A client/friend asked for a rustic cooler she could use for her 30th birthday party. Thats what we came up with.
We have full plans on the blog: http://firefinishblog.com/2015/03/18/diy-rustic-cooler-with-plans/
Thanks Ana, I built your planter box, actually built 2 of them, one for each mom. The were a huge hit and I already have people asking me to build them one.
So loved building this planter box. Thanks for all you do for your fellow woodworkers!
Dale G
Callahan, FL
Tue, 05/10/2022 - 07:05
Love these, wonderful idea for a mother's day gift, thank you for sharing!
Yes, my husband and I share our bedroom with 6 dogs and an occasional cat (or 4). Our older dog (Petra) has slept on our bed for over 10 years, and she's getting too old to jump anymore. We didn't want her to feel like she was getting kicked off the bed, so I made Petra her very own bed at the end of ours so that she wouldn't feel left out. I was inspired by MurdaRae's dog bed (http://ana-white.com/2012/06/doggie-daybed), and thought it was genius to use a toddler/crib bed. So I went looking for plans on Ana-White, and came up with a mixture between a couple of twin bed plans. I love that the plans are easy enough to modify my sizes, and come up with exactly the custom solution that I need. This was my first big project using Bri-Wax. The last one was kind of a disaster when the wax changed the stain color to something not-so-great. With this project, I learned to wait at least 2 weeks before attempting to wax it. I was blown away with the results. It is a beautiful subtle satin finish that feels great to the touch. Plus, I can easily touch up all the dog fingernail scratches that will inevitably occur. When I re-assembled the bed in my bedroom, I actually nicked it in a few places. No problem -- slap on some more Bri-Wax! My Bri-Wax was 11 years old, and pure liquid. I tossed it in the fridge (per Bri-Wax's recommendation), and it was as good as new. The only real problem I had with this project was leaking sap from one of the 4x4s. I'm still fighting this today. In talking with Rustoleum/Zinsser reps, they said that no sap could penetrate their "Seal Coat" shellac product. After 5 coats, the sap is still penetrating, but only if I turn it on it's side or upside down. I'm still baffled. I made the mattress cover out of a dog blanket, and made the cushions from some remnant fabric (suitable for dogs and weekly washing), so this was a fairly inexpensive project. It was a success because Petra slept in her bed from the fist night and loved that she had all the room to herself, and no boston terrorists (I mean terriers) attempted to bother her.
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 10:24
It matches the woods in your bedroom so well and looks great! Also, I love the bolster pillows around the edges. That is something I need to make for our dog bed. Thanks for sharing.
I saw this table and nesting grill station on your FB page. I changes it up a little bit, but the concept is perfect for my back yard deck.
Dharris
I built this bed for the guest room at our previous house. The room was small, so I made floating shelves for the nightstands to save space. We have since moved and are now renting, so we didn't want to put holes in the walls to hang the shelves. I took the opportunity to build these nightstands instead. The original design was a little too tall and wide, so I reduced those dimensions by 3". This was my first time building drawers, but they went together surprisingly well. I had used a combination of stain on the bed and was worried about matching it, but 2 coats of Minwax Dark Walnut ended up being a pretty close match.
I just wanted to share the loft bed I built for my daughter based on the plans available here. I added a desk, painted an existing chair I had built to match and included pink LED lights around the inside of the bed. Thanks for everyone sharing their ideas, plans and pics..!
Fri, 08/14/2015 - 21:39
Awesome! Do you have plans up for the desk area? I would like to incorporate that similar style. Thank you.
Took the fancy hall tree bottom and added Mimi's hutch to the top. Added a little bead board to the bench and top edges to cover up the plywood, and voila! My wife's Christmas gift.
Platform (Pedestal) with Drawers for front-loader Washer & Dryer. Cheaper than buying the manufacturer's plastic pedestals and more fun to build anyway! The drawers are also much wider and deeper than the manufacturer's pedestals. We can usually fit about 3 full loads of laundry in each drawer. (That's 6 loads of laundry before we have to start folding!) It's a very easy and basic DIY project. I made a 2nd one for my brother using these plans (sans the drawers). I gotta say, the drawers are SO nice to have though. But you could just leave the front open, without drawers, and slide some laundry baskets underneath for an even quicker project. We've been using this platform now for over 2 years and there is still no squeaking or rattling. The washer & dryer haven't moved from the vibration even in the slightest. They're exactly where I placed them on the pedestal 2 years ago. There's also zero problem with the weight of the washer either...it really is a strong frame. (After finishing, I jumped up and down on it!) A couple small tweaks I would make doing it over is raising the drawers a 1/2" in. off the floor to tuck a rug underneath (as is, they sit about 1/8" in. off the floor). Also, I would cut out a couple of square holes in the back panel to access those socks that fall behind (I can't access the sides of my W&D in our particular laundry room). Lastly, I would have painted with a quality paint (I just used a few cans of white spray paint to be quicker). Step-by-Step Plans and Materials List (PDF) and many more photos found at the Blog Link below...I'm certainly no professional "Plans Writer" so email if you have questions! Happy DIY-ing! Estimated Cost: ~$200 (2x6 lumber, plywood, drawer trim, nails, screws, paint)
Wed, 03/13/2013 - 10:12
I have wanted to do the pedestal project for quite a while. I am so glad I held off though. Yours are fantastic! I would never have thought of drawers to hide the dirty laundry! Love it!
Fri, 02/07/2014 - 17:05
Hello this looks great and for the amateur carpenter I am but one item I need clarified "the top measurement at 64" is .25" greater than the bottom at 63.75"
Please explain if I am missing something
Thanks
Mon, 02/10/2014 - 15:33
Not sure what measurement you mean that's 63.75" since there's no "bottom" to the pedestals. Or do you mean 1/4" wider than the sides? The top panel should overhang both sides by 1/4" each so that when the side plywood is attached, it will be flush. Hopefully that helps? (If I'm understanding the question correctly)
Mon, 02/24/2014 - 10:29
Could leave the back panel of plywood out so you could reach what may fall behind? Then you would just have to pull the drawers out?
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 06:11
Did you ever find out if you can leave off the back panel?
Wed, 06/22/2016 - 16:35
Back panel is very very structural and provides lot of strength. If i wanted more access than the 5-7 inch of duct space behind the pedestal gives me, then i would replace the back panel with a long 2x6, that holds the three legs from going in different directions due to all that weight.
Mon, 12/12/2016 - 14:58
This is the one modification I could make if i could redo these plans...I would still put on the back panel of plywood as it stabilizes the pedestal, I would just have cut out a rectangle (behind each drawer) so that I could remove the drawers and stick my hand/arm through to grab fallen clothes or vacuum the lint.
Mon, 12/18/2017 - 19:17
Rather than cut holes in the back, I just cut the back and side boards a little small and left a gap around the bottom the whole way around. That way I can get a vaccuum hose in there or reach through and get lost items. Because my washer and dryer seem to be deeper than yours (I needed at least 33" depth, so I went with 3'), that also worked out well in getting the most out of the boards. I could do the top, back, and sides out of one single sheet of good 3/4" plywood just leaving those small gaps at the bottom for clean-up and retreival.
Fri, 11/20/2015 - 05:23
Hello,
I downloaded the pdf but have exactly the same information that the website html, where can I find a solution step by step guide?
Thank you for all the interesting posts.
Mon, 12/12/2016 - 14:55
The original step-by-step plans are found on Ana-White:
http://www.ana-white.com/2011/01/sausha%E2%80%99s-washerdryer-pedestals
Hidden door bookshelves hide a furnace closet. Built by Kraig Faulkner
Thu, 01/23/2020 - 07:05
Great idea! Do the bookshelves swing freely when weighed down with books? What type of hinges did you use?
Thu, 09/17/2020 - 08:01
I'm currently working on a basement renovation project. I'm probably going to incorporate a feature like this for my mechanicals, too.
One important safety note for anyone who wants to do this: It's recommended that your furnace be a minimum of 30" away from any combustible materials. That includes walls and partitions. The image of this project displayed is right next to the furnace, which is not a good idea.
This was my first attempt at building anything....ever. It was so incredibly fun and I certainly learned a lot. My 8 little chickens are loving their new home and I can't wait to build my next project!
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 11:51
Hello! Could you repost the picture / info on your chicken run? I keep getting "page not available" and I've been trying for days :O) I think I want to build that chicken shed (too big for 3 hens?? It's just so cute!) and a run like that to go with it! Thanks! Have a great day!
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 11:51
Hello! Could you repost the picture / info on your chicken run? I keep getting "page not available" and I've been trying for days :O) I think I want to build that chicken shed (too big for 3 hens?? It's just so cute!) and a run like that to go with it! Thanks! Have a great day!
We wanted an outdoor bench for our front entrance way, this one is just what we were looking for! Thank you for the plans.
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:01
I am really a novice. The plans say that the 1x4's should be 18-1/2" high? But the measurement of the vertical legs are 14", and the horizontal piece is 4" high, which adds to 18". It all looks flush in the photo. Could you explain what I am missing? Thank you so much!
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:01
I am really a novice. The plans say that the 1x4's should be 18-1/2" high? But the measurement of the vertical legs are 14", and the horizontal piece is 4" high, which adds to 18". It all looks flush in the photo. Could you explain what I am missing? Thank you so much!
In reply to quesion by beardjulie
Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:30
So from what i see in the plans Each 1x4 board is to be cut at 18" and the 2x4 is to be cut at 14-1/2". Cutting the 2x4 at 14-1/2" will insure the 1x4 and 2x4 are fluish for the end product. It doesnt seem to add up given the demensional names of the lumber hahaha however the actual width of a 2x4 (the one the will be going horizontal) is acutally 3-1/2". so then you cut you 2x4 leg piece at 14-1/2" and then lay the horizontal 2x4 on top the total height will be 18" and should be flush with your 1x4 that is cut at 18"
We picked up a couple 14.9" square plastic garden planters from Home Depot and ended up creating some wood planter boxes from pallet wood for them to sit in.
I didn't add up the cost of these boxes, because we had most of the wood and only needed a few pieces, but I'd say they were definitely less than $10 a box.
We altered our dimensions to fit our HD planters so they would slip in for a snug fit and made the legs flush with the top of our sides. We build a simple frame for the top, which allowed the lip of our HD planters to sit firmly on top.
Something I didn't do, but wish I did: fill in the cracks with wood filler. There were a couple places that really could have used it, but I was in a rush and decided to skip it. They turned out great, but could have been even better had I taken an extra 30 minutes. On an off weekend, we are going to use wood filler in the seams, sand them down, and do a second coat of white paint.
Can't wait to plant these with some mums for Fall! :)
I had a perfect corner in our playroom that was reserved mostly for clutter and always wanted to do something fun with it. The base is made with 2x8"s topped with Handscraped Hickory laminate flooring. Bored holes into the floor and installed 1" diameter color-changing LED decklights. Added theatre-style tracklights, disco ball and other dance floor lighting for extra effect. Of course the stage wouldn't be complete without wireless microphones for karaoke and mic stands hooked up to a small amp and speakers in the ceiling. I made the shelving on the right side with 1/2" black pipe and used leftover 2x12" shelves from an old garage shelving install from 7 years ago! The kids were ecstatic on Christmas morning for the reveal!
Sun, 07/27/2014 - 15:52
This is great! I was just wondering what your dimensions were? I've been looking for something like this to do for my niece but have been struggling to find a plan and figure it out myself LOL.
Tue, 08/05/2014 - 05:58
Hello, the back wall is 8' and side wall is 6.5'. The stage comes out about 2.5' on each side then the front is around 7'.
Hope that helps, good luck!
Sun, 04/10/2016 - 14:44
Actually, I was wondering ,what lights did you use? I'm working on a very similar project and was curious to the lights your used please.
Sun, 12/08/2019 - 17:11
Can I ask about the lights you used or would recommend? Getting started tomorrow. A stage from Santa. Please help! 😬
Sat, 12/18/2021 - 14:09
Hello! Also wondering which lights you used. Thank you!
This sand box was very easy to build and it works great. The only thing I would change is cutting the "arm rests" at 7 1/2" instead of 6 1/2". I did that for the second set of arm rests (when I downloaded the plans many weeks ago the cut list was wrong). It made putting that section together a lot easier.
I easily spent more on the hinges (at $5 per hinge x 8 hinges) than I did on the wood itself.
My 1 and 1/2 year old loves playing in it and now I need to build a toy box for him to put all of his sand toys in!
Sun, 04/29/2012 - 00:06
It's been zen-raked! haha.
Those little benches are adorable. I wish I had seen this plan before I built ours.
Mon, 09/17/2012 - 10:29
I just want to say that I asked for my husbands help, and his advice increased the price significantly.
He does not like to paint, and will spend the extra dollar to purchase pressure treated wood. So I sent him with my materials list and the wood he purchsed was $60.00, plus $22.00 for hinges and $10 for a box of deck screws. Actually, I am a artist and had wanted to paint the project to look like a big frog.
I made 2 shoe shrines then decided to add a cabinet between them for long dresses . Was going to put cabinet doors on the shoe shrines but decided it looked good displaying her shoes. I followed the shoe shrine plans from Ana's web site I found the plans easy to follow although once I was finished I realized it would have been much easy to make the outside frames first and then square them rather then build the insides and then put the outsides on last. It's challenging to keep them square when following the plans . The whole project was allot more work then I anticipated I used my sprayer to paint it I filled all the pocket holes and used wood filler to make the cubbies all one seamless look. Then added crown molding to the top. The doors are the faker shaker doors . I have made real shaker doors on other projects I cant tell the difference between the fakers and the real shakers . Happy with how it came out.
Mark DePonzi
My wife and I were tired of the cheap plastic chairs but not wanting to spend a fortune. I came across Ana’s site and these great plans so I gave it a shot. Everything was pretty straightforward. I decided to use 1x6’s for the seat and back slats instead of 1x10’s. I also used dowel rods instead of wood filler to close all of the screw holes and I Roy fed the edge of the front seat slat one the router. I’m currently working on a partner for this chair with some adjustments (Making it 2” wider and using pocket hole and other techniques to hide the screws).
I modified this plan so I could have 4 total work areas. Total Size: 48" x 96"
Tue, 09/08/2020 - 19:42
Is there anyway you can share these plans with me!? I drew out some plans for an identical table but I think my cuts may be off! It would be so helpful.
Fri, 11/06/2020 - 12:47
Is there a full update post with instructions for the table shown?
Tue, 12/20/2022 - 22:03
LOVE this! Just what I'm looking for! Can you tell me what you used for the top?
This was my first project using an Ana White plan....Modified it a bit...quite happy with how it came out...it was very low cost to make and a lot of fun.
We customized the train table a bit and laminated the top into one solid piece so that we could paint a car map of our neighborhood on the underside. It's heavy! But with two boys in the house it's never really on anyways! :)
We have two young kids who don't want to take their shoes and put them away (as well as two adults who are the same way) so I asked my hubby to make Ana's shoe dresser. He did a great job and we were so excited with how it turned out!
Our small entryway was in need of some sort of bench or coat rack. Since the space is on the smaller side, I was looking for plans that were simple and would not overwhelm the area of the house. When I came searching for plans on Ana White’s website, these plans were JUST posted! It was meant to be! This was my second build ever. Very simple and straight forward. I used Special Walnut for the stain and a satin polyurethane for the top coat.
Comments
Ana White Admin
Thu, 03/19/2015 - 10:43
Nice!
That is a great design and build! Thanks for sharing!