DIY Cable Spools to Side Tables

Well I thought I would be bringing the second tutorial to you today for making another great  Fake Out Weave Wall Hanging #2.  Well I am not going to give you that tutorial this week (probable next week), but I have a really good reason for this change, other than being a women and therefore it's my
prerogative, but it's also my blog LOL.

This is what happened. My building's elevator has been down for what seems like forever. I was walking past all the debris and what do I see........ a bunch of Wooden Cable Spools, all different sizes. I had to have them, all of them, but how?  I will tell you how, you go and ask someone if you can take them off their hands for them, how many you ask, well all of them of course.  I loaded those spools in my car so fast it would make your head spin.  I settled for 5 small ones and one large coffee table size.

I couldn't start fast enough.  I decided right away I wanted two of them to be side tables. I started going thru my stains, paints, tape, material all the usual suspects. The material I used was left over from a rug tutorial I did a while back DIY an Old rug to a New rug.


Let's Begin:

1.  First thing I did was just put the dish soap and water to them and let them dry over night.  Next day I puled all my tools and materials together.

• Carpenters Glue/White Glue
• Siccors 
• Wood Stain
• Paint Brush
• Decorative Tape

2.  I taped off my spool and stained them in a dark brown wood stain, I used a brush and not a sponge brush, because a sponge just doesn't hold up to the grainy somewhat rough surface of the wood. It also leaves too much stain behind to soak up.

I only used one coat because I was a dark stain, but a second coat can be applied if you want it darker or richer.  I also did not bother with a lacquer top coat. I wanted to keep my as real to the real thing as possible, but that's me.  You may decided to paint them purple, who cares, go for it.

3.  Once dry you can start with the middle part of the spool.  I used some left over material from another project we did  DIY an Old rug to a New rug and some really cool leopard tape I had bought some months back, just because I loved it. 

  

4.  Then I went to town with middle of my spool. I measures out my material and cut it to be to wrap around the middle and I glued it down with Carpenters Glue or white glue would work also.  Now you may want to leave it at this point, because you love, that's great. Not me, I had to get that cool tape in there, so once the material dried I applied my tape around the top and bottom of the centre portion of the stool.

I love them, but I wanted to come up with some sort of a top tray so it could be used as a side table. I went to my local thrift store and found these. Now I know there is a proper name for them and I know you use them for your table and set you plates on them, but I can't remember the damn name of them. Anyway, I found two of them for a $1.00 for both.  I know they were it and I think I am right, what do you think?

And here is the finished side table

Here is where the reside with me, I love them. I can move them around when I have guest over. I have 3 more I will be turning into padded stools another tutorial to come LOL.

Thanks for following and next time I will bring you my second Fake Out Weave Wall Hanging.

Till then

Fake Out Weave Wall Hanging Tutorial

FAKE OUT WEAVE WALL HANGING

I have always admired those gorgeous weaved wall hangings and I always wanted to take up weaving and make one.  Well 20yrs later I still want one and I still am hell bent on making one myself.  Suffice to say I am not going to take up weaving classes anytime soon, so do the next best thing, cheat.  That's right cheat and I saw just the inspiration on Pinterest months back. Right after I pinned it I started making my own.  I will tell you before you begin, it is addicting.  I am still making them.  I will start with the smaller wall hanging first and once you fall in love with it, I will show the second one I did right after at a latter date.

I also wanted to mount mine from a branch, but you could use a wooden dowel.

Tutorial

Let's begin:

First figure out the colours of wool you want to use.  I would suggest at least three different colours. Next, how thick do you want you wool. Keep in mind, if you use the thinner wool you will have to use more of it to get the thickness you will want, so although cheaper to purchase per ball(pkg) you will need twice as much. I went with the thicker wool.  Also, you can purchase wool at second hand stores. I bought mine at Value Village and I got 6 balls, 3 brown and 3 gold. I already had the white and black on hand. Which gave me plenty for this project.

You will need:

• Wooden Dowel or Tree Branch
• 2-3 Different colours of wool/each colour should have 2-3 balls.
• White Glue
• Sharp Scissors - very important, otherwise you will not get a nice straight cut
• Piece of Cardboard or bristol board (use to measure you wool strands)
• Paper & Pencil

1.  Loosely sketch out how you want your hanging to look. Where you want your different colours to go.

2.  Once you know how much of each colour you going to be using, you need to start cutting your yarn. Now you can cut them at all different lengths or you can do what I did and cut them all the same length and trim them to length afterwards, up to you. I used a piece of old bristol board and wrapped my yarn around that and made just one cut.

3.  Find a door or a wall to hang up you branch/dowel, as you can see my door in my craft room door gets well used. I then marked the middle of my stick so each side of stick (left & right) would be even.

4.  Cut you first batch of wool, cut enough for both sides of the middle string. I cut my gold yarn first and started gently laying it over my stick evenly on both side of string.

5.  Once you got one colour done, then starting from the middle again move your yarn over towards to ends of your stick and start with your next colour and work evenly on both sides again.

6.  I put my white in the middle and decided I wanted to wrap them separately. I then decided I wanted my dark brown to go on the outside, which I left right to the end and just put same amount on each side.

7.  Now the tricky part! patience is needed here.  Don't cut you yarn/wool yet. You have to glue down the yarn to the branch/dowel.  Starting from each END, Carefully lift each section up from the stick, I used my pencil to lift each section up and put a generous amount of white glue on the branch and drop your yarn. Once all glueing is done carefully put pressure on yarn so glue will attach all pieces of yarn.

8.  Let thoroughly dry and them trim. TA DA!!!

9.  I love it!

Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any question or if you would like to purchase this great fake out weave wall hanging.  It is selling for $50.00 if your interested.

10. Let me show you where it resides in my apartment for now.