I forgot to post this awesome DIY project that my dad and I did together last year! Enjoy!
The Plan
I
grew tired of seeing Bella's beautiful dress-up princess dresses lying around her playroom and she couldn't
reach the top of her own bedroom closet to hang them so I had to find a
cute solution to the problem. I found a DIY plan on pintrest by Shanty 2 Chic that I showed my father so we decided to take the project on as little "elves" and make it for Bella for Christmas.
Shopping for Materials
My dad may not be an official carpenter, but he definitely knows what he is doing when it comes to buying wood; I learned quite a few things while shopping. I decided to deviate from the exact look of the plans we were going by and change up the way the wardrobe looks. I wanted the wood to match the color of Bella's bedroom furniture since it was going to be on display in her room. Found some awesome stain that matched almost perfectly and it was a one step application so we didn't have to apply a second coat of a sealant.
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| My daddy - the awesome, self-taught carpenter! |
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| Bella tagged along, but she had NO clue as to why we were buying wood! lol |
Gettin' to Work!
We decided it would be best kept as a secret if we built the wardrobe in my parents garage; my dad had all the tools anyway! I helped my dad make some measurements, cut and sand the wood, glue the shelves, and nail the supporting sides together. We hit a few road bumps along the way (aka measurements were slightly off) but all in all, we did a pretty good job constructing the entire piece.
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| Safety first! |
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| Ready to be stained! |
Staining & Finishing Touches
To get the desired darkness of the stain we painted on 2 coats. It took a few hours to stain and dry and then we added some hooks (to hang necklaces and hats) and handle (to pull the cart) that I bought from hobby lobby. To make them look antiqued I spray painted them white and took some sandpaper once they were dried and scratched off some of it to reveal the black metal underneath...kind of like a patina.
I searched high and low for white baskets, but could only find these pink wicker storage baskets with handles that would fit the "cubbie shelves" for her to put her wands and princess accessories. I really, really wanted to be able to hang a mirror on the side of the cart like the plans showed, but I could not find one that was narrow enough to fit. I opted to buy an inexpensive long mirror for her to keep on the door of her closet instead of being attached to her wardrobe.
The last thing to add was the wheels to the bottom of the cart!
Final Result
Our
DIY project was a great success! Not only did my father and I have a good
time working on it together, but I feel like this piece is so solidly
(and lovingly) made that it will be around the family for a long while.
We finished it just in time to be displayed next to the Christmas tree by Christmas
Eve and "Santa" even got her a new dress and shoes to hang in the
wardrobe for when she saw it.
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| On display for a Christmas suprise |
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| She loved it! and it was just the right height for her |
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| As seen in her bedroom with all her princess wear ready to be tried on! |
*** EXTRA special thanks to my dad for helping me make this wardrobe a special piece of furniture for Bella to cherish ***
