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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

Up to this point, we've always shared projects from start to finish, but not this one! We're showing the build here, but we are collaborating with our YouTube friend, Christina from Pretty Distressed, who will be sharing the finish.

Christina searched the internet and found a project from Pottery Barn's website to duplicate. It's a rustic Christmas tree that has been discontinued for many years. This is our interpretation of the design using readily available and inexpensive paint sticks. 

Take a look at the video to see how it all came together!

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This free-standing tabletop bookshelf is highly customizable to your needs. We sized ours to fit the book (Steph's memoir, you can find more about it here) we were displaying and for the space where it would sit. Different widths or lengths of lumber can make it fit your needs. 

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This post is sponsored by Surebonder.

When Surebonder asked us if we would like to participate in challenge as a way of promoting their new cord-free detail hot glue gun, we couldn't say yes fast enough! We've worked with Surebonder on a number of occasions and use their products in a lot of our projects, so we knew this would be a good fit!

For the challenge, they sent us a curated box of "stuff" which we had to use at least seven of the items in some creative way. Below is the assortment of "stuff" we received! We decided to make the pallet wood the star of the show and developed an idea from that. 

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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

We built this portable, folding pallet wall for a booth in which to promote Steph's book at a professional conference. There was never any question we would DIY all the elements of the booth!

Steph had this idea for a pallet wall and other elements, and I just went along with what she wanted. Actually, I really never had a clear idea of the end result, but just completed the tasks as she gave them to me.

It wasn't until everything was done and put together that I saw the "vision!" Read on to see how we made it and then check out some of the applications it could have in your own home.

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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

Several years ago, I found a small collection of vintage magazines including copies of Woman's Day at a yard sale. I eagerly read through them marveling at the advertisements, the article topics, extensive pull-out recipe sections, and the crafts! Oh, the crafts!

The issue that really caught my attention was Woman's Day, November 1964. (Let's see...I was 11 at the time of publishing, in the 6th grade, it had been a year since president Kennedy was killed, and I was in 4-H where I was learning to sew and cook.)

​In that issue was an article on 100 Christmas gifts to make--everything from scarves to woodworking. Every one of the 100 things were similar in that they offered scant instructions. In the sixties, I guess they assumed you already knew all the things! 

The mid-century bird sculpture was the one thing that I knew I wanted to make, but without the proper tools, this had to wait!