Just a Swingin'

While browsing Pinterest one day I noticed a picture of a bed hanging from a tree and got lost in the idea of how relaxing it looked.  Perhaps on such a bed one could escape the many demands of motherhood and even of being a wife/homemaker sometimes.  While lounging on said bed I was pretty sure all cares of this world would disappear!  I showed my hubby the "pin".  My hubby has such a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  I've tried many recipes from there lately and some have been a flop and others a hit!  It's not uncommon to be eating our supper and have him ask "Is this a Pinterest idea"?!  I can usually tell by his tone if he's loving or hating it at the moment.  So anyway, I showed him the pic and said "Doesn't that look so relaxing?"  His mind immediately went to the pile of barnwood in the garage and he started planning it all out within a few minutes.  We walked around our property and found a tree that looked like a good sturdy tree.  One that could probably withstand people not only lounging, but kids probably bouncing! 

Brad had off of work July 4th so he decided to spend the day making this thing for me. 

So get this...I was regretting saying something to him because I would've loved a day "to myself".  Baby C is outgrowing everything and it's tough to go shopping with 2 in tow.  Brad knew I wanted to get out a little so after he was done with the first part of the bed he sent me out the door to go shopping oh and while you're out...get yourself a pedicure.  Spoiled much?  Yup I am and I have no trouble admitting it.  I so LOVE this man and the way he showers me with love!

He had a very willing "helper".  She follows him around all day when he's home.  So he got her a hammer, some nails and a few pieces of wood and she was entertained for a while!

An hour or 2 later it looked like this!

I dug this old thing out of the corner it was dwelling in.  I got it free at the auction I used to work at.  It was going to be used in a scene at our Christmas Nativity but never made it there.   Brad fixed it so that the light parts went up instead of down and stripped the wires.  I spray painted it black, put candles in and hung it above the bed.  We need to figure out how to hang it lower because it's kinda hidden in the tree!

I wasn't home when Brad drug the bed out to the spot in our backyard we picked out so I have no idea how he got it there.  He set the bed on jacks to allow him to work with the rope.

Pretty much my only instructions to him were that I don't want to be laying on it and be afraid that I'm going to fall down or off.   He used thick heavy rope and used heavy duty loop thingys and knots to fasten the rope to the frame.  We looped the rope around the end closes to the truck for added support.  This tree is growing weird.  It grows on an angle so that allowed us to hang it this way and yet have room for the bed to swing freely.

After he had it hanging I told him he has to be the first to try it out!  It moved and creaked but held fast!  We seen right away that we would have to do something about the foot end.  We didn't think about it that that side would hang down farther and so we should use less rope on that side. But that's a project for another day!  Once he was on, I could barely persuade him to get back off again!

Then we both got on and gave Miss A the camera!  She was delighted to snap some pics of us! : )  We laid there for a while but couldn't ignore the screaming kids for too long!  See what I mean about the lower end hanging down?

I think my favorite part of the whole bed is the headboard.  He used old lath to make it.

I was so so happy with how it turned out.  It's so relaxing and I can't wait to spend some time out there.  It's really close to our fire pit so I'm picturing many relaxing evenings out there! 

Now for the cost of the project:

All the wood we used was FREE...salvaged from the old barn we tore down a few years ago

The Rope:  Salvaged from an old tug of war Brad was at years ago.  The rope tore and they were going to throw it out.  I know what you're thinking... THE ROPE TORE and yet you trust it to hold this thing up?  Brad assured me that it only tore after being pulled by a truck on one side and a tree on the other...

The heavy duty hook thingys were about 6 bucks a piece...

Mattress cover and candles came to about $20. 

$26 buckaroos...not bad huh?

Latest Projects

I have been busy the last month or so finally finishing up some projects that I had sitting around!  I bought this set of night stands at the auction for a dollar.

One was missing a shelf and one had a string for a handle and the other had no handle.

The tops were moldy and gross!

So I got out my trusty sander and cleaning bucket and got to work.  Then, there they sat.  Month after month waiting on me to finish what I started.  Soon they made the journey to the basment from the shop.  I think my poor patient hubby was hoping they would soon disappear!  All of a sudden one day I got the urge and went to work.  After a coat of primer (2 on the tops), I painted them and then distressed them.  We went to Home Depot where we finally found handles that would work.  Love the finished look!

One sits in my kids room, the other was sold to a friend.

This window/mirror/shelf was going to get tossed to the junk pile at the auction until I rescued it.  Nice of me right?!  It was a blueish color.  I took the mirror panes out before I remembered to get a picture of it!

After a few coats of paint, it has the look that I love.  Alas, if I were to keep all of my treasures, my house would be overflowing.  I sold it at the yard sale for $10.00!

Then there's this table.  I had never done a project quite this size, so it sat alongside the nightstands!  This table also cost me only one buckaroo!

It was in bad shape.  The top was awful and it was missing a piece along the back.

Every now and then I would chip away at the top but never really got anywhere.  Finally Brad took pity on me and stripped it for me.  He also made it a lot more sturdy and made a nice custom piece to go along the back.  See how he even made it curvy to compliment the bottom of the drawer?!  He sure is handy!  I loved that we could keep the original drawer pulls on it.  I sold this one at my yard sale and it went off to a good home!

Along with these pieces, I also did another end table, and a few other pieces.  All were either free or a dollar at the auction.  Now that these are all gone, it's time to restock and get back to work.  I love doing this.  It's almost therapeutic for me and the money I make from it is a blessing too!

Barnwood Projects

Sooo..remember that old barn we tore down back in November? 

Well, it has been reduced to this...

After weeks,  months of it taking up all of the room in our big 3 car garage/shop, it finally came to the point where more organization HAD to happen.  Spring is here and it was time to dig out our lawn mower from the piles of rubble around it.  A few weeks ago, Brad and I spent a whole Saturday out in the garage sorting and stacking it all up.  I love watching my husband work.  He goes to great lengths to try and explain something to me about his ideas for it all but it doesn't usually sink in till I actually SEE it.  When he told me his plan for stacking all of this stuff, I went along with it, most of the time thinking he was nuts and that this was never going to work.  But work it did, and splendidly too! 

So now that everything is organized it is so much fun to work out there.  Yes, there is still a GIANT pile of the bigger timbers that we really have nowhere to go with, but for now, we can at least move out there.  Oh, and the tractor is out which is a very good thing.  Our lawn is in dire need of some grooming.

Brad's been spending lots of time out there and I join him whenever I can.  We've been trying to come up with all kinds of things to make with this ole wood.  Some of the ideas came from online sites and some of it is stuff we just came up with!

We salvaged a trap door from the barn and weren't sure what to do with it.  After more thought we decided it would make an excellent lid to a chest.  This was the result.  I so love it but there is no room in my house for it.  It can be yours for $100.00!

We also made a BUNCH of these ladders out of the old tobacco lath that was on the roof.  According to sites we visited, they are a hot item!  You may own one for $5.00!

We also made "baskets" and candle boxes.  I think these baskets would look great with pansies or summer flowers planted in them  $5.00 if you want either one of these. 

I had been wanting to make some signs with some of the siding.  For now I made a bunch like this , but want to get a stencil to make the letters a little more uniform.  I have 2 of these signs around our house here and LOVE them!  One can be yours for $5.00!

Brad also made signs like this for our kids room (more coming later on that).  I painted the letters A, B,C on them and simply love how it turned out!

There are still lots of doors.  We're thinking of making a table with one of them.  I have heard they are in high demand, I just don't now how to connect with the right buyers...

There are also a few of these cool pieces that were part of the frames above the doors/windows.  I think they would look great with WELCOME on them or even a last name.

If you would like to custom order something, or if you've got any ideas of things we could make, let me know!  We're also looking into selling some things wholesale to a shop somewhere.  Also, if you want to buy some wood to make your own thing, we will give you a great deal!  For now, if you have a hard time getting ahold of us, guess where we'll be?!  Hubby's in the middle of making a great toybox for all kinds of kids toys.  Only problem is that it's turning out to be bigger than I thought it would be so we may have to sell it.  It's the size of a traditional like cedar chest but I was hoping for something a little smaller.  We'll see if I can bear to part with it!