FALL!!!
It's my favorite season of the year! But it also means something else...winter is just around the corner. It seems like I barely get time between the heat of Summer and the cold of Winter to get those spectacular days of open window weather...and then the coats come out.
I have 3 kids...you all knew that right? But did you know that they're pre teens to teens. And add to that Winter weather and the need for jackets/coats. Do you know what happens in my house? Yep, coats everywhere.
I have this lovely spot right behind my door. It begs for something to fill the space. Why do I call it lovely? Because it's got MAYBE ten inches of space and gets very little visibility. How in the world do you decorate a low visibility, tiny space?
When we moved in to this house the family before us left a wooden, very dated coat hanger. It had 4 hooks, was wood with a lovely mirror heart in the middle. Ok, it was NOT pretty, but it was useful. My kids filled that thing every winter. (It's 3 kids...how do we have 12 dozen coats for 3 kids?????) But when we painted the hallway we took the hanger down and low and behold it was broken on the back side. Since it was SOOOO beautiful...I threw that thing away as fast as I could!!! It's been 3 years and I have yet to replace it...that is till this FIRST DAY OF FALL!!!
Anticipation of a nice cold Winter!!!
But this is about repurposing right?
Ok, so for months I've been pinning things to Pinterest. I have so many lovely things I'd love to make for my house. I'm drawn especially to old wood...cheap wood...the kind like you get when you see a sign that says "FREE PALLETS"!!! Now that makes a Pinner HAPPY! I made a stop and found this one pallet that was in great shape: thick wood, not overly aged, good structure...the kind you NEVER find. But there was only one. You bet I got it. Problem was, like in many of my projects, I had NO idea what to do with it. We thought about making a bench out of it for the kids to fall on. That was going to be expensive for all the padding. So the pallet sat there for months. Till one day...
I remembered this lovely spot behind my door...and the fact that I didn't have a coat hanger that I'd plan to replace years ago. Voila! But a pallet is a HUGE thing to hang on a wall and I'd have to hang it rather low just so it would fit. Idea #2...cut half of it off. I consulted with my Cigar Geek and he concurred that this would be an interesting idea.
.
So...here's where we start. My Cigar Geek cut the yuckiest half off the pallet (the one that had gotten water logged), but then removed the loose boards off of the top rung. He then took that rung and pounded it in the middle of the bottom section. From here it looks like a full pallet...kinda...but if you notice it's rectangular and not square.
It was exactly what I wanted...size wise that is...but it still looked a bit too "new" for me, and I don't have any dark wax nor did I want to stain it. So I grabbed what has become a new "painting" medium for me.
Brown Kiwi Shoe Polish
I rubbed it all over and darkened up the wood. It wasn't a huge difference, but it did bring out some of the pretty texture in the grain.
To finish it off...the wood that is...I grabbed the Minwax Waxing Paste (not the specific name, but it's close) and for the first time applied it to wood...go figure!
I waxed and waxed (sore fingers and all), then buffed and buffed...and I cannot imagine going back to polyurethane ever again!!!
It's a beautiful thing! I could not believe how rich it made the wood look. I am a wax lover now!!!
Now the pallet shelf is ready!
Wait, there's something missing...what could it be?
Oh, yeah, HOOKS!!!
PROBLEM...I want the hooks to attach to the bottom...horizontally...Home Depot & Lowes...NOPE! They don't carry hooks that attach horizontally and still hook. I couldn't find them anywhere. Cigar Geek found them on-line, but I wanted them locally (ok, impatient I know...but dang it...I worked hard...I want it DONE!)
So we decided to try a hardware store, NOPE! But we had to drive by a Hobby Lobby...might as well try. I had no idea where to look, but my first thought was in the drawer/door knob area. Low and behold there was this ONE hook that was designed to hang vertically, but it had enough filigree on it that it could be hung horizontally and work...we tried! And this is why I love Hobby Lobby...they were 50% off!!! SCORE! 4 for the price of 2...can't beat that! Problem solved!!!
So today Cigar Geek took the time to attach my hooks and then hang this heavy coat hanger on the "Lovely Spot" on my wall.
BRING ON THE COLD...WE'RE READY FOR WINTER!!!
(ok, not too quickly...I want to enjoy the Fall!)
Now our coats have a place to hang, the gloves and hats have a place to sit, and I don't have the clutter in the living room (or in the kids' bedrooms).
TREASURE!!!
Thanks all for stopping by!
Jennifer
Blogs I'm Linking Up With:
Sunday
DIY Showoff:
Project Parade
Flamingo Toes: Think Pink
I {heart} Nap Time: Sundae Scoop
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Twigg Studios Sunday Showoff
Under the Table and Dreaming: Sunday Showcase Party
Cherished Treasure: Sunday Blog Love
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best
Flamingo Toes: Think Pink
I {heart} Nap Time: Sundae Scoop
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Twigg Studios Sunday Showoff
Under the Table and Dreaming: Sunday Showcase Party
Cherished Treasure: Sunday Blog Love
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Love that. Very cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you...is this Andrea???
DeleteVery neat idea for coats, and it does look beautiful with your 'stain' and wax! (shoe polish? Who'da thunk?)
ReplyDeleteDebbie :)
I know...shoe polish! But it's one of those things...it was there, might as well use it!
DeleteThank you for stopping by!
I have a new love for the finishing wax too after using it on my bedside table redo recently! And, I am totally impatient too LOL! I have a couple of pallets languishing in the the side yard that I needed inspiration for! I love this! I'd love it if you shared it at my weekly party this week (starts tonight actually) ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathe...linked up!
DeleteFun use of a pallet! Love the combo of wood and black hooks!
ReplyDeletexo,
Shannon
Thanks Shannon...the hooks got me hooked!!! I love them.
DeleteVisiting from DIY dreamer. I love this. i love all things Pallet but this is super stunning. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
DeleteLOVE this Jennifer!!! I would gladly take one for my place hehe
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
great idea. i love the hooks on the bottom. i'm your newest follower. come check out my blog when you have a minute at http://sister-number-5.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteA really great idea, loving the hooks on the bottom, you were really creative with this - and ended up with a great piece. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a cute idea! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)
ReplyDeleteI love this! Thanks for linking up at One Creative Weekend. I'll be featuring this idea later today! Please come grab a featured button and come back tomorrow to link up anything new you'd like to share at OneCreativeMommy.com.
ReplyDeleteThank you...I grabbed a button. I sure do appreciate it!!!
Deletethis turned out
ReplyDeletereally cool
thanks for sharing
at Fridays Unfolded
now following!
alison
I love it! The hooks look very cool hanging that way!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, Jennifer! I love it! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI just love this project! -It's PINNED- You've got such a great blog and I'm so happy to find you.
ReplyDelete~Lynn
Great work. I love what you did with that pallet. pinning.....
ReplyDelete... ikidscoatrack.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete