Custom Bookshelf

The bookshelf was the second piece of custom furniture for Callan’s room following the successful completion of the cubbyhole shelf. The inspiration for this bookshelf came from one we found at Ikea.

We were just about to buy it when I decided it cost too darn much for a cheap P.O.S. bookshelf. So there I was, in the middle of Ikea, trying to convince Shanna I could build it better, cheaper, and most importantly in time for Callan’s arrival. Shanna reluctantly agreed to allow me to attempt this project.

As you can see in the picture above, the Ikea bookshelf cost $200. The dimensions of the bookshelf were 60” tall, 40” wide, and 12” deep. We copied this size for our bookshelf… but for $80.

Material List:

1. 8x4 Sheet of 3/4” Birch Plywood A/A - $40 from Lowes

2. 8x4 Sheet of Bead board - $20 from Lowes

3. Birch Tape for edges - $8 from Lowes

4. Trim, Paint, Etc: $12 estimate

The Build:

The box was basically 12” strips of the plywood. If you were going to stain the shelf you would need two pieces of plywood to keep the grain going the same direction, but since we painted it did not matter for us. The construction is based on my dad’s favorite technique of notching grooves for the shelves. By doing this it increases the strength and stability of the shelf. The notches are 3/8” deep and ¾” wide. The picture below shows the box pieced together. The shelf is upside down in the picture… the open end is the top where we capped it instead of using a notch because we trimmed the top.

The next picture shows the box glued and nailed together. You can see how the top cap piece is full length. While the glue dried we nailed a stabilizer bar to keep the shelf square.

Next we trimmed and placed the bead board back on the shelf.

The next picture shows the detail of the top trim and bead board. We use the birch tape to cover the edges of the plywood.

With the unit built, it was time to paint.

Custom Cubbyhole Shelf

Shanna, during her extensive research of baby rooms, found a shelf that she wanted to place above the changing table. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to find one to buy (and knowing it would be way overpriced) I set out to build it for her.

Inspiration Piece:

The inspiration piece is actually much larger than what we built but ours was sized to be similar to our changing table. To determine the exact size of our shelf Shanna first found the baskets she wanted to use inside the cubbyholes.

The cubbyholes needed to be 8" wide x 8" tall x 6" deep , making the entire shelf about 27" wide. To build the shelf I used 3/4" MDF that we had leftover from a previous closet project. The only additional materials used was some trim molding and hooks we picked up at Home Depot for $15. The MDF would cost about $15 making the total cost about $40 including paint. Outside was painted with gloss white (same color as the trim in our house) with red lining the cubbyholes.

Tools used to complete this project were a circular saw, jig saw for the rounded cuts, brad nail gun, hand saw and guide for 45 degree cuts of trim, and a lot of wood glue. I thought about making a drawing of the shelf and each individual piece but decided my time was better spent explaining other projects. If you really want to know, just ask.

Unfinished Furniture

Check out Daddy's Corner for tips on how to build the bookshelf and the Cubby Hole Shelf.

Birdie Mobiles

Cute inspirations for a birdie mobile to hang above the crib.  Really love the natural twigs and branches.  http://www.etsy.com/ has many more cute handmade mobiles.

Roots

Ryan had been wanting to plant a tree in the backyard for sometime now.  We each have our own trees planted in the front yard.  In October we planted a tree for Callan.  We are hoping to see it grow and change just like her.  Here is Callan's tree in the fall and after a snow fall this winter.

Vinyl Wall Graphic

Vinyl wall graphic from www.etsy.com
With this graphic we could choose the tree color and two leaf colors, for a custom look.  Easy to hang with a bit of team work, simple peel and stick.

Curtains are up

The curtains and shade are up.  Paisley shade is from IKEA and the curtains are from the "It's A Hoot" fabric collection, made by my mom and grometed by yours truly.

Love this idea...

I loved this idea when I saw it;  simple, crafty, and cheap with a whole lot of pop in a room.  Great for wall art or take it one step further and hang the hoops form the ceiling.  Can't wait to see how this will look in Callan's nursery!

Where did you get that name?

Many people have asked about Callan’s name and commented on its uniqueness, where did you hear it, is it a family name?

I had seen it somewhere and always kept it in the back of my mind.  I, of course love the fact that it is unique.  I would argue that it did take a bit of convincing for Ryan, on my part.  We had a pool of names very early on where, he had his favorites and I had mine.  We were out one night for a friend’s wedding rehearsal, and Ryan ordered his favorite scotch, MaCallan, and it reminded me of the name I had seen.  I think the connection to the scotch sold him on the name. 

As for the middle name, Ryan and I have always liked the fact that our middle names rhyme.  We thought it would be cute to continue this while keeping it family oriented.  Kae has many family connections.  My dad’s sister, my Aunt Linda, was Linda Kay and Ryan’s mother’s best friend, also known as “Aunt Kay”, were the two main sources. The twist of spelling it Kae and not Kay comes from my middle name spelled Rae, which is a family name.

Shower Invites

We had three baby showers thrown for us!  One back home in Luling with family and friends, hosted by my mom and sister and a second one with teachers from school, hosted by Nicole Franczvai.  The final shower was a couples shower in Dallas hosted by Amber Blair (sister-in-law), Karen Blair (mother-in-law), and Kristen (my sister).

Couples invite- http://www.storkie.com/ Baby Girl invite- http://www.tinyprints.com/

Furniture Finish

Turquoise painted furniture with the finish I'm hoping to see on all the vintage pieces in the room.

Diaper Cake

Believe it or not a four tier diaper cake takes almost 50 diapers to build.  I have been told I will go through that many diapers in less than a week!  Each little birdie on the cake was made out of felt, fabric scraps and hand stitched.  The birdies will be used for the mobile above the crib.  Each tier is wrapped with either polka dot ribbon or turquoise tulle.  Some of the diapers were wrapped in fabric scraps left over from the crib bedding.  Cute additions to the cake were colorful pairs of socks, rattles and travel size baby care lotions and powders.  The personalized touch of Callan's name was simply made by painting small wooden letters in a bold shade of pink to stand out!  The cake fits both the theme of the shower and Callan's nursery.

Room Inspiration

After moving out all of the office furniture and finding out it's a girl, it was time to get the ball rolling on a nursery like no other.  After finding out we were expecting I started collecting inspirations. Ok, let’s be honest, I started planning long before we were expecting.
Here are some of my favorite inspirations.

Crafty Letters

I painted the letters red first, then glued on scrapbook paper that coordinated with the fabric in the room.

Fabric choice...

Under construction

After moving out all of the office furniture it was time to paint and pick out fabric.

Six weeks to go

I am 33 weeks along and can freely admit I still am not sure what to expect, while I sit here expecting!  What I can tell you is what we have done to prepare for the unexpected...

We know It'a A Girl and we have a name picked out. 

Introducing little miss Callan Kae in her first picture.