ReZoom

In a DIY world that seems driven by domestic divas, home and crafts projects abound. But are those "easy-to-follow" steps really easy to follow, and how much do you really have to spend to have these heavenly homemade creations? In a new series, ReZoom takes on the great goddesses of home design to see what passes snuff and what is better left by the wayside.

Slide-able Storage
Basket Table (from Martha Stewart Living, September 2003)

Cost:
Basket: $19.99
Painting Supplies (spray paint and primer): $14.30
Hardware (lumber, casters, screws): $12.81*
Total: $47.10 (+ tax)

Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes to apply primer; 15-20 minutes for first coat of paint; 10 minutes spent applying touch up paint; waited 1 hour for paint to dry; 30 minutes attaching lumber and casters.

Notes: I applied a coat of primer before painting because of the uneven surface of the basket. It seemed like a good step to make sure my basket didn't end up with "bald spots." And, even with the primer, I still needed three cans of spray paint to be satisfied with the look of the project.

Modifications: Well, I have to say that either Martha used the thinnest basket in the world, or she fibbed. I was quite frustrated after spending some time lining up the slats of wood both inside and underneath the basket only to find that there is no way a 1 ¼ wood screw would go through the 1-by-2 inside the basket, the bottom of the basket and the 1-by-2 underneath the basket to join the three together. That 1 ¼ inch screw wasn't even close to making it.

(This is also how I ended up running into Home Depot five minutes before closing in a frantic search for more wood screws. I also need to explain my * here by saying that if I had had the necessary screws the first time, I only would have spent $12.81 on lumber. Snafu included, the cost was closer to $14.77 – not so much a big deal economically speaking, but I was irked by the inconvenience factor.)

After a few more hits and misses, I determined that a 2 inch screw is too long. So relying on my basic math skills and my recent trial and error, I'd recommend a 1 1/2 inch screw or a 1 ¾ inch screw depending on the thickness of the basket that you're using for the project.

Also, even though Martha depicts her sliding basket being used as a side table, this hardly seems feasible to me. Most baskets with lids that you'll find in stores are either hamper-like in style and too tall to serve as tables or more box-shaped and too short for such a purpose.

Pay-Off: Mid-craft frustration and size issues aside, I still love my finished sliding basket. It is incredibly portable, and there's a really good amount of storage space unlike so many of the products you see in home goods stores. In fact, I think I see at least one more basket table in my future.

I certainly have the screws for it.