DIY Rustic Christmas Tree Base

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 26

This is the twenty sixth of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects.

It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at
Simply Easy DIY!

In the early 1800's in America, no one had even heard of these things called Christmas trees.
That 's because Germany started the custom in the 16th century. It didn't make it across the pond until the mid to late 1800's.

Queen Victoria was shown in 1846 with a Christmas tree in her home.

Why did she have a Christmas tree?

Because her husband was German.

These days not everyone has a real tree in their home. We are one of them. Our choice is to go with a a 7 1/2 foot pre-lit Virginia pine artificial tree that was purchased several years ago.

It doesn't have a special Christmas Tree base other than the supports that it came with.

We've been thinking about doing something a bit more stylish. Chris from CMR Woodworks has a pretty good idea. He created a custom base that fills it out and makes the tree look fuller....

or is that less filling?

  DIY Rustic Christmas Tree Stand:

 

Wood Glue

Pallet Wood or other scrap
plus 2x4 for crate support.

Table Saw

Random Orbit Sander

Various grit Sandpaper

Finish Nailer

Final Thoughts

To make the rustic stand fit your specific tree, first measure around the bottom. Add a couple of inches, then make your cuts. The height of your base will depend on how tall your tree is so measure from the bottom of your tree to the floor.

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

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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DIY Twisted Christmas Tree

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 25

This is the twenty fifth post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects.

It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at
Simply Easy DIY!

Shane Conlan over at DIY for Knuckleheads likes working through his pile of scrap wood and doesn't miss a beat to have a chance to put something in his pile to good use. Plus, he has so much fun doing so.

Watching him put together his scrap wood Christmas tree brought to mind something that I've been pondering lately.

So often we head to the attic and lift out the artificial tree and begin to decorate it with several boxes of ornaments that we also had to haul out. There's manual labor and effort to get this stuff out of storage.

Or, if you're the "real tree" type of family, there's the effort expended to go purchase one, somehow transport it home, and then wrangle it into the Christmas tree stand.

Did I also mention that you're running around with the vacuum cleaner almost daily trying to stay on top of the needles?

That wears me out just thinking about it.

Consider creating and giving away this lightweight table top version of a Christmas tree.

DIY Pallet Wood Christmas Tree:

 

Satin Varnish

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

Pallet Wood or other scrap

Circular Saw

Random Orbit Sander

Various grit Sandpaper

Pin Nailer

Drill

Threaded Metal Rod

Red Spray Paint (Optional)

Santa Hat (Optional!)

Final Thoughts

I'm envisioning a small strand of white lights and some home made pinecone ornaments made by the kids or grandkids and this tree is good to go.

I hope you enjoyed today's featured project and don't forget to stop by "DIY For Knuckleheads" YouTube channel to check out even more great woodworking videos from Shane. Don't forget to subscribe.

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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DIY How to Deep Fry a Turkey

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 24

This is the twenty fourth post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects.

It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at
Simply Easy DIY!

What is served in your home during Thanksgiving? Is it Ham, Turkey, or maybe something else? Here in our home, we serve turkey during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our preferred method is to roast our turkey in a roaster pan, and then later we've got the pan drippings so we can make home made turkey gravy.

Yes, we do use the giblets too!

In past years we've used the disposable roaster pans and thrown them out after the meal has been cooked.

Last year my wife received a large roaster pan from someone who was getting rid of one,
and she is really thankful for that.

It can be challenging to roast a large turkey when your oven size is on the modest side. We do get creative during cook time.

Both oven racks are in use and everything is squeezed in very tightly.

Trying to manage cooking several dishes in an oven that still has a large turkey in it can be a feat.

If you're switching over from the traditional roast method and going with deep frying this year, you'll have to do some advance planning to ensure you've got all the supplies you're going to need.

The "Art of Maniless" YouTube channel goes over all the equipment you'll need and also the safety precautions that you can take to ensure your delicious turkey frying success this year!

How to Deep Fry a Turkey: 

Final Thoughts

Chef Karl goes through detailed instructions on the deep fry process. An excellent safety tip he suggests is to invest in the right safety gloves. We've already got these welding gloves that should work nicely.

I hope you enjoyed today's featured project and don't forget to stop by "Art of Manliness" YouTube channel to check out even more great instructional and entertainment videos from Brett. Don't forget to subscribe and check out his website.

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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DIY Turkey Made From Pallet Wood

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 23

This is the twenty third post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects. It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Simply Easy DIY!

Our neighbors really do a great job of decorating the exterior of their homes for both Halloween and Christmas. But, when it comes to Thanksgiving - it's the holiday that is sandwiched in between and gets skipped over, at least in our neighborhood.

To be fair, I've seen some folks attempt decorating with pumpkins, thanksgiving themed flags, and scarecrows.

Sadly, a pumpkin lasts several days here in Florida before it goes rotten. A carved pumpkin lasts maybe a day.

We need something more durable and lasting. Especially something that can take heat and moisture. If you've got pallets and a band saw, why not try your hand at one of these:

Build This Wooden Turkey:

Tools & Materials Wood Glue  Table Saw Pallet Wood or other scrap Band Saw Random Orbit Sander Small Clamps Med to Large Clamps Drill

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed today's featured project and don't forget to stop by "Adam Gabbert" YouTube channel to check out even more great woodworking projects from him. Don't forget to subscribe.

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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DIY Floating Shelf with Hidden Storage

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 22

This is the twenty second post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects.

It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at
Simply Easy DIY!

We're always losing our remotes. This isn't a unique problem, I hear it happens in many families.

We also have a two year old who finds new homes for remotes. This would be places like the garbage can, in between couch cushions, and in small spaces in other rooms.

Actually, we do have a nice side table right next to the couch with perfect drawers for our remotes. The thing is, it's a drawer that the two year old opens easily and enjoys taking everything out of it.

This is also true with our coasters. Most of the time, the two year old likes to hide them and send mom and dad on a game of hide and seek.

One thing we've thought about as an answer is to install a floating style shelf where the remotes and coasters can be kept hidden so little hands can't reach them.

If you're also looking for solutions for a secret compartment to store your gun or maybe keys to a safety deposit box, try this project by Glen at DIY Creators .

Floating Shelf with Hidden Storage:

Choice of Stain
(He used Minwax Gel Stain Hickory)

Polyurethane

Wood Glue 

Miter Saw

2x4 and oak

Table Saw

Biscuit Joiner

Random Orbit Sander

Various grit Sandpaper

Pin Nailer

LED Strip (optional)

Various size Clamps

Trim Router

Router Table

Final Thoughts

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

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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DIY Tiki Torch

30 Days of DIY Projects 2 Make Us Thankful

Project 21

This is the twenty first post of our series of projects to make us thankful for DIY.  Be sure to check back everyday during the month of November for new simple and easy DIY projects. It's our way of saying Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Simply Easy DIY!

Here in Florida we need bug repellent because we've got a lot of bugs.  Especially Mosquitoes and no-see-um's. But wait...there's more. We've also got various biting flies, ants, and spiders that all love our property since we back up to a canal with standing water.

Sometimes it just seems you can't go outside without being eaten alive.

But, these tiki torches go a long way in helping curb the bite attacks. This is really important to us because we have a family member who is prone to allergic reactions.

We've bought bamboo tiki torches from a certain big box store. They stand about 5 feet tall and the idea is that you stake them into the ground and light a canister that is on the top.

Overall this is a good idea but unfortunately, if you've got sandy soil like we've got, they often fall over pretty easily.  Young children also have to be kept away to prevent injury.

So, when my wife saw Mitch build his own customized torches with deep metal stakes she added the project to my honeydew list.  A refillable mason jar was an added bonus because we've got a lot of them around from canning.

I'm sure we've got an old canning jar that can be re purposed.

Oh, did I also mention that he did his own Shou Sugi Ban wood burn technique on this?  I recently built a project using this same technique as well.

For more information on the Shou Sugi Ban wood burning technique, check out my post on the DIY Wine Rack where I tried my hand at this technique. It turned out great!

DIY Tiki Torch

Tools & Materials Wood Burning Torch Spar Urethane (indoor/outdoor) Wood Glue  Miter Saw Pallet Wood and 2x4 Epoxy Circular Saw Random Orbit Sander Various grit Sandpaper Router  Tiki Torch Fuel Hose to Pipe thread Metal Spike (to hold the torch in the ground) Quart Mason Jar   Table Saw Band Saw Drill Tiki Torch Wicks Paracord (optional)

Final Thoughts

Common sense tip of the day:

When using wood burning equipment you should exercise extreme caution because you'll be working with fire and fuel and injury may result. Additionally, when using a tiki torch, whether your own DIY version or one purchased from the store, be sure to always practice safe precautions to prevent injury. Always follow manufacturer's safety instructions and all that blah, blah, blah.

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

We hope you will return to Simply Easy DIY everyday through the month of November for more projects that make us thankful 4 DIY.

Until then!

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