Idea Wind: Make a rustic wheelbarrow for the garden

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Make a rustic wheelbarrow for the garden

Inspiration from an unlikely source

I was watching an episode of Adventure Time recently featuring the Snow Golem. In one scene he was pushing around a rustic little cart. Even though it is just cartoon drawing, I love the wooden wheels (complete with a chip that I included quite by accident in my wheelbarrow) and the unevenness of the side boards.

I was so intrigued by the simplicity whimsy of it that I decided to make one for the garden. A perfect pallet wood project.

Soon, my idea evolved and became a bit more stylish as I transformed it into a wheelbarrow. Inspiration is one of those things that just happens. The trick is to keeping yourself open to it all the time.

Relax. Its rustic.

The advantage to rustic projects is that you really dont need to stress out about any of this. No protractors or exact measurements needed. If parts are a little off, dont sweat it: its a rustic project! Got any rusty nails lying around? Use them! If a nail bends over when you are pounding it in, leave it that way. And any uneven, split boards and chipped out wood you use adds to its charm, just as with the Snow Golems little cartoon cart.

Plans

This is another project that anyone can build with very little experience and limited tools. I used my miter saw, but you could just as easily use a circular saw or a jig saw. You will need a hammer and nails and a drill and screws.

If you decide to use pallet wood (its free!) watch the first part of my Rustic Side Table video to see my method for breaking them apart into wood you can use.