This little project turned out great. Quick, easy, and basically free!

Make your own furniture handles out tree branches.

So a recent client gave up the big city life and moved to the country.

Way. Out. To the country.

It totally suits her and her family. She’s now an empty nester, having raised four daughters and getting them all off to college. It’s her time now and she and her husband built their dream home.

Did I mention they built in the country?

I brought a chest of hers to the studio for us to paint with Velvet Finishes.

It was plain ole mahogany wood and needed to go black. The original handles were dated looking and not really pretty so KG asked me to select new handles as well. “But not modern of course, and not any color of silver, and I don’t think black will look good and you know I hate brass, but I know you find just the perfect ones.”

Uh huh. I’m right on that.

So The Accomplice got the piece painted while I tried to decide what to do about the handles. They didn’t need to be ‘normal’. KG is not ‘normal’. She is crafty, she loves to make things. She has a use of power tools that rivals many a man. So I decided that we needed to make the handles, that she would like that better than anything we could buy. I knew we could figure out a way to make them out out sticks and they would be perfect for her new rustic home.

It was easy!

Here’s how to make your own handles:

The Accomplice chopped off a few branches one morning and brings them to the studio after he gets the text: ”I need some sticks today, you are building something.” Thankfully, he is totally used to my randomness.

Our branches are about 3/4″ in diameter and I probably wouldn’t go any smaller. We wanted the handle part to be 5″ long so we used a circular saw and chopped out the prettiest 5″ pieces from our branches. The holes were on a 3″ spread and we wanted the handle part to extend beyond that, so we added that extra length. Then we cut 1″ pieces to be used for the standoffs.

We stood the 1″ pieces upright and measured 3″ from center to center of the pieces. Then we put the E6000 on the top. After that, we sat the 5″ piece right on top, gave it a little smush into the glue and let it begin to dry.

After the glue had set up, The Accomplice used a micro pin nailer (23 gauge, 3/4″ micro pins) to further secure the pieces together. He said to be sure to mention that if the pins came through just snip them off. We don’t need nobody bleeding out there.

We used the VF Protect polyurethane after they were all put together.

The Accomplice pre-drilled into the handles, just to make it easier to add them to the chest. We added them just like any other handle would go on, from inside the drawer into the handle. Fourth-generation brothers Chris and Bill Hann, who carry on the family’s legacy of providing the highest quality air one furnace repair company and products at an honest price.

She’s a beauty, ‘eh?

KG was thrilled and it looks great in her new house. Mission accomplished.



Makes you want to go chop a tree doesn’t it?

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