diy storage Archives - A Dabbled Dwelling

Add Outdoor Storage Easily By Building a Bike Shed

September 30, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Does anyone else have outdoor toys that desperately need a home? Maybe it’s just me. Between the driveway and the house is an unofficial parking lot for all of the kids bikes and scooters. It looks like the place that toys come to die and it drives me crazy. I needed a way to corral all the toys in a way that went with the house.

Building a Bike Shed

We decided to build a bike shed that looks like it’s part of the house. The first step was to anchor a pressure treated 2×6 into the studs of the house using lag screws. Then we, I mean my husband, dug 3 post holes, one for each corner and a third for the door opening. We mixed the cement in the holes and sank the pressure treated 4x4s in the holes making sure they were level. We used three additional pressure treated 2x6s to attach to the 2×4 on the house and the posts with lag screws. I found some sheet siding to enclose it and attached it to the sides using my nail gun. Then I used 1x4s to frame the siding and create a fun little diamond detail at the top.

We put 1x6s along the 2x6s at the top to create a roof. To help keep rain out we stair stepped the 1x6s so the water would flow down instead of going through cracks. I live in the Houston area and that means humidity, and humidity means mold and mildew. Before I painted I used Kilz Mold and Mildew Exterior Primer to help keep the humidity from eating my wood. Then I painted the whole thing to go with the house and viola!

A woman in pink leggings watches a man dig holes while sipping from a cup

A woman in pink leggings checks a post to see if it’s level

A woman adds siding and trim to a bike shed

A woman swings from a bike shed structure

A woman hands a man a board to build a roof

It Looks Like It Belongs

Once it was done we moved all of the bikes and outdoor toys into it. I even added a cute little planter made from an old wheel. It looks like a part of the house which is a win for me. I love that it looks like it was always meant to be there and it keeps the eyesore of kids toys put away.

How I Built a DIY Storage Console for My Home Gym

June 28, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Does anyone else have a catch-all/junk room? My catch-all room was eating away at me, I desperately needed to change it. I decided that I wanted a multi-functional room, a guest room on one side and a home gym on the other. Home gyms notoriously come with a lot of stuff to store. I built an arched peg board for all of the equipment that can hang, but I still needed more storage. So, I decided to build a DIY storage console.

A DIY Storage Console to Store ALL the Stuff

Making a storage console is actually super easy. I used 1×12 poplar from Weaber Lumber and first built, a box. Pocket screws attached from the underside, and wood glue on the ends kept the hardware hidden, leaving a sleek look on the outside of the box. I again used pocket screws and wood glue to build and attach a middle support and shelves. Since I wanted a thicker counter-like surface on top I cut a 1×12 to the same size as the top and attached it with wood glue and finishing nails. I ripped the poplar down to 1 inch strips and cut mitered ends to create a frame for the counter top and the fronts of the shelves and attached them with finishing nails and glue. These strips give the whole thing a more finished and subsantial look.

Woman is putting a second sheet of poplar on top of storage console

Woman uses table saw to rip polar board down

A strip is being attached to the front edges of a console

I attached these feet and gave everything a pre-stain sand. When sanding I like to start with a coarser grit and finish it with a finer grit to get the best finish possible. After sanding the shelf was stained with Varathane Premium Fast Dry Stain in Sunbleached followed by Western Oak. Then it got a coat of Varathane’s Polyurethane sealer. For the top of the console I wanted a durable, counter like finish. To achieve that I used Rustoleum’s Counter Top Coating in Black.

a woman is applying stain to a storage console

a woman is applying the counter top coating to the top of a storage console

Super Cute Gym Storage

I moved the console upstairs and placed it against the wall. Then I set the peg board I made on top. The two pieces together are a unique and super attractive storage solution. I love the way this console turned out. It holds all of my gym equipment and it looks great while doing so!

DIY storage console and peg board for home gym storage

How to DIY a Home Gym Storage Peg Board

June 25, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

There is a room in my upstairs hall that until now has been ignored. I have sort of just been throwing extra decor and home goods in there and shutting the door. Out of sight out of mind… Finally, I decided that it was time to give that room a purpose. I’ve been in the market to start working out, but I really don’t want to pay for a gym membership. So, I figured, why not make that room a home gym? One thing about home gyms is that they require a lot of stuff! I wanted to create storage that stood out and was different. For all of the bands, jump ropes, and other strappy things I wanted to DIY a home gym storage peg board.

DIY A Storage Peg Board

I started with 3/4 plywood and cut it into an arch using my jigsaw. Next I used my 1 inch drill bit to drill holes in a grid pattern. I cut 1 inch dowels to size for the pegs, and thensanded everything including the inside edges of the holes and the pegs. Once it was all sanded I used Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain in Sunbleached followed by Western Oak. It was all sealed using Varathane’s Polyurethane coating and I gave the edges a more finished look using iron on edge banding. Then I moved it all upstairs and loaded it up. Easy peasy.

A drill is being used to create 1 inch holes in plywood.

Sanding block is used to sand arch with one inch holes

An arch with one inch holes is being sealed with polyurethane

Woman uses iron to apply edge banding to plywood arch

It’s a Great Storage Solution

This was seriously an easy and adorable storage project. It came together quickly and is super versatile and adjustable. The DIY peg board is the perfect addition to my home gym. It holds all of the necessary equipment and looks great doing it!