Mortise and tenon, one of the oldest and strongest carpentry joints, with an added haunch that makes this wood joint even stronger and perfect for gate construction. Hi I'm Sandra's sister, Julie. If you have been following the progress on Calderwood Cottage you have seen me doing some demolition Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
DIY Lighting Projects Anyone Can Make
Can you believe how expensive lights are? I'm always caught off guard by price tags that reach into the thousands! For a light! Especially when you can make a beautiful chandelier or pendant light for less than $25. Seriously. It's super easy to update old light fixtures with a DIY light. Check Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
DIY Serving Tray – Great ideas for Hostess Gifts
A DIY Serving tray is a perfect item to add your idea list for hostess gifts. You never want to arrive at a dinner party empty handed so make sure you plan ahead. Store bought gifts are nice but it makes your gift extra special when you make it yourself. How about a DIY serving tray paired with a Continue Reading
November 24, 2017
PORTER-CABLE Cordless Sander Review
Have you seen the new PORTER-CABLE cordless sander? This random orbit sander is another new member of the PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX* System. Available for $59.99 for tool only, battery and charger are not included. PORTER-CABLE Cordless Sander Review It is a cordless sander --but it has only one Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Shoe Organization – Easy Shoe Storage Project
I feel like my back door entry has grown a shoe mountain with all of the boots and shoes we now need for the snow, rain, mud, and everything in between. I swear it takes an extra 5-10 minutes to get out the door in the mornings between playing the shoe pile scramble, and then navigating the Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Calderwood Cottage – part 5
I've shown you all the work we've done on the inside of our Calderwood Cottage (parts 1, 2, 3, and 4). Today I'm showing you what's been happening on the back addition. This back addition is on a concrete slab. There are two rooms. We have no idea what the intended purpose was for the first Continue Reading
November 17, 2017
Calderwood Cottage Demo Days – part 4
In my last Calderwood Cottage update, I showed you all the termite damage we found. We ended up removing the wood floors and subfloors on half of the house. We never intended on having to deal with this level of repair. But we're into it now. So we figured out what we needed to do fix it. Continue Reading
November 16, 2017
DIY Napkin Rings – easy diy project
Whether you are looking for a unique hostess gift or just want to add a natural element to your table setting, these DIY napkin rings are fast, easy, cheap, and very WOW! This is a super easy diy project that will add a special touch to each place setting at your table. I used some 3” x Continue Reading
November 13, 2017
Porter-Cable 20V MAX Wet-Dry Vac – PCC795B
Today I'm sharing my review of the Porter-Cable 20V MAX Wet-Dry Vac. I've had a chance to use it around the shop as well as during "Demo Days" at Calderwood Cottage. The Porter-Cable PCC795B is currently available for less than $60. This price is for the tool only. Battery not included. That's Continue Reading
November 11, 2017
Easy DIY Sliding Doors for Cabinets
I've been wanting to cover the middle section of my workshop cabinets with sliding doors. I really don't like how chaotic the visible storage looks. Other than the visual appeal, cabinet doors don't serve any function besides keeping some dust out of the cabinet. So they haven't been a high Continue Reading
November 10, 2017
DIY Table Lamp – Make Your Own Lamp
Once in a while I have to step away from the home remodeling work that goes on and on for months and months without looking like any progress is being made ...and make something that I can start and finish in one day. For sanity sake! After finishing three weeks of back breaking demolition on Continue Reading
November 8, 2017
Working with Dowel Joints
Hey SawdustGirl Readers! It's Timisha from ToolBoxDivas.com. I am still so stoked to be a part of the SG Squad. I am already learning so much, pushing myself to that next level. This month we were challenge to try a type of woodworking joinery that we've never used before. I chose to try out dowel Continue Reading
November 5, 2017
Attack of the Termites – Demo Days part 3
Continuing our demo at Calderwood Cottage! After tearing down the ceiling and clearing out all the insulation, we spent hours pulling up tack strips and nails and staples and washer headed tacks that they had used to nail down 5 layers of linoleum. We pulled up layer after layer after layer of Continue Reading
November 3, 2017
Calderwood Cottage Demo Day 2
Our first task for Calderwood Cottage demo day 2 was to tear down the ceiling. Julie had the great idea to punch it down from above rather than pull it down from below and have all that old insulation fall down on us. So Julie suited up, and went to work punching down all the ceiling Continue Reading
November 1, 2017
Mitered Edge Wood Joint with Homemade 90 Degree Clamps
Hey everyone! I'm Shara from the DIY/Woodworking/Furniture Building blog, Woodshop Diaries and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to join a VERY talented group of DIY bloggers in Sandra's mentorship squad! This month, we were challenged to step out of our comfort zone and attempt some wood Continue Reading
October 30, 2017
Calderwood Cottage Demo Days – Part 1
Hey guys! Julie and I survived three weeks of back breaking work on Calderwood Cottage Demo! The place has changed so much, I have to look at pictures to remember what it looked like when we began. We originally weren't going to start flipping until January (after I finished more of my own Continue Reading
October 25, 2017
How to Make an Octagon Jig – Building Geometric Shapes
Hi my name is Mindi and I blog over at MyLove2Create. Today I am going to show you how to make an Octagon Jig for creating geometric shaped projects, like frames, mirrors, trays, and shelves. I can't tell you how excited I am to be in Sandra's mentoring group! I have a very distinct memory of Continue Reading
October 23, 2017
How to Stain Wood Using Briwax for a Fast Easy Finish
How to stain wood using Briwax for a fast, easy, foolproof finish. We used Briwax to enhance and accentuate the natural character and beauty of the two nightstand DIY tables. We built these tables out of pine which has a tendency to take stain unevenly which makes for a blotchy, streaky, cheap Continue Reading
October 20, 2017
DIY Tables – Two Nightstands for the Guest Bedroom
Julie and built these awesome diy tables to function as two nightstands in the guest bedroom. We used easy joinery techniques and inexpensive wood. The luxurious finish makes them look like a million bucks! One benefit of building your own furniture is that you can make it any size you want. To Continue Reading
October 17, 2017
How to Braze – Brazing Metal Centerpiece Brackets
Hey Sawdust Girl friends!! Cara here from Build It Craft It Love It, I am so excited to 'meet' you all today and share my experience of learning how to braze! As part of the "SG Squad", Sandra is challenging us to learn new skills and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. I have not worked with Continue Reading
October 15, 2017
Guest Bedroom Reveal – Little Bedroom Design
I'm so happy to finally share the guest bedroom reveal! This little bedroom remodel began almost a year ago, along with the Jack and Jill bathroom. It's finally finished, and it is fit for a queen! Little Guest Bedroom The guest bedroom is a little bedroom and there's not a whole lot of extra Continue Reading
October 14, 2017
Tiny Closet in Guest Bedroom
The tiny closet in the guest bedroom is FINISHED! I wanted to finish the entire Jack and Jill bathroom before Julie and I started working on Calderwood Cottage but it didn't happen. The bathroom still needs drawers and doors but it's usable. The tiny closet needed shelves and a hanging bar to Continue Reading
October 14, 2017
Sliding Barn Door Ideas
Everyone loves a sliding barn door with awesome hardware. Like pocket doors, sliding barn doors are space saving features. The slide from side to side leaving more space for you to fill with cute and functional accessories. There are a lot of companies that will sell you a "barn door" for hundreds Continue Reading
October 13, 2017
DIY Chair – How to Build a Modern Plank Chair
Modern plank chair by Timisha of Tool Box Divas. Easy to follow instructions to build a diy chair that is both a work of art and a functional piece of furniture. Hey guys! Yesterday I told you about my mentorship squad. This month is an introductory month. Everyone is sharing a fun project or Continue Reading
October 11, 2017
Mentorship Squad – Mentoring Group
Hey guys. I haven't shared a mentoring project with you in a LONG while, but I haven't stopped mentoring. In fact, I recently started a Mentorship Squad and will be inviting my mentees to share some of their journey with you. Mentoring For the last four years, I've been virtually helping people Continue Reading
October 6, 2017
Centipede Sawhorse – Mobile Work Table – Giveaway
The Centipede Sawhorse is lightweight, mobile work table is easy to carry, set up, collapse and store! It is so light I can hold it with one hand -- but it can support up to 1000 lbs! About 8 months ago, I bought a 2x4 Centipede Sawhorse and have used it a ton since then. I have two traditional Continue Reading
October 3, 2017
Calderwood Cottage – Flipping Adventure Begins
Well, Julie and I bought house! We continue to get ahead of ourselves. Things outside our control don't cooperate with our plans so we're just rolling with it all--cough Sewer Saga. I'm obviously not going to reach my 6 month goal of finishing all the unfinished projects in my house by December. Continue Reading
September 30, 2017
Built-in Office Cabinets
My built-in office cabinets. are. done!!!! So, remember when you gave birth and you were like, "I am never going to forget how my body felt", and then three short months later, you totally were on board to possibly have another and go through it all again?? Yeah, it's about the same after building Continue Reading