Summer Projects 2010

I have managed to finish a few projects this summer, despite all the time I have wasted on FB.

I expanded my garden.





I put in a "creek."





And I finished the steps. (see 2009 summer projects)

Summer Project #2

Project # 2 was this:
My dream was to have boulders as steps leading down this steep hill to our backyard, but the cost was way over my budget. So I decided to look around our property to see what I could find. The stones are not huge, but heavy enough and big enough for steps. It turned out pretty well and blends in with our woodsy, natural landscape. It is also much better getting down that slope. My husband is not fond of cutting the grass around the steps. There is almost always a trade-off though, right?

For each step, I custom dug the hole, filled in small stones and placed the stone. Then I "shimmed" each step using more small stones to secure the step for a wobble-less tread. I don't know about anyone else, but my ankles and knees thank me every time I walk down the steps!

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!