Cabin fever Try your hand at our ‘Winter escape’ DIY projects

DINING TABLE

TOOLS & MATERIALS  Safety equipment (mask, eye and ear protection)  Random orbital sander with 180- and 240-grit abrasive discs  Tape measure and pencil  Drill with Phillips head bit  Cloth  75mm-wide paintbrush  2100mm x 900mm x 30mm laminated pine panel•  Four 700mm hairpin legs  30mm timber screws  Timber varnish

Cabin fever

Rock a retro vibe with black, solid steel hairpin legs

Rustle up these rustic pieces for indoor craft and dining, and to tidy up outdoor gear

1Smooth over the top and sides of the pine panel using an orbital sander with 180-grit abrasive disc, rounding over the corners slightly. 2Turn the panel upside down. Position a hairpin leg in each corner, with the plates 50mm from the sides, securing with 30mm timber screws. 3Wipe away dust with a damp cloth, then seal the top and sides with varnish using a wide brush, leaving to dry thoroughly. Sand lightly with 240-grit, wipe away dust, apply a second coat of varnish and leave to dry.

Wild winter weather curtailing your outdoor activities? Head to the shed, take out your toolkit and turn timber into a table, a nifty boot rack and a cute little weaving loom.

Your DIY toolkit

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1 Monarch ‘Woodcare’ 75mm paintbrush, $20.75, I/N: 0022591. 2 Taskmaster ‘Hairpin’ 700mm x 10mm steel table leg, $21, I/N: 0038471. 3 Ozito ‘PXC’ 18V 125mm random orbital sander, $51.98/skin only (battery and charger sold separately), I/N: 6290614. 4 AraucoPly 2100mm x 900mm x 30mm clear FJ pine laminated panel, $136, I/N: 0290007• . 5 Cabot’s ‘Cabothane Clear’ water based polyurethane timber varnish in Gloss, $49.90/1L, I/N: 1522392.

DIY furniture & craft

TOOLS & MATERIALS  Safety equipment (mask, eye and ear protection, gloves)  Tape measure, pencil and felt-tip pen  Mitre saw or handsaw  Drill with 25mm spade, 3mm and

Phillips head bits  Pair of sawhorses  Cloth  Two 1.2m lengths 40mm x 18mm

DAR clear solid pine•  Two 2.4m lengths 25mm pine dowel•  180-grit abrasive paper with sanding block  Timber adhesive  8G x 30mm timber screws  Danish oil

3To install the dowel, apply adhesive into the holes, position the 300mm dowels in one base and the 400mm dowels in the other. Secure the dowel through the bases with 30mm timber screws.

BOOT RACK

1From the pine, measure, mark and cut two bases 800mm long and two sides at 300mm. From the dowel, cut six 400mm lengths and six 300mm lengths. Smooth over all the pieces with 180-grit abrasive paper.

4On the side pieces, measure and mark 20mm in from the ends and 10mm in from the sides, then pre-drill holes with a 3mm bit.

Keep outdoor footwear up off the deck and neatly stored on a good-looking peg-style boot rack

2On the bases, measure and mark along 100mm, 220mm, 340mm, 460mm, 580mm and 700mm. Drill halfway through the marks using a 25mm spade bit. Tip: Mark the depth on the bit with a felt-tip pen and use it as a guide to avoid drilling right through.

5Position the bases upside down between the sawhorses. Apply adhesive to the ends, position the sides so the ends are flush with the bases, and secure with 30mm screws. Wear gloves to apply Danish oil with a cloth. 

MINI WEAVING LOOM

TOOLS & MATERIALS  Safety equipment (mask, eye and ear protection)  Ruler and pencil  Handsaw  Drill with Phillips head and 3mm bits  Hammer  900mm length 40mm x 18mm

DAR clear solid pine•  180-grit abrasive paper with sanding block  Timber adhesive  8G x 30mm timber screws  25mm x 1.6mm wall panel nails

To create simple patterns, choose contrasting twines for the weft threads 1From the pine, measure and mark two 160mm end pieces and one 230mm spine. Use a handsaw to cut pieces, then smooth all over with 180-grit abrasive paper.

3Dab adhesive onto the end-grain of the spine, then position it against the holes in the end pieces, securing with 30mm timber screws. 2On the 160mm ends, measure and mark along 70mm and 90mm, and 10mm in from the side. Pre-drill through the marks with a 3mm bit.

4Along the top of the end pieces, use a ruler to mark 10mm intervals, leaving 20mm at either end. Hammer wall panel nails into the marks, leaving them to protrude about 10mm.

Style tip We used Grunt cotton shop twine for the warp, and Whites jute twine and twist cotton twine for the weft

HOW TO WEAVE

The vertical threads on the loom are the warp of a weave; the thread woven under and over it to create the textile is the weft. You’ll need a variety of twine and cord, scissors and a large tapestry needle (from a haberdashery store).

1To make the warp, knot the shop twine around the top left nail of the loom. Pull it down to wrap around the first nail at the base, then pull up to the top and wrap around the second nail. Repeat, keeping the twine taut, until the loom is strung, knotting at the last nail.

2Thread a 3m-length of jute through a large needle. Leaving a 50mm tail, weave the needle over and under the warp. For the next row, weave back, alternating the over-under. Repeat, pressing the rows down as you go. Tip: If changing twine, leave a tail at the beginning and end of each change.

3To tie off the weaving, turn the loom over to pull the tails through to the back. Working on one tail at a time, thread it through the needle to make three or four stitches back through the warp. Trim the excess with scissors.

4To finish the piece, snip the warp twine just under the nails, leaving length either side of the weaving. Separate the first two strands and tie them together with a simple knot. Tie the next two together and continue knotting along both ends. Trim to neaten both ends. ◆