Welcome to “Weekend Warriors.” Every Friday, we run a shining example of a reader’s recent makings—to say TGIF and send you off right into your own weekend’s projects. Jack and Barbara Tibbetts love their cat, Mr. Sambolini the Magnificent; scattered litter from Mr. Sambolini's box, not so much. So they designed something really Magnificent---a litter-box enclosure that contains the mess and looks more like "an attractive storage chest" than a sandy mess. Barbara writes:

Inspired by other folks' projects, we decided that our cat's litter box area needed a do-over. Previously, it was set on a rug remnant with a louvered shutter screen to provide privacy. The scatter and dust were a continuous issue. My husband took panels of white melamine from an old, inexpensive computer station, cut them to size for bottom and sides, and glued and nailed them into a box shape. He added casters for mobility and drilled vent holes on the back and end (see second photo). The front side, with its arched opening, is covered with a leftover sheet of cork from an office supply store which was glued in place with construction adhesive. Using more construction adhesive, we lined the interior with remnants of sheet vinyl and used silicone caulk to seal all the corners, making the inside easy to clean and preventing odor from seeping into structure. The interior is large enough to contain the litter box, an exit mat, a large scoop, and a small whisk broom with a dustpan for sweeping up the scatter inside. The right side has an inexpensive mirror attached with mirror mastic and trimmed on each end with more cork. The effect of the mirror helps to reduce the visual bulk of the box. The scoop and small whisk broom stay in place.  The pile of sweepings, which used to end up on the floor around the box, is easy to pick up and return to the box for use. Much less wasteful than my old system of constant vacuuming! We finished the outside corners with lengths of right-angle aluminum corner trim that help prevent wear. My husband sealed the cut edges of the arch entry with automotive "bondo," a product used for car body repairs. It effectively covered the rough surface of the melamine particle board and prepared it for painting with a metallic glaze. I covered the rear and left sides with a large sheet of kraft paper that came as packing material in a recent purchase. I first crushed the paper and wrinkled it, then glued it to the laminate with decoupage glue, placing it over the vent holes. Once it was dry, I used an Exacto knife to trim the opening for the vents, which are simple, inexpensive soffit vents from the hardware store. For a more decorative effect, and to honor my husband's sport of fishing and my passion for spring-blooming bulbs, I decoupaged pictures of various fish, aged with wood stain, and a few of my favorite Dutch flowers onto the end. The top is now covered with a "butterfly" door that opens from each end toward the center. This allows us easy access to scoop and refresh the litterbox. When closed, the entire unit has the appearance of an attractive storage chest. The insides of the doors are painted with white enamel to keep them bright and to make them easy to clean.  The top was done with a mix of leftover paints -- two coats of brown flat paint  followed by a top coat of silver metallic glaze. Mr. Sambolini the Magnificent Cat had absolutely no problem adjusting to his new "facilities." He continues to enjoy the life of a pampered indoor feline. In addition to his luxury litter box, he has a "crow's nest" where he can climb into a cozy basket and look down on his domain. That's a story for another time.

If you've completed a project that you'd like to see featured on Weekend Warriors, don't be shy---send it to us.

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