I’m back with some DIY details from the pantry project!
But first, I wanted to share a little snippet of our last weekend. We took a road trip with some friends to Savannah for the 3-day weekend (our second time there, we went for our anniversary two years ago) and had so much fun. The best fried seafood and drinks (chocolate daiquiris from Wet Willy’s… omg.) and entertainment and stores and architecture and history. Love this city. Next time we’ll keep driving for a couple more hours and stop in Charleston—heard it was a must-see!
I booked a “haunted pub crawl” called Boos & Brews for Saturday night. We stopped at the local (haunted) bars and were guided around the streets and cemeteries with real ghost stories—for the record, I don’t believe any of it but it’s fun when you’re drinking 😉 Here we are getting ready to leave the first pub!
Here’s one of the old haunted houses:
For our last stop, we went to the Moon River Brewery (which has been on Ghost Hunter shows) and they took us up into the attic where the ghost/orb sightings are common…
I didn’t capture anything on my camera, but for whatever reason the spirits were posing for Brad’s. He caught “orbs” in a bunch of his photos… like this one:
And check it out… we zoomed into this photo and look what we found:
See the face? Just below the white spot? Looks like some old guy with a mustache looking straight at you. Creepy. (ok, not really, but it would be if it was real). Anyway, enough with the ghost stories. Let’s get to the pantry!
DIY Project #1: No Sew Curtains
As you may remember, I purchased 2.5 yards of this fabric on Etsy for $18.
I didn’t bother trimming the width—it’s a bit wider than the door opening but it really doesn’t matter since it will probably always be pulled open.
The first step was just to hem all of the edges, using Stitch Witchery:
They have this stuff in pretty much any craft store, and different brands make it.
I had quite a bit leftover from old projects so I didn’t need to purchase any (yet). (sorry, bad iPhone photos ahead)
All you need is an ironing board, iron, damp rags and your stitch witchery. No photos of this part but you just lay a strip down, fold your fabric over, place a damp (thin) rag on top and hold your iron on the area for several seconds. I also use the steam setting to help keep it from sticking to the rag.
Once all the edges were hemmed, I measured the height I needed the curtain to be and folded it over to hem a pocket for the rod.
Except I completely didn’t think it through and made it just big enough for the rod to fit in…
Which was a huge problem because a) the ends of the rod didn’t fit inside the fabric loop, b) it was so tight that the fabric wouldn’t freely move to one end of the rod, c) I had already cut the excess fabric after this photo was taken, and d) I ran out of stitch witchery.
DANGIT.
I was too flustered to take photos of the damage at this point so I ripped the stitch witchery out and decided to run to Michaels’ in the morning to buy some more and try to salvage this project.
So Sunday morning I started fresh, and ended up having to hem the piece I cut off back together to get my length back…
Then I hemmed a new rod pocket—this time leaving PLENTY of room.
Luckily, it worked.
For the rod, I just picked up a cheap $5 shower rod at Walmart. It holds up just fine.
The trim also covers most of it which is nice. It’s not too noticeable. Especially if you’re taller than 5’2″.
And there it is, my first attempt at curtain making! I see more of this in my future.
DIY Project #2: Tiered can shelf
This project is more functional than anything, but I had to add the pop of yellow for the small glimpses of it between the cans, just for fun.
It started with materials I had lying around in the garage. We had some extra 2×4’s leftover from a who knows what project, and I determined they were the perfect size for this pantry.
I searched the garage far and wide, and found that I literally had just enough wood on hand to do this. Actually, after measuring it, I realized the smallest piece of wood was about 0.5″ too short, but I figured I’d just throw it in the back and you’d never see it (no, it wasn’t worth driving to Lowe’s to get a new one).
The first step was cutting them all to size.
Then I did a quick mockup/test fit:
Works for me.
To secure the pieces together, I had to do them one at a time. I drilled deep countersink holes so that the screws would be deep enough into both pieces to hold them together. I marked my depth with blue tape to know when to stop drilling. Here’s a little visual to show the screw placement (imagine the screw going into another 2×4″ on the left side)
Here’s all of the countersink holes (placement doesn’t matter at all, as long as they don’t run into each other)
Securing the last screw in the bottom piece for the back row:
Once the rows were secured together, I needed a way to connect all three to each other. Technically, I could have left them separate but I didn’t want to deal with things shifting around in there by accident.
Since I don’t have a Kreg Jig (still, ugh), I just used what I had… a flat piece of spare wood I found in the garage.
After cutting it to size, I went to work with a nail gun.
Test fitting in the pantry:
Finally, I sanded the heck out of it and applied a few coats of Valspar’s Hint of Honey (same color as the step stool):
I actually considered wrapping the boards in fabric, but realized it would pretty much be a waste since it’s mostly hidden. But if you had a larger open pantry where it was more visible, that could turn out nice.
It’s worth noting that these boards are in no way perfectly flat and straight. I think that’s just the nature of 2×4’s.
Luckily, it really doesn’t matter because you can’t tell when the cans are sitting on it.
Nothing beats a functional + free project!
DIY Project #3: Ana White’s Painter’s Ladder/Step Stool
When I decided to mount a medicine cabinet up under the ceiling, I knew that meant I had to bring in a stool. I had been looking for *ever* for the perfect stool for this pantry. I found one I loved at Ikea, but it was just so wide—not what I had in mind.
Then, while doing a Pinterest search, I found this:
SOLD! The dimensions were a perfect fit.
I was pleased to find it was a plan from Ana White, whose projects I’ve always loved and admired but had never felt confident enough to try on my own (nor had the tools for).
This one seemed like a good starter plan—just needed a miter saw and a drill. Check and check.
I should mention that these plans, though they look like a step stool, seemed to be designed for a table. I read through everyone else’s comments and found that many people were in fact using them as a stool. To be safe, I purchased decent quality wood (no mdf) and good wood screws. The wood cost $18 and the screws were $12, but if I’m gonna be standing on this thing, it needs to be done right.
Back at home, I printed out the instructions and cut everything down to size.
I don’t have exact step by step photos here because the plans do a good job of laying all out, but here’s some shots from our process:
This was the top step of the ladder. We made the first piece, added some wood glue, and connected it to the top 3 boards:
Here I am, marking something… (I don’t even remember anymore)
Attaching the legs to the base:
Leveling the bottom step before we secure it to the legs:
We put a few extra screws in, just in case. After the bottom step was secure and we made sure it was nice and steady, we crossed our fingers as Brad gave it the stress test:
And it didn’t break! We figure if it can handle his weight, surely it would be safe with me (40lbs less), who will be the one using it. It can’t be any less safe than particle board Ikea furniture thrown together with allen wrenches, right?
Next it was time for beautification.
First I lightly sanded all the edges and rough spots.
Then I used wood filler over all of the screws:
After drying for a few hours, I sanded those smooth:
(I ignored the screws underneath that you’d never see).
Next it was time for stain. I decided to stain before painting so that when I distressed it, the dark wood would show through.
I used my go-to stain, Minwax in Ebony (photo above). I focused on the edges of the wood since that was the only part that would show through.
….and then after taking this I realized I had forgot about a few screw holes. So I had to patch, wait, and sand again.
But eventually it was dried and ready to paint.
I wanted something soft and buttery without being too orange, too green, or too saturated. Valspar’s Hint of Honey seemed to fit.
But let me tell you… I got the “base model” paint. It sucked.
The paint is so thin… I had to apply sooo many coats. Lesson learned.
Luckily, when you’re going for the ‘vintage’ look, your paint job is supposed to be imperfect.
After drying, I went back and sanded around the corners/edges/etc to give it that worn in look.
Now I can step on it and drag it around and not even worry about messing it up. Do you see why I love shabby chic so much?! It’s so easy. No stress. I wish shabby chic walls were a thing… I would never have to worry about touch ups. Sigh.
And that’s the end of my Pantry Remodel! Did I cover everything? Still have questions? Check out Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and the Reveal. Or leave me a note in the comments and I’ll get back to you 🙂
This project has inspired me to tackle something that’s been neglected lately… our kitchen bar table and stools. Yep… I’m not quite done with the kitchen yet. The yellow step stool needs a yellow table friend. And maybe some new lighting. I just need to formulate my plan, and I’ll report back as soon as something happens.
To utilize the empty space, we installed a medicine cabinet (where the old fourth shelf was) which allowed us to store items up to the ceiling.
The cabinet holds our more infrequently used items, such as reserves of flour, breadcrumbs, pasta, popcorn, and a few baking supplies:
The open shelf at the bottom was what sold me on the medicine cabinet because it makes a perfect spice rack!
I also swapped the knobs for these cute teal ones from Hobby Lobby:
On the top shelf, I arranged our canned goods (on a tiered shelf I built from 2×4’s and painted yellow):
And um, how perfect are these retro Campbell’s cans? I found them at Target yesterday and had to have them. Aqua and yellow, hello!
(I don’t think I can bring myself to open them though…)
On the right side is a bin that holds our chips and snacks:
The next shelf down is where all of the jar foods are stored:
These include flour, sugar, oats, bread crumbs, pasta, etc. The jars were purchased at Hobby Lobby and I made the labels from plain white 2″ round sticker sheets.
I also picked up a couple of these aqua glass jars from Hobby Lobby for our EVOO & balsamic vinegar (used almost daily):
The bottles came with corks, but to adapt them for pouring I picked up a set of bottle drizzlers for $5 at Target.
On the bottom shelf is another whitewashed wood bin, where we store things like honey, peanut butter, pam spray, seasonings, sauces, and unopened condiments:
Next to that is a shallow wood box with dividers that I couldn’t resist at Hobby Lobby.
It’s used to divide smaller items like jello, soup/seasoning packets, crystal lights, breakfast bars, tea, etc.
Since I am vertically challenged, I had to have a quick and easy way to reach the items in the cabinet (without going into the garage and dragging out the step stool every time).
My solution:
This DIY step stool. I found plans online from Ana White and spent a couple hours yesterday afternoon putting it together with Brad.
My first legitimate woodworking project, and somehow we made it work!
It’s just the right height to reach the highest items. And there’s still plenty of room to use the trash cans so the stool will stay put (which is nice because it can also be used for other areas in the kitchen).
And of course, the curtain…
Do you like the fabric? I love how it ties into the aqua and yellow accents. I think it was a good choice.
For those interested in the costs of this transformation, here is the breakdown:
That makes the grand total, including a new step stool and all the accessories, $351. For a completely new organized pantry and a happy kitchen experience? So worth it. I even impressed my toughest critic, Brad, who is normally skeptical about all of my projects but actually said this looks like it should be in a magazine. Thanks, babe.
The cabinet was the most expensive item, coming in at $72 w/tax, but there was no way I could have built something as finished looking as that. I love that it has doors so I don’t have to stare at things I don’t use very often—it minimizes clutter and creates a more streamlined look.
The real splurge here was definitely the wood bins from the container store. They were the perfect size and I’m a sucker for anything whitewashed and wood, so I went for it.
Everything at Hobby Lobby was purchased at 50% off (on sale) or using a 40% off coupon. That really helped to bring the costs down.
In the next post(s) I’ll go over how I made the curtain, the step stool and the tiered can shelf. (I did them all yesterday afternoon!)
Thanks for looking and I hope this has inspired some of you to get moving on your own pantry remodel. Trust me—worth the effort and it makes your time in the kitchen so much more pleasant!
We’re breathing a sigh of relief today, because the hardest part is over!
Last week I left off with a cleaned out, patched up and freshly painted pantry:
In this episode: building shelves and installing the cabinet.
If you remember, I purchased a board from Lowe’s and had it cut into 18×24″ pieces:
Friday evening I set up my paint station and got to work, applying 4 coats to both the bottom of the shelves and the 1×2″ MDF supports:
via Instagram
The next day they were dried and ready to go, so the first step was to set up the supports.
I decided to use approximately the same location as the old shelves because it worked for us, and the garbage cans fit perfectly under the bottom shelf.
After cutting the pieces to size (one 24″ and two 16″ long, x3 shelves), we decided to drill holes so we could counter sink the screws (so I could later patch/paint over them)
The counter sink was pretty deep so that the screws could grab onto the wall anchors. Speaking of anchors… this became an issue from the very beginning. We only had a random assortment on hand, in various sizes, and they were the cheap kind with no lip so they would just fall back into the wall when we tried to screw into them. Jerks.
So I hopped in the car and took a trip down to Lowe’s to pick up a package that was recommended to me by someone in the store:
Ignore the manicure, please.
They are self drilling, which means you can just screw them into the wall (after a pilot hole to get things started) instead of trying to find the right drill bit to bore out the perfect sized hole to fit your anchor. And of course they had a lip so they would stay put.
No miter needed on the edges, they just butted up against each other (they will be hidden by shelves anyway, so all that mattered is that they were level).
We used 3 screws on the back wall (the two corners made it into studs and the middle was secured by the anchor), and 2 screws on the side walls (both with the anchors). And of course, made sure to take a level to every board.
Perfect.
Once the new anchors arrived it was smooth sailing.
The shelves were spaced 12″ apart (from the top of the supports to the bottom of the next support above it).
And that ends the biggest challenge of this whole makeover. Woo!
Next, it was time for the shelves.
Because our home wasn’t held to the highest standard of craftsmanship when it was built 20 years ago, we’ve learned pretty quickly that our walls are not straight.
This pantry was no different. On the back wall, it was exactly 24″ across. Towards the front of the pantry, it was more like 24.5something”. They aren’t 90′ angles either. I don’t own a table saw so I couldn’t calculate and cut these to fit exactly like a glove, so I had to work with what I’d got.
Here’s a test fit after the first supports went up, can you see the gaps?
I thought about caulking the gaps to hide them, but figured I’d wait until I had finished the shelves to see what it looked like once it came together.
I decided to try something new and line the top of the shelves with fabric. I’d seen this somewhere on Pinterest and thought it looked awesome, and also felt confident about using fabric with wood after making my peace sign.
At Hobby Lobby, I spotted this fabric weeks earlier and fell in love. 1.75 yards is what I needed for this project (only $5 after my 40% off coupon):
Pretty, right?
To do this, all you need is modge podge and an Xacto knife. After loading a fresh blade and ironing my fabric to smooth out any wrinkles, I laid everything out to begin:
I applied a generous amount of modge podge to the wood surface (hard to see, but it’s there):
I then lined the wood up with my pattern and flipped it over onto the back side of the fabric.
While standing on the board to apply pressure, I ever so carefully ran my Xacto knife along the edge of the board (I had laid a few large pieces of cardboard underneath so the knife would have something to cut through)
Worked like a charm.
Here’s the finished piece:
In no time at all, my shelves were done and ready to be secured.
But first, we went ahead and installed our medicine cabinet before the shelves were in the way.
There was no hardware that came with it so we had to use our own screws. We opted for two at the bottom, two towards the top, and two into the ceiling. Just to be safe. Brad did most of this part because it was a heavy mofo.
With that out of the way, it was back to the final piece: shelf installation. We debated using wood screws to secure them to the supports but were worried about the wood splitting. With the weight of the items on the shelf, we figured a nail gun would be all that was necessary.
At first I peeled back the fabric to hide the nail…
Then I realized that the hole is so small that you’d never see it even through the fabric.
Can you spot the nail in this photo?
It’s right in the center, and virtually invisible. The more you know.
Once the shelves were in, it was clear that the gap on the sides I was worried about would no longer be an issue. It’s just not one of those things you notice… and if you do, it really doesn’t look bad at all.
To protect the fabric from stains and make it durable and wipeable, I gave them a coat of modge podge.
I was slightly skeptical about how it would look and feel after it was dry as I had never used modge podge as a sealant, but when I woke up this morning, everything was dry and looked great. The surface is hard as a rock now. Nothing’s gettin through this fabric… it feels like it’s part of the wood. Yay for modge podge.
My last step this morning was to sand and touch up the supports:
And here’s how everything came together:
See the turquoise knobs on the cabinet? I forgot to take a close up photo but they will be covered in next week’s post. Love them!
I love my pretty shelves. And I love the whole pantry. In fact, as soon as these photos were taken, I couldn’t wait any longer and ended up arranging everything into their places.
And now, after months of being in limbo, we have our kitchen counters back—whew!
Oh, and if you’re wondering how we’re supposed to reach the stuff inside the medicine cabinet… I have plans. It will be my first time ever building something like this, so let’s see if I can pull it off.
I’m ex
cited to show you the final results and how everything comes together—and most importantly, how it simplifies our storage and makes our kitchen experience enjoyable, instead of the headache it was before.
