Home Improvement for Women

MATERIALS: 1”x 8” cedar or pine, or 1’- 2’ length 2” x 2” cedar or pine, 2” galvanized wood screws, sand paper, paint or stain

BARBARA’S WAY TOOLS: 12’ or 16’ tape measure, 4.8v rechargeable cordless screwdriver, gloves

OTHER TOOLS: handsaw (or circular saw); pencil, goggles and paint brush, 2 – 8’ lengths

STEP ONE:

Using your tape measure and hand saw, measure and cut 3 pieces 3 feet long and 2 pieces 9” long of the 1”x 8” wood. Then measure and cut 3 pieces 8” long of the 2”x 2” wood. Sand all edges of your wood to remove sharp edges and splinters.

STEP TWO:

Lay one 3 foot piece on a flat surface and attach one side piece to the edge. This is done by using your cordless screwdriver and pre-screwing a hole smaller than the diameter of your screws. The holes should be every 6”. Use your drill to screw the wood together. Repeat step for other side.

STEP THREE:

Pre-screw the 2 9” pieces on all four corners and attach to the ends of the 3’ pieces making sure the edges all line up.

STEP FOUR:

Attach the 3 2”x 2” pieces to the bottom of the plant box. Place one on each end and one in the center with 3 screws for each.

STEP FIVE:

Screw ¼” or ½” holes randomly in the bottom of the plant box for water drainage.

STEP SIX:

Paint or stain to your desired finish and you are ready for planting.

And you did it yourself Barbara’s Way!

MATERIALS: 3 Curtain road, curtains/fabric, clip rings, glue gin and glue sticks

BARBARA’S WAY TOOLS: Screwdriver, 12’ or 16’ tape measure and scissors

TIP: Fabrics for a canopy bed are often chintz or luxurious silk. However, casual fabrics like muslins, ginghams and calicos are inexpensive and offer a textured country look.

STEP ONE:

Measure the area you want to drape (from ceiling to floor) and purchase enough curtains or fabric to drape the desired area. If you are making the curtains yourself, measure the area and get assistance from the fabric store.

STEP TWO:

Three standard curtain rods hung on the ceiling are all you’ll need for this look. Measure and mark the area on the ceiling where the curtain rods are going to be installed. Be sure to attach clips onto the rod before installation, unless the clips have an opening that allows them to be attached to pole after it is hung.

STEP THREE:

Once the rods are in place, hang the curtains of your choice from the clip rings. An alternate treatment could be to use tab top panels, tie top drapes, or grommets to create the canopy hangings

STEP FOUR:

Now decide how many hooks or knobs you want on your hanger, Measure the spaces in between each hook carefully with your tape measure and mare the spots with a pencil.

STEP FIVE:

With your hammer and nail, punch a starter hole on the spots you marked and where the hooks or pull knobs will be screwed in. Screw in the hooks or pull knobs lightly.

STEP SIX:

Attach the picture hanger to the upper backside of the accessories hanger with small screws. Place the picture hook on the wall and finally mount your accessories hanger on the wall. Now you can start organizing your stuff on a hanger YOU made!