Project #1: Skis on the wall. Check.

Yep, we're now those people with skis hanging on our wall. I've had these for a while (thanks William!). They've been propped up in our laundry closet since we moved in two years ago. Before that, they were propped up in our old house between the bookshelf I threw together and the fireplace mantel I hacked.

It started this weekend with building some cleats from a scrap of 7/16" plywood that I ripped at a 45-degree angle on my table saw. Then screwing them to the ski bases with some #8 3/4" screws.

It was then just a matter of measuring and leveling. Something I've learned (the hard way, I might add) about hanging things on drywall with anchors: drill pilot holes first to find out if there's a stud behind where I'm aiming. If I just drilled the 1/4" hole for the anchor and hit a stud, the screw wouldn't thread because the hole would be too big. Exhibit A, below: the second hole from the right. I hit a stud behind it. No anchor necessary.

I even had a helper!

Finally, I stuck the skis up on the wall. Boom.

It's surprising how (finally) having something up on that wall really fills it in. Granted, that's the spot we've had slated for the skis since about two weeks after we moved in. Long before we painted, even.

As corny as they may be, I think they're pretty cool.