Ok, now you've got all of the tools and materials that you need, where do you start? For me the best place was to mock the entire thing up and start from there. I have never attempted anything so big before....But what's the worst that can happen right?
I began this project shortly before Christmas of 2018. At that time the weather was a bit rainy so since I did not have room for all of the pallets at that time in the garage, and the project when laid out can be overwhelming. So, I decided to take it one piece at a time.
I broke the project up in to 3 pieces. 3 pallets each. I brought the sections in one at a time to allow them to dry and really break down my plan by setting it up and trying it with a back, without a back and get a good measurement as to how tall it would actually need to sit to be comfortable and hold a cushion. Right about now is when you start to realize what you've got yourself into and about the time your learning curve will begin.
Be willing to try new things!
I was not sure right away if I wanted to have a back rest on it since my deck actually has beams that would comfortably do for a back rest but I wanted to see what it would look it It did. So as you can see above, I tried this several ways and decided I liked the idea of the back. I figured it would give a bit more stability to the piece and help hold the cushion into place.
I remembered while setting this up that my husband at the time had made the Eye of Ra for me. The symbol has amazing powers to it and despite the fact I knew it wouldn't be perfect wanted to incorporate it somehow. Maybe somewhere in the back on my mind I used it as a way of saying...look what I did!
I actually wanted to do a design on the table as well but the spaces between boards made it to separated to allow the eye to understand what it was looking at. I drew it on the side, having to draw it in two pieces, I decided than I would leave the symbol in negative space and stain around it. This was a risky thing at that time for me because I didn't want to mess it up. I am not the most graceful of gals in the world. Then I reminded myself that it will not be perfect, it's pallet wood. If it didn't work, I convinced myself I could stain over it and no one would ever know I screwed it up. I took the risk and at the end of the day I was so glad that I did.
As I drew the original plan for this table, I thought of my fir baby's and knew they would somehow want to get themselves caught up in the boards, and it occurred to me that it might be possible to actually put a doggy bed in this bad boy somehow. I will talk about that later on in the journey. The truth is, I had made a commitment to myself that I would try new things, get over my fears of failure and just do it. As Ive said many times before, I have learned many things along the way in this project, the first of which is that I can do this. So I did....
Mocking up your pieces
Stick to your plans! Draw the plan, draw it again and draw it in several ways. You already have in mind by now the end results shape so...draw it and stick to it.
Behold....I am an Art-teest!
Despite how horrible this drawing is, it gave me a foundation to begin mocking up the couch. After watching several hundred how to's on what to do, I found it easier to take it a step at a time. We will begin with the shorter left side of the project and move forward.
After I set them up and deciding what I wanted it to ultimately look like, I began to take measurements. In some video's they used smaller pieces of wood on the top of the pallets, placing them between the area's that did not have boards to make a smooth surface. In others they used sheet wood to make the cushion base, giving it a uniformly smooth surface that is easily covered. I have decided to use sheet wood method for my project. My plans above show 1 long piece and 1 short piece.
It is very important that you measure often during this project and keeping careful track in your journal. I have changed my mind on a few projects here and there so knowing what I did helped me when I cut boards later for the cushion base, and it did change. I found that taking pictures of my work as I went along really helped me journal as well. It gave me a sense of pride to look at them later on, and it helped me to know that I am progressing. It's also a good way of showing off your good work later on.
I've got my plan, I've mocked up my first section, I have assembled my tools and stain...rolling up my sleeves! Let's go make a mess!
In my next blog we will talk about the first section. Sanding..removing nails and staining. Where I learn that patience, a great work space full of positive energy and best of all, that I can create beautiful things! Until next time~
Comments