Summer Projects #1

I was a little more motivated at the beginning of the summer and finished a couple of projects. My first was to make a bin for our kindling. Previously, our kindling was stored in a couple of unused trash cans. The cans worked well, keeping the kindling nice and dry, but they had to be moved seasonally.

I had a good idea of what I wanted and found different plans to guide me on this project. I ended up using deck materials to make a simple box. I gave it short legs to get it off of the ground. That helps with air circulation and it gives us another flat surface for a table or a place to sit.

I did some pricing before I settled on the decking materials. I purchased eight 8' planks and one 6' 4x4. The 4x4 was cut into six 1' legs to support the box. The planks were cut into 4' lengths for the width and 2' lengths for the depth. Each wall has brackets to secure the planks together. The lid is hinged. I only had one 2' length of decking left over. Total cost of project was just over $100. This bin is sturdy and solidly built. It will last a long time outdoors and maybe even longer than most decks. It sits under our deck in a recessed area, so exposure is less than a deck. It is full and ready for the fires we will have this winter!