8 is enough!

 Since the day my brother & sister-in-law blessed me with 2 beautiful nieces I have been over the moon. Maneuvering them around at the dinner table during holidays was always easy when they were toddlers, however as they grew older, they really needed a table to seat at. Everyone came to our house for special events & holidays & when I mean everyone this included my mom, Jo (the kid) John (the husband), my brother, sis-in-law & my 2 nieces, oh and ME J.

That’s a grand total of 8....

 8 is enough, at least for me. My place settings have always accounted for this. No more no less... well maybe sometimes more but for the most part this is the key # that I stick to.

So here we go - a seating for 8 for the great outdoors. I searched high & low for a farm / barn wood table & finally found some that I loved; however I didn't have access to old barn wood or railroad ties. I had to stick with what I had & what I found. This table was 2 years in the making& took 1 1/2 days to make. Well Melissa, 2 whole years? That’s crazy! YEP. This used to be the old, ugly, tiled kitchen table. It always looked sad & discolored & was at piece when I covered it with pretty linens. When I finally found its replacement I took a hammer to the tile & kept the surrounding frame & legs. Life happened & I wasn't able to get to my project so I decided to paint the table the color I wanted with hopes of it lasting a little longer while it sat outside. It became an eye sore so the table moved to the side of the house, where it sat in the cold, wet, hot & dry weather. It managed to survive & I was determined to make something beautiful. Easter weekend I asked my husband to lay some wood on the frame so we can utilize it. GASP - horrible, tacky idea. We ended up using it as a work table. Finally this past week, it was time. I had old cedar wood that I salvaged from a curb, I purchased some new items to finish the project & I managed to realize that the frame was not going to work for my project & I had to learn to revamp what I had & make it new, fresh & sturdy.

Things to know: First figure out how many people you want to seat. Do you have chairs already that you want to utilize? If so, do you have enough? If you don’t, do you have an idea? Or can you mix & match? Do you have enough scrap wood for your needs? If not, are you willing to utilize some new items? Don’t know where to start? To get an idea, you should research & gather pictures from different tables you like & combine an idea from each.

Below are some standard sizes that  can give you an idea as to what size of table you may need. Of course there is nothing Standard about a Upcycle Rectangular table, have fun & make it your own .

• To seat 4 people: 36"W x 48"L
• To seat 4-6 people: 36"W x 60"L
• To seat 6-8 people: 36"W x 78"L

The table - See the old wood on top, BLAH! It has a small lip & I really wanted to use this for my new table, but it didn't work. I had to start from scratch.

 The corners; will save you a ton of time if you are able to salvage this piece.


 corner taken off & bare leg is left. The bolts are in great condition

the legs, off & sanded

bottom footing needed to even out & chopped off.
 
 lumber all sprawled out, checking to see what I have & how I can manage to utilize the most out the scrap wood.

The first dry run.

Everything is cut to size - NOTE: All the wood is flipped upside down, make sure you keep the boards the same way when you flip it over. Because the wood is not all the same & widths can vary due to shrinkage & weather. If you were to change it up, it might not line up the correct way.

The first dry run after the cut.

Trying to figure out placement of legs 

Measuring the outside perimeter of

out side permiter made & boards placed across for added support & a place to atttach the top boards

L brackets from sampson ties, attached to bottom of legs

2x2 cedar board attached across the legs for added support, balance & looks

Frame completed & boards are carefully placed back on top. I used finish nails. this way you didn't really see the nails.

Boards are attached & here comes the stain. The legs were originally white, I painted the wood the rich espresso & it eventually discolored. Sanding brings out the previous white color & the wood. Sealed properly, the color will last for a long time. A 2x2 cedar is ran across the bottom of the leg brace. 
 Top of the table, sanded & cleaned

 First coat complete

 

2nd coat applied

And there you go! 

 

 

I made the table for 8- I had 4 chairs I purchased at Thrift Town a while back for $10 each.  I placed one on each end & 2 on one side. I will be building a bench for 4 on the opposite size.

Bench on side coming soon!

COST: $3.60 x 2 cedar pickets

$3.80 x 2 - cedar 2x2

$0.50 x 4  -Brackets

 

TOTAL

$16.80

this does not include the cost of hardware, stain or tax- A 5gal stain by Behr is $24, 2 coats used only an 1/8 -3/8 of the can. I may add a 3rd just for added protection, until I can get a cover on this.  

 

TIP: The uglier the better. The chairs above had horrible covers, they were sold for cheap due to this. Most of my finds for less are hidden gems. The seller see's ugly, broken, piece. I see lower price & great function. When at a store, (even a thrift store) it never hurts to ask; "Is this the lowest you will take?" Ask for a discount, EVEN WHEN IT ALREADY IS!  Now, this being said; if you see something priced right, take it and run... All you have to do is turn your back & someone else will be buying.

 

~Mel

Though I have some common sense for the above project, a finger might have been harmed during the making of  this project. Check your inner DIY'er to make sure you that you know how to use your hammer!



Whats In a Name?

What’s in a name? Everything! I really believe that a name describes you; for instance my name, Melissa, in Greek means “BEE” “HONEY”. This name fits me, I’m like a bee, never fly straight & I run into everything. Even though a bumble bee doesn’t fly into things, I do!  YES, I am that clumsy. So I need a name for my coop. I had several in mind & I finally chose one then the kid said NO!

Apparently there is an animated movie called “Chicken Run” & the farm or something is called “Sunny side up”, which is the name I chose.  I never saw the movie & maybe I need to, but for now, I decided to change the name & now I am stuck; renaming & rethinking of something cute & fun. Once I have a name then I can decorate the inside of the coop & officially have a plaque with a whimsical title. I want to paint the ceiling in the run with a beautiful blue sky & a beautiful bright yellow sun.  I want a family portrait hung in the actual coop that would make it feel a little more like home & less of a CHICKEN COOP!  So here I go again… rethink, rename & design something really fun for my girls.

IDEAS? 

MINI COOP-R

PECKERS

GOLDEN NUGGET

LADY LUCK

SUNNY SIDE UP

CHICK – INN

COOPER

CLUCK CLUB

HEN HAVEN

CLUCKINGHAM PALACE

CLUCK CLUB

BREAKFAST CLUB

HUEVOS

CORN SWEET CORN

RED DOOR ROOST

ROOST-R HEN

SUPER EGG

HEN HUTT

CLUCK COTTAGE

CLUCKSTOWN

NUT HOUSE

CLUCKS A LOT IN

STILL THINKING… Thinking that I want to use Sunny Side Up! Hmmm! Thoughts?

TIP: Name your coop, make it personal & decorate the inside with items that can be cleaned & will not harm the little chicks or house your outdoor friendly mouse. This adds so much character & makes it a little more special.

~Mel
 

Which came first, the chicken or the coop? Part One

Oh my my, the power of a child’s persuasion.

It took one episode of Craft Wars to launch a project of all projects. The contestants were to make a pet mansion using only pet supplies & items from the craft room. Tori Spelling, the host of the show, was carrying a white puff ball named “Coco” & I was intrigued. I immediately googled ‘Tori Spelling, Coco’ & there it was, a puff ball of cuteness dressed to the nines. I fell in love & immediately showed my daughter & her friends when she got home. That was it; one episode, Google & a kid with friends. What was "Coco"? It was a silkie chicken, cute as can be & the kid stated we needed one.  I sat there at the kitchen table pondering & decided to see what these things cost & how hard it was to obtain one.

Within 2 hours I was able to find them on craigslist, email an inquiry to the owner & get a response that I could pick them up tonight at 8pm. They lived in north Austin, 25 min away from us & my daughter begged me to get one, for $5, why not? So we took a drive; 3 kids, a cardboard box & I. We immediately fell in love. The kiddo’s friend wanted one too & swore that her parents wouldn’t mind.  They chose the ones they wanted & off we went to Walmart to get a small cage, some shavings & a water bowl.

We had no idea what was in store for us. For the next 2 months the silkies lived in a wooden box in our guest bedroom. I researched & learned what we needed to do to take care of these time consuming chicklets, respectfully named Mumble & Loke. Of course we ended up with both of them & little did we know that you cannot sex a chicken at a very young age.  Loke was learning to use 'HER' vocal cords & started to sound a lot like a pre-pubescent rooster.

 I searched high & low for coop ideas & finally combined a few that we liked to make it work for our space. However, while looking for items, I worked with our great finds & then the space we had. I had a little more flexibility with our space.

So off to the re-store & home depot, I went.

I didn't take step by step pictures but I will try to draw out what we did. Don't 2nd guess warped cull lumber as most of it can be straightened out by bracing it. (update, Home Depot now sells thier cull lumber by the price of the item -70%off. We purchased items when it used to be by color price point)

 

we built the coop first then attached the run.

Front view. The 3 upright 2x4's are longer then the back. Once the frame was up I added the press board & then painted it.

Nesting box - side view. The slats are important to ventilate the coop.  Easy to close during freezing  cold days & open them fully when hot. Scrap lumber is placed on the side to help them from swinging completely backwards.

Warped legs - Easy fix later. Excuse the mess, yard is still under construction.

 I went to Lowes (very limited on in stock selections) as I didn't have time to go to a flooring store. I used what I needed & sold the rest on craigslist. I have to say, it is very hard to fold linoleum.

A nesting box must be built.

Added wire to the inside of the frame to keep my babies safe. Washers & screws help secure it further than the staples.

Back side-framed. You don't have to double wall your coop, however since press board is not weather proof & Texas weather is crazy, I thought it could keep the kiddo's warm & safe as my yard backs up to a green belt. Racoons can be very nasty & I can just see them pulling open boards to get to a tasty meal. Before I add the exterior wall, I took the opportunity to screw a branch through the back side. I found a great tree limb in the woods. I made a few notches on the top so the chickens can have a better grip. Pictures coming soon

 

The grand master plan... hand drawn with no dimensions, just the materials used. Price for frame, walls, & nesting box.... 

ONLY 

$45.57 

of course this doesn't include taxes or hardware. You can buy all this stuff at habitat for humanity for WAY less then buying it at the big box store. You just need to know what you need as it is sold by the bag or pound.

Price for coop is not including the run, the wire below the coop, nor the panels on bottom. At this point it is still under construction.

Semi final finish.

Hopefully this will spark some ideas & add to your CAN DO for LESS list.

Stay tuned for the nesting box & the run.

 

~Mel

Some assembly required; assembler must have basic knowledge of tools, assumes all liability of any creativity produced by DIY blogs & that such injuries that may occur during the project. Blogger reserves the right to help you save money but in no means promises that you can get such said deals unless you take the time to walk away from the computer,  look & shop around other then the big box stores.  

 

 

The Scoop on the Coop, The Run & the Nesting Box - Part II

NESTING BOX

A nice big nesting box so we can sleep & rest & lay lots of pretty delicious eggs for our family....

NOT!!!! We have 3 large nesting boxes, do the hens love it? NO - They like to roost, the silkies from time to time will lie in the nesting box, but now that it is getting warmer they decided to lay underneath the hens who are roosting & get pooped on. WIERDO'S.

As I have been told the Chicklets are still young & immature & I need to help them out a little. Place a FAKE plastic, ceramic, wooden (painted of course) EGG in the nesting box so they can practice & decide it's time to lay eggs. SERIOUSLY?  UPDATE: A friend said to use golf balls, swears by them. Which ones? Should I research golf digest? Callaway, Bridgestone.... Nike ~ Just do it? That fits!

I haven't tried this method yet, I kind of like their immature side right now, they make me laugh. So I am going to hold off until I COMPLETELY finish the details in their COOP. - More to come on that one.

So here are the pics of their nesting box & the limb they love to roost on.

I added above storage for misc. stuff like the broom, basket & water bottle.

A ~2x6  closes back gap

B~ 1x2  brace

A branch I found from the green belt by our house & I took the saw & notched out the top

I screwed it in from the back side.

from the inside 

Cost for nesting box

* $13 for pressed board - included in the coop price

$6 - white wood board

$0.50 for pt 1x2 (cull lumber)

$0.75 X for hinges

exterior free & reused

ONLY

$20.25
this is not including hinges, screws, or taxes

NOW THE RUN -

Ever have them, “oh poop” moment? Thinking what the heck am I doing & what did I start?

We had that moment when we were starting the ramp & the run. We didn’t know how long or how far, how tall or how wide we wanted it. We did know that it must be tall enough that we can comfortably walk in & out of. So with this in mind we started to look for wire. My husband & I went back & forth on which wire we wanted to use; he wanted the typical chicken wire, while I wanted more of the square simple one. I won! We stuck with the square wire & decided on the length & width.

We opted to make the run simple & just added a flooring of wire, to keep "that their critters" out & kept the roof flat. By no means are we master carpenters, so we do what we know we can & adjust the pitch of the roof with molding & tin. The run didn't take long to make, it was flattening the wire to the ground and attaching it to the side wire that took the longest. After a few blisters, sore fingers & cramped legs (sitting criss cross), it was finally complete.

THE WOOD- We used pressure treated wood for the perimeter of the floor & WHITE WOOD for the sides (cheaper) RECOMMENDED? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! - However, we stained & sealed the wood & the roof with oops stain $5 - a little more work, but we are happy with it & our wallets are thankfull.

THE HARDWARE-  if you have a restore around go check it out. We have one in Austin & I absolutely LOVE IT & can spend hours. It could be dangerous. However, you can get a steal on items. Hardware that usually cost $6 a pop at hte big box stores ranges from $0.75 to $1.50. CRAZY CHEAP! So now for the RUN.

Side View

Einstein eating!

the roof & the connection

the connection to the coop

 the wire from the ground, attached to the side wire.

The roof

 A~ $0.75 hinge (habitat for humanity)

B~ T hinge $3.00 for all 6

C~ strap $1.75 for pkgs of 2

E~ washers & drywall screws to hold the wire

TOTAL

$65.10

this is INCLUDING the roof,  NOT including hardware (washers, hinges, taxes or screws)

I will draw my cheesy plans as soon as I can & post them up, but for now this is it. Roof & Minor details coming soon, still thinking of a name for the coop so I can add it into my plans.

Spark any ideas? 

Details, Roofing & Hardware coming soon!

~Mel

Not responsible for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential ideas that spark the building of a coop or any other structure at your home, neighbors house or any family members dwelling.