Picnic Table

We've been on vacation.  It was fun, I'll tell you all about it next week.

Before we took off I finished a project just in time for the 4th of July celebrations.  I took this wood and built a picnic table.  From scratch.  It's nothing like baking.  Or knitting. 

After two days of sawing, gluing, drilling and sanding during naptime, this was my finished result.  Once again, from scratch.  It was pretty cool.  We tested it out and found one minor flaw.  When I put too much of my weight on the seats, the wood bowed a bit more than I would like.  This isn't going to work since I plan on spending countless hours playing with a toddler at this table.

So, I decided to replace the two bench boards with one wider board.  It's better this way because the Home Depot guy goofed and one of the narrow boards is about an inch shorter than the others.  A wider board is also a lot sturdier.

Then came the painting.  BG helped with the priming and I discovered that my almost seven year old is a very sloppy painter.  This is good to know since I plan on building some more outdoor furniture.

It took a few days to paint the table, waiting between coats drying, getting up early or painting at naptime.   But look at that color.  BG picked it out, Peacock Blue.  You can't buy a picnic table in a color as awesome as this one.  I absolutely love it.

I've never built anything like this before.  In fact, I asked for a drill for Mother's Day because we didn't even own a power drill.  I've been reading a site called Knock-Off Wood and it's really inspirational.  That is where I found the plans to build this.

Building the table was super fun and I bet that as I acquire more of the proper tools, it will be easier and faster.  Except for paint drying, that takes forever.  This table took a week to build from the trip to Home Depot to posing with it with friends.  Luckily, we went on vacation the next morning so the paint was able to set for a week before being played on. 

I kept the girls distracted by setting up Firecracker S'mores for them to make.    Lollipop sticks, marshmallows, melted chocolate, crushed graham crackers and sprinkles.  I trust that you can figure out the assembly part.  These are yummy.

We love our little table.  LG and I usually spend a little time in the morning before everyone else is up and play on it.  Talk about what we are going to do that day.  Her she is today discussing how she thinks we should put this by the mailboxes and sell lemonade this afternoon.  Catch everyone on their way home from work.  What an entrepreneur! 

I think that there may be cupcakes or cookies involved, also.  I will not be baking them from scratch.