theorist kendra: Table Top S'mores

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Table Top S'mores - Lovely Crafty Home

?.in other words, you?re too posh to sit on a log by a fire.

Ok, ok?so I?m not really advocating roasting marshmallows indoors. Although the little burners are meant for indoor/outdoor use, a flaming marshmallow could definitely do some damage. I really made this for my outdoor patio table, but it?s been raining a lot here and I didn?t want to risk my posh patio photo shoot getting rained out. We?ve got cushions, and umbrellas, and covers?yeah it?s kind of a process.

The whole idea of the table top s?mores I don?t think belongs to me. I can?t actually remember details, but I was telling Amy that I wanted to make a long box type centerpiece for the patio table (also could be used inside) with sort of a weathered look. I could put vases, plants, rocks, whatever in it. Then at some point it became a ?let?s put a bunch of camping fuel in the box and roast marshmallows at the patio table? project. I?m pretty sure this one belongs to Amy. It?s quite a leap from the original plan, but I departed gladly.

I?m not sure I?ve actually shown you pictures of my patio as it is today (here and?here are the posts on the construction), but basically it?s pretty long and fairly skinny. Our table was scored on clearance last summer for around $200-it?s?this one?that retailed for $1500 in the beginning of the summer. About a month later, I purchased the matching 12ft umbrella for $80 on clearance. Then there?s the fire pit- which I psuedo built in by stacking extra bricks around it (nothing is permanent). The fire pit sits at very far edge in the corner though, so it?s not the type of fire that you sit around in a circle. Especially since I basically live on a cliff. Trust me, there?s no sitting except on the patio.

We love the fire pit, but it?s not ideal for s?mores because you can?t really sit at the table and s?more at the same time. Enter the table top s?more box. I think it?s pretty freaking neat, and it?ll only cost you about $20. Here?s how to do it:

Supplies:

(2) 1x4x8 common board or wood of your choice- have them cut both boards in half (4ft long/ea) then have them cut (2) 5? long pieces from the 4th board. This makes a box 4? long x 5? wide.
Strong Stick adhesive
Finish Nails (1 1/2? long) and hammer
Stain or finish of your choice
Sealer or poly
Rocks/glass bead filler
Jars of camping fuel?I got mine at The Dollar Tree, but you can find them at Walmart with the party supplies (they are used under chafing dishes for catering)

I like to get my boards cut at the hardware store, it?s just easier than hauling them home full size and dragging the saw upstairs. Just make sure you do your measuring in advance and plan for the size box you want.

I used the strong stick to adhere each piece together initially, putting little dabs along the whole length of the wood.

You don?t need a lot, and it will squish out the sides if you apply too much. If it does, just wipe it off with a damp paper towel. Hold or tape your pieces together for a few minutes, then you can proceed to nailing.

I put a few finish nails along each edge, it?d be helpful to have a nail gun but it?s not necessary. Finish nails are so small, I didn?t even bother filling them?you can just barely make them out in the picture below.

When it came to staining the box, I knew I wanted a grey wash look so I thought I?d try Minwax Classic Grey. I grabbed a small sample size tin and ran home to get my grey wash on.

Womp Womp. Good thing I tried it on a piece of scrap. I think the lightness of the wood I used made it look blue. I decided to give the wood a little bit of a darker finish first using brown craft paint mixed with water, sort of like a glaze. Then I applied two coats of the grey wash.

MUCH better. Sorry about the bad lighting, it?s kinda hard to tell the true color here. It ended up being a great mix of my beloved dark walnut color and grey washing. Then I filled the box with river rock (from the Home Depot garden section, cheaper than buying small bags at craft stores) and placed the fuel cans a little bit higher than the edge of the box. I couldn?t wait to try it out, so Amy and I set it up on the dining room table and fired it up. Har har.