DIY Egg Storage - Fresh Fom the Farm

Today we're discussing the topic of egg storage.

What do you do in your home? How do you store your purchased eggs or ones provided from your own laying flock?

Do you store them at room temperature or place them in a refrigerator?

You see, there's a fair amount of opinions out there on how to properly store eggs after they have been laid by a hen. The question is this:

Should eggs be kept in a refrigerator or not?

There are differing opinions on egg safety , and there's a lot of information available on the internet as to the pro's and con's of  what the proper method is to store them and I urge you to check into what is best for you and your family.

In the meantime I'd like to share with you what we do with our eggs.

We have backyard chickens and we have lots of fresh eggs arriving daily. Oftentimes they are gathered and sit awaiting further attention such as a quick wash or clean.

Here's a sample of a day or so of laying. We've got both white and brown egg layers in our flock. They've just been gathered by our little helpers and are on their way inside.

Once inside, we keep them in this basket on our counter top.

They'll get inspected and washed by mom and dad. Sometimes even get used right away! You know what they say - farm fresh!

Later, they'll go into a regular egg carton which is kept in our refrigerator.

Not interested in using a basket or carton for your egg storage?  Here is another storage solution to put your eggs on display. Colored Easter eggs in this cabinet look especially inviting.

DIY Egg Storage:

Final Thoughts

Our inspiration piece today was shared by Robs Woodshop. Check out Rob's YouTube channel and while there don't forget to like and subscribe.

If you enjoyed this project, then here's another one you might be interested in as well.  Check it out here!

Display Beer and Wine:

Until then!

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DIY Cabinet Door Spice Rack

This rack is spicy!

Ok, that may have been a little cheesy but that is sort of my thing.  Those that have been around my YouTube channel for a while have come to expect that kind of humor.

I don't know about where you keep your spices but ours have always been in one of our kitchen cabinets.  It always takes up at least one of them.  It was like that when I was a kid and I've never thought about changing it much.

That is until now.

Introducing the handy dandy super duper organizing DIY project for all your spicy spices.  Plus some that are not so hot.  Hehe!!

DIY Inside Cabinet Door Spice Rack

Materials

2 - 1x4s (1/2" Thickness)

2 One Quarter Inch Diameter Dowels - These are usually sold in 36" lengths.  Some may be 24" and in that case you would need 4.

NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long and 3/4" thick unless otherwise noted.

Choice of Stain

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Cut List

1 Top @ 2.75" x 13.5"

1 Bottom @ 2.75" x 13.5"

2 Sides @ 2.75" x 25.75"

3 Shelves @ 2.25" x 13"

3 Quarter Inch Dowels @ 13"

Cutting Diagrams

1x4s
 

Step 1

Cut the side pieces to length.  Then route 3 dadoes the thickness of the shelves in each side.  I have them placed 6" apart for this project listing however, you could space them as far apart as you choose.

You could also add shelves or take them away.  It's up to you.  Make it yours.

Don't forget to drill the holes for the dowels.  I have the lengths listed for a quarter inch deep seat.

However, you could drill all the way through the sides to make them through dowels.  This would add a bit of visual appeal to the project in my opinion.

The dowels are measured one inch up from the top of their corresponding shelf and 1/4" in from the front.

Step 2

A dab of wood glue in each dowel hole.  Then seat each of the dowels firmly.

Step 3

Each of the shelves for the spice rack can be glued in place and before the glue has a chance to set proceed to step 4.

Step 4

Position the other side of the spice rack seating the corresponding dowels and shelves.  Continue on before the glue sets.

Step 5

Glue the top and bottom pieces in place.  At this point a few right angle clamps can be used to ensure the whole kitchen cabinet door hung rack is square.

Final Thoughts

The project has no back to it.  Please don't go out and buy those 90 degree metal pieces to attach this to the inside of your kitchen cabinet.  Nothing says "cheap store bought" than those things.

I would use a keyhole bit in my router to route some keyholes that would seamlessly and securely hang this anywhere I wanted.

By the way, this would look great not only on the inside of your cabinet door but also any place on a wall that needs a little extra styling.

Obviously you would need to measure the distance between the inside of your cabinet door and the front of the shelves.

This particular project posting was measured to fit those 5.5oz bottles of spices.

Until then!

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DIY Cutting Board Storage Solution - Inside Cabinet Door Rack

The inside of kitchen cabinets can quickly become unorganized piles of messes where only the bravest dare tread.

Our cutting boards were at one time just pushed along the side of a cabinet propped up by a few pots or pans they shared the space with.  I'm sure you know the set up.  Perhaps you are there right now.

Whenever we would take out a pot the cutting boards would have to be propped up by a new pan.  Inevitably something wouldn't go right and I'd end up making a bunch of noise as things fell awkwardly.

Then I would just push and shove things in order to close the cabinet door and end the whole horrible ordeal.

Lets fix that, shall we!

DIY Cutting Board Storage Solution

Materials

1 - 1x4 (1/2" Thickness)

NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long and 3/4" thick unless otherwise noted.

Choice of Stain

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Cut List

1 Bottom @ .5" x 3" x 14.5"

 

1 Bottom Front @ .5" x 1.5" x 14.5"

1 Top Front @ .5" x 1" x 14.5"

2 Back Verticals @ .5" x .5" x 8"

4 Sides @ .5" x 1" x 2.5"

Cutting Diagrams

1x4s

Step 1

This project is fairly safe to go ahead and cut all your pieces to length at the start.  Then glue and clamp two of the side pieces to the bottom piece.

Step 2

The two vertical back pieces can be glued in place after step one has had at least a half an hour to dry.

Step 3

After each of these steps you are going to want to wait about 30 minutes before continuing.  Why?  Because that is how long it takes most wood glues to set up.

This step is slightly different than what you see me doing in the video.  I lengthened these side pieces by half an inch so I could cut the notches for the vertical back pieces.  This gives me a little more gluing surface and makes the project a little stronger.

HOWEVER,  this is not necessary and the project is plenty strong after it is assembled without doing what I did.  If you just follow the steps listed here your project will be just fine.

How do I know?

Because I built one both ways and I see zero difference.

Step 4

Step four of is the final step in the assembly process of our new storage solution.  Simply glue and clamp the two front pieces in place.

Final Thoughts

Obviously the next step would be to drill two countersunk screw holes on each of the vertical back pieces.  Then simply attach the rack to the inside of your cabinet door.

Just make sure to choose a screw size that is long enough to secure the project to the door without falling off but not long enough to protrude through the front of your cabinet door.

Assuming most cabinet doors are 3/4" thick and the vertical pieces of the cabinet rack is 1/2" means a three quarter inch long screw should suffice.

Obviously as the disclaimer says below, check your situation and proceed at your own risk.  (Paraphrased obviously.)

Before you do the mounting work however, you will want to sand the whole project, round off any sharp edges and apply your choice of stain and sealant.


Until then!

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DIY Cutting Board

Growing up, I knew someone whose grandfather had been a butcher. In their home, there was an island in the center of the kitchen. This island was actually his Grandfather's antique butcher block top and it was still in use.

It was definitely used for more purposes than cutting food because in that old farmhouse, it was even an extra counter work space to prepare food.

Meanwhile, back at our home, all we had was one or two old wooden cutting boards. They had deep cut marks and were getting on in years.

Years later, those two well worn boards were pitched for plastic when plastic boards came into style. Our "new" plastic boards were fine until they also showed signs of cut marks.

I'm not into ingesting plastic, are you?

Again I found myself harkening back to those two wooden cutting boards and wondering why I'd parted with them.

Fast forward to today and those plastic boards are gone and we're back to using wood again. This time the boards are hardwood and so much better to work with.

If it's time in your home to update or replace those old cutting boards, be sure to ditch the plastic and get busy one weekend making your own DIY cutting boards.

These ones by Jeff caught my eye because I'm a fan of the mixed materials look. He used a mix of walnut, maple, and bubinga but be sure to go with what you've got available in your local area.

DIY Cutting Board:

Materials

Walnut, maple, and bubinga (or your choice of wood selections)

Wood Glue (Titebond 2)

Table Saw

Thickness Planer

Various Size Clamps

Orbit Sander

Router

Gloves and mask

Salad Bowl Finish

Final Thoughts

Working with the salad bowl finish means taking your time with several application coats and also sanding to achieve a great end result. Wear a mask to protect against any fumes and also use gloves to help with any stickiness.

I hope you enjoyed today's featured project and don't forget to stop by "Home Built Workshop" YouTube channel to check out even more great woodworking videos from Jeff. Don't forget to subscribe.

If you liked Jeff's project shared today, be sure to check out another simple and easy creation by Jeff here:

Until then!

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DIY Wooden Soap Mold

There are a lot of good reasons to make your own homemade soap.

1.  It's as natural as you want it to be.  The mass produced commercial stuff that you get at a store has all sorts of chemicals and harsh cleansers.  Chemical cocktails you might say. 

Some of them dehydrate the skin which ages it. 

They can cause allergic reactions and have been linked to certain forms of cancer.  (Correlation does not prove causation but it's enough to make me take notice.)

2.  Typically handmade soap is made of oils and/or butters that contain antioxidants and vitamins that may be absorbed by the skin helping to keep it healthy.

3.  Some people report that the use of home made soap has relieved them of itchiness, dryness and skin conditions such as excema, psoriasis and acne.

4.  Infinite number of recipes.  (Well, not infinite, but you get the drift.)  You can tailor what recipe you use based on what your skins needs are at the time.  If they change, then you can simply change the ingredients you use.

I could go on but reading about an arm's length list of benefits gets boring for some so...

On with today's project.

DIY Small Activity Caddy

Materials

1 - 1x6

NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long and 3/4" thick unless otherwise noted.

Choice of Stain

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Cut List

2 Sides @ 4" x 16.5" or 102mm x 419mm

1 Bottom @ 4-1/8" x 16.5" or 108mm x 419mm

2 End Pieces @ 4-1/8" x 2.25" or 108mm x 57mm

Cutting Diagrams

1x6

Step 1

The bottom piece is cut to length on the miter saw and ripped to width on the table saw.

Then measure 1.5" or 38mm in from each end and route a dado for both end pieces.

Step 2

Cut the end pieces to length and width in the same manner as the bottom.

Make sure they are snug in their dadoes.

Step 3

The sides are the pieces that we will spend a majority of our time on. 

First, measure 1.5" in from each end and route corresponding dadoes as shown.

Second, measure up from the bottom 1" and route a dado the length of the board.

Now mark an X from one corner of the board to the corner the dadoes made and vise versa.  That will give a center point to drill a hole for the hardware.

Step 4

The hardware used is a 5" or 5.5" one quarter inch bolt with a flat washer and wing nut.  All of which will be available at any home improvement store.

Final Thoughts

Lining a wooden soap mold before use is essential to being able to get your soap out of the mold in one piece.  We use parchment paper to line our molds but if you are making a lot of soap then that may get expensive.

You can also use a plastic bag if you don't mind a few minor creases on the sides and bottom of your soap.

When it is time to take the soap out of the mold simply unscrew the wingnuts and pull the sides away.

Once the project is dry it can come out of the clamps and be sanded down.  A few coats of your choice of stain along with a few more coats of a project sealer such as some polyurethane will complete this awesome gift giving idea.

I hope you enjoyed our 12th Day of 12 DIY Christmas Gift ideas and the complete series.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and Youtube for more great simple and easy DIY projects.

Until then!

1

DIY 2x4 Shelf with Towel Hooks

When I did this design I originally had a bathroom setting in mind.  Hence the photo above.

Then I got to thinking that it would like nice just inside an entryway.  You could take your coat off  when you come inside and hang it on one of the hooks. 

Place your gloves and hat on top of the shelf and have everything in place the next time you wanted to go out somewhere or...

Imagine it tucked just inside a walk in closet.  A night robe hung up so you could just reach around the inside of the closet and grab it.

It's a great stylish design that would look good in just about any room and can be purposed for so many different things.

DIY Shelf with Hooks

Materials

2 - 2x4s (Might be able to get away with just 1 if you have a few 2x4 scraps laying around.)

NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long unless otherwise noted.

Choice of Stain

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Cut List

5 Shelf Slats @ 1.5" x 1.5" x 21"

1 Front Shelf Slat @ 1.5" x 1.5" x 24"

2 Shelf Side Pieces @1.5" x 1.5" x 8.75"

 

2 Vertical Joiner Pieces @ 1.5" x 1.5" x 8.5"

 

1 Horizontal Bottom Cross Piece @ 1.5" x 1.5" x 24"

 

4 Hook Pieces @ 1.5" x 1.5" x 3.5"

Cutting Diagrams

2x4s

Step 1

The first thing to do is too rip a 2x4 in half on the table saw.  Actually I should be more specific than to just say "half". 

2x4s usually have rounded corners to them.  Run each side through the table saw to remove this rounded portion.  Then set your table saw rip fence to 1.5" and you should be able to get two 8' lengths of board.  Each at one and a half inches or 38mm.

The bottom cross piece is the one that sits horizontal and gets the hook pieces attached to it.  Cut it to length on the miter saw and then take it back to the table saw and you should be able to cut all the slots you see below.

Step 2

The hooks are simple 3.5" or 89mm pieces with a 1/4" to 1/2" section routed out of them to create the hook on the end.

Again the easiest way to do that would be on the table saw.  However, don't cut each piece to it's 3.5" length and then try to cut that section out on the table saw.

Use a longer piece that you can get all four cut out of plus a few inches.  Set the blade height to around 1/4" or whatever height you want the hook part to have and run the piece across the blade using the miter gauge until you are 3.25" in from the end of the board.

Then take the piece over to the miter saw and cut a piece that is 3.5" long and whalahh!  You have one of your hook pieces.

Rinse and repeat for the other 3.

Then glue and clamp in place.

 

Step 3

The Vertical joiner pieces is what joins the top shelf to the bottom hook portion.  The photo below may look tricky but it isn't.

The miter gauge on the table saw can be used to cut the tenon shown on the top portion of the pic.

However, unless you have a tenon cutting jig for the other side you will probably just want to clamp the piece in a vise and use a pull saw.  A chisel will clean up the inside edges nicely to give a finished fit.

TIP:  Just remember to mark the waste portion of the material before cutting.  Since the cuts are 90 degrees to each other from one end to the other it can be a little visually disorienting.

Step 4

Now those pieces can be glued together with the bottom cross piece. 

Step 5

Lets start on the top shelf.  Again use the same technique you decided to go with in step 4 to cut this piece as well.

Step 6

Now glue the shelf slats between the side pieces.

NOTE:  Make sure you get the end mortise facing the right direction to be joined to the bottom section of the project.

The one thing here is to flush the slat to the end of the side pieces that has the joinery cut into it.  Space each piece 1/4" or 6mm apart and that should leave a 1/4" lip along the front so that when the next step is done the spacing between the slats will be uniform.

Step 7

Glue the front slat in place.

Step 9

Glue to two sections of the project together.

Final Thoughts

Once the project is dry it can come out of the clamps and be sanded down.  A few coats of your choice of stain along with a few more coats of a project sealer such as some polyurethane will complete this awesome gift giving idea.

I hope you enjoyed our 11th Day of 12 DIY Christmas Gift ideas.

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for another great project to help you with your gift giving dilemma's.


Until then!

0

DIY Wooden Beer Tote

I am a huge NFL Football fan.  I mean I love the Kansas City Chiefs but I will watch just about any NFL game anytime.

Lazy Sunday afternoons you can just leave me alone.  I'll be cracking open a cold one and licking Doritos cheese off my fingers.

No need to make lunch or dinner.

The only thing I need is to be able to tote around a few brewskies.

DIY  Wooden Beer Tote

Materials

1 - 1x2 (1/4" or 5mm Thick)

1 - 1x4

NOTE: All board lengths are 8' long and 3/4" thick unless otherwise noted.

Choice of Stain

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Cut List

4 Side Pieces @ 3.5" x 12"

4 Slats @ 1/4" x 1.5" x 11"

2 Bottom Pieces @ 3.5" x 10"

 

1 Dowel Rod @ 11"

Cutting Diagrams

1/4" Thick 1x2

 1x4

Step 1

The sides of our beer tote are two 1x4s cut to the length listed in the cut list edge glued together.

NOTE:  Good practice to get into when edge gluing boards is too cut them slightly longer than needed.  This will allow you to trim the project board to size after it comes out of the clamps.

Measure 2" in from both sides.  Then measure 5" down from what will be the top of the tote.  Mark a line to connect the dots and cut the angles on both sides.

Then about an inch down from the top and centered on the board drill a 1" hole with a forstner bit.

Finally route a 3/4" rabbet along the bottom edge of both sides.

Step 2

The bottom is an edge glued project panel as well.  Again you will have to trim to final size.

Then glue the bottom into the rabbets that you routed in step one.  A few right angle clamps will help keep the sides perpendicular to the bottom while drying.

Step 3

The materials list above calls for a 1/4" thick 1x2 project board.  You can purchase those in shorter increments than 8' at most home improvement stores to save some money and reduce waste.

However, you can also just take a 2x4 and rip a few 1/4" thick strips on the table saw.  This will save even more money.

Win, win.

Glue and clamp them along each edge of the sides.  I have them 2" apart in the photo below.

Glue should be ok by itself in this instance but you could also tack the slats in place with a few 5/8" brads if you feel like it. 

Dowels are another option to go with if you don't like the thought of marks being left by the brad nails.

Step 4

A one inch dowel rod can be cut to length and glued in place for a handle.

Alternatively you could omit the dowel rod and just attach a 2" piece across the top for the handle.

If you round over the edges it should be just fine.  It's all about what you are comfortable with.

Final Thoughts

Once the project is dry it can come out of the clamps and be sanded down.  A few coats of your choice of stain along with a few more coats of a project sealer such as some polyurethane will complete this awesome gift giving idea.

I hope you enjoyed our 10th Day of 12 DIY Christmas Gift ideas.

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for another great project to help you with your gift giving dilemma's.


Until then!

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