The Handmade Hangout #261

So glad you are here for this week's linky party:

Handmade Hangout Linky Party

Rustic Cedar Beams & Roman Baths

Had fun with my favorite guy at the Baths of Diocletian. 🛁 Romans baths consisted of 4 stages. You would start with a (slave) massage 💆, then the hottest bath (with heated floors 😱), then two more progressively cooler baths. 😓 

The Handmade Hangout #260

So glad you are here for this week's linky party:

Handmade Hangout Linky Party

DIY Farmhouse Tray & Villa Borghese

Zack and I went to the Borghese Museum to see these fabulous Bernini statues🎥. Here's a video of my favourite piece from the museum and it's probably one of the best marble statues ever made. It's from Greek Mythology, when Apollo falls in love with the wood nymph, Dauphne. At the very moment he catches her, she cries out for help and is swiftly transformed into a tree. You can see the leaves sprouting from her fingers tips and vines tethering her feet to soil.

The Borghese is also famous for their gardens 🌳 , which we were slowly walking at sunset 🌅 and, would you believe, there we ran into two fellow BYU MBA grads! 





Our friends Alex and Deserea, were a year behind us in the MBA program. But they and us are the only MBA's to go through as a couple. We were lucky enough to enjoy gelato & great conversation while they were here! Not to mention outstanding views. 

I have a quick and rewarding project for you this week. I love the simple farmhouse simplicity of this homemade tray. And I love how inexpensive and rewarding a project like this can be. Ready?

Materials

• Raw Pine 1x2 or an Unfinished crate
• Wood Glue
• Weatherwood Stain: Pining (Save 10% with Code: WELCOME10)
• Weatherwood Varnish
• Stencil
• Craft Paint
• Drawer Pull

Directions

1.] BUILD A BOX

You can either purchase an unfinished wood crate or make your own box like here. We sanded a piece of pine 1x2x10. The cut it into qty. 7 boards 1 foot in length and 2 boards just shy of that to make the short ends. Glue up your box and use wood clamps to hold it.

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2.] STAIN

There's no prep needed for this simple DIY! Just stain the wood beads using a sponge brush and Weatherwood's Pining stain. Allow them to dry for one hour. 

3.] STENCIL

Use craft paint and a stencil for the center decoration. Or you could go wild and use a transfer here, too. This monogram had the perfect farmhouse look. 

4.] TOPCOAT 

Protect with Weatherwood Varnish.

Don't forget you can save 10% on all Weatherwood purchases with code: WELCOME10. 
I hope to see you tomorrow at our party! 

The Handmade Hangout #259

So glad you are here for this week's linky party:

Handmade Hangout Linky Party

Farmhouse Coffee Table Upcycle & St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls

The Apostle Paul lies entombed beneath the alter of this giant basillica in Rome. ⛪️ This church is about two miles from his martyrdom site, which we were also able to tour. ✝️ This site is extremely busy with pilgrims and tourists, bustling with persons from all over the globe.

The church interior is expansive and ornate, with golden mosaics being the overarching theme.  🌟 

But pilgrims have come from all over the world come for one thing. To visit the crypt, located beneath the alter, where one corner of St Paul’s sarcophagus is visible. 💀Chains from the prison are also displayed. ⛓ The apostle burial sites are one of my favorite parts of Roma! 

 This week's project turned out so beautifully, that I cannot wait to share it! It's the perfect upcycle for an old oak coffee table. The finished color is absolutely dreamy.

Materials

• Refinished Wood- This was Oak

• Sandpaper (80 grit) and Palm Sander or Liquid Stripper, like Citristrip

• Weatherwood's SALVAGE Reactive Stain (Save 10% with code: WELCOME10)

• Weatherwood's White Maintenance Oil

• Weatherwood Varnish

• Sponge Brush/Rags

Directions

1.]  STRIP EXISTING FINISH

If your wood is brand new, jump to number 2!] On this job, the red cedar ceiling has already stained with a white wash oil stain, but not a cool 2016 white wash, instead it was a dated 80's white wash. You can check it below. When the wood for this project had an existing finish on it, you should sand or strip it. Either use sand it with a low grit sandpaper like 80 grit and a palm sander. Or you can use a liquid/gel stripper like Citristrip to remove the existing finish.

2.] STAIN

Once the wood has been stripped or sanded back down to raw, you can stain it using Weatherwood Stain's Salvage stain. Just brush onto the sanded wood and watch the magic happen. You will get a mixture of browns and grey tones, like this oak.

3.] LIGHTEN

Use Weatherwood Stain's White Maintenance Oil to add a beautiful white washed patina. You can see the a piece of wood in the video below, where I added the White Oil patina. This look is extremely popular right now and very beautiful. To use the Maintenance Oil, simply wipe or brush the Oil on, wait 5-7 minutes, and then wipe it back off. You can see below, it highlights the grain rather than diminishing it. It just adds that sun-kissed pop!

4.] PROTECT: Allow for the Maintenance Oil to cure. Then seal the table with 2-3 coats of Weatherwash Varnish.

5.] PAINT: Paint the base with your favorite chalky style paint, like Pearl Coatings 1 Step Furniture Paint.

Don't forget you can save 10% on all Weatherwood purchases with code: WELCOME10. I hope to see you tomorrow at our party! 

The Handmade Hangout #258

So glad you are here for this week's linky party:

Handmade Hangout Linky Party

Weathered Gray Soffit & My G-Grandfather's Town

In the early 1900's, my wonderful great-grandfather immigrated from the beautiful mountainous town of Benevento, Italy. 🏔 This is not a tourist trap by and stretch, it''s about a hour and 15 minutes away from Naples, but we easily made the beautiful drive.