SteamPunk Door How-to

So if your new love language is steampunk, which I think is now my first love language, then I'm so glad you are here. I'm still glad even if you like new things since that means you are here to break out of your shell!

I promised you yesterday that I would show you how I made my steampunk door and I'ma gonna do that today!

I couldn't even call this a tutorial because this is so stinkin' easy. So it is a short how-to and the longest thing that this might take is finding your stud in the ceiling.

Supplies you will need:

 an old pulley

an old door with the hinges if possible

2 cable clamps

cable (I used about 12 feet but bought 18)

spray paint

large heavy duty hook

2 L brackets
plastic anchors

Tools:

level

stud finder

hammer

drill with drill bit

 My stud finder said there was a stud there. 

I think it was on crack.

Once you find your stud, screw your hook into the ceiling.

Make sure that your pulley fits over the hook before you attach it to the ceiling

The cable and cable clamps come in silver so spray paint your cable before threading it through your hinges. I used Carbon Mist by Rustoleum to make this match the pulley color. I colored the hook with a Sharpie! Your clamps are really easy to use and although I forgot to take a picture, it is pretty self explanatory. Put the U shaped part over both pieces of cable, insert the flat part, add the nuts and tighten it all down. One will hold it, I just thought two looked good and finished it off better than one. 

At this point, your door is swinging in the wind pretty much. So you will need to add the L brackets either on the bottom or top or both if you are a super safety person to keep it level. I just did 2 on the bottom, cuz' I like to live on the edge.  Use your level to make sure that the door is hanging, well, level. Then mark where the L bracket should be.

I have brick walls so I had to use my hammer drill to attach the L brackets to the wall. In order to do that you will also need some plastic anchors. These need to fit the size of your screws that come with the L brackets.  Mark where the L bracket will be and then mark the circles where the screws will go.

Drill into the wall at the circle marks. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the anchor. 

Place your anchor in the hole and tap it in using a hammer

It should be flush with the wall.

This is what the L bracket looks like from underneath. 

And this is how it looks from the front. Barely noticeable. If you want it even less noticeable, the top would be better. I wanted it on top but for some reason the hammer drill didn't want to go deep enough to hang from the top. Be flexible!

Another plus about this door is it hides the holes in my wall from trying to attach the L bracket. If you have drywall walls, this will be soooooo much easier.

Now you can leave it plain or add something to it!

This is a bit three dimensional once you are finished. 

Now go find a big wall, some junk, and get crackin'! 

Find a stud while you're at it! 

Marry him even!

Would you ever try this look for your house?

What would you add to your door???

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99       

 

 

Steampunk Door Decor

I hope everyone's Labor Day is full of fun and labor, the good kind. I am working on a little outdoor project as we speak but I thought I'd take a break while my power tools recharge and show you something new that I added to the Dining Room. Sometimes you have big spaces that need to be filled and sometimes you need something unique to put there.

We had saved all of the old hardware from our garage doors when we replaced them ourselves. Yes we  not only saved about $400 per door and but we got some awesome vintage looking pulleys, springs etc. in the process.

Well, I finally got around to using at least one of them. You might recognize my door from my TV stand mash-up. Once I got my new credenza, the door went to the basement until I decided I wanted to use it in my house some other way.

I was moving my pulleys for about the fiftieth time when I finally said to myself....."Will you do something with one of these for Pete's sake?" Now who is Pete we don't know but he lives somewhere in this house because I do a lot of projects in his name. I have yet to see him but I like how he motivates me.

 

Onward. 

This is how the wall started out. 

 Kinda boring except for that awesome artwork by my son.

I think it is always good to show the mess that our projects create lest you think I have the perfect home. I know this sounds like crazy talk to my family and friends who KNOW I do not have a perfect home and knew that this stayed like this for, say... about a week. 

Husband=patience of Job.

 I think it might have been worth it....

I love the vintage industrial vibe that it has and it only cost about $12. It makes a much bigger impact and in my opinion, it beats the usual things that get hung on the wall.

Come back tomorrow to see how this was done and maybe this will get you thinking of some new and different ways to add decor to YOUR walls.

I hope your Labor Day produces something grand!

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99