Wedding Boxes

Over the past month, "A" and I have been collaborating on a set of boxes for a friend's wedding. These five mahogany boxes are gifts for the groomsmen, each one bearing the recipient's initials.

All of the boxes were cut from a single chunk (that's a technical term) of wood, so if lined up in a row the grain would run from end to end.

Sterling silver wire letters were soldered onto brass and oxidized for an antique feeling. The plaques were then riveted onto the lid with silver tubing. The lids slide off, revealing a burgundy felt-lined bottom.

We also included a surprise gift for the bride and groom—a box with their names and a special spot for each of them to keep their wedding band. 

I love collaborating with "A." (remember the eight box?) We spend so much time in our shops individually, and projects like this find us visiting each other, bouncing ideas around, and keeping each other's eyes on the deadline (something I could always use help with).

Wishing Toni and Drew many years of happiness together!


(It's killing me to have a finished project, and only and old point-and-click camera to shoot it with. Sorry for the less-than-fabulous photos. Camera, come back!)

Raised Garden Bed Tutorial

Now that our yard has absorbed all that water, we can get on with the business of spring (!) gardening.

Remember back when I said we always order too many seeds? Well, this year is no exception, so a new raised bed was in order. Here's how to make our version:

Start with a couple lengths of 3/4" x 7 1/2" wood (2"x 6" boards are standard, but this wood was less expensive, so we went with it), and cut them to the dimensions you want the bed to be (we made ours 5' x 8'). Cut small blocks of wood (from a 2"x 3" board) to match the height of the raised bed, and screw or nail one into each inside corner, making the frame. This will secure the boards together and make for strong corner connections. (Be sure to use only galvanized nails or screws, as anything else will rust.)

Next, screw or nail the boards together where they overlap on the outside.

Before you move on to the next step, you should make sure the spot where you plan to put the bed is level. Use a shovel and/or rake to even the surface out. If the site is not level, water will pool in low spots, and the frame may warp.

You'll need four stakes to anchor the frame into place and strengthen it . "A" took a 2"x 3" board and cut off four pieces at an angle, approx. 16" long each. These are simple and cheap stakes that could be used for many outdoor purposes (we use them to secure our swing set to the ground, too).

Placing the straight side of the stake up against the outside of the bed, use a mallet to pound the stakes in.
You want the height of the stake to be even with the top of the bed, so be careful not to pound it in too far. Place one stake at each corner of the frame. Next, nail or screw the stakes to the boards. This will secure the bed to the ground. The frame for your raised garden bed is now done!

Before you can start planting, you'll need to fill that bed with lots of good stuff. I'll be posting a tutorial on making good soil for your raised beds soon.

Thank Trees

I have a couple of exciting things to share with you today:

A gallery that represented my work for a few years had to close it's doors last winter, due to the economy. The Worcester Center for Crafts took a "strategic pause" to devise a plan for funding that would allow it to open again. Being a great local source for crafts education, advocacy and entrepreneurship, it was a shame to see them have to close. Today, I am happy to help them celebrate a second chance to once again offer classes and workshops to the community. The WCC Gallery Store had their grand re-opening a few weeks ago, and I'm honored to have my pieces back in their jewelry cases.

But here's the exciting part: The WCC is also now representing my husband, too! "A" has a small assortment of his wood crafts at the gallery store. An end table, a couple of beautiful boxes, and a set of children's blocks add to the shop's inventory of fine craft pieces.

Cube in a Cube in a Cube Christmas Ornament, by Thank trees

There's more: "A" has also opened an Etsy shop. Thank Trees is currently offering a diverse range of small wood craft and furniture. He will add to the inventory continuously, offering some larger pieces of furniture that will be made to order, and some smaller items that are ready to ship.

I'm proud that "A" has taken this step, putting his heirloom quality woodworking "out there" for all to see. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of his retail experience. A big congrats to him!

Custom Toy Box

A while back, "A" was commissioned to make a custom toy box for a couple who wanted a new family heirloom for their home. It will be a toy chest for their grandchildren now, perhaps blanket storage or a hope chest some time down the road. They wanted, something that would fit perfectly in the space they have reserved for it, and it had be a quality piece that would last for years to come.

It's been amazing, watching a board of wood be transformed into a beautiful box. Here's my version of the process (warning: I am sure I'm not using proper furniture-making terminology here so if you're a carpenter, forgive me!):

It started with this giant board of Royal Cedar, 22" wide by 10' long

After cutting and planing the boards much of it was reduced to these shavings on his workshop floor (the kids love playing with those thin curls of wood, and so do I. A craft project just waiting to happen!).

cutting the dovetails

the separate pieces ready to be assembled

And here's a shot of the box with the finish applied. I love how the dovetails pop in contrast.

"A" is working on the lid now, and once the whole things is complete I'll share some pics of that, too.

If you'd like to browse some more of A's work, here's his portfolio.

Surroundings part 2

"Check in the second drawer of the red dresser!"
This is something you hear in our household many times a day. No matter what you're looking for, be it nail clippers, a hair elastic, or a headlamp, you're likely to find it in the second drawer, our junk drawer, of that dresser.

It was rescued from my parents' old cottage, destined to become a TV stand and storage piece for us. When we brought it home, it was a pinkish-brown, as was most of the furniture in that cottage. (I'll have to ask my parents why one of these days). I painted it bright yellow, then a watery crimson so the yellow radiates through the red. It brings color and character to our living room.

But I'm not here to talk about our junk drawer, or the makeover the dresser got. The thing that makes this piece of furniture a prized object in our home is it's secret (apparently, we are partial to furniture with hidden surprises. Remember the table?). Our resident woodworker fashioned a special place for a modern amenity in this antique piece. A flip-down drawer front reveals our DVD/VCR player hidden inside the top drawer. We just flip it back up to hide it all—keeping the big silver box out of sight.

I have never been particularly fond of decorating my home with various technological components, so this was a great solution. I did have some reservations about modifying such a nice, old piece of furniture but in the end, functionality won out—and I'm glad it did!

Making Plans

My family goes with the flow—we just like to let the day unfold and see where it takes us. But lately, especially this summer vacation, we have had to be a little more disciplined with our time. Seems there is so much we have and want to do, and the days are ticking by so fast.

Here's a sneak peek of some things that will be helping to fill our time over the next few months:

A new piece of furniture designed by The Husband...

A gorgeous stack of fabric....

Our Family Summer Center that organizes all our goals and accomplishments for the vacation...

...And some yummy Peruvian wool.

What will be made of the wool and fabric? What will our new custom piece of furniture feel like? What will be added to our list of goals and things the kids wish to do? Time will tell...