Dress your plants: DIY Washi Tape Planter Art

Image 23 Comments November 24, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

This month, the wonderful Igor and Judith at Urban Jungle Bloggers are on the lookout for creative, inspiring and unusual planters for dressing up plants. We took this as a challenge to transform our neutral, minimalist IKEA pots into something a bit more bright and cheery for our eclectic space. Plus with the holidays around the corner, we thought it would be nice to offer a simple DIY gift idea for that special plant-lover in your life.

We’ve seen many cool Washi Tape projects before but had never attempted one until now. Not only is Washi Tape super versatile but the variety of colors, patterns, and textures it comes in makes for endless crafting possibilities. Aside from the planters, tape, and scissors, all you really need for this project is your imagination. To get your creative juices flowing, we are sharing the simple designs we came up with when we put our scissors to the tape. Although it was tedious, we found it much easier to work with smaller pieces of tape with regards to the curvature of the pot (hence the mosaic look!). Despite the time it took, we really enjoyed watching the abstract design emerge as we added piece by piece.

Supplies
Planters
Washi Tape
Scissors
Mod Podge

Directions
1. Design your planters. There’s no limit to what you can think up and create.
2. Cut and stick your Washi Tape pieces on the planter according to your design.
3. Seal your design with Mod Podge.

What are some ideas you have for decorating planters in your home? If you attempt this project please do share the finished product with us on instagram under #chcdiy 🙂

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DIY Upcycled Candles

Image 7 Comments November 21, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

It’s that chilly, cozy time of year and you’re reaching to light up those festive candle scents; earthy pine, spicy cinnamon apple, warm vanilla cookie. That is, until you realize your candles are nearly dead from last season’s use. You can barely fit your hand in to light the wick at the bottom of the jar and even if you can, the wick is completely burnt out. We recently found ourselves in a similar situation with a significant collection of useless but oh-so-amazing-smelling candles that still had plenty of wax in them. Rather than being wasteful and tossing them out, we assessed our inventory and devised a plan to revive them. Using small mason jars leftover from our baby shower last year, we made new candles out of the old ones, layering some our favorite scents for a colorful look. With new wicks, pretty glass jars, and some TLC, you too can have your favorite candle(s) brought back to life!

Supplies
Dead candles
Glass mason jars (or any cool glass container of your choice-here’s your chance to get creative!)
Large pot with boiling water
Candle wicks

Directions
1. Fill a large pot with just enough water to submerge the candle jar(s) halfway, place on the stove, and bring to a boil.
2. Turn the fire on low and carefully place your candle jars in the pot until the wax is completely melted.

3. Using tongs, remove the old wicks from the melted candle jars and dispose of them.

4. Dip a new wick in the melted wax and place it at the bottom of your new jar/container.

5. Let it cool and solidify.
6. Secure the wick in place so that it is standing straight up when you pour the melted wax in the jar.
7. Using an oven mitten or kitchen towel for protection, remove the melted candle jars from the pot and pour the hot wax into your newly prepared jar/container.

8. Lay the candle on a flat surface to set and harden. If you want this process to happen more quickly then put your candle on a tray and pop it in the fridge.
9. Once your first layer has solidified, pour the next layer.

10. Repeat steps 7-9 until you’ve filled your jar.
11. Trim the wick.

It’s seriously that easy! We made these for our home but with a pretty container these can make beautiful gifts for friends or loved ones. I mean, who doesn’t love candles?

What do you do with your old, dying candles? We would love to hear from you! And as always…

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Inspirational Wallpaper: November

Image Leave a comment November 11, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

November is flying by as fast as the leaves are changing color and falling to the earth. This month marked a new transition for us as we welcomed baby #2 into the world and we are just beyond happy. With Thanksgiving around the corner, we thought we would channel this happiness into a wallpaper that captures both the beauty of the season and the spirit of gratitude that comes with it. May we always journey in this life with a thankful heart for the infinite blessings we have.

For download and Printing: soverythankful

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Cozy Kitchen Series: Reveal & Tour

Image 7 Comments October 21, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

As promised, today is the day we present you with our completed kitchen. You’ve already read enough in the other three posts so we won’t bore you with trivial chatter here but we just wanted to let you know that we will be doing a few more posts covering some of the DIY details of our kitchen from the rustic open shelving to the LED lighting so keep an eye out for that. And now for our humble gallery. We hope you enjoy the transformation as much as we did 🙂

And the details…

Thank you for following along! If you missed our journey please check out Part 1, 2 & 3 of our kitchen renovation project.

Cozy Kitchen Series Part 1: Planning

Cozy Kitchen Series Part 2: Demolition

Cozy Kitchen Series Part 3: Installation

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Cozy Kitchen Series Part 2: Demolition

Image 2 Comments September 23, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

For those of you who read the first entry in our Cozy Kitchen Series, Cozy Kitchen Series Part 1: Planning, things will take an exciting turn in the next posts because we will be putting all that meticulous planning into action. Depending on the type of kitchen renovation you’re envisioning, having a checklist or order of operations will really help you stay organized and on task. Based on our kitchen plans, my checklist looked something like this:

Remove walls
Remove flooring and subflooring below the laminate tiles
Re-wire and/or re-direct electrical wires
Tile installation, grouting, and sealing
Drywall
Cabinet Installation
Have a countertop template be made
Countertop installation
Drywall mudding and sanding
Priming and painting
Appliance installation
Clean up
Kitchen organization

In this part of the series, I will cover only the demolition portion of our renovation; specifically what it entailed and why I made the choice to hire a contractor. As I mentioned in the last post, it was a no-brainer for us that we needed to tear down a wall or two to achieve the desired kitchen layout. Taking down walls is a great way to achieve an open-concept look and dramatically change the organization and feel of a room. Which might explain why HGTV is always so demolition-happy. “Let’s take down this wall and that wall.” While it’s not hard to complete, it is certainly more involved than these shows let on, which is why I want to lay it all out for you so there are no surprises. Before I get into the details of the demolition, I want to explain why I decided to hire a contractor to oversee this portion of the renovation.

As someone who thoroughly enjoys DIY construction projects and all that they entail, it was definitely hard to give up control of this part of the renovation. But when it comes to the structural integrity of the house and safety, those take priority over anything else and after much research, I realized it was against city ordinance and just not worth the risk. However, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a way to have some hands on experience and save a bit of money. I decided that I would be able to do the demoing myself as long as I did my homework and prepared accordingly. When I called around for quotes, I made sure to say that I would be removing the drywall and cleaning up all the debris so that they were just responsible for removing the beams and reinforcing the structure of the house where needed. Because of this, I saved around $700-1,000 just by doing my own demolition and clean up.

So here’s what you’ll need to do leading up to the demolition:

Hire a reputable contractor
File a city permit to do the construction (every city is different so check online or call and ask)
You either can work with the city engineer for inspection and approval or have your contractor handle all of that and keep you out of it

I got lucky and hired a contractor who did steps 2 and 3 for me. After everything was approved by the city and we paid the appropriate fees, we set a date for the removal of the wall. All I had to do was make sure that the drywall was removed and the electricity was rewired in the adjacent wall before they arrived as well as keep my hands off everything structural when I directed my rage at the walls. My only advice is that if you are uncomfortable or unsure about working with electricity then hire someone. It is very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t follow your city’s code. As an electrician once told me, “you don’t learn wiring after the firetrucks have left.” You have been warned!

Demolition

Now for the fun part! This section is an overview of the tools you will need, the preparation, and the basics of how to knock down a wall. Some say the demolition is the easiest step of remodeling but I beg to differ. It’s not all aimless fun hammering down walls like you see on TV. You have to be cautious and really watch out for electrical, gas, and plumbing which is not difficult but is certainly tedious.

Tools
Ridgid Multi-Tool $79.97
Ridgid Wet-Dry Vac $79.97
Heavy Duty Mask $39.97
Hammer $29.97
Stud Finder $19.97
Heavy Duty Bags $17.48
Broom $15.98
Plastic Cover $12.98
Retractable Knife $12.97
Pry Bar $8.87
Heavy Duty Gloves $4.46
Goggles $3.98

Preparation
Before you start removing anything, make sure to prepare the area for the messy aftermath. If you are able to remove furniture or anything in the immediate vicinity to a different room and keep it closed, that would be ideal. If you are not able to do that you can always cover everything to the best of your ability with plastic sheeting commonly used by painters. Cover all air vents and shut off your furnace/AC because it will move the dust around the house and you do not want that. Ideally the demolition should take you a day or two depending on the workload so don’t fret about the chaos.

Remove furniture/tables to the side
Cover all vents & misc. furniture with plastic or cloth to protect from debris/dust
Rent a dumpster or arrange a way to get rid of the debris & garbage.

Taking down the walls
After you have prepared the space, you can proceed with the demoing. Make sure you wear a dust mask, goggles, and appropriate clothing/gloves for the work at hand. Start by using a stud finder to find and mark their location on the wall. If you know the walls are hollow and there are no plumbing or gas lines then go ahead and use the hammer to your heart’s content! I used the pry bar to break bigger pieces of drywall off along with a retractable knife to cut along the corner edges of the walls so I wouldn’t damage what I needed to keep intact. Just be careful not to hurt yourself. I made sure to minimize dust by trying to break larger pieces of drywall at one time. It may seem tedious and time-consuming at first but it will minimize the amount of work later cleaning and transporting debris. My recommendation is to use a combination of the hammer and multi-tool to create holes in which you can then insert the pry bar and break big pieces of the wall off. Clean up the debris regularly by using a broom and dust-pan or if you have a wet-dry Vac, vacuum every 30 minutes and empty it into a heavy duty bag so you don’t have to do it all at once. Once the drywall and debris are removed, your contractor(s) can begin restructuring the space.

All of the above may sound like a gross simplification but essentially that is the work that needs to be done if you’re looking to tear down a wall or two. To summarize, it’s not something you can do completely on your own but you can play a significant part and save yourself some money in the process. My next post will cover the rest of the order of operations and the struggles I faced along the way so don’t forget to check back in. If you found this post helpful or have any questions, share your thoughts in the comments below and as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

Sneak peek of the next post….

Cozy Kitchen Series Part 1: Planning

Image 3 Comments September 6, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

This is the first post in a series we will be doing covering our DIY kitchen renovation project that took us around 3 months to complete (working the weekends and some evenings). In this post we will discuss everything planning-related from brainstorming and design to calculating the cost of the finished project. We will also cover the timeline we envisioned for the duration of this renovation and how to realistically plan.

Just to give you an idea of the disaster we were working with, I’ve included some pictures below. My wife had taken some with her DSLR but can’t seem to find them so these fisheye view iPhone photos will have to do.

As you can see, there is not a lot of counter-space or any space for storage/keeping the kitchen organized. We also did not have a dishwasher which was fine until we had a baby and time became a luxury. The “hood” for the stove (if you can even call it that) was this disgusting hole in the ceiling that looked awful and was completely useless in circulating air. Aside from all that, it was just dimly lit, cramped, and uninspiring. But that was soon to change…

Brainstorming

This step is one I’m sure many of you are familiar with. If you’ve ever walked through IKEA thinking to yourself, “this would look great in my house!” then you have partaken in the process of brainstorming. This is pretty much what we did for about six months before we began the serious design stage. We looked everywhere for style and layout inspiration including Houzz, Home Depot, Lowes, Pinterest, Instagram, IKEA, etc… The key is to save your ideas somewhere so that when you begin the designing process you have a better idea of what you want and don’t want. Throughout this process, we made sure to pay attention to four things: aesthetics, organization, functionality, and layout. As I mentioned earlier we had barely any counter-space or storage space. For us, this was a major priority so we knew right away that to achieve the results we wanted, we would need to tear down the wall between the kitchen and dinning room.

Aside from that, we looked to other kitchens and blogs and dissected every minute detail. Here are some kitchens that we shared with each other throughout the brainstorming process. We made sure to tell each other what we liked about each kitchen so that we could begin to narrow things down.

Open shelving was something that kept coming up over and over again in all the kitchens we shared with each other. We just really loved how it opened up a space and made for easy access to everyday kitchenware. Image credit: House updated

ikea-traditional-looks-meet-modern-versatility__1364299411904-s4

We also picked up on the fact that most of the kitchens we liked were white with wooden accents. We rarely chose a kitchen that had dark cabinets so we knew right away that wasn’t our style. We wanted clean and bright and cheery. Image credits: IKEA

A few months earlier we had stumbled on a kitchen in one of IKEA’s showrooms that we found practical based on our dimensions and layout so we captured some pictures just in case we wanted to make it a reality (hint: we did). We also realized here we liked the idea of grayish flooring with white cabinetry.

We really went back and forth on countertops because both light and dark work really nicely with white cabinets. To pull all the elements together including the stainless steel appliances and gray floors, we decided on a light countertop with splashes of gray and black. Image credit: Artszipper

Design

After the brainstorming stage, and once we were ready to put our imaginations onto paper, I measured our kitchen to get a sense of the dimensions we would be working with. I did this as thoroughly as I possibly could to ensure the correct fit for cabinets, shelving, and fixtures. Even if you feel like you’re just getting started and playing around, remember that accurate measurement makes for accurate budgeting.

There are many planning softwares to choose from but I settled on using IKEA’s online Kitchen Planner software which is pretty user-friendly. Once I inputted the measurements for the walls, the windows, doors, ceiling, etc (see Figure 1) I began tinkering with the layout of the kitchen and adding cabinets like a madman. I managed to come up with my first design draft (see Figure 2) in no time and was pretty pumped to print it and review with my wife. Here is where the fun begins! Why, you ask? Because you will most likely change your first draft…many, many times.

Figure 1

Figure 2

After many revisions we settled on a design similar to the model kitchen we liked in IKEA’s showroom. We then took our design to IKEA where we talked to one of their kitchen specialists who helped us remove unnecessary items and add cool little features like dampers so the cabinets don’t slam when you shut them. In the end, the final design we purchased was quite different from our initial draft and that’s completely okay. With a bit of number crunching, which I’ll talk about below, I realized it was cheaper to buy certain things externally so our Ikea purchase did not include a countertop, appliances, or flooring. For those looking for detailed information on what IKEA offers, follow this link to their informational PDF.

Budget Breakdown:

As a finance guy, I enjoy crunching numbers and shopping around to get the best possible deal. To be successful in that regard, however, it’s important to start with a clear maximum budget and have a 10% buffer for unexpected expenses that may arise. So for example, if you’re planning on spending 10k, set aside 1,000 for miscellaneous costs. We ended up going slightly over budget because of structural issues our engineer did not account for early on but I saved a lot by doing most of the labor. To give you an idea of where our money went, I’ve included a breakdown below.

1. Kitchen cabinets from IKEA (7 cabinets): $2,700
2. Appliances bundled from Lowes and Sears: $3,800
3. Granite countertop custom ordered from Home Depot with an undermount sink: $2,200
4. Flooring, drywall, paint, and misc. tools from Home Depot: $1,000
5. Outside labor for taking down a wall: $2,500
6. Permits: $900
Approximate Total: $13,100

Timeline

Finally, let’s talk about time. It can be very easy (unless it’s just me) to underestimate how long work takes. Sure, I can tile a kitchen in a day or two but not when I have a day job, a baby, and other endless responsibilities. This doesn’t even include the time for the ordering and delivery of cabinets, appliances, and countertops. On top of that you have to account for any hiccups you may face and be flexible so that you don’t get discouraged or burnt out easily. I know it’s laughable but I’m sharing this unrealistic timeline I had created so you don’t make the same mistake I did. Whether you’re planning on doing the labor yourself or hiring someone, make sure you are clear about your expectations and then ask yourself if you are being realistic. Many contractors don’t just take one job at a time so don’t expect a full kitchen to be up in a week. HGTV is not real life. In my case, I got stuck waiting a week to resolve the structural issues that came up and then another week to replace the subflooring when I attempted to remove the vinyl tile. It also didn’t help that my wife was going through terrible morning sickness so I couldn’t leave the baby with her to work on the kitchen when I got home.

Project Purchase Dates (Home Depot and IKEA): 3/19/2016
Project Start Date: 04/04/2016
Wall Removal: 4/9/2016
Wall Plaster and Cleanup: 4/9 – 4/10/2016
Floor Installation : 4/10-4/11/2016
Base Cabinet Installation: 4/12/2016
Countertop re-measurement: 4/12/2016
Backsplash tiling:4/15-4/16/2016
Shelf installation:4/18-4/20/2016
Appliance delivery: 4/23/2016
Countertop Installation: 4/26/2016
Project End Date: 5/01/2016

In the end, the month I had envisioned became three and I can confidently say it would not have been so stressful if I didn’t start out with ridiculously unrealistic expectations. So take it from me and go easy on yourself. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t finish within your time frame and if you don’t chances are your time frame was the problem, not you.

If you enjoyed this post then stay tuned for more in the Cozy Kitchen Series which will cover the order of operations and the big reveal 🙂 As always, if you liked this post please follow us and share! And if you have any questions or comments we would love to hear from you.

Sneak Peek: Kitchen Tiling

DIY Squeaky Bed Fix

Image 3 Comments August 5, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

A squeaky bed can be a real nuisance. When my wife was studying for her PhD qualifying examinations this past winter, she would stay up really late while the baby and I would sleep together much earlier. When she would finally join us at 2 or 3 in the morning, she always woke us up crawling into bed with a loud creak. After weeks of interrupted sleep and having to soothe a disgruntled baby, I finally decided to look into resolving this rather “loud” issue.

A little investigation led me to the main culprit: the bed’s boxspring. When I opened up the boxspring, I was surprised by how flimsy it was. It was basically a big cardboard box framed with wood. The smartest option it seemed was to replace the cardboard and reinforce the structure of the box using sturdy, quality plywood and screws. It was a fairly easy and inexpensive project (under $40) that has successfully eliminated all squeaks and creaks (hooray!). You can even do it for cheaper if you go with a thinner plywood board but I wanted something a bit thicker. So if you’re looking to fix a squeaky bed and are not sure about completely replacing the boxspring or trying other suggestions like lubricating the springs, open the boxspring up first and see what you’re dealing with. If the material looks cheap, chances are this fix is the right one for you.

Supplies
(2) Sheathing Plywood Boards
Wood or Drywall Screws
Liquid Nail

Tools
Staple Gun
Gloves
Caulk Gun
Flat Head Screwdriver

Directions

1. Measure the boxspring and head over to Home Depot to purchase and custom cut the plywood for your bed frame size. I had the plywood cut for a queen-sized boxspring: 60 inches wide by 80 inches long (see Figure 1). For me to get an exact size I purchased 2 plywood boards and had them cut so each piece was exactly half (30in x 80in) of my queen bed frame size.

2. Remove your mattress and flip the boxspring frame over to remove the staples and nails from the corners of the cover attached to the frame along with the cardboard until all that remains is the wooden frame (see Figure 2).

3. Investigate the frame to make sure the studs are sturdy. Also, double check to see if the original nails/screws are in good condition. If you find any weak links go ahead and add more screws to tighten the joints.

4. Apply liquid nail liberally along your frame taking care to stay in the center to prevent the glue from oozing out of the sides when you place the plywood boards (see Figure 3).

5. Immediately place the custom cut boards on the freshly glued frame. Do this one board at a time so you don’t make a mistake aligning the plywood to the boxspring frame (see Figure 4).

6. After you have placed the plywood boards on top of the boxspring frame, go ahead and secure the plywood to the frame using wood screws. I left a foot of space between each screw and made sure to drill the screws into the boxspring frame and not into empty space (see Figure 5 & 6).

7. Let the glue dry for at least an hour.

8. Cut the corners of the plywood off at an angle if they extend beyond the frame as it can be a hazard and get in the way of completing step 9.(see Figure 7a & 7b).

9. Using a staple gun, secure the fabric cover over the boxspring (see Figure 8).

10. Catch up on your beauty sleep with squeak and creak-free slumber.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7a

Figure 7b

Figure 8

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Ramadan Decor: Moon-Phase Garland

Image 7 Comments June 5, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

The month of Ramadan is set to begin this week and I have been brainstorming countless ways to make it more special and festive for our family. Decorating is obviously one really fun way to do this (especially if you have young children) but it seems the selection of Ramadan decor out there is a bit too generic (think green and white and palm trees). Since as Muslims we follow a lunar calendar, and Ramadan begins and ends with the sighting of the new moon, I thought it would be really nice to capture the beauty of phases of the moon. Not only is this garland super cute and simple to put together but making it is a great way to bring the family together for a creative activity that inspires reflection on the wonders of astronomy.

Supplies
Paper (plain white textured and assorted colors)
Acrylic paints (Any shades of gray, white, clear glitter, and yellow)
Paint brush and foam brushes
Scissors
String
Adhesives (tape and glue)
Mini clothespins
Glitter

Directions

Gather your supplies

On the textured white paper, paint with the foam brushes beginning with the darkest gray colors and ending with white.

Make sure you let each layer dry before painting the next. By the time you are done, you will have a pattern that resembles the surface of the moon.

Cut out 6 circles to the size of your liking. You don’t want them too big so the garland doesn’t droop when you hang it. My circles had a radius of about 2 inches.

Cut 5 of your 6 circles down until you have the 9 moon phases. These pieces will be arranged just like this on the garland.

Cut out some rustic looking stars and decorate with glitter (optional) and arrange the pieces for assembly.

Using glue, tape, clothespins (or a combination of them), assemble your stars and moons on a sturdy piece of string, making sure they are evenly spaced.

Hang up your beautiful garland prominently in your family room.

Enjoy the lovely view!

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding [3:190].”

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Build your Own Garden Fence

Image 6 Comments May 24, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

If you read our previous blog post on how to build a raised garden bed on a budget, then you might be wondering how we have kept our harvest safe from unwanted visitors. Initially we went with a cheap fence made of galvanized poultry netting but after many missing tomatoes and half-bitten squash we decided that the next year we would spend a bit more to have a quality fence. We wanted a roomy enclosed space with easy access for us to plant but sturdy and tall enough to keep the demon bunnies out. I soon sketched out a blueprint for my imagined firewall and got to work making it a reality. I will warn you that it is a bit on the pricier side but it’s a sound fence that’s practical and aesthetically pleasing. Shall we get to work?

Our sorry excuse of a fence

Supplies for an 12ft x 8ft garden fence
8 2.5 x 2.5 x 8ft ($27.79)
24 2 x 4 x 8ft ($80.88)
1 1/2 x 4ft x 25ft Hardware Cloth ($38.98)
1 box Wood Screws ($6.26)
1 Fence Door Hardware ($15.98)

Tools
Staple Gun
Post Hole Digger
Miter Saw or Hand Saw
Power Drill

Directions

Design a template for your fence because this saves you on both time and money. The desired size of the enclosure will dictate how much wood you will need and in turn how much you will spend. I can’t stress enough how important the planning phase is for any successful project.
Cut the 2.5 x 2.5 x 8ft timber to 7 ft. 5ft of the timber is for the fence sections since the hardware cloth is only 4ft tall and the remaining 2ft is going into the holes you will dig to secure the fence.
Using the post digger, dig seven holes (3 on each side and an extra one for the door) about 2 ft deep. I did not use cement to secure the timber posts because I find it unnecessary but feel free to use cement if you like!
Once you have dug your post holes, insert the timber poles leaving 5ft above the ground. Make sure the poles are level by laying a 2×4 or a longer piece of wood across the posts while placing a level on top of it.
The next step is to assemble the sides of the fence by using the 24 pieces of 2x4in x 8ft pieces to make rectangular frames:
- Cut a total of four 2 x 4 x 8ft to a height of 5 ft (current they are 8 ft). These will be the vertical sides of your frame. The hardware cloth is 4 ft and that is your height unless you want the hardware cloth to be shorter.
- Cut a total of four 2 x 4 x 8ft to your desired width. I cut mine to 6 ft because I needed the width of the fence horizontally to be 12ft.
- Now that you have four 4ft and four 6ft pieces lay them out according to the design in Figure 1. You must follow that design if you want to keep the fence sturdily joined together. This also keeps the ends from bending.
- Lay the hardware cloth flat on top of your bottom piece of your boards (see Figure 2 ) and fasten using your staple gun.
- Proceed by laying the top pieces of your board over the hardware cloth/bottom frame and join the boards together using wood screws (see Figure 3).
- Flip the completed fence frame gently and screw the other side as well (see Figure 4).
Repeat Step 5 until you have enough sections to enclose your garden. I needed to repeat the step six times. If you are unsure about your calculations try attaching your fence side to the post first and proceed by building then attaching rather than building all the sides and attaching them at the end.
Now you can attach the completed fence sides to your 5ft timbers posts using a drill and wood screws.
Create a basic door using the leftover 2 x 4 x 8ft by cutting them until you have two 2ft and four 5ft pieces. Align the four 5ft pieces on the ground vertically and make sure the space between them is even. Place the two 2ft pieces one closer to the top and one closer to the the bottom, using wood screws to secure them. Last but not least cut a piece of hardware cloth to the size of your door and install it on the backside of the door. I used basic fence door hardware for the hinges and lock. Installation manual is included in the packing and is very straightforward.
For an overall cleaner look, use mulch, wood chips or small stones between the garden bed(s) and fence.
Enjoy the fruits of your hard labor without bunny or deer bite marks.
Figure 1 – Bottom, Top & Hardware Cloth

Figure 2 (Spacing for visualization)

Figure 3 (w/o spacing)

Figure 4 (w/o spacing)

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Build Your Own Raised Garden Bed

Image 7 Comments May 13, 2016 Sammy and Sufi

Spring is finally in the air here in Michigan and we are getting closer and closer to planting season, one of our favorite times of the year. Gardening for us is just so fun and fulfilling because it connects us to the beauty of nurturing and growth. If this is the year you decided to try your hand at gardening then starting with a raised bed might be the way to go. A custom raised vegetable/fruit/herb garden is not only easy to make but it takes a lot of the hassle out of gardening in terms of weeding and messes. It also makes for a beautiful backyard feature and less back-bending and back-breaking work.

You can go about this project a couple different ways but the instructions I have provided in this post are for store-bought wood from your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. For our garden beds, we upcyled wood panels that we had stored in our garage from our early basement renovation and we personally recommend this route if you have unused wood just lying around. There is something extra rewarding about repurposing items and reducing waste and what better time to do that than during the environmentally conscience activity of gardening. Of course you can always buy a raised garden bed but where’s the fun in that? Not to mention, a store-bought garden bed can run anywhere from $100-$250 depending on the size and material. If you buy the wood yourself, you can have a similar garden bed for half the price and if you go the upcycling route it will cost you nearly nothing.

Costco – $107.50 / one

Home Depot – $99.19 / one

Lowe’s – $118.00 / one

Now that we have you convinced (hopefully) to build your own garden bed, here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies for an 8ft x 8ft garden bed
8 2in x 6in x 8ft ($60)
2 2in x 2in x 8ft ($7.50)
1 Weed Blocker ($9.97)
1 box Wood Screws ($6.58)
Patience ($0.00)
Green Thumb (Priceless)

Note: I did not include the amount and price of soil in the supply list because that will really depend on the size of your bed. If you are unsure, this soil calculator is super helpful!

Tools
Staple Gun
Post Hole Digger
Miter Saw or Hand Saw
Power Drill

Directions

Design the layout of your raised garden bed based on the shape and dimensions you want. Our wood panels were 6 ft long so our garden bed ended up being 6ft x 6ft.
If you chose a rectangular design and want to make cuts to the 2x6x8’s (or any other wood you are using), now would be the time to do so using a miter or hand saw. If you want a square 8ft x 8ft layout then just leave them as is. These pieces will be the side panels of your garden bed.
Cut your 2x2x8s so that you end up with a total of six 2ft pieces (you’ll have some wood leftover). These will be the legs of your garden bed. You may notice that the garden legs are longer than the side panels and that is intended. The extra foot of leg is for planting the garden bed firmly in the ground.
Next, you will attach the side panels of your garden bed to the legs.The first thing you want to do is lay out two 2x6x8 pieces horizontally and parallel to each other so that there are no gaps between them. At equal intervals, starting precisely from the corner, attach the garden bed legs (2x2x2) to the sides using your drill. You will need 6 screws to do this: 1 in each of the two panels for each of the three legs.
Repeat step 4 using two more 2x6x8s and the remaining 3 legs.
Now you can complete the garden bed by connecting the remaining panels perpendicular to the side panels with the legs to form your square or rectangle. Make sure that the legs are on the inside of the garden bed. Once you have put together all the boards, your garden bed should look like the final image in the 3D model below.
Use the post hole digger and dig 6 holes for your legs, making sure you measure the distances accurately between the legs so you won’t have to struggle putting them into the ground.
Now you can go ahead and place the garden bed legs into their corresponding holes.
This is an optional step but one we found helped drastically reduce the weeds. Lay the weed blocker down at the bottom of the garden bed and use a staple gun to fasten it to the sides of the bed. Do the same thing across all sides of the garden bed making sure to cover the entire surface area.
Fill your garden bed with the soil mixture of your choice and you are all set to plant whatever your heart desires 🙂