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    Making a 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket Stand

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    How to take a 3 tiered metal stand and create a 2 tiered kitchen basket tray stand.

    I am going to show you what I semi-handmade over the weekend. My goal was to add a little bit of fall decor in the way of texture and organizing to my kitchen.
    I always enjoy tinkering with items such as the 3 tiered tray stand in the photo below. I like to see if I can come up with something new, using a part of it, then swapping another part out or even completely repurpose it. I would love to design a line of decor items someday that go with all the ideas in my head.

    This is exactly what I did with this white 3 tiered metal stand that I use when entertaining and for the holidays in my kitchen. It was a gift from a friend when we first moved to the lake – Thanks Gail. 🙂

    The stand comes apart easily, so playing around with it didn’t damage it one bit. I can always put it back together in a minute when Fall is over and it goes back into holiday mode.

    Using parts of the stand, I wanted to create a new Fall-inspired wicker basket stand to replace this silver wire stand I use to hold produce. I like this stand and will use it again, but my kitchen is small and I get bored seeing the same things. Changing it up, especially for the seasons, inspires me.

    I took the 3 tiered white metal stand apart to make a shorter 2 tiered kitchen basket stand so it would fit under my kitchen cabinets. I used a thrift store wicker basket as the second tier.
    I love baskets and get excited when I find a new way to use them around the house that not only looks nice but adds warm and cozy texture, while giving me the exact function I need. 🙂
    You may be thinking, “What’s that on the top – a finial?”
    The answer – yes, but not just any finial, but a custom-made one using a tiny detail from nature that I collect.
    How to Make a Tiered Kitchen Tray & Basket Stand
    I realize that you will not have the exact same items I used to make my 2 tiered fruit basket stand, but I wanted to show you what you can do with any tiered stand you may have.
    Do you have a tiered stand of any kind? Maybe one made with ceramic or china plates? These types of stands are easy to take apart and reassemble. They can be found at most thrift and antique stores. Even if you don’t like the design, color or pattern of the plates, the stand part can be repurposed to your needs.

    Time needed: 20 minutes.
    How to Make a 3 Tiered Stand into a Shorter 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket and Tray Standtools and supplies needed:Tiered stand or parts from a plate standMetal washersLarge screw and nutTwineTacky GlueHot Glue and glue gun
    Gather Your Parts and Supplies
    I took the stand apart. I only needed the pedestal, the rod, the rod covers and bottom round tray. I also used a round wicker basket into which I made a rod sized hole in the bottom with an awl.

    Create a Stopper to Secure Center Dowel
    I screwed the rod to the pedestal base and then added the largest round tray from the original stand, the larger rod cover, my wicker basket and the narrower rod cover.Doing this, the screw end of the rod was just short of the top of the second rod cover.To make the stand secure, I had to find a nut that fit the threads at the end of the rod. Then I was able to insert the screw into the top half of the nut.Once the nut was on the rod, the screw that I had on hand to fit into the nut was a little too long, even when tightened. I didn’t want to see the screw threads so I added washers to cover the threaded section of the screw. Once the screw on the top was tightened, the entire assembly was secure, creating a very stable stand.

    Hiding the Washer to Create a Finial
    To hide the washers, I brushed tacky glue to the sides of the washers and wrapped twine around them. I placed the ends of the twine in the channel on the top of the screw.

    Secure Twine
    To secure this, I used a dot of hot glue. (Note: If you want to take the stand apart some day, don’t put glue where screw meets the washers.)

    Attach Top Section of an Acorn
    Using another dot of hot glue, I attached the top section of an acorn.

    All Done

    My Semi-Handmade Countertop Fruit Basket

    I love, love, love my DIY’ed tray and basket stand. It is exactly what I envisioned. Best of all, I did it in my own style and it didn’t cost me anything to make since I used items I already had.

    When making the finial top, I didn’t have twine. So I applied a retail display trick (where we had to be super resourceful when creating displays for the store). Did you know that removing strands from burlap, which I did have – gives you pieces of twine. 🙂
    Do you have a tiered stand in your home that you are not using? Can you redesign it to fit a new need or for the season? Maybe use two baskets if you have them. That is what is so nice about DIY’ing – you get to be a designer.
    On another note…. I know my bananas are spotty, but I let them get that way. I freeze the spotted bananas and use this Frozen Fruit and Banana Whip Maker to make Banana Berry Whips or Chocolate Nice Cream. It makes it easy to make a variety of plant-based alternatives to ice cream. So I always have bananas getting spotty in my countertop fruit basket.
    If you like to see baskets or tiered stands on your kitchen countertop, here are a few I found:
    You May Also Like:

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    One Last Decorating Detail to Update

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    When it comes to making your house truly your home – every little decorating detail matters.
    I have pretty much transformed every surface in my house over the 5 years since we moved to the lake. I still had one small detail to update though. It was not a big deal in the grand scheme of updating and decorating a house, but for me getting this last detail updated by adding my own style was a very big deal.
    It is the last part of the house where the previous owner’s tastes still exists and it has taken me 5 years to get it done…. talk about procrastination!!!
    Before gearing up to decorate the house for fall, I thought I would finally get this detail updated.

    I am 5’5″ tall and only see the bottom shelf when I open my kitchen cabinets above the stove where the previous owner had blue and white shell motif Contact Brand adhesive shelf liner. Shell motifs were a thing in the house – both bathrooms also had shells as a decorating theme. 🙂

    When I made over the kitchen, I tried ripping up the adhesive Contact shelf lining paper, but only got a small section removed as it was not going to budge. At the time, I figured I would cover it eventually. 5 years is a very long eventually. 🙂
    There is never a time like the present to get something done, especially now that I am spending more time at home.
    To get the cabinet’s bottom shelf covered in something more to my liking, I went to my gift wrap stash and found the black and white plaid that I used to line the drawers earlier this year. That gift wrap also seemed like the right solution to line the cabinets.

    It took all of 10 minutes. 🙂
    This gift wrap is not like ordinary paper gift wrap. It has a vinyl component to it which makes it wipeable.
    You can find wipeable gift wrap at HomeGoods, TJMaxx, and Marshalls in many different patterns and colors. In my previous house, I used it to make a runner for my kitchen table.

    So nice now to see color and pattern that fits my personal decorating style.
    How to Line Cabinet Shelves with Gift Wrap
    supplies needed:
    Wipeable gift wrap or any decorative paper – sold at HomeGoods, Marshalls, and TJMaxx
    Iron-On vinyl or Clear Contact paper if using regular gift wrap or paper
    Scissors
    Tape measure
    Optional: glue stick

    Use a tape measure to figure out the depth and length of the cabinet interior.
    Cut the gift wrap to size with scissors.
    Place gift wrap into cabinet.
    If you want the gift wrap to stick, after placing it in the cabinet, lift the corners and add a few swipes of a glue stick on the underside of the paper.

    When I painted the kitchen cabinets, I didn’t paint the insides or the inner lip where the cabinet doors sit when they are closed. Keeping the lip paint free allows the doors to close all the way, with ease.
    Don’t Have Wipeable Gift Wrap?
    If you can’t find wipeable gift wrap or a color or pattern you like to line your cabinets, then the next best thing to use is any gift wrap you like which can be covered with clear Contact paper or iron-on vinyl as I did when I lined my kitchen drawers.
    Or line your cabinets using the real thing – shelf-lining paper. Here are a few stylish options:
    Stylish Shelf Liner Options

    Black and White Plaid Gift Wrap (similar to mine)
    Gripping Shelf Liner Non-Adhesive
    Contact Brand Cork Self-Adhesive Liner
    Wood Grain Shelf Liner
    Clear Contact Brand Shelf Liner
    Lining cabinet shelves is a small detail that may not seem worth the time, but adding your own style to even the smallest detail in your home does contribute to making a cohesive look throughout a room and entire home, even when behind closed doors.

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    DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate

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    What can you put into a wooden wine crate after the wine is gone? You can repurpose it and make one chic DIY recipe box for your kitchen to hold and organize all your favorite recipes.

    I promised last week that I would show you one last item that I wanted to make for my kitchen cart island.
    A few posts ago I shared that I added a second shelf to the island. One of the reasons I added the second shelf to my rolling island kitchen cart was that I wanted a handy place for my recipe box.
    I have a small kitchen with no room to keep it handy. 5 years ago, I totally reorganized my recipe box. How I organized it has worked extremely well over the years so I didn’t change that aspect of the box. I did however want to give the box a new look so it would feel more “foodie chic” on my cart.

    I was inspired about a DIY wine crate idea when we were in France last year.
    I have always wanted a wine crate basket for my bike after seeing one like this when I was in NYC a few years ago for a blogging event. A very stylish woman was on her way to work on a black vintage bike with a wine crate on the back holding her tote. So chic…
    When I saw a few again in France, even though I knew I didn’t have a place to ride my bike, I was inspired to find a way to use a wine crate in my home somewhere.

    As you can see, I found a way.

    I custom made it to fit my needs and on the shelf on my kitchen cart island using wine crate fronts so there would be a winery logo on each side of the recipe box.
    I am thrilled with it as it adds a little more of the ” foodie chic” feel to my kitchen. I know it is just a recipe box, but I love it for the fact that I made something I envisioned and custom designed it for my needs.
    How to Make a DIY Recipe Card Box By Repurposing a Wooden Wine Crate

    I made my DIY recipe card box to fit large 5′ x 8″ index cards. I also only used wine crate front panels instead of just one wine crate. This way I could have a winery logo on each side of my box.
    Try to find front panels with the same thickness, but know it still can be made if they are not. One of my panels was thicker and one had grooves.

    supplies needed:
    I cut the panels down to size. If you have one wine crate, you will have enough wood to make the box, but will have only one winery logo, unless your crate has more than one logo on it – some do.
    Further down in the post is a list of where you can find wine crates.
    5 Wine crate front panels
    2 for Front and Back: Cut to size: 9-3/16″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
    2 for Sides: Cut to size: 13″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
    Optional: Wood Divider: Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 5″ (h)

    1/4″ plywood for bottom – Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l) *If using one wine crate, no need for plywood – you can use bottom of wine crate.
    Clear acetate – saved from packaging or you can buy a few sheets at your local copy shop.
    Pencil
    Straight-edge
    Saw
    Wood glue
    5/8″ long carpet tacks
    100 grit sandpaper
    Hammer
    Drill and thin drill bit
    For recipe cards and dividers:

    Time needed: 2 hours.
    How to Make a DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate
    Take Wine Crate Apart
    If you are using an intact wine crate, you will need to take it apart. Use a small pry bar to carefully take it apart. If you are using wine crate front panels to make a box – proceed to next step.

    Cut Each Panel To Size
    I used 4 wine crate panel fronts and cut them down to fit the width of 5″ x 8″ index cards. When the box is assembled it is 4-4/8″ high.I cut a piece of clear acetate to make a template. This makes it easy to see the logo as you center the template over it when marking each for the size. The sizes are listed in supplies list above.

    Find Center of Each Wine Crate Panel
    Lay clear template over logo, find center and lightly trace around it using a pencil. Repeat for each panel. Using a table saw or jigsaw, cut each out.Note: Front and back panels will be shorter. The side panels will be longer so choose longer winery logos for the sides so you won’t have to cut as much of them off.

    Cut Plywood For Bottom
    Since I used wine crate front panels to make my box, I needed a piece of plywood for the bottom of my box. If you are using a full wine crate, use the bottom of the crate for the bottom, no plywood needed.Use a straight edge to mark the plywood to 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l). Cut on lines.Sand edges smooth.

    Glue Pieces Together
    Lay wine panels and bottom of box on worktable. Apply wood glue to attach the front, back and sides to the bottom. Let dry.Note: You want to make sure to glue the front, back and sides of the box to the side of the bottom. This is important as the inside bottom of the box needs to stay a little wider than 8″ to hold the index cards.

    Drill Holes for Tacks
    Use a small drill bit to make a tiny hole to hammer nails in. Drilling a hole will help keep the nails from splitting the wood.

    Hammer in Tacks
    Hammer in a nail/tack into each drilled hole.

    Add Nails
    Once the glue is dry, reinforce the assembly of the box using rug tacks or very flat head nails that resemble wine box nails. I placed two nails on each side of the box

    Optional: Make a Movable Wood Divider
    I made my recipe card box longer than I needed, not only for when my recipe card collection grows, but also to divide it into two sections. This give me a place to put magazine recipe clippings and recipes I printed out from blogs into the back that I want to try out. If we like them, then they will get a recipe card. If not, the clipping or printable goes into recycling.I used a 5th wine crate front to make this wood divider. I cut it to be very snug inside the box. This way I can move it when needed, but it is snug enough to keep the cards in the front of the box from falling down inside the box.

    Close Up of Divider

    Fill the Box With Recipe Cards
    I made my recipe cards using 5 x 8 index cards and followed the same recipe box organizing I shared in this post: Recipe Box ReDuxI used super thick plain white index cards and stick on insertable tabs to make the category dividers.I printed out the category names using MS Word and the font Century Schoolbook.

    How to Make a Stay-Clean Recipe Card Cover

    I am sure you are familiar with the acrylic cookbook stands that you place an open cookbook in so that you can see your cookbooks through it so it won’t get splattered as you prep and cook.
    I made something similar on a much smaller scale for my recipe cards.

    It is stored right in the recipe box where I can easily grab it when I remove a card to make a recipe.

    To make it I used a thick piece of acetate. I save acetate from packaging to use to cover drawer labels, make clear templates as I did to make sure I cut the winery logos so they were centered.

    I cut the acetate to 8″ wide x 6-1/2″ tall. I then scored a line 1-1/2″ down from the top using the tip of a pair if scissors. Scoring is not cutting, but making a groove in the acetate that you can then fold.
    When the cover sits on the counter, it is raised up a bit and the recipe card slides right in.
    Where to Find Wine Crates for Creative DIY Decor

    Wood wine crates, wine boxes or crate front panels to repurpose can be found:
    At thrift stores and yard sales. Many times they may be holding smaller items for sale so don’t overlook them.
    On Ebay and Etsy. Check the shipping price though, many of the listings are from the UK and shipping is way too much.
    Ask at your local liquor store. They may give them to you or charge a nominal fee.
    More Wooden DIY Wine Crate Ideas

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    Creating A Space That Will Inspire You

    I celebrated my 61st b-day on Monday. I spent the early part of the day at the bookstore, then came home to relax, read and just sat outside enjoying a day without a to-do list. When Ed asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told him I didn’t need anything, but he insisted […] More

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    For You: Weekend Decorating Challenge

    I have a budget-friendly decorating challenge for you to do this weekend. It is not difficult. In fact, you may enjoy doing it since it doesn’t have any calories, won’t cost you a dime and you can do it without the need to leave your house to complete it. Best of all, doing this challenge […] More

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    A Special Day for Organizing Your Desk

    Every year around this time, the first thing I like to do once I get back to my daily routine is organize my desk. Actually two desks. One is in my studioffice where I take care of all things for the blog. The other is in my kitchen and I call it my kitchen desk. […] More

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    Cheap, But Decorative Storage Baskets

    My fall nesting self is starting to surface. You know when you want to get everything in the house decluttered after the summer and ready to go for enjoying the cooler months of the year inside the house. I call this process “upping the comfy-cozy factor” of the house. Organizing our homes is never once […] More

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    How to Make a Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

    Would you like a large wall memo board or bulletin board for your home or office to help you stay organized? Or do you need a family command center and a place to display kid’s artwork, but can’t find the bulletin board size to fit your wall space? Then you will love this project where […] More