I started by making all four sides. I cut all the wood to size with my circular saw. TIP: cut the inside pieces first in order to accurately cut the outside frame. To cut the front opening, lay 4 boards together, measure 8.75″ on the top board and trace a 45º line down to the bottom like this:
Then I laid it all out and used wood glue to temporarily hold the outside frame to the inside pieces. Once the glue was dry, I flipped it over and screwed it together.
Then I screwed all four sides together to make the box. I bought several colors of sample sized wood stains at Home Depot. These tiny sample size cans are only a few dollars each and you can do so much with them! I started slapping the stain on, trying to mimic old weathered wood by staining each board a different shade. I didn’t tape anything off and it definitely wasn’t perfect, but I let it dry overnight.
The next morning I sanded everything and went back with a black stain. Working quickly and in small sections, I brushed it into all the cracks and wiped it with baby wipes to help make the sections stand out better and give it an old, antique look.
To finish it, I painted the plywood bottom a solid dark grey and screwed it on to the top section. I put magic sliders under it so we can move it easily and without damaging the floor.
source: ruggydiy.com
