Simple outdoor dining table variation
I liked the variations of the simple table. Kept the same dimensions as the plan. Made chairs based on simple Harriet chairs
I liked the variations of the simple table. Kept the same dimensions as the plan. Made chairs based on simple Harriet chairs
Added rolling casters to the plan. Also decided to go with one big drawer instead of two small ones. The top is made from pine 1x2's that I glued togeter and then sanded dow. Do yourself a favor and go through the plans and sketch out your own plan and wood requirements ahead of time. There are a few mistakes in the plan when it comes to your buy list.
I had been asked a few times for these plans, but as someone else posted a similar one, I'll just stick to a blog post for now and describe my differences. I made this shelving unit January 2010, just after I found out of I was pregnant with my third child, and it's been a lifesaver since then. I desperately needed a toy storage solution (and purging), as shown in the 'eek' kids closet below. I didn't like the shape of triangular Ikea ones, as they spanned more floor space than I cared to give up. Plus, I wanted a place to put *almost* all of my kids toys, so I wanted it to be tall. I'm so glad we did, since we've moved twice (also, 'eek') since than, and it's made packing and unpacking the kids toys super (SUPER) easy. At first, I was afraid that the kids would go crazy and just tear down every bin at once, but it hasn't happened yet. Unlike the other plan that was posted, I used white sliders that ikea sold. I'm not sure if they still sell, as I don't see them online. It cost an additional $24 (they were $1/2), but seemed worth the extra money. I didn't have a router and wasn't particularly confident with our table saw skills. Plus the Ikea version had some really thin areas that made me nervous that it would break easily. I tried to keep it easy and just had to line up and screw the sliders in. Now that I'm a little more confident with a table saw, I'd give the router style a-go. I used two sheets of cabinet grade plywood, each costing about $30. I ripped down some pine boards to cover the front edges, which made the unit look loads nicer. However, I wish I would have used maple, instead of pine as they got dented almost immediately. Not a big deal though. The three shelves were sort of an afterthought, but turned out to be great for puzzles and other type toys. I didn't use backing or cross supports initially, but put some in after we moved. You can see them in the last picture below. The heater in our temporary house caused the slightly-bent sides to become very bent sides. That caused the drawers would spontaneously fall out, which was always quite the shock and disappointment. I put in some supports in the back, which I wish I did initially as it would have made manufacturing easier. Also, If I were to go back, I would put one cross support in the front-middle, as the boards are so tall, it needs something to help maintain the shape in the front. I've found that even in a perfect fitting slider, really heavy buckets would bend just enough to flex out of them to crash... so don't plan on filling one of the large buckets with matchbox cars and sticking it on the top. Regardless, we've learned our lessons, made it work better, and has been a huge success in our house for a while now.
In reply to Very nice by Supermom77 (not verified)
Tue, 10/04/2011 - 19:42
Haha, I guess a little. Picking up when they aren't motivated is an ongoing battle. However, I did find having a specific place to put items with labels helped a lot, albeit with screaming. Actually the labels would probably be the best motivation of all of it.
The ideal is to have the kids only play with one bin at the time, but with more than one kid, that theory very quickly gets muddled... One child wants to play with one toy and one wants play with another, then "lego houses can't be broken down" and "polly pocket is using those blocks for the house" and so on. So it's more of a end-of-the-day(week/month/year haha) pick-up routine.
However, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. My oldest (almost 6) seems to have caught on that the faster she picks up, the sooner she can move onto other activities besides playing (coloring, playdough, etc.), and is starting to pick up as soon as she's done without us even asking. I think getting an allowance has also helped with that.
That was way more than I thought I was going to comment, but I guess it goes to show you should never ask a Mom her opinion on something, unless your ready for a lecture :)
Thu, 10/13/2011 - 21:44
I love that your labels have pictures on them! I thought I should have done that way back when since my children are too young to read. Easy to find and easy to put away. Good job, Mom!
After seeing the many posts on here about the great laundry basket dresser, my husband and I embarked on our first project. I knew I wanted the double dresser with the counter for folding on top. We love how it turned out! Since this picture, I have added shelves on the far left section. I also chose to use 1x2 for the slats instead of the "L" shaped pieces of steel.
Wed, 11/30/2011 - 05:42
Very nice blog!! I learned how to decorate site amazingly by visiting here. Informative, instructive and as a reader I enjoyed this post. See you on your next updates. :)
my husband and I used your plans for the sectional, end tables and chairs I made the pillows thanks so much for the designs we love them
Mon, 04/03/2023 - 20:12
Fantasic job, thank you so much for sharing your lovely space!
I was seeing this coffee table everywhere so I knew we had to make it. It's the easiest build ever. I think the only tricky part is the painting near the edge. We like a more sanded/finished top. We tried spray painting the base and then attaching the top, but then we sanded the top and the spray paint on the base near the top came off, so I had to cut in and I'm not good at that.
So we're still working on a way to do this properly. We tried making the top on the ground and then sanding & attaching it. But the top needs to be completely exact/square in order to do this. We live in a old farmhouse, so we prefer to attach it as we go - then sand. We also plane the top for a more exact and modern look.
I found a picture of this style of chairs, and I really wanted to make them for my table. I created my own plans and adjusted them until they were perfect. I’ve since made several sets of chairs for other people including this set of 6.
Wed, 12/18/2019 - 07:57
I'd love to make these for my parents, do you have the plans?
Bedroom DIY Suite
Paul Burdine
Full over Full bunk beds. Adjusted for Full from a twin measurement. only 1" off floor for more head room.extra rail bar coverage upstairs for my daughter who rolls out of bed regularly.
Wed, 12/30/2020 - 12:15
Would also love to know dimensions used for the full! Thanks for sharing your amazing talent!
Essential bed frame with headboard customized from various Ana's bed plans. Side table nightstand from Ana's plans - easy and simple build. Great thanks to Ana and Jen for all they do.
Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Shed-Ramp/
Video:
My garage was starting to get cramped so I decided I needed a shed for the lawn/garden equipment. I thought about building one but bailed and decided to purchase a 10’ x 14’ shed with 6’ wide doors from the nearby Amish community. To not be a total slacker, I decided I could at least build the foundation and ramp. I’ve never built a ramp so I did a little research online and found that there are an abundance of styles, both good and bad. Anyway, this is my attempt at ramp design. Hope someone finds it useful.
I have to say, this turned out phenomenally for me. I set up my whole garage with new shelving, planned it all out so I have very little plywood waste by altering the widths a little. This is by far the best carpentry project I’ve ever completed. Thank you for the great video, and I love the Kreg jig. That made a big different too. Over 2 years since I installed them, and they are all still solid, level, and plumb.
Chris from Maine
Did them for a friend that owns a bakery.
I don't have access to new lumber unfortunately.
The bulk of what I make is pallet. That's why there are four instead of 3 slats.
Same plan though. Pretty easy to follow.
I did add some handles to make it easier to move
since they will be brought in and out daily.
Yun
Toil paper holder
My husband and I used our Thanksgiving break to build this playhouse and deck, using Ana's plans. We are NOT builders...this is very doable for beginners with the right tools. Read the plans thoroughly before starting. Total cost (including all lumber, hardware, and paint) was under $600.
We still have door and house trim to complete, a little painting, and a handrail/ladder.
Santa may bring a slide and some other fun accessories!
Thanks Ana!!!!!
Really fun build! I changed the plans a bit and made the spindles go all the way to the bottom. Made it more open for the dog. Took a while to finish since I would tinker when I had the extra time! Turned out great with the two tone, stained from and top with white spindles and door. Thanks for the plans!
This was so easy and fun! We splurged a bit on nice cedar because apparently the cedar mills are down due to covid so the less expensive fencing isn’t so readily available. The hubs helped me rip down the larger boards, then I cut and assembled it all. Not including the buying and ripping, this took me maybe 4 hours to complete and we ended up with a beautiful kitchen for my daughter’s 5th birthday! Thanks for these super easy to follow plans!
I fell in love with the loft bed but thought the stairs stuck out too far for my daughter's room so I revampd the plan just a bit to add three 'stairs' in the platform rather than the standard stairs in the plan.
I got started on the project on a Friday night, got my cuts made, my pocket holes drilled and pieces sanded for an early start Saturday morning, everything went together like a dream - though it would have gone MUCH faster if I had had a second set of hands; I had to balance all of the long peices on other peices to try and get them attached and it took much longer than it had too!
It was all together, the holes filled and first coat of primer on by Saturday afternoon - I used Zinsser primer so the knot's did not bleed through. Sunday morning I was painting and it was in place and decorated by Sunday night!
Great, easy to follow plans (as always) Ana - thank you, I have one VERY happy daughter!
With lots of leftover wood from previous projects (farmhouse table and sideboard), I decided it was time to start another project. (I did head out to Lowes to get a piece of 4x4 for the legs...they only had Cedar. My friend found some Fir at Home Depot for a buck more).
Found the plans for the Farmhouse Bench, looked at other brag posts and their suggestions...then got to work!
Cutting the pieces was fast and relatively easy. Predrilling the pocket holes also went quick. Putting the pieces together was also very fast (though I did have to add extra pocket holes here-and-there so that the legs and two end-aprons were more sturdy).
Sanded the piece, then added a coat of Rustoleum Dark Walnut Stain, and then a couple coats of Deft Satin varnish.
Love this planter. Used quality pine. Perfect size for the balcony! I use it for fresh herbs... i have have other people wanting one too!
This was my first build and I had a blast! Let me say at the outset that if I can build this table with limited tools and expertise, then so can you! What I lack in know-how, I made up for by not being afraid to try something new. If you do the same, you can sure build this table. This table combines Ana's Triple Pedestal Dining Room Table (pedestals from this plan) and her Farmhouse Table (tabletop modified from this plan). Because Ana's plans are so great and thorough, I will only make note of a few key areas where I either tried something different or where I recommend paying extra close attention. First, on the tabletop, I reduced the length to 90 inches to accommodate our space, and therefore eliminated the center pedestal. As you can see, I alternated 2x10's and 2x8's. I also eliminated the breadboards simply because my wife and I preferred the rustic plank style. I also moved the pedestals in to allow a full 15 inches for a chair to slide underneath. When constructing the tabletop, I used both glue (clamped) and pocket holes on the underside. Don't overdo the glue, as it will tend to drip down (which is the top of the table...I had some drip issues). I also strongly recommend buying/borrowing clamps to keep the top flush or making them from 2x4's as I did. I worked hard on this part, and I'm glad that I did. It was still hard to keep it flush. On the pedestals, I used slightly bulkier decorative pieces (I started the arcs 1.25" from the edge on both ends of the arc). I also attached the top plank directly to the underside of the tabletop rather than to the top of the pedestal in order to both bolster the tabletop and to more easily attach the pedestals precisely where I wanted them. Finally, I drilled shallow flat-bottom holes and used wood bolts to fasten both the pedestals and the crossbeam. This created a nice-looking, low-profile fastener that still enables disassembly should we ever need to move the table (it is HEAVY fully assembled!). The finish is two coats of Minwax Ebony Wood Finish (pre-treated with Minwax Wood Conditioner) and three coats of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane (two coats on pedestals). Thank you, Ana, for the inspiration! Our family has a new table because of it! Thanks to all of you for sharing in our excitement, and I'm happy to share dimensions/details/etc should it be helpful to anyone.
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 09:16
Nice job! I really like all your modifications. I'm bookmarking this!
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 12:56
I love what you did with the "arcs" (gotta be careful with words synonymous with this - the word "arches" makes me cringe since I had to rip arches out of nearly all the doorways in my house ;-))! Not sure that I'll ever get around to using this idea, but I must say that I love it!
Thu, 07/18/2013 - 05:17
Beautifully done, I like the modifications. Could you please share the dimensions and any detail info please…much appreciated.
Mon, 08/19/2013 - 10:41
Thanks for the kind words. I think I included all of the measurements that differed from the two plans used, but is there a specific measurement(s) that you are looking for? If so, I'd be happy to provide it. Good luck!
Sun, 03/09/2014 - 17:23
Could you give me some sizes on the bottom posts? Cuts of 2x4's for the posts etc..
How far apart did you mount the 2 pedestals? We will be putting it in front of a corner bench.
Thanks
Sun, 03/09/2014 - 18:47
The uprights for the pedestals are 22". When you add in the tabletop, the four lateral pieces, and the feet, the table is 30 1/4" tall. As for the spacing of the pedestals, I chose to allow 15" from each end for the chairs to slide all the way under. But it's plenty stable and you really have plenty of freedom here, depending on how many chairs you want to use and how long your table will be.
Mon, 08/03/2020 - 07:25
I have used this plan to build 2 tables and they are both awesome!