The previous owner of our old house was a wonderful carpenter. We had the most beautiful crown molding, trim & wainscotting. We were very spoiled with all of the detail work in that house. It wasn’t until we were house hunting for our current home, that I realized not every home has these details that I love so much. We were lucky enough to get into a home with some beautiful woodwork BUT I wanted more!!
I decided this was a skill that I needed to learn how to do myself. I have watched my Dad do these projects time and time again over the years, and I have been his apprentice, but never done it on my own. I watched a couple tutorials, took a couple lessons on the tools that I needed and just dove in. “I’ll figure it out as I go” was basically my motto. Starting in the darkest corner of my bedroom, so I can hide my mistakes, sounded like the best idea. I pretty quickly got the hang of drawing out the boxes & measuring my cuts. I was on a roll and inspired by the progress I made. As I am finishing up my first project, overall, I am happy with the work I have done. I have compiled a little advice for myself to look back on for the next project.
What I have learned
DON'T BE SCARED TO FAIL- JUMP IN! This was the hardest part for me. I was so afraid to fail at something because I have never done it before. JUST GO FOR IT!! It may be hard, but it feels so good to accomplish something that I have never done before.
What I want to learn
So the perfectionist in me wants to learn from little mistakes that i have made and make the PERFECT 45 degree cuts & not have to use any wood filler to hide imperfections. While that may not be totally realistic, I want to get better. The only way to get better is to do it more! I have big plans for the staircase, the dining room & the hallway. These projects will come with the challenges of new angles and cuts that I have never done before, and designing new layouts. That is what I would like to learn & I am up for the challenge.
Advice to take away
I learned to use the time I am working on this project to just slow down and enjoy the process! I need to take my time & measure twice, cut once, and know that it will take more than one day. I have also learned that it does not all have to get done in one day. That was a hard one for me to swallow. It pays off when you enjoy the process and take your time.
Everything that I used for this project is linked here on my LTK!
XXX
