The 12 Projects Of Christmas - Tree Stand Box


*This post is sponsored Kreg, all creative ideas and plans are my own.

 Welcome back to those that are following our Christmas build series:
The 12 Projects Of Christmas - with KREG
And for those of you just joining in, you can find the first post of our series: HERE
(and be sure to follow along for more projects to come)

 In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing 12 easy to follow plans for DIY home decor as well as gifts to build for others this holiday season. Our goal was to create a holiday series that is for the DIY enthusiast, weather you are a beginner builder or a master, these plans are for all skill levels and will walk you through how to use each tool.

This is the second project of 12, and today we will be sharing how to build this:
Christmas Tree Stand Box

 LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE: Moderate Builder   BUILD TIME: Approx. 2 hours

Here are the tools you will need before you get started

Tool List:




Optional:



Material List:

(4) 2" x 4" boards

(3) 1" x 2" trim boards

Sherwin Williams - White Batten Interior Paint (eggshell finish)

1-1/2" BRAD NAILS

 2-1/2" KREG SCREWS


Instructions:

Step 1: Laying your 2" x 4" board flat on the 4" side, cut one end of your 2" x 4" using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle bevel cut (as shown). After one end is cut, flip your board over to the reverse side and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 23-1/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 12 identical boards. (Angles should be angled in towards each other.)


 (before angles are cut)

(set miter saw to cut a 45 degree by adjusting the bevel handle on the back of the saw)

(place the widest part of your 2x4 board on the saw table & cut 45 degree angle)

(after you have cut one angle, flip the board over and slide the board to your right. before cutting the next angle, your board should look like this facing downward.)

(from the longest point of your first angle cut, measure up your board to 23-1/4" and make a line)

(you will then line up your saw blade with that mark and make your cut)

Step 2: (Note: On two sides of your box, your horizontal trim will line up flush, the opposite sides, the horizontal and vertical trim will be overlapping the flush trim, making the horizontal trim slightly longer. Here, we explain how these cuts need to be made.)

For the overlapping (longer) horizontal sides: Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 24-3/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 4 identical trim pieces.

For the flush (shorter) horizontal sides: Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 23-1/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 4 identical trim pieces.

For the vertical sides: Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 10-1/2" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 8 identical trim pieces.


(you now will need to re-set your saw. bring the bevel back to 0 degrees in it's original placement and lock into place. then, set your miter saw to a 45 degree by moving the miter latch)

(lay the widest part of your 1x2 board on the saw table & cut a 45 degree angle)

(you will then flip your board over to the opposite side and slide it to the right.
then measure the length that you need and make a mark.)

(you will then line up your saw blade to intersect with the corner of the mark you made for your measurement.)

 Step 3: Before drilling your pocket holes, begin by first setting your Kreg Jig K5 to 1-1/2" and drill bit to accommodate a 2-1/2" screw.



Step 4: Begin drilling your pocket holes into the top and bottom 2" x 4" boards of your sides only. Drill 3 holes evenly spaced, each one should be leading into the middle board once you place them together.


Step 5: Screw your boards together using your 2-1/2" Kreg screws.

 Step 6: Once your sides are assembled, you are ready to attach them together. To do this, you could use pocket holes to attach them, but this time we opted to use our braid nailer with 1-1/2" brad nails, shooting the nails into each end where the angles meet.


Step 7: (1) After your sides are securely attached together, lay your box flat on one side and place (2) of the shorter horizontal trim pieces and (2) vertical trim pieces flush so they meet evenly with all sides of the sides of the box. Nail down using 1-1/2" brad nails and your brad nailer. Flip your box to the opposite parallel side and repeat this process. (2) Once flush sides are trimmed, flip the box to the adjoining side, this will be where you add the longer horizontal trim. Your (2) longer horizontal trim pieces and (2) vertical trim pieces should overlap the trim on the joining sides. Nail in securely with 1-1/2" brad nails and your brad nailer. Repeat this process on the opposite side.



Step 8: Your box should now securely be put together! The last step is optional but it sure makes hiding those cords a breeze... Lastly, we used a 1-3/4" HOLE DOZER to drill out a hole in the back center 2" x 4" board.



Step 9: Fill all gaps and nail holes with wood putty. Then sand to smooth one dry.



Step 10: Lastly, you are ready for paint, or stain. For this project we whipped out our HOME RIGHT FINISH MAX PAINT SPRAYER and HOME RIGHT MEDIUM SPRAY SHELTER.



Now you have a beautiful box to display your Christmas tree in! This box fits most standard tree stands, but measure yours first before starting on this project to be sure.



Check out the first project in our series:
Shiplap Advent Calendar


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The 12 Projects Of Christmas - Shiplap Advent Calendar



*This post is sponsored by Kreg, all creative ideas and plans are my own

I am so excited to announce the launch of our "12 Projects Of Christmas" series in collaboration with KREG. In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing 12 easy to follow plans for DIY home decor as well as gifts to build for others this holiday season. Our goal was to create a holiday series that is for the DIY enthusiast, weather you are a beginner builder or a master, these plans are for all skill levels and will walk you through how to use each tool.

Kicking off the series, our first project we are sharing how to build is this:
Shiplap Advent Calendar

LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE: Beginner          BUILD TIME: 1-2 hours
(faster if you are familiar with using the KREG JIG R3)

Here are the tools you will need before you get started

Tool List:











Optional:


Material List:

(2) 1" x 6" x 8' common boards

(2) 1" x 2" trim


Instructions:

Step 1: Cut down your 6" x 8' pine boards down to 47-1/16" each using your miter saw.
This will leave you with 4 separate boards.

Step 2: Cut your 1" x 2" trim pieces, (2) of them being 48-9/16" long and (2) being 21-7/8" long.


Step 3: Using a tape measure, mark out on your 6" boards where to drill your pocket holes. We recommend one pocket hole every 12".


Step 4: Start drilling your pocket holes. You will do this by first adjusting the setting on your Kreg Jig. You can easily determine which setting you will need by using KREG'S SCREW SELECTOR WHEEL. For this project we have set it at 3/4". You will then set your drilling depth using the drill bit and stop collar. You will find the directions how to this in the owners manual inside of your KREG JIG R3. You will only drill pocket holes on one side of 3 boards.





Step 5: Once you have all of your pocket holes drilled, take a moment to quickly sand all of the front facing edges with an electric sander.


Step 6: Now that your boards are drilled and sanded, you will line up your (4) 6" boards evenly and clamp them together using a 36 INCH CLAMP. Now you are ready to begin screwing your boards together using KREG 1-1/4" ZINC COARSE THREAD POCKET HOLE SCREWS.





Step 7: After your boards are securely together, you are ready for paint! You can use any white paint for this, I chose to go with my go-to paint for every indoor home decor project - Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure White. Two coats are all that were needed.


Step 8: Lastly, it's time for trim. Take your pre-cut trim pieces and stain them in your desired stain color first before attaching to the main boards. After they are dry, take your brad nailer loaded with 2" brad nails and nail in your trim.



Step 9: First off, give yourself a pat on the back, because your are almost at the finish line! The last step is to add the HOOKS to hang your daily advent cards/ bags. We alternated ours, having 7 hooks on one board, and 6 on the next, having 26 hooks in total. You may ask, why 26? Well, the perfectionist in me just wasn't okay with how an odd number looked spaced out, and secondly that 26th hook actually comes in handy! As you count down your days and complete your advent, you can stack up the past day's cards or bags on that extra hook. As far as how we spaced out the hooks, each one is approx placed 1" down from the top of the board and 6" apart from each other. To be completely honest, I laid them all out first and just eyeballed what looked best. If you are one that needs precise directions, start with your second row, measure 6" in from the trim and place your first hook. You screw these in by hand. You then can continue measuring 6" apart for each hook on that row, giving you a total of 6 hooks in all. Then head back up to your first row and place the hooks in the middle distance of what you did on the second row. Hopefully this is making sense...


Step 10: The very last step is to add the 20 LB. D RING HANGER to the back of your advent calendar, and you are finally finished!

For the advent days: Photographed here, I opted to use these CLOTH FAVOR BAGS from Amazon and hand letter the numbers by using a sharpie. My plan is to add a fun little surprise in them each day for my girls. Some days will be a small toy or piece of candy, others I have planned to add in a fun holiday activity we could do that day and even how we can give back to others. One of the most special ideas I have planned to incorproate into our advent this year, is having my husband, myself and some of our extended family members write notes to the girls of what they love most about them.






Optional Idea: If you are one for a simple and easy advent, Michaels this year has a ton of adorable numbered cards that are perfect for adding on these hooks, and taking it a step further, you can easily just write on the back of them.


I hope that you have enjoyed this first project, of 11 more to come in our "12 Projects Of Christmas" series to come! Stay tuned for more holiday home decor and easy DIY gifts! And if you are looking for great stocking stuffer ideas for the DIY lover in your life, check out: 

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