I’ve always loved doing projects. David and I have built seven houses during our 34-year marriage (yep, we’re crazy) and the idea of a blank slate, of taking those blank walls and empty spaces and making them beautiful, is something we adore. I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with projects, the before and after, the journey of creation.
This past summer, while David was building an outdoor wood storage/bar for our firepit area, I decided to work on another project: transforming an old pump organ into a beverage station. The organ, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, was a holdover from his parents, and we tried selling it, we tried donating it to a few churches, to no avail. So, I got to work. I removed all the insides (the dirtiest job ever!), sanded, primed, painted and distressed the organ. I’m so pleased with how it turned out!
And so, I thought, let’s share some DIY projects that folks can work on during these cold months. I made a chunky knit blanket, which I don’t feel any shame in telling you, took me a LOT longer to figure out than tearing apart that organ. But I finally cracked the code and was able to finish it. Other editors offer up some fun projects, too; you can find the story on page 16. Read the digital edition here.
Happy DIY-ing!
Nancy Eike, guest editor
