Scavenger Chic

Pallet Wood and Piano Paper Roll Holder

• By Joan
• October 3, 2019
• 3 Comments

Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to look for it.  This entire piece was inspired by the two side metal pieces above.  Unless you’re a piano repairman you probably wouldn’t recognize them.

The metal piano pieces were from my sister’s piano.  The picture above shows my own upright piano which hasn’t been tuned in 20 years.  It’s kind of embarrassing when someone who really knows how to play well tries to play it…It’s kind of cringe worthy.  And besides being out of tune it also has 4 broken keys.  It really needs to by upcycled!

The only reason I’m showing you  this old thing is to show you the metal pieces (here they look like a U hook) and where they would fit inside a piano.

This old piano made me start my Pinterest board , What to do with My Old Piano. I have great things in store for him one day.

For this project you’ll need  pallet wood, a metal strap, 1/2″ plywood backing, a 1″ dowel, chalkboard paint, a roll of paper and the 2 metal pieces salvaged from the recycled piano.  Not shown are a couple knobs and a thin piece of wood.

Cut the pallet wood to your desired length.  Mine are 25″.

More pallet wood finishes the frame.  The cross pieces are 13 1/4″.

Cut your backing board slightly smaller than the frame so that no edges stick out.  My plywood backer board is 18×24″ and the pallet wood frame is 19×25″

Mark where the pallet wood hits the backer then use your chalkboard paint to cover up that line. Yes, I’m telling you to paint outside the lines!

If needed,  lightly sand any rough bumps and recoat.

Take the top frame pallet wood piece and cut one more piece of  wood the exact same length.  With the same width pallet wood, cut 4 more pieces , 3 1/2″ each.  Use finish nails to construct your box.

In case you’re wondering, we’re making a box to hold pens, markers, crayons, chalk….

In my list of supplies I didn’t think about a bottom to my box.  Any thin wood will do, but if you have a couple of shutter slats sitting around even better.

You can find shorter Paper Rolls online but I’m kinda impatient and I wanted my roll now so I bought the  roll of paper that Michaels had in stock.  Besides, I had a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket and I wasn’t afraid to use it.

This roll of paper was 24″ by 75 ft but I didn’t want my paper holder quite that wide. With a tabletop scroll  saw, I chopped the roll in half.

I cut the wooden dowel an inch wider than the frame and  stained.  

A visit to my box of junk found a couple matching wooden knobs which not only finish the end of the dowel but also prevent the dowel from sliding off the  metal pieces.

Predrill a hole in the dowel so it doesn’t split, then use a long screw thru the knob to attach.

Attach all the pallet wood to the chalk board backing with  wood glue and screws.

Cut the metal strap and screw to the bottom of the frame.  Underneath the strap, and out of sight, are a couple washers, on both sides, that elevate the strap so the paper can slide underneath.

If you don’t happen to have a nice piece of rusty metal, consider using a wood or metal ruler.

The little box caddy is attached with screws from the back.

Use it for the kids room to hold their art supplies.

Or use it in the craft room to design your next masterpiece.

Or use it in the kitchen to hold your grocery list or map out your week of meals.

Use the metal strap to easily tear off your artwork.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time, stay inspired.

Shared at Talk of the Town

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