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Pergola and Outdoor Furniture

The pergola is finally complete! I'm sure I'll be adding some more things, but for now....I'm happy. I can not take credit for the Pergola, my husband built that, but there are lots of projects inside to tell you about. I built the sofa, coffee table, 2 chairs and 2 planters. It's a great spot for entertaining or just sitting with glass of wine. I really loved the Rectangles Daybed , but I really had no use for a Daybed, so with a few modifications, I came up with the sofa version. To make it more comfortable I used the slanted back idea from the simple outdoor sofa plan.I love how it turned out and it was fairly inexpensive too. Lumber cost was around $50. I used 2x 6′s, 2×2 furring strips, 1×2 furring strips and 1×4 furring strips. You really have to pick through the furring strips, with some patience I was able to find pieces that would work well for my project. Using the more expensive would would make things much easier, because there would be much less sanding and filling involved…but I love a bargain!! When I first built the sofa for this collection, it was for our covered porch. I was not intending to build any matching pieces. When we moved it to the pergola, I decided to build these 2 chairs. I used plan from the simple outdoor chair and modified the back to match the sofa. The lumber for the chairs cost about $25 per chair. I bought some 2X2 quartz tiles from the Habitat ReStore for $3 each! I thought they would work perfectly for the tabletop. I sketched up a quick design to match the other pieces and came up with this. I used 2×3′s and 1×2′s. The lumber cost was about $15. I also used the Square Planters with Finials plan. I love these planters do much and they were so simple! Thanks for all the fantastic plans and inspiration!!

Blog Link
I Love DIYing
Built from Plan(s)
Rectangles Day Bed
Outdoor Chair - Modern Comfort Collection
Square Planters with Finials
Finish Used
white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

teresad2297

Thu, 05/12/2016 - 21:30

What a lovely space! Including the water feature behind the pergola. I'd love to pull it straight from your photos and drop it into my yard! (I'd better get to work!!)  Thanks for sharing.

 

Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Outdoor bar table

Submitted by hueybp on Tue, 07/21/2020 - 20:06

Not quite finished but love the table already. Trying to decide how to stain/paint it. The Kreg jig was a must for this project. It was my first of hopefully many! I used cedar for the 4x4s and 2x6 top pieces. The 2x4s are treated lumber (only because there were no more cedar ones....apparently lumber is getting hard to get lately!!!). Anyway....thanks for the great plans and motivation for this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Bar Table
Estimated Cost
Lumber was about $150 bucks (I bought mitre saw and kreg jig, too)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will probably use semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Washer & Dryer Pedestal

Submitted by T.R. on Fri, 11/18/2016 - 07:51

Good, sturdy pedestal is a nice addition to the laundry room.

I used the plans from Sausha’s Washer/Dryer Pedestals and added a pull out to place the laundry basket on.

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Washer Dryer Pedestals Bases
Estimated Cost
About $100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Privacy Wall

I built this wall to give us a little privacy when our family wants to lay out and go swimming. Also, to hide our neighbor’s ugly fence! The length for all pieces are 8’ long for no cutting and the widths are 1x2, 1x6, 4x4 with 3/4” spacing and about 100 or so deck screws. I modified the pattern from a photo of a fence I seen on HomeDepots YouTube.

Estimated Cost
140
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompson Waterseal - Semi Transparent - Autumn Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table with Industrial Hardware

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/17/2021 - 11:26

My hubby and I used the tressle table plans to make this awesome table. We changed it up, adding the turnbuckles like a Pottery Barn table that we wanted. I think this turned out way better!

We used yellow pine for the lower portion and poplar for the top.

Built from Plan(s)
4x4 Truss Beam Table
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)

Comments

Modern King Farmhouse Bed with Canopy

Although I have experience building projects and using tools, this was my first Ana White project. I am a huge fan! I wanted a little bit more modern take on the Farmhouse bed with canopy, so I attached the headboards and foot boards directly to the 88" tall 4 x 4 posts. This was done instead of creating the king farmhouse bed first and adding the canopy on top of it like the plans show. I used solid 3/4" birch plywood instead of the planks for the headboard/footboard for a more streamlined look. I also used 1 x 4's around the entire perimiter of the headboard/foot board instead of just the top and bottom. I am thrilled with how it turned out, it looks exactly the way I wanted it to! Step-by-step information on how I built the bed are on my blog at decorsanity.com. Thank you Ana, you rock!!

Blog Link
Decor Sanity
Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Canopy Bed Frame (All Sizes)
Farmhouse Bed Canopy Modification (All Bed Sizes)
Farmhouse Bed - Standard King Size
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 sprayed coat primer, 1 sprayed coat Behr flat paint in Polar Bear White, 1 coat sprayed Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

BeaxBuilt

Fri, 01/24/2014 - 23:28

It looks very sturdy. I like your idea of the 1x4 around the entire perimeters and making the canopy the actual bed frame. Thats what I would have done too. I am always trying to think of ways to use 2 x's or 4 x's instead of 1 x's I like the chunkier look. Great job

Two Story Rabbit Hutch

For my first woodworking project, I foolishly decided to build a rabbit hutch without plans for my daughters new Easter Bunny. So I literally scratched some ideas on my wood working bench and started going to work. I did some construction over a decade ago, but never attempted to build any furniture before, so I'm pretty happy with how this came out.

I spent a few days researching various rabbit cages and for our place we needed something that was ascetically pleasing and functional as it was going in our living room. I got some ideas from the web and decided the best thing for us would be to have an entry ramp, 2 sets of barn doors for each level (for easy cleaning) and an open roof. We went with linoleum floors since she's already litter trained. The floors could easily be modified to add 1/2" wire mesh if we decide to change things down the line. Also, we chose an espresso finish with silver hardware to accent the wire mesh

I pretty much crashed and burned on the staining as I've never done that before, but it ended up looking ok after all. I did a light sanding, but will probably invest in a planer and jointer to get my wood in better shape before assembling in the future. Also, I'll probably lightly dab some stain on ends of wood before final assembly as it made it difficulty trying to hide the white pine with the dark stain.

Other cages I saw ran around $200-$350.00 so i don't feel so bad about the cost. It's really the time that it took learning and making mistakes. I'm sure if I had plans I could of cut my time in 1/2.

Total Cost came out to around $150.00 but probably would of been cheaper if I had some plans to go by. I probably wasted a few 2x2s and accidentally mis-cut a scrap piece of 1/4"plywood which added another $16.00 to the bottom line.

Here's a breakdown of my total cost.

Hardware - $30.00
Includes 5 latches, 4 sets of hinges (8 total) and a 3' piano hinge

Stain - $8.00

Linoleum Tile @ ¢.69 sq ft - $16

Brushes, Stain Rags - $5.00

Screws - $6.00

Wire Mesh Roll $30.00
Needed 2 rolls at $15.00 each. I used 1" Wire Mesh measuring 2'x15'

Total Wood $50.00-$60
I used 2x3's for the legs - 2 @ 8' - $2.00 each ($4.00)
probably 15-20 2x2's - $1.52 each - can't remember how many I used to be honest ($30.00)
and a few 1x6's for the Doors - $2.00 each ($6.00)
Sheet of 1/4 plywood - $12.00

Blog Link
JasonGriffith.com
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ashinshaw

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 08:09

I also have been thinking with the idea of building a two story hutch for our rabbit. I love your ideas so now i have a new project to work on. Thanks for sharing!

Nicolene (not verified)

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 12:46

I LOVE your cage! We have 2 rabbits and 2 Guinea pigs which means we have 2 ugly cages in our living room. We are planning something similar, but a bit bigger (but lower if that makes sense). And we'll put a 3rd story on for our Guinea pigs. So we have everyone on the same patch of real estate so to speak. I was going to do 3 solid walls with wire "windows" too keep all the hay, poops and such contained. I am also going to put lockable wheels underneath, so I can move it to my office if I ever need to (parties and renovations).

Is there anything that you can now think of that you would like to change on yours? R my research purposes.. :) It looks awesome, I'm just picking your brain for "hindsight" tips.

Outdoor Play Kitchen!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/28/2023 - 08:57

We modified Ana White’s excellent Mud Kitchen plans, adding a third section and scaling the whole thing slightly larger to be a better size for our 4 and 6 year old grand daughters. It was so much fun to make and accessorize!

Built from Plan(s)
Mud Kitchen
Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Simple Bunk Bed

Submitted by rogers99 on Sat, 05/23/2020 - 10:42

Built mostly from the Simple Bunk Bed plans on this site with a couple of modifications. Namely: made a vertical ladder, used Rockler Bed rail fasteners, increased bed height to fit 3rd twin mattress underneath for when my moms visits, and made a removable bottom safety rail that slides on when my daughter goes to sleep. Overall it was a fun project to do and they kids are really enjoying it.

Built from Plan(s)
Simple Bunk Beds (Twin over Twin)
Simple Bed (Twin Size)
Estimated Cost
380
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

My first woodworking project

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/21/2016 - 11:38

Our Australian Shepard will no longer be digging the trash out all over the floor!  I did change the plans up a bit because I wanted a hangover off the sides as well as the front. And we used bead board instead of the solid panel. Thanks for the great plans Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Wood Tilt Out Trash or Recycling Cabinet
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of extreme and primer and 2 coats of White paint. I lightly sanded in between each coat. I applied the primer and first coat of pai t qith a roller and the final coat was applied with a paint brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Work Bench and Carts

I finally finished my workbench this summer. I started the bench 2 years ago for my miter saw. Got busy with other builds, things for family, clients, etc. I still had most of the wood cut for the carts. Here it is in all its glory!!! Finally organization and I can actually park my car in my garage. Thanks Ana for all of your plans.

Blog Link
https://www.facebook.com/TinaPalermowoodfurniture
Built from Plan(s)
Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
primer

Square Farmhouse Table

Submitted by eddingsr on Sun, 01/08/2017 - 13:17

I built this table for a friend who wanted a rustic, plank-top kitchen table. She wanted a square table with 4x4 legs. Since I don't have clamps, I used pocket holes and wood glue for the table top. Also, I only have a 7&1/4" miter saw, which means the 4x4s were too thick to cut. So I made one cut in the legs, then flipped them and made another. It worked! :) I sanded down the sides of the table top with 80 grit. They needed to be evened up since some of the planks were a little longer than others. I back braced underneathe the top with (3) 1x3s. Then, I sanded all over with 120, vacuumed, then wiped it down with a damp towel. Fun build!! 

Built from Plan(s)
Emmerson Parsons Table - Modern Reclaimed Wood Dining Table
Estimated Cost
~$100 for lumber, screws, wood glue, sandpaper, and finishing products.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
For the finish I used Minwax wood conditioner, then a coat of Minwax stain in Provincial. I went back and put a second coat of stain on a few of the premium pine pieces, because they soaked up the first coat really well, and I wanted some darker pieces on top. I let those soak for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I did 2 coats of Polycrylic all over, then a third coat for the top only. I dry sanded between coats with 600 grit sandpaper.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Garden Shed Douglas

Submitted by sambelg on Sat, 04/22/2017 - 07:45

Garden Shed out of douglas wood

i added wooden floor .

Built from Plan(s)
Small Cedar Shed
Estimated Cost
700 euro , wood is very expensive where i live
cedar would have made it very pricey
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Pine stain Xyladecor
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

whitedog9

Thu, 06/15/2017 - 12:48

Greetings, I like your workmanship - It looks great! I have a couple questions if you would be so kind as to answer them. I like how you turned the studs sideways. How did you attach the studs to the 2x4 plate that you have turned on its 1 1/2" edge both top and bottom. I am thinking of toenailing or driving 3 1/4" GRK screws through the 1 1/2" sides of the 2x4's and into the 1 1/2" edge of the top and bottom plate. I know that Kreg has a jig out that uses oversize screws-it is specifically designed for 1 1/2" and larger (up to 3 1/2").

 

How did you secure the bottom plate to the wooden floor. I am thinking that you may have used 1/4" or 5/16" lag bolts down through the 2x4 and on into the frame of your wooden floor.

 

Thanks for your reply,

Cliveous (Reggie) Ogg

Square Picnic Table

Submitted by Bmorey67 on Mon, 05/10/2021 - 18:57

I built this picnic table for my mom’s Mother’s Day/Birthday gift. With the price of lumber being as high as it is I figured this table would be her gift this year. Fairly simple design. Ana was right about pre-sanding and staining. Would’ve made it a lot easier. I applied to coats of external poly for durability. Keep plans coming Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Square Picnic Table
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cognac stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Little Bear's Loft Bed

My daughter had talked about wanting a loft bed for a long time so after of plenty of research, we went for it. The shelves of the bookcase, except the top and bottom, are made from 3/4 plywood I had laying around. I did my best to utilize as much lumber that I already had in the basement to reduce costs.

Underneath the bed is LED Rope Lighting and the gaps under the rails were stenciled with the bear paws since my daughters nickname is Little Bear.

People have loved it enough I think there's a couple people that are going to buy the supplies so I can build it for them. The one thing I wish I had during the construction was an oscillating multi-tool to trim off the Kreg plugs. I now have one and plan on using it a fair amount.

On to the next project!!

Ben

Built from Plan(s)
How to Build a Loft Bed
Under Loft Bed Tall Bookcase
Estimated Cost
Around $200 since I used higher quality lumber and Ohio is expensive
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semigloss paint and bear paw stencil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondack End Table

Submitted by Bradski on Sun, 06/16/2013 - 07:10

My First Project

Blog Link
Build a Adirondack Stool or End Table
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loft bed

Submitted by Kyjo5 on Sat, 11/14/2015 - 13:19

Built this bed from the look of the project done by Ana. Used 4x4s for the legs and used a router to make slots for the 1x8s to fit in. Everything was built as I went because our house was built in 1907 and nothing is square and it also has vaulted ceilings. 

Built from Plan(s)
How to Build a Loft Bed
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
High gloss white latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Headboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/24/2023 - 09:17

I followed your basic farmhouse bed plans and modified them. I have made three headboards now. Each time someone sees them, they want me to build one for them!

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Bed - Queen Sized
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