Handmade Trugs

Apologies for my lack of posting lately, life appears to be getting in the way and I seem to be mainly completing cards rather than any other kind of project.
I figured I would re-post an old post - nothing like a good recycle huh! As it's gardening time of year I figured maybe this trug tutorial would be of use to you.
Enjoy!

Handmade Trug

How many of you are like me I wonder?
Do you have a million and one projects on the go followed by a million more in your head yet to start on and then after spending too much time on craft sites you have a fair few more to add to the mix?
Well that's me too! Problem is I now have so many projects going on and in my head that nothing is getting done at all - I really need to learn to limit myself to a couple of projects until each one is done.
Take this week as an example - I've a trunk ready for painting (haven't a clue where to start), I'm making another scrapwood lamp like 'this one' (just different), I'm in the middle of sorting out my scrap room (which doubles as an office and trebles as a mini gym), I'm trying to make a quilt out of fabric swatches (never going to work as they're upholstery fabrics but I'm determined anyways), I'm trying to get good images with my DSLR so that I can post about about a fabulous Ebook I found and I'm trying to produce 3 wedding cards (which aren't needed until July but with my track record..........).
On top of all that I scan the web and have decided that on top of all the other million things I need to make for our home such as towel hooks, chair reupholster, quirky bathroom signs, blocks to sell .......you get the idea huh...........I now need to make my holiday beach bag (which isn't urgent as we don't go till January) and crochet some slippers!!!!!!!! THAT wouldn't be an issue but I can't even crochet - duh! I can knit pretty well but I can't find a pattern for knitted slippers that I like so I'm going to have to learn to crochet!
Be still my mind!

And..... breeeeeathe!

On to better stuff - I've entered a 10k run with my daughter so we're running together - yay!
4 miler round the forest today - double yay!
Mind you it was a walk / run as I have to build my fitness back up (my daughter appears to be uber fit already. Working with horses does that!)

But who cares bout all that. You wanna see something - anything that you can have a go at making yourselves don't you?
Well it's not finished yet - those pictures will follow soon - but I made this:

Here's the thing! Haven't a clue why I made it or what i'll use it as - that's probably why it's not finished.
I thought maybe I could put 3 small herb pots in it for the kitchen window sill after it had some kind of finish to it but the sides are too tall really.
I need an egg collector................ but not this.
Maybe a trug for my garden tools?

Who knows. Anyway here's how I made it and what you'll need:

• Scrap wood - I used old fence panels.
• Old broom handle.
• Jigsaw - or handsaw.
• Sander if the wood is a bit dodgy looking.
• Hole cutter - I used one to fit my battery drill.
• Battery drill.
• Nails

My wooden fence panels were pretty grotty looking:

I just gave them a good sand with my electric sander.
Next I decided on the width I wanted and cut 2 pieces exactly the same.
Then to make the two end pieces I made a template of the style I wanted on paper, traced this to the scrap wood and cut it out using a Jigsaw.
Then use this wood as a template to make a matching piece for the other end.
I cut a base that was slightly shorter than the side pieces because the side pieces were going to be nailed to the outside edge of the end pieces but the bottom would sit inside the rectangle created by the sides and ends. (hmmmmm, that makes no sense even to me but I don't know how else to explain it).

For the holes for the broom I marked the centre of each end piece and used a hole borer attached to my drill

Once the broom was cut to size it was a simple case of putting the whole thing together with nails and hammer.
It will need some kind of wood treatment and maybe some stencilling of some kind but voila! A trug that costs nothing if you have scrap wood.

Have you made any of these? If so I'd love to see em.


 


Linked to:

'Nifty Thrifty Things' 
'I heart Naptime' 
'My 1929 Charmer' 
'The Southern Institute' 
'The Three Mango Seeds' 
'Sew can do' 
'C.R.A.F.T' 
'The girl creative' 
'Creative Jewish mom'