Shed Building Plans: how

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How to DIY Your Garden Shed Project

What should be your first criteria in choosing garden workshop sheds? The first question you should really ask is: "Whats the shed for?" You cant just box (pun intended) a shed for storage; these are as versatile as they can get. You can even build a shed as temporary shelter, use it to bunk guests in for short stays; you have to ensure all the creature comforts are provided for, though. Then again, a shed is first built for functionality, and any secondary uses like accommodation should be considered an afterthought. Theres no limit to the scale of the shed youll build, but youll youve built it too small or too big, either if you have clutter around it or theres so much room youre using it as storage for throwaways.

A Space to Call Your Own

You need the space to build, and it has to be conducive for construction. This is easier said than done if you consider moisture and water sources. Garden sheds are built on top of irrigated soil, and you have to keep the moisture away if you want your shed to last through the cycles of seasons. Make sure you clear a spot on higher ground, away from water sources. If you cant, then at least ensure theres ample drainage around it. One of the many concerns of finding that cozy spot is it compromises accessibility. Even if you lay down concrete foundations for your shed, moisture will still creep up from this to wood, leading to mold, rot, and mildew.

Choosing the Right Materials

With the variety of materials available to you, you have to consider those appropriate to your climate. Some states also enforce building codes on the simplest construction. Yours should comply down to the last detail, both for your safety and for the feasibility of your project. Its fortunate some sheds are built from kits, so you dont have to worry about violating building codes; at the very least, youll have fewer concerns to cover for in construction.

A Feasible, Convenient Alternative

Kit sheds are your best options, in terms of cost and convenience, and youll also have more variety in design to choose from, designs you can build without slaving it out in custom work. This is recommended if you dont have advanced skills in woodwork or construction, but you still cant underestimate the time and effort youll invest in the construction. You can always have hired help if the project is too much for you. Building garden workshop sheds should be a breeze if you go the cost-effective, efficient route. It’s also recommended if you want to spare yourself from the worries of construction.

How to DIY Your Garden Shed Project

How to Build Great Patios

If your first impression of a person is based on their face and their smile, your first impression of a person’s house is their patio. This is because a patio is an outdoor space that is normally used for entertaining and recreation, sometimes for dining alfresco or for simply relaxing. They are usually made from concrete or stone paving slabs, bricks, tiles and cobbles.

Most people who are skilled at construction show great interest in building everything in their home, from additional rooms to garden sheds and yes, even their own decks and patios. Those who’ve actually built their own are aware of the hard work that it involves as well as the feeling of fulfillment that comes when you finally view the finished product.

These days, simple patios only require a patio cover, one that gives enough shade and yet is aesthetically-pleasing enough to make for a courtyard that gives as mentioned before, a great impression of the person who resides in the home. There are many types of patio covers that you can buy both online and off, but most people nowadays prefer the ease and convenience of buying them online only because those bought over the internet already come ready to assemble. All you need to do is snap the pieces together and erect it over your existing or just-constructed patio and voila! An outdoor space that’s as much of a great living space as the one indoors.

However, that’s not to say that you can just settle for a well-made patio, put the cover over it and that’s that. Your patio is where you can entertain guests and relax while indulging in your favorite activities, like knitting, cross-stitching or even reading a favorite book. Sometimes you also have to put careful thought and consideration into what your entire patio will look like in order for the look you are aiming for to come together as you wanted. You can also consider DIY patios if you are determined to get the look you want down to the last detail.

For instance, some homeowners feel that their patio would be much more soothing with water gardens. One equipped with a small re-circulating pump as well as one that sounds like it’s trickling over stones and bamboo spouts is generally seen as adding a very calming and soothing feel to your patio.

And because patios are mostly used to entertain guests during the daytime, why not consider building your patio under the canopy of your tallest and shadiest trees? This can serve as a perfect way to cool down during the summer, a place to rest during your gardening chores. This will also save you from installing ceiling fans which can be quite expensive. You can also consider planting colorful flower beds to get that summer look and feel.

Of course, let’s not forget to add durable patio furniture that can withstand the elements. To make sure you get the best, make a list of the pieces you want and when you go shopping, make sure you test them out by actually taking a seat on them to know whether you feel comfortable with them or not. Choose ones that are easy to care for and ones that can be stored easily during off-season.

And last and also the most important, you need to check if you will require patio permits because just like sheds, patios are subject to local building codes and regulations. Depending on your city’s codes, permits can be obtained easily in a single visit, or may require a return visit before it can be approved. Unless you are planning to build on what are considered as critical areas like septic systems, you cannot be easily granted a walk-through permit.

How to Build Great Patios

How To Create Awesome Tie Dye T Shirts

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy arts & crafts outdoors. Theres nothing better than to be

outside on a beautiful sunny day, making something creative while at the same time

keeping the mess out of the house! My boyfriend Duane is a tie dye pro, so when he

suggested we get some supplies and plan a day to make our own tie dyed shirts, I couldnt

have been more thrilled. Yay! Sunshine and art and kids and fun!

Collecting our supplies...

First we looked at thrift stores for t-shirts and other things that we might want to dye. I was

looking for a white cotton Boho style skirt. I didnt find one there, but I did find a

Philadelphia Phillies t-shirt for $1. Score! Next we bought a few 100 percent cotton t-shirts

at our local crafts shop for around $3 each, and a few white cotton bandannas.
I also found a lace-edged tank top and a nice silky v-neck top at Target that
I added to my "to-dye" stash, so I would have a little variety in my styles of tie dyed shirts.

For dyes, we bought a multi-pack that contained 12 plastic bottles that already had the dyes

in powdered form inside of each bottle. Since there were going to be five of us making

shirts (us along with our kids), we figured the big set with 12 colors was the way to go. The

dye kit contained 12 plastic bottles with one color of powdered dye already in each bottle, so

all we had to do was add water to the bottles and shake them up. The kit came with

a plastic table cover, but you can use any kind of plastic drop cloth or old plastic tablecloth

to protect your work space. The kit also contained a few pairs of plastic gloves, rubber bands

to "tie" our shirts up with, and some general instructions for how to prepare the dyes and

make a few different designs. We purchased a box of soda ash mix separately (in the craft

store where the tie dyes are located) and used our own plastic bucket to mix that up

according to the package directions. The first thing we did before we started was soak all of

our t-shirts in the soda ash and water mix for 20 minutes. The soda ash helps the dye

adhere to the shirt better and is supposed to help the dyes stay nice and bright. Check it out!

Soaking our shirts in soda ash and water - we had a lot of shirts and they soaked up all

of the water! We actually had to use two separate buckets. Next time if we again dye
a lot of shirts, we will have to use two boxes of soda ash.

Our work surface, an outdoor table covered with a plastic table cover, gloves,

and our directions.

Each bottle contained powdered dye in a squirt bottle. All we had to do was measure water
and add it to each dye bottle, and then shake them up until all of the dyes were dissolved.
Easy!

Duane shows how two spiral designs are created. He pinched the material in two places

with his thumbs and index fingers, and then twisted the material...

...and kept twisting until the material by turning his fingers until the material was all bunched up...

...and then he secured it or "tied" it, with rubber bands to keep the material bunched up.

Next comes the dye! You just squeeze it from the squirt bottle onto the fabric, saturating

the fabric. Once we had the dyes on, we set them aside on the grass for a couple of hours

so that the dye could soak into the fabric and really permeate it. If you look closely at this

photo you can see how his two spirals look like circles. You apply the dye in a wedge shape

or in a line through the perimeter of the spirals or "circles" to achieve the finished spiral tie

dye design (see below).

The end result!

To do a striped dye design with vertical or horizontal stripes, this bandanna was

folded lengthwise in an accordion or fan fold technique...

...and then she applied her chosen dye colors, one next to the other. Dont forget to wear gloves!

The end result

This shirt was made with same pattern technique.

Sorry for the blurry photo! This random dot shirt turned out great! To make this,

she just applied random drops of dye to the shirt and then laid it flat - no tying!

After a sitting for a while, the dye spreads out and blossoms.

The end result!

Deciding what colors to choose...there are so many possible combinations!

A t-shirt twisted into a spiral, ready to be tied with rubber bands and dyed!

Tying the t-shirt up with rubber bands before applying dyes. You dont have to tie the shirts

with rubber bands, but they will help the shirt to keep its shape.

Duanes shirt...he used green and blue and applied them in a wedge shape,

and then added a little yellow and just a couple drops of purple...wait till you see this one...

Awesome! To create this design, he twisted one spiral, beginning in the center

of the shirt.

We laid our shirts on the grass to give the dye some time to seep in and works its magic.

After an hour or two, we removed the rubber bands, opened up the shirts, and then laid

How To Create Awesome Tie Dye T Shirts

How I Found My Style

Im featured on How I found My Style Sundays at From My Front Porch to Yours. Pop over and find out how I found my style!

Happy Sunday!

With a small budget, big dreams and a love of a challenge, Anne blogs about renovating and decorating her tiny 1930s bungalow. A self-taught artist and professed power tool lover, she enjoys writing, gardening, photography, nature and diying. And shes never met a dumpster she didn’t want to root through! Come along for the ride!!

How I Found My Style

How to Install New Doorknobs

Hello! I am thrilled to bits with my latest upgrade - lever doorknobs for my interior doors!!

My very first home had lever doorknobs and I loved the ease of them. So much better than knobs for those times when your hands are full. I love the look of them as well.

My latest house has mismatched doorknobs throughout. The original, 1930s house has glass doorknobs which I kept. The new part of the house had chrome knobs and every time I opened or closed a door my knuckles would bang against the door frame. Curses!!! Thanks to my partnership with D. Lawless Hardware, I was able to install gorgeous lever doorknobs from a manufacturer called Copper Creek in a Tuscan bronze finish that matches most of my light fixtures and the kitchen hardware.

How to Install New Doorknobs

Night Stand Makeover How to add Height Style to a Night Table

I have an old style, hand made night stand that I didn't terribly like much but it did the job. Then I got my "princess-and-the-pea" extremely high king-sized bed and this old style night table was much lower than the top of the mattress. Why are mattresses so huge these days anyway???

I made over the night stand several years ago, stenciling the top with a Fleur-de-lis pattern that I liked but with my new cottage style look I decided to take the time to fix up this night table once and for all.

BEFORE

Night Stand Makeover How to add Height Style to a Night Table

How to build your own workshop

Nick Abson converted his selfbuild garden room into a workshop and has blogged excellently about the experience over the last three years from the intital build right up to the present at The Small Workshop. Its extremely thorough and a definite must-read for anybody thinking of doing something similar. Heres what Nick says:

I did the building work myself, with some help on the heavy lifting, and it took a while (about a year), with the slow progress mainly down to my complete lack of relevant experience. The designs were done in Sketchup, and the building is constructed with the materials typically used in commercially available garden rooms: structurally insulated panels, cedar cladding, ‘mini plinths’ footings and epdm rubber on the roof. Now the building is done I am focused on the inside and turning it into a small but useful space.

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How to build your own workshop

How Garden Shed Kits Can Help A Beginner Out Tremendously!

How Garden Shed Kits Can Help...

If you plan on building your own garden shed then you might want to consider looking at garden shed kits. To build a shed, you are required to have a few skills and a handful of tools. You may encounter some complicated angles when deciding to take on a project such as this.

The Two Types Of Shed Kits...

Garden shed kits will allow you to put together the outdoor shed and skipped most of the technical aspects in the process. There are two types of kits that you should be aware of.

The First Type Of Shed Kit...

One kit is essentially a prefabricated shed that requires assembly on your part. The other type of shed kit will help you set up the framework of your shed and allow you to add your own customizable options such as siding roofing, etc.

The shed kits that are essentially pre-made contain everything you need inside of the box. They could be made out of metal, wood or plastic. These usually entail several hours of your time and are moderately priced, if you shop around a little bit. These are great if you are a beginner and have little or no knowledge of building whatsoever.

These do contain several hundred, or even thousands of pieces and staying organized is going to be key to your success. If you tools that will make the job faster would be a power drill or two and a couple of helpers. These are not required but will save you hours of assembly, not to mention some cursing.

The Other Shed Kits...

The other type of outdoor shed kit are more suited for somebody with a little more knowledge in the building department. They are kits that contain various fasteners that join together two or more pieces of lumber, alleviating any angle or miter cuts. All you have to do is cut the lumber using straight cuts, eliminating all of the time it would take to measure out and Mark the various angles.

These kits are fairly cheap and will run you on average about $30-$50. You can join more than one together to make a larger shed if you would like and they even have optional kits for special features that you may want to include. As I mentioned before these sheds will require you to install the siding, roofing and finish material yourself. This is good because it allows you to have more control over the finished look of your shed.

How Garden Shed Kits Can Help A Beginner Out Tremendously!