Board & Batten Staircase- Part 1

I absolutely love wainscoting!  It adds so much to a room that may otherwise be plain and simple.  Don't get me wrong, I actually love simple.  I am not much for decorations, though I love how other people's houses are decorated.  I just don't "buy" decorations to outfit my own home.  Our decor consists of family photos & momentos and "souvenirs" that the Laird gets when we travel.  In our previous house, our living room was affectionately called "the Jungle Room".  Painted bright green, the Laird's dream was to have every inch of wall space covered with cool pieces from our travels.  Redwoodshire does not currently have a great place to designate as "the Jungle Room", though we have a corner of our dining room that will be designated as the "Jungle corner".  As our family grows, we do hope to add on to this house, in which case we will add a room/ den to be the real Jungle Room.  For now the "Jungle Corner" will do.  One reason I love the wainscoting is that it is a built in stand alone decoration- there's no need for more.  Though decorations always make things look even better.  

Back to wainscoting.  During our kitchen renovation, we installed a PVC wainscot back splash.  It turned out great.  After that experience, I discovered that "wainscoting" is a broad term covering many different styles- bead board.... board & batten...etc.  And of course, they are all beautiful.  It mad me want to do wainscoting throughout every room of my house! Unfortunately, wainscoting comes at a price- both monetarily and time.  Thankfully, the Laird also loves the look. 

Wainscot project #2: Board & Batten along the staircase

We had to finish trimming/ enclosing the ledge of the new stairwell, so this project fit into the job at hand.

When we bought Redwoodshire, the stairs were quite different.  Check out Farmhouse Stair Renovation Part 1  and Farmhouse Stair Renovation Part 2 for the whole story.  We love our new stairs- they completely functional (not too steep & narrow) and cute!  After installing Bead board Wainscoting as a back splash in our kitchen, I discovered there are many different styles of wainscot.  The Board & Batten looked fairly simple, yet it adds so much to visual appeal.  I thought of just the place to test it out- our stairs!

BEFORE:



















There are a number of ways to do Board and Batten.  Our method involves using the wall without adding a board.  

Materials include:  MDF 1 x 4 (for both the headers, footers, and battens), cove moulding, Liquid Nails, & nail gun

Tools included:  Compound miter saw, level, angle finder (not sure what it's called), pencil, nail gun


The Laird attached base and head boards first.  He used Liquid Nails & a nail gun to attach each board/ batten. Our battens are 15-16 inches apart.  Along one wall, there was already a built in ledge.  We added a shelf and trim to finish the ledge.




MID-PROJECT:

At the moment, the board & battens are all installed. The caulking process is underway.  And we have yet to finish the job with paint.   There is 1 final batten to install at the bottom of the stairs- unfortunately the thermostat is placed in such a way that we would have to cut around it to install that batten.  After brainstorming ideas to get around the thermostat, without making it look terrible, our friend, suggested simply moving the thermostat over an inch.  Genius!  He instilled confidence that this was a job the Laird would do easily.  Trimming the stair ledge was last weekend's project.  The Board & Batten was mostly done this weekend- minus painting.   Board & Batten Staircase- Part 2 will include that final batten installed and finishing paint!  

The angle at the base of the rising battens was a bit tricky, but after a few trials, the Laird figured out the trick (they are all the same angle).  Despite the mini-challenges and that we haven't finished the job yet, we absolutely love how much it has already added to our stairs.  We love it so much, that we plan to do it around our dining room when it comes time for that renovation.

"I'm Dreaming Of a White C-abinet"

So I found a primitive cabinet on Craigslist.  The seller says it likely dates between 1890 to 1910.  The dimensions are perfect for 2 possible places in our kitchen: a sideboard along a window wall, or as a kitchen island.



I have been in search of a sideboard cabinet to go along a wall, under a window- so height matters.  We do not currently have a pantry, and are in desperate need of a food storage space.  We have ideas in mind of what we would like, but so far the search has been difficult, primarily because we only have 30" width of space, and we want to maximize storage potential.  This cabinet could possibly help with storage until we find the perfect pantry piece.  The other idea I have is to convert it into a Breakfast Island.                        

If you've ever been in antique shop, you may have noticed that some of the most beat up pieces (like the one pictured above), with peeling and cracked paint, cost way more than you'd ever imagine.  I am not heavy into antiques, however I have gathered this much- it's because they are really old- which goes far in the antique world.  I love the primitive simple farmhouse look, and we're hoping to find some unique pieces for Redwoodshire.

The other day I happened upon this primitive cabinet as I was browsing Craigslist.  It is located about an hour away, but the seller said he'd meet me.  And the price seems right.  Of course it will need some TLC, but that is the fun part.

And so, that is why "I'm dreaming of a white C-abinet."  Hoping to get on the road to go see it tomorrow!  We will see what happens.  And of course if we do become the proud owners of this old primitive, you will be sure to hear about it.  Until then...

Trimming Another Window

Almost 1 year after major renovations (raising the 2nd floor ceilings) and 10 months of living here at Redwoodshire, we finally have a nicely trimmed window at the top of our stairs.  Not a difficult task, but when added to the list of many projects to be done, this one did not make the top of the list.  Hence, it took a while to get around to it.  But the Laird and I both agree that it feels great not to see that unfinished window(and insulation sticking out) every day- each and every time we went down the stairs.  After a while, you don't notice it.  But every now and then, when lady genevieve tried to look out the window, we were reminded how badly this task needed to be completed.

We chose to match this window trim with the windows in the 2 small bedrooms.  The trim was purchased and painted months ago.  The hang up was that we could not find the original window sill, and had to purchase and cut a new one to fit.  I like the detail of this trim, and the cream matches our stair spindles and the square shape matches the newel posts.

It only took a few hours to install (nothing in our house is square or even, and therefore making things a little more difficult and time consuming than necessary.)   This is our newly trimmed window.

BEFORE:

BEFORE

AFTER

One nice thing about installing this style window/ door trim, is that you only have to cut straight edges.  Unlike trim that meets in the corner and has to be mitered (cut at an angle), the square rosette pieces sit in the upper corners, where the top and side trim pieces meet.  Straight cuts!  Easy Peasy!

CURRENT PROJECT:
We are currently in the process of trimming the lower landing, and adding a board and batten wainscot to the stair walls.  These are before photos.  In the lower photo:  There is a ledge below the photo collage- we will be doing the board & batten from the ledge down to the stairs/ landing.

Storybook Themed Party

A couple years ago, I helped plan and organize a Baby Shower for my sister.  I saw a super-cute Storybook Themed Baby Shower online and decided that would be a great way to celebrate my sister and the new baby.  I recently did the same online search that I did in 2012, in order to include a link to the blog that helped inspire the idea, and there is now a ton of different photos out there of the same idea.  So this post may not be novel, but for some readers of this blog, it may be inspiring.

 So basically everything had a Children's book/ story theme, from the food, to the drinks, cake, favors, and games.  Here are a few photos from our spread.

FOOD LABELS:

 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
Meatballs in Sauce, with french bread & butter.

GREEN EGGS & HAM
My sister's friend made the deviled eggs.  If I had made them, I would have definitely used food coloring to make the filling green!






























THE 3 LITTLE PIGS
Pigs in a Blanket, a.k.a. Mini hot dogs, wrapped in crescent rolls

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR
Fruit Salad

CURIOUS GEORGE, CHICKEN LITTLE & HUMPTY DUMPTY
Finger Sandwiches- Peanut Butter and Banana (CURIOUS GEORGE)
Chicken Salad (CHICKEN LITTLE)
Egg Salad (HUMPTY DUMPTY)

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE
Chocolate Chip Cookies with milk & a straw





FAVORS:
Bookmarks-  I collected a bunch of paint chips from Home Depot & Lowes (over many trips).  We photo copied some pages out of a book that had simple black and white pictures (like the old Winnie the Pooh).  Cut strips of the photo copies to fit the paint chip.  Pasted 2 pieces together.  Punched a hole and added ribbon.

NOAH'S ARK- The Cake

My mom made a super cute 2 layered cake.  Each of the animals are made of out painted chocolate ganache.  I don't know enough about that process to offer tips!  

So if you're looking for a fun theme for a baby shower or young children's birthday party, this is a theme to explore.  There are so many avenues to take, and lots of ways to get creative.  We played a storybook trivia game- which I would include, but I cannot find!  If I find it, I will post here.  Also each person was encouraged to bring a book to give to the new baby. 

Though this idea seems pretty popular at the moment, I ran across my photos from our shower and decided to post about it.  Enjoy!

Entryway Organization

A few months ago, we completed and hung our awesome Double Dutch Barn Doors.  With a little building experience under my belt, and the wonderful help of the Laird, I decided my next big project would be to build an Entry organization system.  I wanted a bench with shoe cubbies below and a cubby tower on the side, for bags, hats, keys and other catch all items.  I drew up my design with dimensions, and investigated some methods online through other blogs. Then I put the idea away for a later date, since I had lots of smaller projects to work on at the time.  I had a great vision, but wasn't quite sure how I would execute it.  In the meantime, we acquired an old table saw from my family- which was going to help this project.  The Laird was a little skeptical, and concerned that it was going to cost more to build than what we could find brand new.  I wasn't sold on his logic, as I had done the research and found that these benches alone can be quite pricey.  I had also designed my ideal entry system and now wanted it to be exactly what I wanted.  I hadn't yet seen my design out there for purchase- which is what made it so cool.


















And then there was Craiglist.  I love Craigslist, and have found some pretty great deals out there.  I am all about second hand everything- clothes, furniture... the only thing I don't buy second hand are shoes.  I am kind of picky about my shoes.  We found a totally great Pottery Barn glider and ottoman for $75- it has a few bleached stains on the arm and cushion, but they are hard to notice.  A great find, and so comfortable.  I got 2 of those cube bookshelves for $45.  One is perfect for organizing and storing all of lady genevieve's toys and books in our Great Room, and the other is in our storage closet.  A BOB running stroller, pack and play, stroller/ infant seat combo, another glider/ottoman, child bike trailer, a 2 dresser set, outdoor baby swing, child's comfy chair (pottery barn style)... etc.  I search things we need, or would like to have on a regular basis.  We're still looking for a pantry and kitchen island.  I've also had a mostly good experience with the few things I have sold on Craigslist.

About a month ago, I found an Ikea cubby tower that can be turned on it's side to be used as a bench.  It was huge, but just fit our space.  We have been using it as a bench and shoe storage area.  It looks great and has been so wonderful for keeping shoes up and out of the way.  Even the Laird has gotten the hang of putting his shoes away.  Then today, I found a Pottery Barn cubby Bench with baskets included.  I scooped it up! Together the Ikea bench/ tower and the Pottery Barn cubby bench make a good pair, and accomplish the task of organizing our entryway.  Though they are not exactly the same tone (white and cream), I may be able to throw some paint on the tower and make them match, if it bothers me too much.   I now have pretty much what I had designed to build (though the cubby sizes are different).  I am so excited, and one less project to work on.  Craigslist accomplished this task in less time and money than it would have cost me to build.  Though a hand built entry system would have been totally amazing, I am so satisfied to simply have my new bench & cubby tower.  Entering my home is becoming more peacefully organized each and every day. Even lady genevieve knows which basket is for her shoes.  One stop for all our coming and going needs- a place for shoes, bags, hats, jackets, gloves, keys, wallets....  Now we have to see if the Laird can be trained to utilize it.  Though it's not the exact design I had in mind, it is very close, and accomplishes the task of entryway organization.

Thank you Craigslist, and all those who sell their stuff.

We have to move our coat hooks over, as the cubby tower a slightly wider than we had anticipated.  I didn't want to wait to post, so this is our "almost" completed entry system.

So long, we won't miss you!

On this 20th day of October, we will forever remember how grateful we are that we parted ways with you- ole' propane tank.  We have a new friend, who will hopefully be more kind to us and our wallets- welcome to Redwoodshire Mr. Natural Gas.

One downfall of this property- the heating system.  Or shall I say, "systems".   We have some rooms with propane, others with electric and then there are 2 wood stoves.  It almost feels like each room has a different flavor.  Thankfully, when we raised the ceilings in the master bedroom the contractor got ride of the electric and opened up a duct for forced heat.  Back to the heating systems.  Propane.  Let's just say, we had no idea how expensive it is.  Last winter, it was a cold one.  The entire month of January was in the single digits, and sometimes below zero.  We'll just say that was the coldest winter this area has had in a long time.  With that said, we tried to save money by heating with wood.  We ran out of our first load of wood (1 full cord) in mid-January.  Then ran out of our 2nd full cord by April.  We kept our thermostat at 55 most of the time, as we were trying to heat with wood and save the propane.  And our propane bills were still $200 a month!  We couldn't believe it.  And a good portion of this time, we didn't even have out kitchen range hooked up.  We don't understand it, but that was our reality last winter.  Bottom line- propane is extremely expensive.

We live on a rural road, in a suburban town.  Though we only have a few neighbors, with lots of space between each house; there is a housing development within a half mile.  We dreamed and longed for gas to be brought to our house.  Then one day we noticed workers tearing up our road, not far from our house.  We thought, maybe they were bringing gas to our road.  But then the Laird began to doubt, as he assumed the yellow conduit was for cable lines.  The Laird works for a construction company about 5 minutes from Redwoodshire.  The company has a housing project located on our road.  He saw that same yellow conduit, and inquired about it's purpose.  GAS!  We were thrilled.

Though it cost more money- as they had to dig up our driveway and bring the gas lines from the main road to the house, and then convert everything from propane to gas, the long term savings will be huge.  Mid-summer the contractors dug up our driveway and got the gas to the house.  Soon after we hired heating and cooling to convert some connections and install a new water heater (ours was ancient).  We've been officially on gas for about a month- can't wait to get that bill (seriously).  And today was the final step- Suburban Propane came to pick up their huge tank!  That eyesore magically disappeared!  First thing you see coming down the driveway- and directly outside our dining room window.  So long propane tank- we won't miss you.

DIY Smocked Linen Curtains

While I was deciding what kind of window treatments for our Great Room windows, I came across a few options that I really liked.  Pottery Barn sells these cute smocked curtains.  I'd never seen anything like it before and loved that about them.  Drawback, curtains are pricey, even when they don't come from Pottery Barn.  I decided to go with Roman Shades for our Great Room windows simply because they work well with furniture and don't hang in the way.  Check out my post about how to make Roman Shades.  I recently completed and hung the 3 Great Room Roman Shades and will have to update that soon.  It was a big project but they are finished and I am pleased to have dressed windows for the Great Room.  I made a total of 5 roman shades- 3 for the great room, 1 for hall window and one for lady genevieve's room.  They all turned out pretty good.  It was a cool process to learn, and I now understand why Roman Shades are a bit more expensive than other window treatments.  They have a lot of parts and are more labor intensive than other hanging drapes.
Once that project was completed, the Laird was questioning why I didn't make curtains for our bedroom instead of the Great Room.  His logic was that we really needed something to block light where we sleep, and the Great Room curtains will likely never be closed, so they were more for looks than function.  His logic was quite right.  So I decided I would start making curtains for our bedroom.  I searched DIY smocked curtains and found a number of blogs of people who have made their own smocked curtains.  My favorite blog for DIY smocked curtains included a link of a detailed tutorial on honeycomb smocking.  If you're interested in making your own smocked curtains, definitely check these blogs out.  The smocking is actually quite simple, and something done by hand.  Easy enough to work on while watching a movie or relaxing.  The labor intense part was hand sewing the edges and top, as I did not want a seam.  I did machine hem the bottom, which was very quick.

TIPS-
1)  Make each panel slightly larger than the width of the whole window.  The smocking causes the width to shrink and be about half as wide as the material you start with.  Initially I figured I would cut each panel the width of the window, figuring that would be enough.  And unfortunately it wasn't.  My panels were not wide enough to cover the window and block out the light.  If the panels are simply a decorative feature for your windows, and you have another treatment behind the curtains like blinds, then this isn't as crucial.  Thankfully, I was able to use this first set of curtains to cover a smaller window in our bedroom.

2)  Figure out how you want to hang your curtains.  Ring clips, a bar....  Then plan for enough material on top end to meet your needs.  I decided to enclose the top for a curtain rod- which gives the top a scrunched appearance.

In the beginning...  You can see the pencil "dot grid" and start of smocking

First attempt at curtain smocking.  This is an upside down view of the curtain panel.

I just finished hand sewing & hemming all 4 curtain panels.  They turned out quite nice, though not perfect.  But for a first attempt at honeycomb smocking, I cannot complain.  I still have to make or buy some curtain rods.  I really like the DIY Plumbing Curtain Rod look, though the Laird isn't sold.  He thinks it will look to modern & industrial.  I just love the solid & unique look of them, easy and inexpensive to make.  All yet to be determined- in due time.  We've been without curtains this long (10 months), a little longer won't hurt.

These curtains involved a lot of hand sewing- which means they took a lot longer than a typical machine sewed curtain.  But the detail of the smocking is so beautiful.  Simple yet elegant.  The appearance of the smocking varies depending on the thickness and type of fabric.  These curtains look quite different from the Pottery Barn one's I first discovered, because the Linen I used is thicker material than the Pottery Barn Version.  I love the linen look, and the sharp lines that the smocking creates.  Many people have used Burlap and utility Drop Cloths (from the Home improvement store).  If long enough, you could even use a bed sheet- which would already have finished edges and save a lot of time!  I imagine you could even smock your existing curtain panels if you had some you wanted to experiment on...  I can't wait to get these hung and see what the look like in our bedroom.

A new addition to Redwoodshire- Horatio

Horatio is the newest resident of Redwoodshire.  He joined our family this past week and has already made himself at home.  Though I prefer animals when they live with other people, he was hired to be the "Head Mouser" of Redwooshire.  He really acts more like a faithful dog than a cat, which we find quite humorous.  He loves to be around us, and follows us wherever we go- inside and outside.  He and lady genevieve make quite a pair.  Though she is gentle and loves him most of the time, she's not fond of the fact that he enjoys playing with all of her toys.  She swats him out of the way when she can get to him.  Despite her behavior, he follows her around and wants to play all the time. We are still trying to teach her to be more gentle with him.  Though she can get a little jealous, more often than not she likes giving him kisses and petting his fluffy coat.  Only 5 days together, and it's already clear to us that these 2 are TROUBLE.  Today, Horatio knocked a un-capped pen off the side table onto the floor.  Apparently, genevieve then picked it up.  The Laird walked into the Great Room, and found lady genevieve and Horatio sitting together on the couch.  Pen in lady genevieve's hand, moving back and forth, playing with Horatio, and unfortunately writing on the couch!!  We hoped that Horatio and genevieve would be buddies, and so far we've been lucky to discover that he is truly a fun-loving, friendly little kitten.  He loves to be outside.  

His mousing skills have yet to be tested.  We are hoping he will have many years of great success protecting Redwoodshire from all the many small animals that roam the land here; primarily the mice, rabbits, snakes, chipmunks, & squirrels.  

He is quite cute (most all kittens are), however, sometimes I think he thinks he's one of my children.  He cries and whines when he's not getting my attention.  Why me?  He always has to be up in my business, no matter how many times I pick him up and send him on his way.  Despite all these things, I think he's growing on me.  I especially enjoy watching lady genevieve and Horatio play together- it's truly hours of entertainment!

This makes me "HAPPY" every time!

(Though this doesn't follow the theme of this blog, it is too cute not to post- maybe we can learn some new dance moves?)

Recently heard the Happy Song by Pharrell Williams at a wedding.  Ever since that day the Laird has been singing it to and with lady genevieve.  Every night when we sing in the rocking chair before bed, I ask her what songs she wants to sing.  For a couple months now, she's responded with "Peace", which is for "Peace Like A River".  But lately she's been asking for "Happy".  Unfamiliar with the tune, I just sing, "happy, happy, happy" to my own tune.  Lady genevieve responds with... "no".  She knows I don't sing it right.  Ever since she was able to bounce in the Johnny Jumper, we've had "dance time".  Though she's always had it in her, she's recently become quite a little dancer.  We've caught a few recent dances on video.  Here is one that cracks me up.  There is another version of the same day in the "genevieve" tab above.  Where did she learn these moves?  I feel like she could have been in the music video and done a decent job.

Cloth Training Pants conversion

So we use cloth diapers on little lady genevieve.  And in a matter of time, she will be ready to start using the potty.  So I have been looking for cloth training pants ideas.  I read reviews of a handful of commercially made cloth training pants.  I found that commercial made training pants are just as expensive as the cloth diapers; which is somewhat disappointing considering the amount of time you use them for potty training.  I decided to google DIY cloth training pants to see what others have already come up with in this area.   I found this DIY Cloth Training Pants tutorial, and decided to go with this style training pants for the little lady.  They are a simple conversion of the basic Gerber training underwear.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 pack Gerber training pants $7.99.  I went with plain white, since I wanted to use cute PUL patterns.  

Stay dry fleece (there are different kinds of fleece, so ask for the active wear fleece).  Fleece is very absorbent and wicks wetness off the bottom.  I used color coordinating fleece to line the underpants- which adds to the cuteness factor.

PUL- Joann Fabrics has a small section of supplies for making your own cloth diapers.  They have a few different patterns of PUL that you can have measured and cut, or you can buy the 3 pack of pre-cut patterns in a pack.  It's a better deal to get your material cut, however I found that the pre-packaged fabric had cuter designs.  

Like the tutorial, I traced the thick padded area on to a piece of wax paper (somewhat transparent), and used it as a pattern for my fleece and PUL.  I found that I needed to cut the PUL a little longer on the front and back to fit the outside of the underpants.  

I used 4 pieces of fleece for the inner absorbent pad.  I sewed them together with a straight stitch at each end.  Then I sewed that pad into the inside of the diaper with a zig zag stitch, all the way around.  Then I attached the PUL to the outside of the underpants with a zig zag stitch.

A very simple little project!  The underpants are still a little big for lady genevieve, but it will still be a little while before she's ready to take on the potty.  We will see how they work out in a few months.  I showed her her new big girl panties, and she cried when I tried them on her!  They are not intended to be completely waterproof (like cloth diapers).  The goal of these underpants is to help prevent big messes (with a little extra absorption and a waterproof layer down the middle) for those inevitable potty training accidents.  Easy to make.  Inexpensive.  Good for the environment.  Very cute.

A new twist on an old tradition- Ruler Growth Chart

Many people remember having their height measured on a door frame or a specific wall of their home growing up.  It's fun to measure up against siblings at the same age, and look for growth spurts along the way.  I have no idea how I happened upon this project, however my Internet browsing lead me to a totally cute Ruler Growth Chart idea.  Apparently they are quite a popular commodity in homes of families with children these days.  They look good enough to hang anywhere in your home, and they can go with you if you move to a new house (which happens quite a lot these days for many families).  While growing up in Southern California from ages 4 to 16, I lived in 7 different homes.  I decided this was a must have and would be a quick project to work on.

I used a piece of tongue and grove pine board that was left over from building Lady genevieve's bedroom door (which I will post about as soon as we are able to hang the track and door).  The truth is that I accidentally cut one of the boards too short and had to go and buy another one.  So this piece was left over because of a mistake I made.  But it worked out perfectly because I had a great piece of wood to make our Ruler out of.

Process:

I traced my numbers straight
from my computer screen.

I cut the board down to 5 1/2 ft.  I wanted to mount the ruler 6 inches from the floor, therefore foot 1 lands 6 inches from the bottom of the board.  The top of the board ends at the 6 foot mark.  Then I used 120 grit sandpaper to smooth and prepare the surface for stain.  I applied 2 coats of Miniwax Cherry stain.  Then I used a measuring tape and made a pencil line at every inch along the board.  Every third line was 2 inches long.  At the foot markers, I made 3 inch long lines.  Then I found a font I liked from my computer, and increased the size of the numbers to size 205.  I traced the number onto computer paper right from the screen, so that the paper was back lit.  I then re-traced the numbers onto the wood, pressing firmly into the wood as I traced each number.  I purchased a very cool Sharpie Paint Pen from Joann Fabrics.  I bought the thickest point.  It worked wonderfully, and was so much easier than using a paintbrush.  I traced over each line and number with the pen.  Then I applied 2 coats of Miniwax polyurethane (Satin) to finish the Ruler.

* I randomly made my inch marks on the right side of the board.  Then I realized that most Ruler Growth Charts have the inch marks on the left side.  Though it looks different from the norm, it does the job of looking like a ruler and giving us a place to measure heights over time.  Just a matter of preference.

Raspberry Trellis

We've been meaning to build a trellis for the raspberries all summer, and we finally got around to building one the past couple weekends.  We already had all of the materials that we needed to build trellis.  We used some old wood left over from the house renovation,  in addition to 2 new pine boards left over from my Double Dutch Barn door project.  We found enough plastic coated clothes line in the garage, that the previous owners left behind.

The Laird dug a hole 18 inches deep at each end of the raspberry row.  He set each post in, and wedged a rock in next to the post for a tighter fit.  Then we found 2 pieces of old wood that happened to be a good width for the lower cross beams.  He used 2 screws to secure the cross beam to the post, at a height slightly lower than the current raspberry plants.  He drilled a hole into each end of the cross beam.  Then we fed some old plastic coated clothes line threw each hole and stretched them across to the trellis on the other end of the row.  We tightened the line and stapled the clothes line to the cross beam.  We used 2 slightly longer boards for the upper cross beam, and repeated the steps to hang the lower cross beam.  We randomly chose heights for both cross beams- to what we think will fit the raspberries at their full grown size.  We may have to adjust the line heights down the road, if this set up doesn't fit.   And now we can check that task off the master list!  All it cost us was a few hours, as all the materials we found in the garage/ barn.

Our raspberry plants transplanted well last Fall and survived the brutal winter we had.  They are growing well, and currently producing late summer berries.  We are unsure how large the plants will grow in future years, so we may have to adjust the heights of the cross beams if the brambles don't grow as high as the upper cross beam.

Our trellis building efforts was a learning process, as we built what we had in mind- rather than following a tutorial.  Initially we secured the cross beams to the inner side of the post.  But as we wired them up, we realized that securing the cross beams to the outside of the post would create more strength within the lines.  So, we undid our work, and then redid it.  Much better design. 

  Aside from preventing the heavy fruit filled raspberry brambles from bending towards the ground, we built the trellis as a way to protect the raspberries from the animals.  Though the animals haven't bothered the berries since the dead of winter, the Laird always says, "It only takes one night to destroy the bunch."  One night, the deer bit off the new growth of a couple plants last winter, which stunted some of the plants growth and fruit.  So we did not want to continue to risk this years fruit by taking a chances.  We will be draping Deer X netting over the trellis to keep the animals off our new growth in the heart of winter.

And now we have a trellis to support and protect our baby raspberry row.