Easy Build DIY Planter Box
I was looking for planter boxes for my front door and these were easy and super sturdy. I absolutely love them and how they enhanced this area! Thank you Ana for this simple yet impactful plan!
I was looking for planter boxes for my front door and these were easy and super sturdy. I absolutely love them and how they enhanced this area! Thank you Ana for this simple yet impactful plan!
I saw the plans on Ana White website and and used them to put this together. I changed it slightly to fit my needs. I made this for my in-laws and it was a lot of fun to do. Hardest part was using blue tape on stain and paint.
The wife has a hard time bending down so she wanted pedestals for the washer and dryer. The metal ones with a drawer were too tall. I showed her Sausha's and she really loved that design. I basically used the same construction plans idea from Sausha's project and some tips from Ryan's brag post. But, I wanted to beef it up some. I didn't like the L-bracket to attach the top and 4X4 legs. It didn't seem sturdy enough for me. I used my table saw to square the edges on the 4X4 posts and the 2X6 rails. Then I used my Kreg jig and glued and screwed everything together. I liked Ryan's trim ideas, so I used baseboard trim for the bottom and flipped it for the top trim. I made a 1/2" lip so if it were to vibrate, the washer/dryer would not fall. I put the trim on the bottom of the legs and was considering putting on the top but I put some different trim all the way around the bottom of the 2X6 rails. The wife liked that. I also added some carpet on the top to cut down on vibration and to help keep the units in place. I also put some 4X4 pieces of carpet on the bottom to keep the noise down and to help in moving it. I primed and used an gravity sprayer to paint it. Then I put 3 coats of polyacrylic to help in cleaning and to cut down on scratches from the laundry baskets.
Wed, 06/29/2016 - 14:31
I think you could probably drive a truck on top of yours. :) I was a bit concerned about the strength of the construction when I first decided to build it, but I decided that since it would be stationary once I have it in place and the only force would be straight down, it would be fine. Once I got it put together, it was actually sturdier than I thought it was going to be...from a horizontal force perspective. Virtically, that thing could hold 100 washer/dryer pairs...the plywould would give out before the 2x4s and 4x4s would even budge.
Anyway, nice work! I love the Kreg Jig...I need one of those.
Sun, 01/29/2017 - 16:23
Great looking build, thanks for the detailed photos!
My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!
I shrunk the size and dumbed down the plans to fit my skill level.
Mon, 10/10/2016 - 09:08
I love what you did! It looks so great! I prefer this style, which is more simplistic than the other. Great work!!
Mon, 10/10/2016 - 10:28
Love how this turned out - the simpler drawers is just as (if not more) beautiful!
Tue, 10/11/2016 - 14:56
Thanks! I wish I would of set up an account before I posted so I could get notifications. I honestly didn't think anyone would notice it :)
Tue, 10/11/2016 - 14:58
I am so excited that people noticed this :) Is there any way of putting this under my account? I didnt make an account until today and I would like to get notifications. I have my project on my facebook page and can prove that I made it with other pictures. Thanks!
Mon, 01/20/2020 - 07:44
I would love to see this in a farm-house (rather than rustic) aesthetic along with drawers under the seats for extra storage. Maybe on casters with a fold up extension on the other side? So many ideas running through my head with this!
Made from 2 pallets, 2 x 6 x 8, leftover trim from my house, wood branch from my backyard. Attached shelf with pocket holes.
Accents:
-Handpainted lettering; painted prior to glazing entire piece
-Finials made from 4.25 inch spray painted and glazed clay pots and saucers coated with Valspar clear finish and attached together with epoxy; buttons attached to pots with E6000 adhesive
-Buttons attached mostly with small screws; a few with holes too small for screws were attached with epoxy
-Plastic flowers made from mayo and water bottles and lids; sanded, primed, spray painted, coated with Valspar clear coating; attached with screws
-Faucet knobs sanded, spray painted, glazed and attached with screws
-Plumbing pipe filled with plumber epoxy puttty; insert screw into putty before it hardened, then screwed into wood
-Gardening tool hooks made from pant wire hangers with a few beads attached; wire simply wrapped around tree branch
Not sure that I will use pallet wood again since difficult to pull apart pallets, uneven and some split boards could not be used, and required tons of sanding for those boards that could be used. I think I paid more for orbital sanding pads than the cost of buying new wood. Will use pallet wood for other non-furniture projects not requiring a perfect finish.
This is a simple project for the beginning woodworker. There are a variety of bird feeder designs available on the web but I wanted to try something a little different. Anyway, this is my try at a simple bird feeder.
Build Instructions:
I used 1x3 box pine instead of 2x4's for the bits that things sit on, and everything fits perfectly.
Originally I was planning on a 3.6m long x 0.6m deep X 1.8m high shelf. At the lumberyard I found out that 2x4's came in 6m lengths as standard, so I adjusted this to 1.5m high instead, which worked out fine as I think 1.8m would have been a bit tall to get heavy things on top of. Luckily for me my power points and light switches were just under this, which I didn't think about at the time!
Originally I was going to try and cut grooves for the 'rungs' of the ladder frames to slot into, hence the insets at the bottoms of the legs. I think that the glue-and-screw construction will be plenty strong enough, though.
This took me about 4 hours to put together, and cost about NZD$170 all up, which is about USD$120.
I've got the bug. Making things is awesome.
It was truly great for us to find a greenhouse design from a fellow Interior Alaskan blogger. We kept coming back to this design, enough times to where we decided to actually build it.
We would be the first to admit that tackling a gambrel style building was slightly intimidating and not what we had in mind for our very first self-built building! But, we faithfully followed the cut lists and directions. It turned out beautifully! If you're in the same boat, have confidence that you can build this too!
We love the options available for making it your own. We decided to stain the greenhouse lumber of ours to match our cedar sided home. We also built a semi frost-resistant foundation, since we're a little north of Ana at 65 degrees and sometimes experience frost heaving. We also added full climate controls to ours, adding both fans and louvers that keep our greenhouse at perfect temperatures.
The performance has been great! Building this greenhouse has been the single greatest thing we have done in our years of subarctic gardening. We might even consider building a second greenhouse down the road. No matter how big your greenhouse is, it's never quite enough!
Thanks for the great plans, Ana! We appreciate your work!
We followed the outdoor sectional plan from Ana Whites blog to create this outdoor sectional. First we bought the cushions and custom built this sectional to fit the cushions. We used 2x4's and the kreg jig for pocket screws, then covered the base in beadboard and some pine trim, gave it a good sanding and a nice paint job.
Fri, 04/12/2013 - 05:46
Thanks! We built the frame according to Ana's design (customized dimensions for our cushions) and then covered the base in bead board and used pine trim around the edges. The cushions are from the Frontgate Outlet in Cincinnati.
Wed, 05/07/2014 - 15:34
Is there a link to the side/corner section of this so I do not have to guess. Thanks.
Your plans made this project so much easier. We love it and have gotten a lot of compliments for it.
Fri, 06/12/2020 - 11:05
LOVE the attention to decorating details! This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
I started with the original plans for the sandbox with the benches, and then just sort of took off with the modifications.
When it's open, it's a 4'x6' sandbox with a bench on one side and a canopy overhead. When it's closed, it's a stage complete with curtains, or can also convert into a puppet theatre.
I had to make several adjustments to the original plan to allow for enough support for the stage to be walked (and danced) on, including an extra armrest in the bench, and a few blocks built up from the base of the sand area. I also used 1x6 boards for the top instead of 1x4, to cover the entire 4' with only the one bench.
Thanks so much for the plans, my girls love it! (and thanks to KnittingEmily for posting the plans for the 6' sandbox, which gave me a jumping off point for the sizing I used.)
The story of how I built it can be found here:
http://www.thislemonyogurt.com/a-box-of-sand/
They were simple to make and the plan was easy to follow. The only modification I made was adding the 1x3 topper in place of the longer legs sticking out of the top.
Fri, 07/19/2013 - 06:36
Adding these to my to-do list for spring (yes, I plan ahead). I'm thinking of elevating and elongating them to fit around a bay window.
I built some French Tuteur’s for the garden.
Fresh and ready for my new raised beds.
I have to shorten the design up a bit to fit my dinning room. I also did Epoxy Resin on top to give it the glass like appearance.
So ebony stain on white pedistole with an Epoxy Resin finish.
I saw the idea for this bed on Pinterest originally. It linked to a blog that had the step by step plan (http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2011/08/how-to-build-a-loft/). However, I would have never even approached the idea or project without a few of Ana's plans under my belt first. I have gained so much confidence in my building on this site, and will always be a HUGE fan here :) Thank you Ana for all the fantastic plans you continue to share!
I still want to finish out and make the under bed area more fun and creative with curtains and such, but we LOVE having the full floor in the room for our play area. My boys absolutely love their bed!!
Wed, 10/02/2013 - 13:07
I'll bet the boys are thrilled with this. It's great to have that extra play room!
I am curious, though, how the center of the loft bed is supported.
In reply to Looks great! by sgilly
Wed, 10/02/2013 - 18:38
Hey Sue, I went and found the old link to the plans for this and added it to the brag post. Or here it is also: http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2011/08/how-to-build-a-loft/ Underneath is a bunch of 2x4's spaced to support the platform, but the big 2x8's are the main strength. They are monsters! We've had a bunch of kids and adults up there for story time, and never once has it felt unstable or wobbly. Hopefully the link will help. It has way more photos that I have here.
Thu, 07/28/2016 - 15:47
I am going to attempt to make this bed in a couple of weeks for my daughters. The handmade home directions only show the rope ladder. We want to make the ladder similar to your pictures above. Could you tell me how you made yours please and thank you?
I have been longing to make a factory cart coffee table for years after seeing one in a local antique store in Jacksonville Florida. I started by following the dimensions from Ana Whites table and then decided to make the table top with the ability to open up into storage. I followed the plans and updated with hardware that I (painstakingly) pieced together from various sites online. I love the industrial feel the cast iron hardware brings to this adaptation and cannot wait to start building matching end tables. Thank you Ana for the inspiration!
Wed, 11/06/2013 - 17:11
Could you share any details about how you finished the wheels? I have a cart I am trying to refinish but stalling out on the cast iron parts. I really don't want to paint them, and I don't want them to rust.
Just noticed the Kupo Nut reference! I love it!
In reply to awesome! by jahnkekong
Wed, 11/06/2013 - 19:16
Thank you so much for catching the Kupo nut reference! Haha I only felt it was fitting to add a little nerd flair :) rust oleum has a hammered black paint that also doubles as a rust inhibitor so it worked perfectly to touch up the cast iron parts and keep that rustic feel to the hardware. I finished with a clear top coat as I'm sure that I will end up constantly kicking the wheels by accident haha.
Wed, 11/06/2013 - 19:51
Thanks so much, Kupo! ;0) This is motivating me to FINALLY finish my project. Maybe I'll have my own brag post soon!
In reply to Hardware by Cyber Sapp
Wed, 12/04/2013 - 19:18
Hi cyber sapp! I was able to piece them together from eBay and etsy items. I searched for key words: "antique cast iron caster" or "factory/industrial cart wheel" and you should be able to find ones that work. I held out for the best deals I could. Be prepared to search quite a lot if you want to find the best deal.
As far as the decal is concerned, I created the template on illustrator and used it as a template to paint the decal on. I checked online and saw a few examples of transferring images on to wood that will probably be easier than hand painting. Hope this helps!!
Wed, 12/04/2013 - 22:25
Thanks for the update. I made one similar to your modifications. I'm using storage too, I will share once I get the soft close installed. I'm looking for something that want slam fingers when it is closed. I also used Walnut to build it. It is solid like a tank with the hardwood, but came out pretty good. I made a few minor mistakes and now want to make one closer to yours.
In reply to Thanks for the quick response by Cyber Sapp
Tue, 12/17/2013 - 21:19
Oh wow I bet the walnut looks amazing!!! That's a serious upgrade! Can't wait to see it!
Mon, 12/16/2013 - 23:30
What an amazing job you did, I'm still holding out for my end wheels too and you are so right about search search search. It doesn't help being in Canada with shipping costing so much for these too.
Love love love, well done
In reply to What an amazing job you did, by Mandymoochops
Tue, 12/17/2013 - 21:23
Thank you very much!! I do not envy you right now as the search took me forever to find the right wheel that matched one I already had. I have had good luck in the past asking eBay sellers about changing to flat rate shipping options. Not sure if they have that option for shipping internationally but it never hurts to try! Keep up the good fight as the wheels REALLY pay off in the end.
Thu, 03/26/2020 - 04:52
Very nice.....building one if my own with modifications,!
Prior to making this table I had never used a power drill in my life, and I was scared to death. I was intimidated by the power and scared to death to mess up, and in making this table I messed up A LOT! It was a big undertaking but I was determined. It’s rustic and authentic and full of mistakes and I LOVE IT!! Thank you Ana for modeling how to make such wonderful things. Up next is the raised flower bed.
This is my first project. I loved how easy it was and I loved my husband’s reaction to the completed project.
Provence table knockoff from restoration hardware (aka: providence) with 4x4s and providence benches
table modified to 90 inch length, benches to 42 inches
used lag bolts with a washer on 4x4's that show, kreg pocket screws everywhere else
note: the free-diy plans listed last have an issue with the table height. It came out 1 1/2" too high, so we made a change that I like better: we modified the table top to have a 2x4 skirt held together with kreg pocket screws that drops over the 2x4 frame above legs. we left about 3/8" gap between the skirt and framing so the framing would fit in easily. The top actually just sits on the frame so it is possible to move it in two pieces. It is so heavy and stable that we didn't worry about screwing it together.
we love it! perfect for 2 families to eat dinner together. my husband calls it Thor's table because it looks so tough.
Thu, 07/05/2012 - 11:35
This is gorgeous! I definitely prefer the chunkier leg you used and love the hardware showing as well. That was smart the way you made the top for easier moving, too. Great job! I think you should have added the link for the plans, this way your picture will always show up above the plans in order for everybody to see it each time. :)
Thu, 07/05/2012 - 19:22
thanks so much. I have now attempted to link the plans to my brag....let's see if it works!
In reply to thanks so much. I have now by Anne in Decatur
Fri, 07/06/2012 - 05:46
It worked, yay!
We are used to seeing our grandson every weekend but during the 2020 COVID quarantine we were unable to do so. Instead, we filled our time building him a swing set for our backyard. He loved it!! We are going to add more to the swing side but the hardware I want isn't available right now (apparently there is a lot of swing set building going on during this time). I look forward to many years of playing on this with our grandson and hopefully additional grandkids in the future... Our cost was pretty high mainly because our first round of lumber came from a local lumberyard that was willing to deliver within a few days (big box was going to take several weeks) and they had what is supposed to be higher end lumber (not sure I am convinced of that)....also, i chose some pretty expensive hardware (brackets) just for the added security.....
Comments
Ana White Admin
Tue, 04/18/2023 - 15:32
Love these planters!
The finish choice is beautiful and it looks amazing by your front door! Thanks for sharing.