yard Archives - Lumber in My Minivan

2021, farm, floral, garden, plants, recycle, repurpose, seasonal, yard

New Uses for Old Things: DIY plant pots

August 13, 2021by LumberInMyMiniVan2 Comments

Lately, I find myself trying to save money on my gardening supplies. If you aren’t careful, you can spend a lot on seed cells and plant pots. Why not try to use some of what you already have on hand?

I must have about a hundred of these. And yogurt cups! I decided to peel the labels off and wash them out.

I then spray painted them a color I liked.

And I let them dry for about a day.

Don’t forget to drill a drainage hole in the bottom of the cup.

And then your super cute planters are ready to go!

2021, farm, garden, green, outdoor spaces, outdoors, plants, recycle, repurpose, yard

DIY Raised Beds

August 11, 2021by LumberInMyMiniVan2 Comments

About four years ago, my grandpa and I built some farmhouse shutters. You may remember them from this post.

I no longer have the window in my kitchen where these were used, and I don’t have anywhere else I’d like to use them. You know lumber is crazy expensive now and I’ve been itching for some raised beds.

I started by removing the hinges and hardware from the shutters. I left the basic shutter shape though.

I then simply joined the sides with wood screws.

And then I added cardboard and chicken wire to the bottom.

Tomorrow I am putting potting soil and plants in it. I can’t wait to show you what I plant.

I am also recycling some other former projects to create more raised beds.

2021, outdoor spaces, outdoors, parenting, project planning, projects, yard

Weekend Projects: The cutest little playhouse EVER!

March 7, 2021by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

We spent the weekend building this super cute little playhouse from a kit.

The directions were fantastic and they were easy to follow. We started by putting together the sides and frame.

The roof was by far the hardest to put together.

Once I finally figured out what I was doing wrong, the roof went on easily.

And lastly, I put the doors on. This part was hard, but once I figured out the hinges, they went on perfectly.

And then for funzies, I added a solar gooseneck light and an iron bell “doorbell.”

We are also going to dress it up with a paver sidewalk and some flowers. The girls are loving the little playhouse.

You should totally buy one for your kids!

2021, farm, garden, greenhouse, plants, projects, spring, yard

Installing a portable greenhouse part one

January 19, 2021by LumberInMyMiniVan2 Comments

If you know me very well, you know about my penchant for planting a large garden and starting it from seeds. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a polytunnel for a long time but talked myself out of it due to the price.

I did a lot of research and discovered a portable polytunnel with good reviews that was well within my budget. It came in a neatly packaged box and was so easy to put together .

First, decide where you want the polytunnel to sit. Then, unbox everything and spread it out. Once you locate all the pieces, begin assembling the frame. It’s best to assemble it where you want it to be.

Once your frame is up, decide how you want to secure it. They include anchors but these anchors are no match for a Carolina wind storm. Some people use t posts to anchor it. We chose to build a small wood foundation and anchor the frame with metal straps. I’ll post a picture of that later.

Getting the cover lined up correctly can be tricky. Line up your cover and then secure it. It should fit tight but not so tight you can’t zip the doors closed.

This is what it looks like inside. We are far from done. We have just finished the wood foundation and used a stable mat for the floor. Soon, we will be adding shelves.

We hope you have enjoyed part one of our greenhouse tour. We will show you the finished product next week.

2020, make it yourself, outdoor spaces, outdoors, Personal, projects, remodel, repurpose, Wood crafts, Woodwork, yard

Repurpose and Remodel: Restoring a Handmade Porch Swing

May 29, 2020by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

My grandfather was an excellent carpenter. He and his brother built me many neat things over the years but my favorite is this porch swing.

It’s handmade, solid wood and heavy. In fact, it’s so heavy that in the 15 years since he built it for me, I’ve never had a place to hang it. It’s been in my mother’s basement for years.

As you can imagine, 15 years in a damp basement takes its toll. We had several rotten slats and a rusted chain. We were blessed the frame was still in good shape .

I promptly ordered the things I thought we would need and I got to work replacing the slats that were rotten or warped. I toyed with replacing all the slats but since some were in great shape, I decided against it.

I then gave the whole swing a good sanding with my orbital sander and removed the rusty chain.

I then put two coats of primer and one coat of paint on the swing and replaced the chain with a new one.

My mom got me this arbor for my birthday so I could hang the swing. It’s very pretty and very sturdy. And we know the song isn’t hanging straight- the arbor isn’t exactly level yet. We haven’t anchored the arbor yet because we are waiting to put down some pea gravel to deal with the mud. We also want to cut those bushes but there are birds nesting in them, so we want to wait until they leave.

I’m so excited to have this swing at my house- finally! I miss my grandpa so much so I am happy to be able to have this gift he personally made for me. It looks so pretty hanging from the arbor. It brightens up our yard quite well!!