If you missed Part 1 of this tutorial on how to build an outdoor nook you will want to check that out here.

When I was designing the Summer Reading Nook, I was envisioning something that was sort of vintage campy. You know big canvas tents,  really basic shapes,  the kind of thing that when you picture a summer hideaway it instantly pops into your mind.

This tent can be done 2 different ways. You can make it permanent or removable. Living in Southern Utah we get rain maybe twice a summer. Its very very dry here, so I wasn’t worried about the drop cloth being damaged in the weather. So my tent is permantly attached to the nook. If you want to make yours removable, you will just need to sew the drop cloths together. Super simple.

You will need:

(2) 9×12 Canvas Drop Cloths

(2) packages of curtain grommets

(4) Large Screw Eyes (pictured below)

20 Feet of Sisal Rope

We are going to start by attaching the screw eyes to the 4×4 posts.

Drill a pilot hole into your 4×4. The eyehooks are very thick, if you don’t do this you can risk splitting your entire post.

These are the screw eyes that you want. You can find them at Home Depot or Lowes and they are around $3.00 each I believe.

You should be able to screw them in by hand, but if it is getting really tight and they need to go in deeper, my favorite trick is to put a screwdriver through the hole and use both hands to turn it.

Now that you have your corner where the fabric needs to reach. Measure the distance from the pitch of your roof down the roof line to your screw eyes (write down that #). Then measure from the screw eyes to the ground. You are measuring for your canvas roof so make sure to add a couple of inches to your measurements, you don’t want it to be too short. Oh and I wanted mine to puddle, so I added 5 extra inches to the wall measurement. To make the roof/sides you will need 2 drop cloths that are 9×12. Each one will run you around $25, but Sherwin Williams has some on sale right now for $14.99.

Of course the greatest way to get huge pieces of fabric for a fantastic price is to grab a drop cloth. These things are one of my favorite cheapy fabrics because they are durable, a neutral color and huge. Oh and cheap. (Did I already mention that?)

Lay your drop cloth on a flat surface. Mark your width and height and cut your fabric to that size.

Fold your drop cloth in 1/2 hot dog style (OMGosh remember that?!)and  mark where the pitch of the roof ends (where your screw eyes are)

Now we are putting on the grommets. Attaching grommets is VERY easy. And when you are don’t you are going to have something that reminds your kids of shipwrecked Ariel…at least that is what my girls thought. I found my grommets at JoAnn’s. They are regularly $10 but use a 40% off coupon. You will need 2 packages.

With your drop cloth still folded in 1/2 figure out the width between each grommet. Divide that # in 1/2 and draw the first mark on the side with the fold. The distance between each of my grommets is 15” so my first mark is 7.5” from the fold. (Doing it this way saves time)  then mark the full spacing (15”) between each grommet across the rest of your drop cloth. Line each mark up to the center of your template and trace.

Cut through both layers of fabric when you are cutting out the template.

Place the backside of your grommet on and then snap the front on.

So easy right?!! If you are making your tent removable this is the point that you will want to sew it together. Also you will want to hem the raw edge with a sewing machine or with hemming tape.

Tie a large knot in your sisal rope and string it through your screw eyes and all of the grommets. To tie the second knot is definitely a 2 person job (one to tie and one to hold the rope taught.)

We attached our fabric to the crossbar with a stapler along the top.

Hope this inspires you to make something fun for the little (or big!) kids in your life!

The post Summer Reading Nook/ Outdoor Hideaway Plans Part 2: Roof and Curtains appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

You.Guys. As I was writing the tutorial for the Outdoor Summer Reading nook/Playhouse post I was HORRIFIED at the pictures that I had taken. I guess full sun and full shade in 115 degrees for 8 hours will do that to you.

They were that bad.

So I am trying to figure out a way to salvage this tutorial, when one of my great friends Rayan from The Design Confidential offered to help me. This girl is LEGIT. Her site is full of amazing building plans with step by step instructions (think Ana White but more modern and West Elm-y) I pretty much I owe her my 3rd born (no,  this is not a pregnancy hint) and undying love and devotion. So huge huge thank you Rayan!

Now lets get on with the fun.

This is a very simple build. The finished size of the playhouse is 5 feet x 8 feet.

You will need:

(2) 2×8’s @ 60”

(3) 2×8’s @  96”

(4) 4×4’s @ 60”

() 2×6’s @ 60”

(2) 2×4’s @ 37”

(2) 2×4’s @ 41”

(1) 2×4 @ 93”

(13) 2×6’s @ 60”

(2) 2×6’s @ 50”

(1) 4×8’ Sheet of Lattice

(12) Corner Braces (pictured below)

(2) 90 degree angle braces (pictured below)

(6) 2×4 braces (pictured below)

1 Box of 1 1/2” Deck Screws

1 Box of 3” Deck Screws

Start by building your base box with the 2×8’s. This makes it a really great height without needing to put in a step. It will measure 60”x96”. If you have a Kreg Jig, use it to attach your boards together,  or if you are like me and live in the stone age you can just use deck screws.

Next you are going to attach your 4×4’s. Make sure they are nice and flush with the corners of your box. Use corner braces (pictured below) to attach the 4×4’s to the box.

One you have your posts up, attach the center joist to the box using the same corner braces.

When that is all done, its time to attach the 2×6’s that will be your deck floor. They need to be cut at 60” long. If you have a way to transport it home, buy 10’ boards to save the most money and waste. Start by attaching your first board directly behind your corner posts so that it sits flush.

Space your boards as you are attaching them (we used a screwdriver) and screw them directly to the base. Also if you need to stagger the boards (if you have to use 2 to make up the 60” width) just make sure that it is centered on your joist.

To fill in the gap and add a little flair to the ends of the floor, I left a little bit of an overhang to make it more step-like. Cut these boards to 50” to fit between your 4×4 posts.

We made the pitch of the roof as absolutely simple as possible. First things first you will want to buy (2) 90 degree braces that looks like this (also please note the baby Preying Mantis that apparently wanted to be famous.)

The boards are not mitered at the top to form the 90 degree angle, but you will need to miter them at a 45 degree angle to fit flush on top of your posts. Also  you will need to cut a 90 degree angle off of the end of the 45 to make it line up with the end of your 4×4. If that is confusing, look at Rayan’s sketch below,  this is why she is a professional folks.

(It is really easy if you assemble the entire roof on the ground and then put it on once it is built.)

Attach your brace to the pitch

Then attach the 2×4 brace to the backside of the front pitch and the frontside of the back pitch. You may need to read that a few times.

Now place your 2×4 cross bar in the braces.

Before you can put on the roof you need to attach braces to the top of your 4×4’s.

Use every ounce of energy you have left (just kidding, its actually fairly light) and put the roof in the braces that you just attached and screw it into place.

And TADA! You have the entire structure built!

If you are planning on attaching lattice to the backside, you will need 1 4×8 sheet. Cut it down to size and attach it to the bottom half of your Nook.

We attached the remainder to the pitch of the roof and then used a Sawsall to cut the excess off. Lattice is really thin and delicate, so be careful with it. One thing that you will notice when you are attaching it to the pitch, is that the corners will come up short on the bottom, because its just not quite wide enough. Use the extra scraps to lengthen the pieces that wont quite reach. (Sorry I don’t have a picture of this process, it was dark when we were finishing up!)

Oh and go give a huge fat hello to Rayan wouldja?

Check out Part 2 HERE!

The post Summer Reading Nook/Outdoor Hideaway Building Plans appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Fun project alert! A few weeks ago the folks at Pottery Barn Kids emailed me about creating a Summer Reading Nook for my girls and for their PBK and PBS Kids Summer Reading Nook Challenge. 5 other bloggers were included and we were given access to specific PBK staples for us to use in our nook,  the rest was up to us.

I don’t know what doing Dylan’s room did to my brain,  I think it unlocked my inner daydreaming child, because right now everything I am doing sort of has the perspective of someone roughly 3.5 feet tall. (what do you know, maybe I am a good mom…if you ignore all of the cereal/toast/ramen that happens in this house.)

So here is the thought process for this fun project. I don’t so much have a spot in my little house right now for a reading nook, so the obvious choice was to make something that was well,  not in my house. When I told Court the plans he was like…”Dude. This thing is going to be so heavy, and cost a million bucks,  can’t you just repaint a wall?” To which I replied “I mean, I understand, but if you saw what I see in my head you wouldn’t be able to shut it off either. Plus its freaking Pottery Barn.”

He then saw the light.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Doesn’t it look like childhood in a jar? I am SO in love with it, and more importantly my girls are too.

The design is a mix of thrifted treasures (the light and accessories),  family heirlooms (the amazing oil painting by my Great Grandma),  handmade flair (obviously the pom pom tassels),  and Pottery Barn Kids Furniture.

(Bookcase / Rug / Beanbag / Dalmatian Bookend / Pink Task Light)

The build went really smoothly and I will have a quick tutorial with guidelines and info about the structure up this week.

The canvas tent is made from a drop cloth, sisal rope, and grommets, and was SERIOUSLY simple. And because you guys love to know the behind the scenes nuggets…the original plan was to use wooden dowels instead of the rope. But then the whole, running, screaming, tag playing scenario ran through my mind and I knew we needed something that was a little more forgiving (as in forehead forgiving). So rope it was! If you are a hardcore Vintage Revival-er you will remember the curtains I made for Hailee’s Living Room with this same idea!

My favorite piece is the gray and white striped Rugby rug.

Of course my girls love the beanbag. Also, Ivie’s hair? Super jealous.

And what would be a photo shoot without a few Dylan Outtakes?

That girl will be the death of me.

Reading with my daughters is something that I cherish. I love reading books that have a great lesson in them, like The Giving Tree. My favorite series of all time though is Skippy Jon Jones. I can do a MEAN Spanish accent Skippito.

GET THE BUILDING PLANS HERE!

If you are itching for more kiddie inspiration, check out Dylan’s Bedroom.

Or if you are in the market for something a little more grown up (I use the tern grown up loosely around these parts) check out my living room.

I partnered with Pottery Barn Kids and PBS to create this project. Pottery Barn Kids sent me specific items to use in this challenge. The project ideas, cost, and opinions are 100% mine.

The post Outdoor Summer Reading Nook Challenge with Pottery Barn Kids appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

On the scale of 1-10 ten being my favorite thing (going to the thrift store) I put cleaning at about a 4… ok a 3. And cleaning stuff that is not normal everyday cleaning? How about a .75.

But it has to be done, so we are chatting tips and tricks to sprucing up your outdoor space.

1. Move Your Stuff. This one might be a little forehead slapping good but it is AMAZING the things that can secretly build up behind the things we put in our yard. Check out the corner of my porch…its a little embarrassing. I never would have seen it, if I didn’t move the giant pot.

2. Get Rid Of Broken or Dysfunctional Items. In my case,  this vinyl no solicitors sign. Every time I come in my front door I look at it and grimace. It is CLEARLY not functional. Which also explains my new vacuum, security system, and the stack of religious pamphlets that are accumulating in my entryway. Hmmm.

3. Wipe Down Your Front Door. Sometimes we forget how with looks without a layer of dust/pollen on it. If it especially grimy or water spot laden use Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray. I gave mine a good scrub with a Magic Eraser and then a coat of Danish Oil.

4. Scrub Your Floor. Whether you have  concrete or wood or both, they can each use a good scrub down. I prefer using a deck brush, but if you have a power washer that is awesome too.

5. Get The Paint Off Of Your Driveway. Who me? Pssh.

Ok fine.

I always seem to have overspray on my concrete. Throw down a thick layer of Citristrip and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then use a deck brush to scrub the paint. The reason I use Citristrip is because it doesn’t  discolor the concrete like an acid wash or harsher paint strippers can.

6. Bust Out The Magic Eraser. Remember when I proclaimed my love and devotion of Magic Erasers for paint prep? Well guess what? They make outdoor ones. BAM. If I had to have one of my hands transformed into a cleaning tool for the rest of my life, it would be a Magic Eraser. THAT is how much I love them. I use mine to scrub everything from the BBQ to my furniture. And because its outdoor, the durability is through the roof.

7. Get Ready To Paint! Now that you have cleaned and prepped your old furniture, give it a coat of color with your favorite can of spray paint!! Remember to put down a drop cloth so you don’t have to repeat step 5!

8. Add Greenery. Head to Home Depot and grab some plants,  it is ridiculous how add such a small thing will totally transform a space.

Source

Now for the REALLY fun part! I am giving one lucky reader a chance to do all of this! I have teamed up with P&G and Home Depot to giveaway 1 Package of Outdoor Magic Erasers,  1 bottle of Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray,  1 roll of Bounty paper towels, and $100 Home Depot Gift Card!

Enter the Rafflecopter below by leaving a comment with YOUR favorite outdoor cleaning tip, trick, or secret!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is in collaboration with Procter Gamble and The Home Depot. All opinions (and real life messes for that matter) are 100% mine.

The post My 8 Favorite Outdoor Sprucing Tips #readydoneclean appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

This post is all over the place. I am not sure why, but lets just go with it. Consider yourself warned.

When I was sprucing up my patio, I knew I want some kind of funky art. I have been hoarding this Tiki mask for MONTHS. Court was confused and a little, well, nervous, when I told him there was no way on God’s green earth I was selling it at the Hoard Sale. (The actual plan was to paint it and put it in my kitchen, we will see if that ever happens…)

So we have the Tiki mask and the theme of Summer. And for some reason the first thing that I think of when I hear “SUMMER!!!” is Grease. I don’t know why. Its a gift and a treasure, in one John Travolta-Hip Thrusting- Music Filled package.

Here is the internal conversation with Me, Myself, and I (you should know that Myself is the one that thinks through the way readers will react to things. Sometimes Myself is on vacation…like when I write posts like “Craigslist Etiquette is for Suckers” and it makes people feel the need to tell me that I have no morals. But usually she is right here with me.

Me:  Hmmm.. Patio. Decorating. Art. Summer.

I: Don’t forget we have that awesome Tiki Mask

Myself:  Some people commented on FB that the Tiki mask has bad Ju-ju and you shouldn’t put it in your house. Whatever Ju-ju is.

Me:  Well,  maybe we should put it outside.

I:  Maybe it will protect against the feral cats that crap on the lawn? Or the Feral teenagers that keep jacking our stuff.

Myself:  You cant say feral teenagers,  that will anger people. They are children of God, just trying to find their way.

Me:  Focus you two. Sheesh. So we have Tiki. We have summer.

I: Summer lovin,  had me a blast.

Me:  Ohh ohh what if we make it look like the mask is singing?! Such a good idea.

I:  I love that! He could be singing Summer Lovin and have kisses all over his face!

Myself:  Summer Lovin is probably not the best phrase since it promotes teenage sexual behavior, and we already have a wayward teenager issue.

Me:  Dude. No one is going to take it like that.

Myself:  Do you want to end up on a blogger bashing forum? Find something a little bit more appropriate.

I:  How about But, Oh. Those Summer Nights?

Me: Fine with me.

Myself:  It still a little risky, but if people get upset then they need a life. Plus most teenagers nowadays probably haven’t seen Grease. Lets do it.

Now who has said they want to live in my head? Its a bit crowded friends.

Dyl has become the resident watercolor specialist in the Gubler casa. I wish I could take credit for this project but it was 95% her.

I cut the words out with my Silhouette (the font I used is Nova Solid) and stuck them to a scrap piece of 1/8” ply that I had in my garage.

I didn’t want them to be perfectly lined up, so instead of using transfer tape I peeled of each letter and place it individually.

Once I had the letters down I drew a rough circle around them to mark where I wanted the wood painted (you can see it in the picture below) and then I gave Dylan free reign with her watercolors (I know that watercolors are not permanent but it was the loose watery look that I was going for.)

She had so much fun mixing and painting. I love when you get out of the way and give kids permission to let whatever is inside of them to come out.

Then I let Dylan peel of the vinyl. This was probably her favorite part, she was amazed that the letters were still there! I am pretty sure if there was a job just doing this, it would be the most gratifying job in the world.

All dried.

As far as the kissy mask goes, I just free handed lips onto the mask with plain old acrylic craft paint. I did contemplate putting it on my lips and then kissing him but Myself got the better of me.

I hung the board on the house (one of the upsides of Stucco) with small finishing nails in each corner and then hung Mr.. Tiki Man on with a nail. Not a big to do, but it works.

I love that Dylan did this,  I love that it looks so fun, and I love that the Tiki Man is going to scare away all of the feral teenagers. (Sorry Myself, I just had to throw it in there.)

Hope you guys have an amazing Memorial Day!

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The post How To Build Herringbone/Chevron Shutters Part 2 appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Way back in April I posted about my garden (this is only a short tangent so just go with it.)  One reader left this comment:

Your house such personality! So I was shocked at how boring your yard is!

And guess what? I was like “YAH! My yard is boring!” So we are shaking things up a little. Today I am going to show you the first few steps to building Herringbone shutters and on Monday I will show you how I stained and installed them as well as a final cost breakdown.

First things first you need to figure out the measurements. Mine are 15”x48”. Please note the paint in the small square windows on the right and that there are now 2 lights left in my chandelier that have not burnt out (more about that here)

This is the very rough sketch that I drew for Court.

Because I wanted this to be as painless as possible and 6 divides evenly into 48 we went with 6×1’s in Cedar for the Herringbone pattern. (Cedar is significantly more expensive than Pine, each 8’ piece will run you just under $14.00. I love the natural color and varying wood grain in it though, and because this is going on the OUTSIDE of our house it needs to be freakin awesome.)

Now there are a few different ways to build the base pieces. This was my original idea:

BUT because my cute husband was taking his day off to help me we used his idea. Either way will work and Court’s way will use less wood (which means it will be cheaper!!)

We used 1×3.5’s in Pine (because you wont see them) to build the structural base.

Cut a guide the width of your shutter (ours was 15”) and lay your boards out on a flat level surface. Use your guide to evenly space out the boards and use a nail gun to nail 1 or 2 nails in each 3.5” board. Your 15” guide boards will be removed once your herringbone pieces are attached,  this is just to keep the boards straight. Use a level and make sure that everything is looking good.

Secure a guide piece to each end of your boards.

Then flip it over. This is your surface that you are going to attach the Herringbone to.

The next step is to mark where your points are going to go (meaning where one piece ends and the next one begins). You do this by taking the total width of your shutter (15”) and dividing it by the # of pieces you want to use. We wanted it to be 3 pieces across so I marked each 5” mark.

The secret angle to making perfect herringbone is 22.5 degrees. Cut a 22.5 degree angle on one side of your board and line it up to your mark. Mark where the edge should end on your shutter base and cut another 22.5 degree angle. You have your first piece! The edges you cut are ALWAYS going to run vertical and are always going to touch each other.

For your next piece you are going to do the exact same thing, but this is a mirrored image of your first. Our wood had a good side and a bad side so we had to rotate the saw. If your wood has 2 good sides then you are in luck, you can just flip your piece over and will not need to rotate your saw.

Your 3rd piece is going to be an exact copy of the first one. Line them up and make sure that they all fit. When they do use one as your template piece to make about 5,000 more.

After you have enough wood cut piece your shutter together. We did this to make sure  that it was lining up the whole way down before we nailed them in.

NOW you nail them down. We used 1 1/4” Porter Cable finishing nails. Don’t nail down the very end pieces though,  you need to trim those puppies so that they are squared.

Hold your piece against the edge and mark where it needs to be cut. You are going to cut this piece with NO angle. It should just be a straight normal cut.

Awesome right!? I will be back on Monday to show you guys how to finish it up and show you final shots!

Love  Your  Guts,  Mandi

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