Crafting and General Housewiffery for the Modern Girl (or Boy, as it were. We are trying to be modern after all.)
What you will find in this blog
Crafts, recipes, tips and tricks around the house. In olden days, as far back as 1950 if you can imagine, there would be a great many things that your mother would teach you so that you might one day be a good housewife. A lot of those things have fallen away. Mostly because you no longer NEED to know them, like how to decorate a cake or quilt a blanket. But just because you don’t need to know these things doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to know. Most of the things I’ll be showing you are things that I’ve found helpful in my life or that I just wanted to learn. You can also find links to buy kits for making the crafts you see here or the project already completed. So ENJOY!!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Book Kitchen Knife Block
It looked ok and would serve the purpose beautifully. But when I went to price this item it was a bit expensive for what I needed and wasn't exactly my style.
But with a little inspiration and creative problem solving to the rescue I came up with this little number.
It reminds me of those old cartoons and movies when you see kids carrying their books to school with belts
It's super easy to make and takes almost no tools. Here's what you'll need;
1- Three largish hardcover books you don't use anymore.
The tallest should be able to fit your longest knife. Hardcovers are important because soft cover won't hold the tension of the belt. You can get these anywhere. I got these from a friend that was getting rid of some old cook books. Thanks Jamie.
2- An old belt.
You can get this from a thrift store or just use an old one. Leather is best but a woven army/boy scout belt could work nicely too.
If the belt fits snugly around the books then that is all you need.
If not then you'll need;
3- A marker
4- A hammer and screw-driver
These are for making a new hole in the belt.
Instructions
Put the belt around the books. I like the way it looks with the tallest book in the center but you can do it however you like.
Pull the belt very snugly. If you put you feet on the books and pull straight toward yourself and then down that should be enough. It doesn't have to be crazy tight but snugger is better. Also, if the belt is leather it will stretch a bit over time.
If you're making a new hole for the belt this is where the marker comes in. Pull the belt snugly and mark just below (about 1/4 an inch) from where the hook part of the belt falls on the inside of the belt.
To make the hole in the belt lay it flat on a firm surface that you won't mind if it's damaged by the screw-driver. I used an old phone book on my kitchen floor. Place the screw-driver's pointy end on the mark you make. Then pound the screw-driver firmly with the hammer until it goes through the belt.
The finished product will look something like this.
If you are interested in buying one of these ready-made from me shoot me an email and I will send you a link to my etsy store.