Make a Basement Door for the Toddlers!

(SO to Courtney V.R. for requesting these instructions)

Hi Everyone! At our house, we had a problem. Our baby was on the move and the "big kids" were still only 2,4, and 5 years old. I needed to know what they were doing and playing in the basement. I also needed my baby/newly toddling toddler to not fall down the stairs. 

I installed a gate for about 3 minutes before uninstalling. It was such a hazard for literally everyone involved. (mostly due to tripping). I definitely couldn't leave the door open as I had done until this point. I was recommended a baby monitor but it wasn't exactly open communication. What I REALLY wanted was a door on the bottom that was open on the top! Yes. I realize that's a dutch door. I would've put in a dutch door in a heartbeat BUT if the top were open there was no wall for it to rest against due to our home layout. And I didn't want the 2 new corners for my kids to get head stitches on. So my solution?

A screen door!

Most nice exterior screen doors are a few hundred dollars but Menards has the basic wooden models for $20 or $30 depending on the size and quality. Hurray! Just what I needed! Here's what I did and how much it cost me with links to where I got the different parts.

The door: 

https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/exterior-doors/screen-doors/81-h-wood-t-bar-screen-door/p-1444428709436-c-6252.htm?tid=-4839180921248201108&ipos=20

I brought this unfinished door home as well as a wood panel and handle/latch (link below). Make sure to measure the door you're replacing and get that sized screen door! If it's a little off to the exact sizing, get one that's just a little too big and run it with a table saw or circular saw down to the exact match. And for the panel: 2' by 4' of anything 1/2" thick or bigger will do the job. I used a plywood to give the wood grain pattern on the door.

Leaving an overhang of about 1/2", I cut the wood panel down to size to cover the bottom to spaces. (On my door this meant a 24" by 29 3/4" panel.) I next cut and removed the screen on the bottom portion of the door with an utility knife. Then I glued and clamped it for the recommended time (30 minutes?) I might've even added a screw or two to make sure there weren't going to be any kids tumbling headfirst down the stairs, perhaps an overkill but whatever, not a risk worth it to me.

You'll want to sand, stain, and finish the door to match it's surrounding trim and home. 

To install, I left the door hinges on the door frame and took the original door off carefully and placed it next to my new screen door. I lined those puppies up side-by-side and marked where the holes were from the previous door. Then I had my handsome husband help me carry the old (and beautiful and surprisingly heavy) 6 panel solid core door to the basement for when we sell our home someday. And we raised it off the floor a few inches in case our basement ever floods. :) 

I predrilled those newly marked holes in the new screen door and hung the door with the old hardware, screws too! 

The next step was to install the handle. 

I got ours here: https://www.menards.com/main/wright-products-reg-colonial-tie-down-black-screen-or-storm-door-push-button-handle/vc333bl/p-1444432014155-c-7567.htm?tid=-4016518569652714801&ipos=11

(double check on the thickness of the door you purchased and what these can work with. Also match your existing hardware. We have mostly oil rubbed bronze so we got a black handle. Not the end of the world to me!) Whatever you purchase will come with directions specific to the item.

I also installed an auto closing mechanism I hoped would work more quietly than a typical spring and chain system that is standard for this kind of door. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANTQ45S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm very happy with it and easily set it to a speed that consistently closes the door to avoid the 1000 reminders a day but also isn't at guillotine/shove- a-small-child-down-the-stairs speed. Again this will come with instructions for installation. 

That's pretty much it! 

It's a solution that works at our house and one that I'll be eager to use as long as we're in this situation of a baby and multiple kids. Which it seems like we'll continue to be in for a while since we're adding one more in a few months! 

And, I'm not posting instructions for this because I also know I'm not the only person to do it: when our newest toddler is ready for the steps, we do have a second handrail and kid height installed to help make that stairway a bit safer! 

Just something to consider ;) 

Make Ultrasound Frames!

We've had more kids! And wanted to save everyone's ultrasound pictures because each one is a treasure! 

The variations are mostly due to number of ultrasounds.

Pink! Our little lady! 

I saw this frame and thought it was a nice touch to have after birth shots as well!

Have ideas you like? Don't wait! Order your frames on Amazon today: (Click around to find the right one at the right price for you!)

Have fun saving those memories!

Make Vintage-Looking Signs

I found a new favorite spot in Menards: The value wood section.

Thanks to that area, these signs were created!

Each board is anywhere from 49 cents to 89 cents. That is a fantastic, right up my alley kind of price!

Even when you connect them as planks it's still right around a dollar.

I had the acrylic paints. A couple got antiquing wax. There are more ideas online/pinterest than you could ever imagine.

Some I hung with eyehooks and string. Some have saw tooth picture hangers. 

All were made this year for Christmas as gifts for people I Love depending on their interests and inside jokes I might have with them!

If you can't get to the store, find everything you need on Amazon!

Make Hanging Planters!

Since it's practically spring (FINALLY) in Wisconsin, I thought I'd share the hanging planters I put together last spring! 

Supplies Needed:

Bowls (These are from Dollar Tree!)

Twine

Dremel & Carbide tip

Water in a spray bottle or maybe a small cup

Eye Hooks for hanging

Soil, flowers, and all required for planting!

The steps are simple enough. The bowls need some drainage so you'll need to get a hole in the bottom. I only did one per bowl which was plenty for function and turns out the process of putting a hole into the ceramic bowls was more time intensive than popping something through the bottom! 

1. Setup your dremel, carbide tip, water source and paper towel underneath to collect water and dust/pieces (I've heard diamond tip would've been a great alternative if not preferred, it did eat up my bit doing these 3 holes) 
2. Drill on through! Make sure you're spraying water pretty frequently to help with the temperature and shrapnel. TAKE YOUR TIME! Don't use a ton of force or the tip will get eaten up and the hole will punch early which can crack the bowl. It took me 5-10 minutes per hole. Dry and brush off when done!
3. Tie up the strings! MANY types of twine would work. I had this stuff on hand from making rosaries but thinking out loud, other twine, hemp, thin rope, Id imagine even yarn would do the job! The tutorial I used for this step came from here: (another blog)
4. Plant your plant in the bowl! 
5. Find where you want to put them. Install an eye hook there! Then hang the twine and place the bowl into it! 

The end :)

Of course water and do it frequently because they're small and won't hold a ton of water. According to my very helpful and neighbors with incredible green thumbs, if you pinch off the "spent" flowers it stimulates growth, who knew! 

Project Cost: $10 (bowls, flowers, soil)

Project Time: About 2 hours

Make Handmade Painted Vases

I saw incredible vases like these on Etsy and loved them! Unfortunately for Etsy, I'm too frugal to buy anything off of there and end up making my own versions. Here they are!

Instructions

1. Rinse out a bottle after you drink the delicious contents. 
2. Paint the bottles with a few coats of acrylic paint. (Take your time letting each coat dry or the next one can pick off some of the other layers!)
3. Next pick a pattern and paint it on there with puffy paint! I did mine freehand and I'd imagine if you were nervous and tried pencil first it might take the paint off. Therefore I encourage you to do it freehand! If you mess up, wipe it off quickly and try again!
4. Put a finish on. I did a high gloss coat of Mod Podge. Another option would be to use an enamel spray paint. I'm sure there are more ideas out there as well!

That's it! Use different sizes, shapes, color combinations, designs and the possibilities are endless! Have fun!

Construction Time: 2 hours
Construction Cost: A small portion of your paint and mod podge stock! Maybe $.50 per and that's a generous estimate!

Make More Baby Bibs

My sister was expecting a little girl last summer so I put these bibs together! Much like I've done in the past (Make Superhero Bibs) I puffy painted some custom baby bibs!

These are based off of the books by Roger Hargreaves we used to read as kids. 

Instructions are simple: 

1. Acquire plain bibs and puffy paint
2. Chose a design
3. Draw & let dry!

Construction Time: 1 hour

Construction Cost: ~$6 

Make a New TV Stand!

With an 8 month old now cruising around our floors, our former tv stand that was no more than open shelves weren't going to cut it. I found the original dresser on craigslist listed for the incredible price of FREE! With paint and the new handles, I spent $12 for this new tv stand!

Instructions:

• The first thing I had to do was fit a shelf on the inside of the top drawer. I made both the sides and floor of the shelf flush with the outer walls of the drawer space and mounted them with brackets. I also  cut out a hole in the back panel with a jigsaw for the wires.
• Next came painting. I took off the old drawer handles and put on 3 layers of the black spray paint. (I didn't spray paint the back to save on the paint cost) I had some leftover blue paint from my baby's changing table and did the inside of the shelving and the side of the drawers (not pictured) for an accent!
• Finally replace the drawer handles, add carpet pads to the posts so it won't scratch the hardwood and  it was done! The entire project took 5 hours, most went into planning the shelving piece sizes and letting the paint dry.