My daughter, Steph, and I tackled a little project the other evening.
This is a great way to reuse baby food or other small jars and scrap wood.
Showing posts with label Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Projects. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
How to Make a Brick Walkway
I am extremely excited to share a big project with you today!
We finally put to use the bricks our neighbor gave us ... for free ... and made a lovely brick walkway out front. I did a little research online before starting, then we jumped on in. Here's how it went.
1. We measured the width and length for the walkway, using stakes and twine to mark the area.
I would recommend deciding on the pattern for your bricks before you decide on the width of your path. This will insure that your bricks will fit inside the designated area.
*ahem* I may or may not have done that myself, but would highly recommend you do it.
2. We went 15 feet out from the bottom of the stairs in order to make a nice boundary for the extra parking. The existing blocks were removed before the digging began.
3. Brian and Silas dug out a nice bed for the walkway. You will want to make it deep enough to make your bricks even with the grass level, so take into account the size of your bricks and the layer of sand you will spread before laying the bricks.
4. After all that digging you should take a break. It's hard work.
5. Before proceeding with the next step, call the crew foreman to inspect your work.
6. To prepare for laying the bricks, spread a nice bed of sand about an inch thick in your path. We worked in sections of about a yard each. As you can see, I placed the bricks fairly close together. Wiggle the bricks into the bed of sand to make them fit securely.
7. Here's a look at the progress. I decided to alternate my main pattern with a random pattern because there weren't enough bricks to do the entire thing with my main pattern. I love the patchwork look!
Continue laying bricks until your new walkway is filled.
8. After we finished laying the bricks, we filled in the sides with dirt. I used a two by four to pack it down tightly.
9. Next, dump generous shovels full of sand on your new fancy walk and rub it in using a broom. The goal is to work in as much sand as possible between the cracks. To aid in settling, after the first layer is done lightly spray with water before applying another layer of sand. This part of the process took quite a while to get enough sand in the cracks, so take your time.
10. We were expecting some rain, so I left plenty of extra sand on the surface.
Over the next couple weeks, I swept more sand into the cracks every few days. The hot summer sun has baked the sand into a nice hard seal around the bricks.
TaDa!!! New brick walkway!
Just for fun I decided to make a raised bed at the end of the walk. It seemed like there needed to be a destination at the end, ya know?
I stacked two layers of these funny-shaped bricks and filled it with potting soil and dirt that was dug out to make way for the brick path.
And now, here are entirely too many pictures of my new brick walkway.
I am totally infatuated!
To me, it looks like the brick walk has been in front of the house since it was first built in 1890!
I hope you find these instructions helpful if you're thinking about installing a brick walkway in your yard. The entire process took several hours of work for three days with my husband, son, and myself doing the labor.
Happy Independence Day!
I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
Psalm 119:45 NIV
God Bless America!
Linking to these sites:
Yellow Bliss Road
Monday, December 31, 2012
Top Posts - 2012 in Review
2012 is coming to a close and 2013 is right on it's tail. There's no "winding down" at this House and Yard. The project list is still just as long and the calendar isn't going to get a break. But, that's pretty much how we like it around here.
I thought it would be fun pull together a list of the top ten posts of 2012 and see what people seemed to enjoy reading the most. We'll start with number 10 and work our way up to the top.
#10 - Painted Nightstand - This was my first try at painted furniture and chalkpaint all in one project. My little raspberry nightstand still makes me smile.
#9 - Mustache Bash Baby Shower - We had a great time celebrating in anticipation of our newest grandson.
#7 - Kitchen Corner Reveal - I am happy to report that my pretty and organized kitchen corner has stayed relatively tidy - with regular maintenance, of course.
#6 - Showers of Blessing Baby Nursery - This was a fun project using a little bit of paint, glue, some pretty paper and a wall decal.
#5 - Bookcases Revealed - A bit of paint and a few pieces of trim dressed up these ordinary shelves.
#4 - Amazing Kitchen Update - The kitchen is still a work in progress, but in May I finished the paint and backsplash.
#3 - 31 Days of Order Series - This page contains the list of all the posts I wrote in October about bringing order to our lives. This is also still a work in progress. ;-)
#2 - Chocolate Marshmallow Cake - Absolutely the best cooking mishap ever! How can you go wrong with chocolate cake AND marshmallows?! Right. You can't.
#1 - Miracles Still Happen - The prize for most page views goes to this post about our grandson.
I thought it would be fun pull together a list of the top ten posts of 2012 and see what people seemed to enjoy reading the most. We'll start with number 10 and work our way up to the top.
#10 - Painted Nightstand - This was my first try at painted furniture and chalkpaint all in one project. My little raspberry nightstand still makes me smile.
#9 - Mustache Bash Baby Shower - We had a great time celebrating in anticipation of our newest grandson.
#8 - Sunroom Project - This is one of a few updates on the sunroom project. You can see more here, here, and here.
#7 - Kitchen Corner Reveal - I am happy to report that my pretty and organized kitchen corner has stayed relatively tidy - with regular maintenance, of course.
#6 - Showers of Blessing Baby Nursery - This was a fun project using a little bit of paint, glue, some pretty paper and a wall decal.
#5 - Bookcases Revealed - A bit of paint and a few pieces of trim dressed up these ordinary shelves.
#4 - Amazing Kitchen Update - The kitchen is still a work in progress, but in May I finished the paint and backsplash.
#3 - 31 Days of Order Series - This page contains the list of all the posts I wrote in October about bringing order to our lives. This is also still a work in progress. ;-) 
#2 - Chocolate Marshmallow Cake - Absolutely the best cooking mishap ever! How can you go wrong with chocolate cake AND marshmallows?! Right. You can't.
#1 - Miracles Still Happen - The prize for most page views goes to this post about our grandson.
It's been a year of wonder and challenges. The goodness of God has supported us through it all. I have enjoyed the process of projects, writing, and interacting with this online community and hope you'll continue to stop by when you get the chance. Thanks for reading.
Did you have a favorite post? Were you inspired to try something new? How did it go?
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Custom Pantry 3
Alrighty! Last week I showed you the progress on my new pantry and it looked like this....
Remember how I promised to show you my big idea for inside the panels? Magnetic chalkboards!
After doing the research I decided against the magnetic paint offered by a big name paint. The reviews kind of made me nervous; there weren't enough happy reviewers.
Not knowing exactly what I would find, I headed to Lowe's for sheet metal and chalkboard paint. I found a couple knowledgeable staff people and came home with my supplies: 4 squares of sheet metal, double-stick mounting tape, and chalkboard paint.
I had already measured the panels, but did it again just to be sure, fixed myself a mocha, turned on the Christmas music, then got to work.
The metal was easy to cut using tin snips. I had to roll the unwanted piece up and away from the panel in order to cut all the way up.
Probably would have been a good idea to wear gloves.
After cutting all the panels I moved outdoors to smooth the edges. I did this with a small, handheld metal file. I also tapped lightly along the edges with a hammer to flatten those areas that became notched from the snips.
Back inside and time to paint. The paint guy at Lowe's recommend that I prime the metal before using the chalkboard paint, which I did. Then, I applied three coats of chalkboard paint. The paint dried quickly, so this took hardly any time at all. Truthfully, it was fully covered after two coats, but I thought three might last longer if we were going to do a lot of writing and erasing.
When the paint was fully dry, it was time to attach the panels to the pantry. I elected to use double-stick mounting tape rather than glue in case I didn't want the panels on my pantry forever-and-ever-amen. This way I can remove them fairly easily if I decide to do so.
The double-stick mounting tape went on the wood first and after revealing the sticky side, c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y I pressed the painted metal panel to the pantry starting at the bottom and working my way up.
One of my panels went on alittle cockeyed for some reason and I had quite a time pulling it off for repositioning. The metal is thin, bending easily and the tape is super sticky, so I ended up with a slight bump. If you try this, make certain of your position before pressing to attach the panel.
On this side, I only used the metal panels in the middle section. I applied the chalkboard paint directly to the primed wood of the lower sections.
I like the contrast of the black paint and the red cabinet.
Still to be done to call this project finished are handles for the large pull-out shelves and some trim. Guess I'll have to write another update!
Custom Pantry 1
Custom Pantry 2
And now for this commercial message.... If you like my pantry and need some cabinets, let me know. My son-in-law, Adam, is in the custom cabinet making business and would be glad to talk to you about your kitchen cabinet, bathroom vanity, and/or furniture needs.
Remember how I promised to show you my big idea for inside the panels? Magnetic chalkboards!
After doing the research I decided against the magnetic paint offered by a big name paint. The reviews kind of made me nervous; there weren't enough happy reviewers.
Not knowing exactly what I would find, I headed to Lowe's for sheet metal and chalkboard paint. I found a couple knowledgeable staff people and came home with my supplies: 4 squares of sheet metal, double-stick mounting tape, and chalkboard paint.
I had already measured the panels, but did it again just to be sure, fixed myself a mocha, turned on the Christmas music, then got to work.
The metal was easy to cut using tin snips. I had to roll the unwanted piece up and away from the panel in order to cut all the way up.
Probably would have been a good idea to wear gloves.
After cutting all the panels I moved outdoors to smooth the edges. I did this with a small, handheld metal file. I also tapped lightly along the edges with a hammer to flatten those areas that became notched from the snips.
Back inside and time to paint. The paint guy at Lowe's recommend that I prime the metal before using the chalkboard paint, which I did. Then, I applied three coats of chalkboard paint. The paint dried quickly, so this took hardly any time at all. Truthfully, it was fully covered after two coats, but I thought three might last longer if we were going to do a lot of writing and erasing.
When the paint was fully dry, it was time to attach the panels to the pantry. I elected to use double-stick mounting tape rather than glue in case I didn't want the panels on my pantry forever-and-ever-amen. This way I can remove them fairly easily if I decide to do so.
The double-stick mounting tape went on the wood first and after revealing the sticky side, c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y I pressed the painted metal panel to the pantry starting at the bottom and working my way up.
One of my panels went on alittle cockeyed for some reason and I had quite a time pulling it off for repositioning. The metal is thin, bending easily and the tape is super sticky, so I ended up with a slight bump. If you try this, make certain of your position before pressing to attach the panel.
On this side, I only used the metal panels in the middle section. I applied the chalkboard paint directly to the primed wood of the lower sections.
I like the contrast of the black paint and the red cabinet.
Still to be done to call this project finished are handles for the large pull-out shelves and some trim. Guess I'll have to write another update!
Custom Pantry 1
Custom Pantry 2
* * * * * * * * *
And now for this commercial message.... If you like my pantry and need some cabinets, let me know. My son-in-law, Adam, is in the custom cabinet making business and would be glad to talk to you about your kitchen cabinet, bathroom vanity, and/or furniture needs.
* * * * * * * * *
Thank you for stopping by A House and Yard!
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