A little carpentry...

Hi again!  Did you think I'd lost my computer?  Actually, it was the camera.  And I didn't lose it, it's been in the shop. 
But apart from that, it's been a funny couple weeks around here.  First we were working through Coxsackie virus (the girls) and then I've been in crazy "organize/planning/trying to find where I put my mind" mode.  Which, thanks to a couple wonderful friends, I think I finally found!

Moving on...

Since I haven't been doing much of anything creative myself lately, I though I'd share a few little things my mom has made recently, sometime in the next week or so.  Today, I'm going to share a little trick for fixing those loose screws...

Here we have a "treasure box" that I found at a yard sale really cheap.  It needs a bit of love and attention, but it's going to make a great Christmas gift for Ailidh!

I do enjoy a little "shabby-chic", but this was just shabby.

 The first step was to repair all the loose parts: wobbly legs, loose handle, and falling off hinges.  The trouble was, many of the screws were stripped - you know - when you tighten a screw and tighten a screw but it never gets tight?  Well, here's a quick trick to take care of the problem.


Here's what you need - some toothpicks, wood glue, and a hammer.  Oh, and a screw driver of course.
(Please excuse the poor quality photos.  As I said before, my camera is in the shop and I had to use the phone)










Now, remove the loose screws and expose the screw holes.

 Dip the tip of a toothpick into the wood glue.

Poke the glue-y end into the hole as far as you can.  

Cut off the part sticking out.

If the hole is large enough, repeat the process until it's completely filled with toothpick.

If there is still little bit sticking out, hammer it in gently until the surface is smooth.

Now, replace the piece and the screws.  Screw them right into the now plugged holes.  They should tighten right up.

Good as new!

Stay tuned for further developments!