Made With Pine and Love

I knew that we needed more storage in LZog's room. Currently we have a dresser and only a small closet that really belongs to KZog. Living in a hundred-year-old house teaches and reinforces certain lessons about architecture and conspicuous consumption. We have no walk-in closets, a luxury that accompanied growing wardrobes and the economy in post-WWII America, it seems. After searching for a suitable, similar case for purchase, KZog decided that rather than pay for particleboard, he would try his hand at carpentry. I can assure you that he had previous experience with the necessary tools - saw, drill, square - but as far as following plans for a functional piece of furniture, this was a first.

We downloaded free plans from this site, which I believe KZog found accurate and easy to follow. At least the process involved little cursing or throwing of things. Like the nursery repairs and renovations, I mostly supervised and peered over shoulders during its construction. I lent some muscle to the staining process - which we will never, ever do again; painting or natural-look wood only - and quickly filled it up once placed in LZog's room. Ultimately, the building of the shelf took relatively little time; the finishing - sanding, filling, staining took far longer than the building.

When we first learned of the pending arrival of LZog, in his mind KZog leap-frogged basic bookcase building to wanting to build a crib that would later transform to a bed. I don't think I am the only one thankful that he took at least this one intermediary step. Though he sometimes hopes he had learned more about the practicalities of woodcraft from his Pa Pa, who practiced carpentry all his life, this first successful project has inspired him. What better way to spend one's time than creating something with his hands that recalls fondest, earliest memories of time spent with a loved one? We may end up with a crib/bed yet . . .

Anyone have a table saw we could borrow?

XO,
JZog
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