You know you are excited to see what project I have in store today! OK, maybe you aren't as excited about this one as I am, but you should be. Remember my idea I posted about a while ago for an organizer/mail station (I'm not sure at this point what I am calling it) for behind the front door? Well, I'm finally getting around to doing it. Actually, I have been working on it for a few weeks now, but with minimal success. I was all about the idea the day I posted about it. When we were at Target that day, I picked up some mail slots that were about $2 each. Once I had the mail slots, I had to figure out what I was going to use as the backing. I had a lot of ideas, but none of them seemed to work out. I made multiple trips to the Habitat ReStore to check things out, but didn't have any success. That was, until today! Today was the final straw. I wasn't going to take no for an answer when it came to finding a base for this project. So, off to the Habitat ReStore I went, again. They probably think I'm casing the place at this point. Remember my initial idea, I think I posted it, to use a shutter? Yeah, well that wasn't working out for me. The ReStore didn't have any shutters other than plastic ones, and I wasn't dropping $50 to get one at a hardware store. I know the plastic ones don't have to be painted and that is why people are using them, but they really do look, well, plastic. My next idea was to use a board. That didn't work out for several reasons. To find a board thick enough to not have the mail slots rip out once they were screwed in, I was going to have to use a thick board. Thick board, I found out, equals heavy board. While I don't want a total limp bean on the wall, I also don't want something that is going to rip my whole wall off either. So, out went the idea of the board. While roaming around Home Depot on Saturday evening (I must look like I don't want to be messed with because they have started to leave me alone when I am roaming the aisles looking lost), I thought of another idea... fence sections. Lovely in theory, but Home Depot didn't have any wooden fence panels in stock. So, again, out went that idea. I came home that night upset, and deflated. I was checking out Menards.com and found out they did have wooden fence panels in store, but that was as far as I got with that thought.
This all brings me back to tonight, and my trip to the restore. I checked to make sure they hadn't acquired any wooden shutters; they hadn't. My next stop was the cabinet doors; they didn't have any of those either. I moved on to plan c, which I didn't even know at the time. Plan c turned out to be louver style bi fold doors. The lady at the store when I checked out asked me if I was planning to use the doors as doors or for something else, I told her they were for something very different. Once again while hauling these doors out, I was happy that I upgraded to the SUV. I has come in handy more times that I can count.
Tonight, I took the doors down to the basement and went to work. First, I undid all the hinges that held the two doors together. Then, I gave them a good cleaning to get the dust off. Finally, I sanded down where the hinges were removed and any of the spots that were scratched. I used a fine sandpaper so I didn't totally mess up the wood.
Next, I busted out my black paint and paint brush and got to work. I gave the first side two coats of paint, and will do the same with the next side tomorrow night. I wanted to make sure the first side was fully dry before I turned it over. And, because I am a totally impatient person, I used a hairdryer to help the first coat along so I could put the second one on. How else was I going to have time to still post this tonight?
The corners and down into each slat were a pain in the butt, so I had to do each one individually
This is with two coats of paint drying in the basement. Tomorrow night, I will flip it over and do two coats on the other side. Technically, I wouldn't have to since the other side is going against the wall.
Stay tuned this week as I finish up that project and post the final outcome. Yesterday, worked on a few things around the house. I did come much needed cleaning, and got the last of the Christmas stuff put away. I still had Christmas decorations on the front porch, and I was tired of looking at them. Plus, when I was at the craft show this past weekend, I bought a cute rabbit to go on the front porch for spring, and rabbits don't belong next to snowmen. Here are the new spring front porch decorations.
And finally, my decoration for on top of the shelf by the back door...
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