How to Make a Bike Stand - Bicycle Storage Racks That Keep Them Safe

Bicycles have got to be one of the worst pieces of sports equipment for storing.  If you have a garage or shed they tend to be either precariously leaning against the wall ready to fall over any second, or spread out all of the floor!

Creating easy to use bike storage  or a bike storage rack will not only keep them safe (bicycles are super expensive these days) but will give you back your floor space and stop the tangling of kids bikes.

I found this video that shows you just how to make bicycle storage racks that may work in your space.

Make Your Own Bike Storage Stand for Under 20 Bucks

Bicycle Support Hooks

You do need some available wall space for this project, but as you can see in the video it is the perfect way to get the bikes off the ground or leaning against walls, or even on kickstands taking up valuable floor space.

All you need is a bit of wall space, some wood and the above bicycle support hooks and you are set.

But I Don't Have the Wall Space and I Rent?

If you decide that you still need bicycle storage options, then you can come away from the idea of making your own on a wall as suggested in the video, and go more for a free standing option.

Most homemade versions are using the wall for support hooks, but if this is not practical you can purchase free standing bike racks that will take them off the floor and take up very little floor space such as this popular model below:

Racor Free Standing Bike Stand

This style would be perfect for renters or anyone who is not a fan of DIY or doesn't want to use the wall for the supports.

This bike storage stand would work perfectly in the basement too. As you can see it takes up very little floor space and holds 4 bikes.

I personally would use the upper ones for the adult bikes and train the kids to place theirs on the lower hooks.  No more mess on the garage floor or shed floor or wherever you want to store them.  Perfect for the off season too.

It is amazing just how much room you can find when you use vertical space rather than horizontal or floor.  This will also protect them from damage.

But I Simply Want an Easy to Ride Into Bike Storage Stand

If you just want your kids to store their bike in easy to ride into stands, and you have the room, consider one of these horizontal racks.  No lifting the bikes to get them onto hooks, you and the kids simply place them in the rack and they will not be laying all over the floor.

Five Bike Floor Parking Storage Rack

Whether you make your own with some DIY, or purchase one, just decide on the room available and just how likely you are to hang them up and store them properly.

For kids, you have to make it user friendly or you will always be storing them yourself.  As you can see there are different options, but keeping them safe and unbroken is of course the most important.

What drives me nuts, is when they get leaned against a wall.  I know in our backyard they end up leaning against the shed wall and fall down with the wind.  I need something that is easy to use and user friendly!

For under 100 Bucks You can Find Your Floor Again!

Whether you are handy and use some DIY or you simply want no DIY, there are lots of options for storing bicycles.

 Check out this page to get more ideas online.  Online is a great place to start, because there is just so much more variety and I found this page on Amazon, which many times can deliver to your door for free.  Worth checking.

So if this is the year you want to organize your sports equipment and particularly bicycles, then hopefully this has inspired you.  It is amazing just how much space you can find when you get the bikes off the floor.

Check out Your Space and Vision

There are all kinds of ways to store bikes.  You can use the wall and create your own as in the above video, or even purchase special racks to attach to the wall, but there are also options for the ceiling if you have the support beams.

Using the walls and the ceiling are perfect if you don't want to use or waste any floor space at all.  Or perhaps you simply want some good organized storage for the off season.

Vertical stand alone racks will take up some floor space but are perfect for renters who cannot damage walls or ceilings, and the bonus is this style of rack can come with you.

Bicycling is very popular and many have become serious money, so consider bicycle storage racks when you purchase your bikes as part of the investment.

How to Make a Felt Cat Cave - Cozy and Warm Felted Cat Cave

Cats love to hide inside of things, especially paper bags, under chairs, cat tunnels and more.

They love to grab you as they walk by with the element of surprise, but it is also nice to snuggle for a well deserved nap after a day of play in these felted cat caves.

It gives them the feeling of security as it is basically a covered shell.  They can peak out when they want or hunker down for a nap.

You can make your own:

This is what you will need:

1. Carded Wool or Roving (can purchase online in many colors)

2  Hot Water

3.  Bar Soap

4.  Bubble Wrap (for template)

5.  Gloves

Check out this video for the instructions

Watch the video first to get a feel for the process.  You will notice a lot of soapy water being squeezed out of the cat cave, so you need to work on a surface that is ok with hot water.  Outside would be a good place so you have no worries about water.

This takes some time and patience, but turns out awesome.  You can get the wool roving online.

If you find this is simply too big a task, but would love to have a felted cat cave, you can purchase them online too.  Some examples below.

Hand Crafted Felted Cat Cave

This little kitty is loving his new home. I am the proud owner of 3 cats, and they all just love to hide in cave type things, especially under the couch, this felted cat cave would be the perfect hangout and bed for them to curl up in for their naps.

Merino Wool Felted Cat Cave

I love the idea of making my own felted cat cave, and you can get all the supplies online I found at a much cheaper cost and in many different colors. Would be worth experimenting.

If you have any cat owners on your gift list, a handmade one would be a perfect gift, but it can be a physical task that involves a lot of wringing out hot water, as it is the hot water and soap that creates the strong felt.

They can be expensive in pet stores to buy ready made, but I also found a great line of felted cat caves online in many different colors and different wool bases and affordable if you would prefer to skip the process and get an already made one that your kitty can use right away..

100% Merino Wool Felt Cat Cave Large

Even the larger kitties enjoy this covered cave to nap in.

 Whether you make your own felted cat cave or purchase one online, you cat may hiss at it at first.  My cats always hiss at anything new in the house.

Just place it where you want it to go, and ignore them.  Their curiosity will get the better of them and they will jump in.

These are such a cool idea for your kitty.  A great place for him or her to snuggle and be with you in the same room and yet in their very own covered space.

Reclaimed Barn Wood Walls - Where Can I Get Reclaimed Barn Wood?

This style is such an easy and rustic way to cover any wall, but I love the idea of covering a "not so nice wall".  I have a few with pitted drywall.

But where can I get reclaimed barn wood without a sneaky covert operation to a local old barn?

You can get it in a few places but I have discovered you can get it online with Amazon.  Not only that, it is ready for the wall with peel and stick strips already on the back of the pieces, making this a simple project.

I love it when the different patinas are mixed together, very random.

✅Peel and Stick 100% Reclaimed Barn Wood

This is all ready prepped for installing on the wall. Just makes sure the wall below is clean and free of grease, wouldn't hurt to quickly damp mop it with some vinegar and water or a degreaser.

There are a few to choose from online, but so far these are the most popular with great reviews.  Go by the tone of the wood you want.  Whether you prefer more silver grey or a natural look.  It is nice to mix them up.

✅Assorted Shades of Reclaimed Barn Wood

  This product comes with a choice in shades, so if you click on the picture or the link you can see all they have to offer and the size you need.

✅Reclaimed Barnwood Planks

If you love the rustic look and feel of a wood wall, this is a great alternative to the typical sheets of paneling you get at the hardware store.

Many of the manufacturer's have created them into strips and ready for the wall already which can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Where Can I Get Reclaimed Barn Wood?

Larger second hand thrift stores

Reuse it centers - usually kept out back

Antique Stores

Friends with Barns

Amazon

The first four places I have noticed they sell it as is right off an old barn complete with lots of rough surfaces which make for great splinters!

You will need to rough sand them, to remove some of the lifted wood, but you don't want to sand them too much if you want to keep the patina.  A friend of mine made a feature wall using a few strips of barn wood on the living room wall and then hung framed pictures on it.  Looked awesome but she paid HUGE for the wood.  Over 400 bucks for just a few pieces.

Check Online

If this is what you want for a feature wall in your home or cottage, check online too when doing your comparison shopping.  I actually found it was much cheaper and less work needed.  

Use as a Feature Wall or to Cover a Bad Wall

If you want a feature wall, or you have one wall that needs serious help or new drywall, skip the mess and use reclaimed barn wood.

It is a great way to recycle.  If you are handy you can go search for it, and sand it down and cut to size and do it yourself, or you can shop online and see the boards already prepped and ready for your wall.

If you do this on one wall it will really pop when you enter the room.

What About a Head Board Instead of a Wall?

As I was researching ways to use rustic woods, I came across this gorgeous head board.

✅Rustic Head Board

Reclaimed or recycled barn wood doesn't have to be totally restricted to walls, you can create all kinds of neat projects from it such as picture frames, and yes, this gorgeous headboard that is made for you.

Just thought I would throw this one in there. In the bedroom you could use a reclaimed barn wood head board and leave the wall painted for a beautiful effect.

I hope this has now got you feeling creative.  This is an easy no care product that can transform a wall instantly, even better than wallpaper!

How to Make a Pallet Herb Garden on the Cheap

Pallets can be found around most industrial areas.  Many times they will be sitting there with a free sign on them for firewood.

But instead of burning them, you can put them to great use.

In this video below you can see this guy literally does not spend a dime creating a pallet vertical garden.  This woke up my creative side!

Watch How to Make a Pallet Herb Garden - Check it out:

He even uses some old paint he has laying around.  You could paint it to add to your decor or leave it plain.  Either way he has managed to create some cool shelves for the herbs even using up the wood he cuts away.  You can leave the herbs in their pots or add some soil to the shelves and plant them directly by lining the wood shelves with some garden cloth.

Rustic Yet Awesome!

Secure it to a fence or wall and you can simply slip outside and pinch some fresh herbs when you need them for cooking.  I love that it also looks awesome!  This could work for small veggies or simply a cool and rustic way to show off flowers.

This actually inspired me to do some more research on just how to use fresh herbs, as I was raised in an era of dried herbs from the grocery store.

Fresh Herbs - Hard to go Back to the Dried Off the Grocery Shelf

Starter Herb Garden

You can get herbs already started at your local garden center, or you can get kits online to start your own herbs, such as the one above. 

As much as I love to try new recipes, I was quite embarrassed to realize just how little I knew about herbs.  I just knew of parsley and mint, but there are so much more!  I found this great book on just how to grow herbs and what to do with them in cooking.

Growing and Using Fresh Herbs

I have found once you have used these fresh versions, it is hard to go back to dried unless of course the herbs you dry are your very own homegrown ones.  I also found a good book for this process.

Drying Your Own Herbs

Wouldn't it be great to build a pallet herb garden for literally your labor only and no money, invest in a few fresh herb plants or starter kits, then learn how to use them in cooking straight from the plant, and then dry the remaining herbs before the winter in your own home. No more grocery dried tins!

Using Pallets for Vertical Gardens and other Craft Projects!

If you have got hooked on using free pallet wood, there is a tool that makes it easier to take them apart without ruining the wood pieces.  It is called a Pallet Buster

Pallet Buster

This tool is worth the investment if you plan on using lots of pallets. It is also a great tool to take with you because transporting pallets is difficult without a pick up truck. By pulling the pieces apart you can now place them in the trunk of your car and avoid splinters!

It all depends on what you would use the wood for, but I found this awesome book on lots of uses for pallets. Check it out below:

 

Crafting with Wood Pallets

You can make furniture, gifts, artwork, crafts and of course vertical pallet herb gardens from pallets. This is such a great source of free materials and talk about recycling. If you are handy, this is a great book to get those ideas going.  You could outfit your entire cottage or house with pallet wood crafts.

I was amazed at the ideas so many creators have come up with when it comes to using free pallets you find at the sides of roads and in industrial areas.  Also check the ads in the paper as many companies will place an ad saying "free pallets" or "free firewood".  I know my family tends to use them for fire wood, but really that is a waste when you think of all the things you can create.

Wood Pallet Projects

The garden obviously is the easiest way to use pallets such as with the vertical herb gardens etc.  But there are a ton of other ideas, so check out the page above for lots of books, some kindle and others.

If You Love the Idea of Pallet Wood But Not Finding it Yourself

Reclaimed Pallet Wood

If you love pallet wood but not all the searching, retrieving and tearing apart, then you can get reclaimed pallet wood online for creating your projects.

But if you decide you just want someone to make you a pallet piece for a sign or artwork, you can get those online too in different rustic finishes:

Pallet Signs or Canvas

You can get these already made pallet wood signs or canvas for your rustic artwork. There are so many ways to deal with pallet wood.

You will save money if you find and process them yourself, but you can also get that part of the work done for you with finished pallet wood products ready for your to jump right into decorating or artwork.

Start with a Pallet Herb Garden and see where things take you after that.  Make a few,  some for herbs some for flowers.  This is a great way to add some color and whimsy to your balcony, patio or yard.  Would be perfect for renters as no digging is required!