DIY Recipe Stand

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I am really excited to share this project with you. Not only is it cute and functional but it is almost free depending on what materials and supplies you have around. With all the cooking that gets done around the holidays this is a great item to have on hand. Maybe it is just me but when I am in the process of cooking with a recipe on my iPad I spend so much time looking for my iPad to refer to the recipe. I set my iPad up on the table and then look for it on the counter. Then if I find it on the table I might move it to the counter and forget again where I set it. I think it is that short term memory loss setting in. Can any one else relate?

This recipe stand works great to set either a cookbook or iPad on when making a recipe. Then when I am all done cooking the stand functions as a home decor piece that sits on my kitchen counter. I chose to do a wine graphic I got from the Graphics Fairy. She has thousands of free amazing graphics to choose from. Other ideas like a favorite quote, picture, etc, would look great as well. This graphic was transferred using the parchment paper technique

This recipe stand is made out of pallet wood, 1/4 inch plywood and scrap 1x4s. I loved the imperfection of the pallet wood with the cracks and unevenness. It really adds character to the final piece.

I made two of these and plan to use the second one as a notebook stand for my office to help me when I do my charting for work.

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR RECIPE STAND

Pallet wood or 1×4
Thin plywood 1/8 inch thick
1 – 1×4
Chop saw
Nail gun
1 inch nails
Wood glue
Glue gun
Wood Stain – I used Rust-oleum in Dark Walnut
Vaseline (optional)
Chalkboard paint
Parchment paper
Printer paper
Graphic to transfer – Graphics Fairy
Pen
Scotch tape
Scissors or paper cutter
Sealer
Drill
Drawer knobs – I got mine from Hobby Lobby

CUTS NEEDED FOR RECIPE STAND

3 – pallet pieces or 1x4s- 12 X 3 1/2 inches
2 – pressed plywood – 2 1/2 inches x 9 inches
2 – 1×4- 8 inches long cut at a 20 degree angle

STEPS TO MAKE RECIPE STAND

Step 1) Once all the cuts are completed sand the wood to smooth out any rough edges. Take the angled thin edge of the 1×4 apply wood glue and nail it to the center of the thin plywood. This is the stand and is what the pallet boards will attach too.Step 2) Lay the pallet would face down. On the thin plywood I put wood glue and several drops of hot glue and set it on the back side of the three pieces of pallet wood making sure to line it up close to the bottom edge of the bottom pallet. The hot glue adheres to the wood quicker than wood glue. This holds it in place until the wood glue sets. This is a great trick I learned from my dad and works well when you aren’t able to use nails to hold pieces of wood in place while the wood glue is setting. Make sure to keep the pallet boards close together as the glue is setting. You could also use a clamp for this part if you have one available. Once the stand is dry it is ready for the finishing process. For this part I stained, vaselined (ha I made of a word), painted, sanded and did a graphic transfer.

Step 3) I stained the recipe stand with Rust-oleum stain in Dark Walnut and then applied vaseline to several different areas where after painting I would want the stain to show through. Then I applied two coats of chalk paint over the stained and vaselined piece. I used Deco Art Americana Chalk Paint in the color Lace. Allow the paint to dry. Step 4) I sanded the whole Recipe Stand. The areas with the vaseline sanded off much easier than the non vaseline areas.To apply the graphic I used a graphic transfer technique using parchment paper. I used this same transfer technique for my Shabby Chic Tray.

Step 5) To apply the graphic I used a graphic transfer technique using parchment paper. For this step gather parchment paper, regular paper, scotch tape, scissors/paper cutter and a retractable pen. I cut the parchment paper to the size of a regular piece of paper 8 1/2 x 11 inches, and taped the parchment paper to the paper (see below for tips). Here is the direct link to Graphics Fairy to the wine graphic I used. Make sure to print the reverse image or it will be backwards. Once I printed the graphic I placed the parchment paper ink side down on the stand, centered it and taped it in place. Be careful not to touch the ink.

A few Tips:

In order to print on the parchment paper and not jam my printer I had to tape the parchment paper to a regular piece of printer paper. I tried it first with just parchment paper and it jammed my printer. Depending on your printer it may work with just the parchment paper. Make sure that the parchment paper prints on the smoother side. I found it difficult to distinguish which side was the “smoother side,” but I felt both sides of the parchment paper very lightly and I could detect one side had a somewhat rougher texture. As I experimented with this several times the smother side of the parchment paper definitely made a difference with how well the graphic transferred. Also it is important to set your printer setting to the “best” setting in order to get the best print possible.

Step 6) Take the end of a retractable pen and press on the parchment paper with the end of the pen retracted. I moved the pen up and down and back and forth making sure that the pen went over every part of the graphic.You probably could use any sort of a blunt end of an object, but I thought the end of a pen worked really well. Warning you will get sore hands and forearms during this part and now you will have an excuse for a massage :-). Once I was done I removed the parchment paper and like magic…yes I really think this is awesome, the ink sticks to the wood and wallah the image transferred. I allowed this to dry and then I sprayed three coats of sealer. Since this was going to be sitting next to my stove I figured it might get splattered with grease and food so I wanted to make sure it would be easy to clean. After the sealer dried I gathered my drill and drawer knobs. I marked the spots where the knobs would go, drilled my holes and screwed in the knobs. Now I have a perfect home for recipes using a cookbook or an iPad. Hhhhmm where can I find the recipe for that yummy looking Bow Tie Pasta Salad? So glad you asked. ;-).