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Butcher Block Modern Box Frame Coffee Table and Console Table

While staging my most recent flip house, I needed some accent tables for the living room.  I picked up a butcherblock countertop at IKEA, then created two end tables and 1 coffee table.  I loved Ana's simple design, and I thought it was a great balance to the warm butcherblock top.  Thank you Ana for a great plan as always!

Blog Link
Butcher Block Coffee Table
Built from Plan(s)
Box Frame Console Table
Rectangle Box Frame Coffee Table
Box Frame Rectangle Side Table
Estimated Cost
<$100 for all 3 tables! The countertop cost $75.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White semigloss on leg frames
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Console Table

Submitted by kcragun on Sat, 08/16/2014 - 21:36

The Tryde Console table was the inspiration piece. Used kreg jig to join the top boards and connect the legs and aprons. The bottom stretchers were similar to the Farmhouse table plans. I plan on using this outside for a grilling table. I am not going to apply a finish - I want to see how the wood changes when exposed to the elements - hopefully it gets a nice Restoration Hardware-type finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Tryde Console Table
Farmhouse Table - Updated Pocket Hole Plans
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Outdoor Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/04/2024 - 11:53

Seen these plans a couple years ago and finally have gotten around to making a set. This was a fun and really easy to follow set of instructions and I think they turned out really nice.

Jeff, with LaBrie Family Woodworking LLC

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Outdoor Chair from 2x4s and 2x6s
Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Screen door with built in dog door

Our old screen door wasn't cutting it anymore, so I built a new one, and to kill two birds with one stone, I included a built-in dog door. Now I just need to find the motivation to close off the old dog door.

I have the plans to build this screen door with a built-in dog door posted via the blog link below for anyone interested.

Blog Link
Free DIY plans for the screen door with dog door
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
white exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Drop down murphy bar

Submitted by nick_h on Tue, 12/06/2016 - 10:54

My attempt at the murphy bar featured on this site. Still have to add the sash locks. Added pallet crossmembers at the back, an x in the leg, and a french cleat to mount to the wall. 

Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Murphy Bar Featuring Shades of Blue Interiors
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut Minwax on the bar top and shelves, crisp linen matte latex and dry brushed casual gray for accents/aging. 2 coats of polycrylic for protection. If built again would pre stain and base coat all the wood before build time, then assemble, add accent brushing and spray the polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

zannej

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 11:49

This looks awesome! I want to help my friend build this for his kitchen. I've looked at the plans in the link & I'm wondering what modifications you made for the X pattern-- how much did it alter the material & cut list?

Would you please share your material & cut list for this?

Poolside Towel Cabinet from Benchmark Cabinet Plan

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/23/2017 - 11:21

My father and I made this awesome poolside towel cabinet using the Benchmark Cabinet plans. A super easy 1 day build and it looks amazing on the patio. Bring on the pool weather! 

Built from Plan(s)
Benchmark Storage or Media Tower
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint/Poly topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY twin bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 01:04

Fun and easy. Bed is extremely sturdy. I used pocket screws for all four corner connections.

Blog Link
Simple bed
Built from Plan(s)
Simple Bed (Twin Size)
Estimated Cost
$125ish.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathame early American stain, with clear satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pantry Door Spice Rack

Submitted by HR Dad on Wed, 09/02/2020 - 18:11

First I had to flip the pantry door from opening into my small pantry to opening out. Doing this allowed me to utilize back of the door for this spice rack. Frees up quite a bit of space in our cabinets, drawers and pantry for other items. Substituted braided picture frame wire for the wood dowels; still keeps all items secure on the shelves but also allows for more flexibility when dealing with canister sizes that are very close to the amount of space in between shelves. Already had the paint from doing some baseboards as well as quarter inch ply. So, final cost was for 1x4's and 1x6's coming out to about $30

Built from Plan(s)
Door Spice Rack
Estimated Cost
$30.00.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Equal parts Behr Premium Plus Semi-gloss interior and Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Closet shelving for sloped ceiling.

Submitted by kellystern on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 16:22

I used Ana’s Shelf Help Configurator to build these shelves for a deeply sloped ceiling. None of those well known Closet Organizer Companies could come up with a decent plan for this closet and they charge a small fortune.

Comments

Just a beginner! Second Project

Submitted by Rifka on Tue, 06/21/2016 - 18:35

Great first project!

Built from Plan(s)
2 x 4 Outdoor Bench
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan chalk paint with clear wax.
Works great for outside too.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fire Pit Swings

My wife saw something like this on Pinterest and desperately wanted one. The one she saw was hexagonal in shape. We didn't need as many swings so we went with just a plain square shape. We used 6x6s for the legs and posts across the top and used 4x4s for the angled support pieces. We built the swings using the plan from this website. All the materials can be picked up at the blue and orange stores. However when it came to the springs for the swings, the blue store was 1/3 of the price of HD. The legs are 12' long and buried 4' under the ground and cemented in for strength. Luckily I am retired military and was able to rent an auger for 1/2 the price of HD or the blue store. You could do it by hand but it saved us hours and lots of back pain. We found our dimensions for the size we wanted and spray painted dots on the ground where the posts were going to go. We dug the holes and stuffed the 6x6s in them. Using a post level we made sure they were plum. We braced them and added the quickrete and left them to setup over night. The next day we had to make sure all the tops were level with each other. This is where having some knowledge of physics paid off. I took clear tubing and screwed it above the height that I wanted on one post and then screwed the other end to another post. Fill it with water until the water level on the first post is where I wanted it (8 feet high) and it will automatically fill it level on the other end. There is a picture of this above. Water will always level itself out. I had to do this because my yard is at a slight down hill grade. We marked it and cut the tops off to make it level. After attaching the 6x6s on the top with 8" lag bolts it was time to paint. After painting was done we built 3 swings from Ana's plans. We shortened them by 6" to give room to walk between the legs and the swings. All in all it was a great project that only took two dedicated weekends. My wife still has to paint the swings though.

Blog Link
Fire Pit Swing
Built from Plan(s)
Large Modern Porch Swing Couch
Estimated Cost
$600ish
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used an oil base Black Barn Paint from the blue store.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

jkread

Wed, 05/27/2015 - 22:38

It sounds and looks like the top 6x6s are mitered and sit on top of the end of the vertical posts. I'd say at least one lag bolt each way to hold the mitered corner together and then at least one in each piece down into the vertical to hold it in place.

carewarner

Mon, 04/27/2020 - 10:24

WOW, LOVE!!! This is simply gorgeous! What a warm and welcoming addition to your yard. And thanks for sharing your method of finding level for your posts on your sloped yard. I absolutely love it!

Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Big Boy Toddler Loft Bed!

You can see the final project here: http://crabandfish.blogspot.com/2012/10/lil-archers-bed-its-done-its-do…

It was time for our son to move to a big-boy bed! We looked at tons of plans, but none were quite what I wanted. In the end, fish modified plans for Ana White's Camp Loft Bed with Stair. We wanted to make it a bit shorter because we only have 8' ceilings and there is a ceiling fan in the room. We spent about $80 for the lumber and invested in a kreg jig as well. The bed is stained with Minwax Golden Oak. We bought a 10" deep twin-sized foam mattress for the bed - if you are adding a coil mattress and boxspring, the bedside rails would definitely need to be higher.

Our son LOVES it! He is almost three and is easily able to navigate the stairs, which I don't believe will become too "baby-ish" as he grows older. If they do, the steps can easily be removed from the frame without losing structural integrity.

The underbed area has a great "cool" factor - we hang blankets to create forts, and it has become a place our son gravitates to for reading, playing, anything!

Blog Link
lil' archer's bed: it's done, it's done, it's DONE!
Estimated Cost
$100 for lumber and stain. Also invested in kreg jig.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Garden Bench!!

Submitted by Nathan1342 on Mon, 08/06/2012 - 12:09

I built this for my wife for an anniversary present. She had wanted a garden bench for some time but the ones that she wanted were between $500-$700 which is ridiculous for this type of bench. So, I did a search on here for garden benches but there weren't really any plans for them and the few brag plans were not really the type of bench I was looking for. I printed off a few pictures of benches that I liked and got to work. The front and back legs a 2x6 and a 1x6 glued together and then cut to be straight. I wanted something thicker then just a plain old 2x6. If I had to do this again though, I would have just glued 3 1X6's together. The reason being, is that 1x6's usually do not have a rounded edge and a 2X6 does. So needless to say when you glue them together you have a nice little gap on either side. Without a table saw to take this off, its pretty difficult to get a straight cut. But I ended up getting it right after sweating for a few hours in the garage. The bench stands 36 inches high, 48inches wide and about 18 inches deep. The seat height is right at 18in also.

In the unfinished pictures I actually had the depth being 24 inches. After sitting on it though it was just way to deep. So I pulled it apart, made the adjustments and its now much more comfortable to sit in.

If anyone has any questions or wants more details feel free to drop me a line!

Thanks!

Estimated Cost
85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil based acrylic paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Torwart13

Tue, 06/16/2015 - 11:25

So legs are about 2 1/4" square? Are the seat supports 2x4's? Back cross pieces 2x4? Slats 1x4"?

smz1919

Wed, 06/17/2015 - 12:39

how did you get the curve on the back legs?

Nathan1342

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 13:34

I glued a 2x6 and a 1x6 together to get the thickness. Now that i have a table saw and a jointer this entire process would have been much easier but after getting it to look like one solid piece i just outlined the slant i wanted and cut it using a jig saw.

smz1919

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 20:17

So the back slats are just glued in place right? I wonder if it would be easier to use a biscuit joiner or not

Mikeyw221

Sun, 10/23/2016 - 17:46

on the back legs how high up did you go before you started cutting the angle? and was it around 15 degrees fromt he edge?

SawdustMaker21

Wed, 05/26/2021 - 08:32

Hi Nathan
Love the look of the bench. Would you have a list of material requirements. I intend to make a bench like this and would like to know the measurements of the top back spar (the shaped one).
Here in the Uk our timber yards do not always supply the same cuts as the US so I need to have some idea of the pieces I need
Many thanks

Modern Outdoor Chair - High Back Adirondack

Modified with a high back and modern adirondack arms.

The base of the chair is built exactly to the plan except that the arms are done in a modern adirondack style.

The back was made independently to fit inside the base and then attached to the plan base.

Very comfortable but very heavy chair even without the modified back.

Not stained yet obviously.

Cushions are hard to find I think I would make it slightly smaller next time and maybe even find the cushions first and alter the plan to fit.

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Outdoor Chair from 2x4s and 2x6s
Estimated Cost
$45 Can
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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