Handmade Furniture

We have very little actual furniture, for several reasons. The cheap stuff we could afford is... cheap. Cheap MDF crap that falls apart quickly, especially when you move every year or two like we do. The more expensive stuff we can't afford is nicer, and some of it is solid wood, but not all. I want solid wood furniture that will last but won't cost an arm and a leg.

Back in January I found a blog called Knock Off Wood that has plans that show you how to build your own furniture. She gives easy, clear instructions with lots of diagrams. Unfortunately, with the upcoming move that we were facing, I didn't want to start building then, so I had to put the idea on the back burner.

I have no problem building my own furniture. In junior high, when most of the other girls signed up for home ec, I signed up for shop class. I alreay knew how to cook and sew, and I wanted to learn how to use power tools!

A few years ago, Mr. M and I built a log bed and a log night stand. The bed turned out good, but the nightstand is a hulking monster that I need to figure out how to re-purpose into something prettier. Now that we're moved and getting settled, we can start building furniture. We have a lot of the tools we need, the rest we can find on sale and craigslist.

There's so many things I want to build:

• bookcases for our boxes and boxes of books.
• new nightstands for our room, as well as one for the guest room.
• armoires (probably at least two) for storing all my craft and sewing supplies.
• bookcases and storage systems for LMS's books and toys.
• wood play kitchen.
• entryway bench and storage cubbies.
• coffee table and end tables.

We've started on the storage system for LMS's toys. After that will be the storage for my craft and sewing supplies. We've been selling stuff on craigslist, and we used that money to buy wood (and help pay for my dental work). It's nice to be decluttering, getting money for stuff we don't need, and using that money to build nice, hand-made furniture.

Right now we're on temporary hold on the furniture building since Mr. S tweaked his back (old injury) over the weekend, but as soon as he's fully mobile again, we'll get moving again. I'll post photos of the process, so stay tuned!

Has anyone else built their own furniture?