make it square, I was just winging it on this...
I painted the chipboard with three coats of chalkboard paint and let it dry. I decided to stain all my pieces as well. I had already cut and sanded them, and I knew it would be easier to do now rather than when it was built.
I glued and clamped the top and bottom trim to the chalkboard. (please note that I had measured it with the side pieces to made sure it was the same height, sorry I don't have a picture of that)
I put glue on the two sides and nailed on the chalkboard. (See how they are the same height? The paint sticks all match up.)
Now to add the side trim (or paint sticks) to the chalkboard. I measured the distance between and cut the wood, mine was approx. 5 6/8'' tall. I always trust the actual measurement on the project.
Once I finished that, all I needed to do was add the last four paint sticks to make the back.
To make a bottom, I traced on a scrap of 1/4'' ply wood, cut it, stained it, then glued and nailed it on.
This is where I picked up the project today to finish it. I grabbed two pieces of rope with a knot tied on each end (I just grabbed these out of the drawer like this, luckily they worked). I simply tied them to the top paint stick, instant handles!! Mine slide but they could be secured with a dab of hot glue, I just want the option of being able to remove them.
Part of the reason I haven't finished it until now is because I thought it a little plain. I had a really cute idea to dress it up, but that required using a jig saw...that wasn't happening with one weak hand.
Out came the washi tape!!! It is the perfect temporary dress it up solution! I found out how hard it is to cut straight left handed, and my writing was even worse. I ended up writing this very awkwardly (and painfully) with the bit of thumb and pointer finger on my right hand that is sticking out of my splint.
I enlisted some very handsome helpers to fill snack bags full of snacks.
I am so excited, and so are the kids!
It is perfect too, because they can see exactly what is in the crate.
And here it sits, on the counter, ready to be raided.
Here's to happy kids, and a happy Mom! Fingers crossed!
So what would YOU use this crate for?
Hugs!
Mindi
I will be linking to
these parties.