This was my first time building a chair. The plans were so easy to follow. The kids size fits an average child up to about age 5 or 6. If I were to build again I would add a bit of height to the backs so they could fit them even longer. My granddaughters aged 3 & 5 just loved them.
Greeting from from Queensland, Australia.
I decided to make a couple of wooden planter boxes for our garden at home, after watching Ana's video on the “Easy Build DIY Planter Box” made from cedar and painted white. I downloaded the plans, and then converted the measurements to metric. I did make a couple of alterations from what was shown in the video. Whilst I do not have a workshop at home, I attend a local "Men's Shed" where there is a large range of woodworking machinery available to use. Firstly, I used rough sawn treated pine 150mm x 25mm boards, which I dressed and cut down to size. The dressed timber looked great once I stained the boxes. Secondly, I have made the boxes without legs, so that they sit directly in the garden, and are filled with potting mix soil.
After making the first 2 planter boxes, my wife asked if I could make another couple. After that we decided another 3 planter boxes in a different part of the garden might be nice, so I made these the same. Then I made a longer planter box of the same style for vegetables and herbs.
Thanks so much, Ana, for the great plans and video, as well as the inspiration. Mind you, my planter boxes took a lot longer to build than the time you indicated in your video, but that is fine.
Cheers Noel
Wed, 10/06/2021 - 10:10
WOW, love them mods and how you were able to convert to metric! Thank you for sharing!
Ideally we would’ve loved to have found a nice thrift shop coffee table and added a nice upholstered top to make a cheap and cheerful bench for the dressing room.
Unfortunately, no such table was to be found. So we did what DIYers do. We built one ourselves. Of course, as usual, we had big dreams and no clue where to start. In theory it seemed easy enough. Wood, nails…put them together.
After visiting Ana White’s amazing site, we came across this plan. Come on, it has the word EASIEST right in the title! It was perfect for us. Our bench is tweaked somewhat from Ana White’s.
Submitted by Abigail Marolt on Facebook -
I made a your crib mattress sectional with an extra armless couch to make one large U-shaped design! It was my first project with a kreg jig and a circular saw, but it certainly won't be my last. We love using this couch every day!
A slightly modified version of the Modern Adirondack chair. A neighbor walked by and commented that it was a cool new chair. I replied that it had been surprisingly easy to build. He was clearly surprised and asked, "YOU built it?" He's a carpenter and I'm a psychologist, so he obviously did not expect me to be able to build anything that looked even half decent. When he recovered from his surprise, he pointed out all the imperfections and offered advice on how I could do a better job next time... :-D
Mon, 11/22/2021 - 09:27
Great job, love the story behind it too! Thanks for sharing and great finish choice~
Using the "Y Truss Round Table" plans, I created a 48" table with metal accents.
Sun, 05/31/2015 - 01:31
Hi gcomfort I am in love with the top of your table! it is beautiful!! what wood did you use for to create the smooth surface?
Fri, 06/05/2015 - 08:11
The table top is 1.5 inches thick made up of 2 layers of 3/4 inch think plywood. The top layer of the table top is hickory plywood (the top and bottom layers of the plywood are hickory). The base layer of the table top is 3/4 inch general plywood from Home Depot.
Thanks, again.
Sat, 08/29/2015 - 08:49
I love this!!! Where did you buy the metal accent that goes around the perimeter of the table top? What is it?
Sat, 09/05/2015 - 07:30
Thanks! I bought it from Lowes. It's just 1.5in Wide aluminum painted black and connected with a bunch of black, flat headed screws.
Sat, 09/05/2015 - 07:30
Thanks! I bought it from Lowes. It's just 1.5in Wide aluminum painted black and connected with a bunch of black, flat headed screws.
Sat, 09/19/2015 - 11:18
I actually looked at the hardware stores for something similar before you answered by comment. I wasn't able to find anything that I thought would work. Do you remember what the aluminum is used for in other jobs? Or what area you found it in?
A family member suggested using the metal stips that hold down the end of carpet, but it's not long enough for the table.
Thank you!
We have a smaller house and wanted a dining table as well as a table behind our couch. So, we got the best of both worlds with this minor customization. I simply split the two legs and tabletop in half, added additional feet, and built two supporting braces instead of one. For an added touch, I welded tubes to steel angle iron to make a hinge-style locking mechanism with steel pins. This locks both halves together (when using as a full table) and adds a little rustic black metal to the overall look.
For the tabletop, I cut the sides off the lumber to get the square look. I then bent one tooth in my tablesaw and quickly cut the face of the lumber to give it a rough sawn look. I then belt sanded it all to smooth out the really rough spots. Then I shou sugi ban (burned) the top to burn off the splinters and make the grain really pop. I added a little stain to smooth out the light spots. Lastly, I put about 64oz of epoxy and lightly sanded with 0000 steelwool after it set.
Please excuse the floor trim or lack therof. I just installed the new floor and decided our table was the higher priority. :P
Hi Ana, I recently made two of your posts. First, the 2”x4” hall tree and then the house number planter. We found some unique hooks at Hobby Lobby for the hall tree. This is great to keep the kids’ backpacks off of the floor. On the house number planter I stained it with Antique Beige, but is more gray than beige. I then put 3 coats of spar urethane on it to protect from the TX sun.
Sun, 12/26/2021 - 17:58
Those are both great, thank you for sharing! I will need to check out that Antique Beige finish, just gorgeous~
I built this farmhouse table with leaves for my daughter. I wanted a farmhouse look but with a modern twist, and I also wanted breadboard ends that would pull out so she could insert leaves on each end to increase the size of the table for company. I used the plans for concept, and actually used the updated farmhouse table plans with pocket holes but couldn't find the plan link again for this post but made several modifications to achieve what I wanted. I planed all the lumber down to a true 1 inch for the top and also the trim to reduce the weight and chunky feel. I planed 4 x 4 untreated lumber for the legs to 2 1/2 inches and then tapered the bottoms as well to reduce weight and chunkiness and create a more modern feel. I built actual channels on the base for the extension bars which attach to the breadboard ends and I attached table aligners to the table, breadboard ends and the leaves so things would stay straight and even. I also glued together 2 x 4 and 2 x 3 pieces that had been planed down to a true 1 inch for the skirting and treated them as one piece when attaching to the legs so I didn't have so many screws going into the legs. I painted the base black with furniture paint and then put 2 coats of polyurethane over that and stained the top gray, then used a and 'wash' of watered down black paint over that and then 5 coats of polyurethane on the top. The table is 36 x 48 without the leaves and extends to 70 inches when both leaves are in place. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
I modified these plans to be a bit smaller and also added an upper shelf area. Overall dimensions for my finished product are 74” long by 21” wide by 37.5” tall. I stained the top, upper trim pieces, and shelves dark walnut. The rest of the project is painted in “Summer White” by Sherwin Williams. To complete this project you will need barn door hardware *plus* an extra door set. I did my best to provide sketches and dimensions, but all wood was cut to size by measuring its space first, so “cut list” may not be exact. In this project it is key to measure as you go and maintain a level workspace so that the furniture remains level. I also added 3/4” by 1/2” trim pieces to the shelves because I did not like the gap in the shelving pieces. I also drilled 1.5” holes in the back in order to accommodate electrical cords.
Upper and lower frames:
4 - 2x3 @ 65”
4 - 2x3 @ 17”
4 - 2x3 @ 14”
Sides:
2 - 3/4” plywood @ 36”x17 1/4”
Face Frame:
2 - 1x4 @ 70.5”
2 - 1x4 @ 29”
1 - 1x4 @ 63.5”
2 - 1x4 @ 18”
Shelves:
3 - 1x8 @68”
3 - 1x10 @ 68”
3 - 3/4”x1/2” trim @ 68”
Shelf Supports:
6 - 1x2 @ 10”
6 - 1x2 @ 7”
10 - 1x2 @ 17”
Trim:
1 - 1x2 @ 71.5”
2 - 1x2 @ 17 1/4”
1 - 3/4”x1/2” trim @ 71.5”
2 - 3/4”x1/2” trim @ 17 1/4”
Top:
1 - 2x10 @ 74”
1 - 2x12 @ 74”
Doors:
1/2” plywood approx 16”x20”
1x2 creates border and diagonal piece
Back:
1/4” plywood approx 36”x69”
I built these sofa tables for my wife’s client. She has a interior paint business. Her client was talking about wanting she sofa tables, so she volunteered me to build the tables. I didn’t have a design for the tables, so I looked at several different designs and talked to the client on what she was looking for. So I just did some rough sketches and got some ideas from my wife. I used mostly 1 bys for the build, just depends on the size on what width and length of board you are going to need. The top of the large table is a 5/4 preglued board that Menards has in store, again depending on width and length on the size of board you use. I used the 5/4 board for better stability and strength. I used a red oak stain then applied several coats of poly to finish. On the top I used a 200 sandpaper after a couple of coats of poly to get the top smoother for more coats of poly. Over all the build was pretty easy if you have good woodworking knowledge. Used pocket holes (Kreg) to attach sides and frame to top. On the large top side I used two 1x8’s to get the width i needed. Joined them with pocket holes (Kreg). If you can dream it, you can build it.
We made a few changes to fit our needs but love the design. Way better than any kit you can buy!
I used 2x4 and 2x6's on this project. I am a larger woman so I wanted it to be very strong... and wow is it strong! I also routered the edges on the arms. I love it and it really does sit comfortable. Next I want to make a footstool for it. Thanks Ana for making these plans available to me.
My son had a 'lightning Mcqueen' toddler bed- but we needed to get him into a little bigger bed. We had a spare full bed, and Batman is his current favorite... Since there aren't Batman full race car beds- time to start planning and building from sketchup! Took me about 2 weeks of evenings (after the kids go to bed) and about $110 in materials. The model is available in the sketchup warehouse at:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u6b750a53-37a4-4d52-9d31…
For the wheel covers I ordered online at Amazon for $25 for a set of 4.
For the Wheels both HD and Menards make a 18" wood table top for ~$7 that I just cut the middle out with my router to fit the wheel covers.
The slats to hold the bed (made to fit both box spring and mattress) were just 1x4 pine boards from menards.
The body was made from 3/4 MDF, though you could of course use plywood.
I used a projector to project the image from sketchup onto the board to get it transferred- else it would have been 50+ pages if printing..
For the logos I just used a minila folder as my stencil and cut out the logo. Needed to touch up the 'tabs' to hold the logo in the circle after pulling off the stencil.
In reply to So cute! by Ana White Admin
Fri, 01/29/2016 - 21:18
I give you credit when people ask how I got started in woodworking because until I found your site and my first project (library cart) then 2 helper stands for my kids and other friends kids and it just went on from there. The skils taken from this site and learning Sketchup have brought a lot of nice furniture to our home as well as a sense of confidence to me!! Thank you!
Sat, 09/12/2015 - 19:10
My son really wants this and I promised him that I would make it. Do you have a PDF or anything of the outline of the batmobile? Thanks!
In reply to Looks great! by MoxieMan13
Fri, 01/29/2016 - 21:10
Thanks - sorry I took so long to respond. The plans are in the sketch up warehouse - search for "Batmobile full race car bed" otherwise et me know and I can try to get you a off of the dimensions.
In reply to Thanks- will skp file work? by bbcarey
Sat, 01/30/2016 - 10:59
Here is the screen shot as well.
I used a 49x97 sheet of MDF... thush the 4'1"x8'1" dimensions.
Sun, 02/21/2016 - 14:29
Thank you so much for the greatest idea ever! We stumbled on this and believe it will be the perfect next bed for our son, however, we cannot download any of the files. Do you have a PDF of the measurements or any other form you can upload so we can make this bed? Thanks in advance! Great work!
Tue, 12/06/2016 - 07:23
I apologize if I am just missing this, but... do you have step by step instructions on building this bed? I see the pictures of each part and its corresponding dimensions, but I cannot located instructions on assembling the bed.
Thanks!
I love these benches/table. They were easy to make and are comfortable to sit in.
Had some old skis I've been wanting to make into a chair. The Home Depot plans worked perfectly for the base. Cut the back brace a bit longer to fit the skis
Two seater couch inspired by your web site . I have altered the design a little and added an ottoman . Built from Australian Eucalypt . Nicknamed Blackbutt Gum . It’s a hardwood but finishes very nice , sanded with 240 grit , varnished with marine grade diluted 10% with turps . Look forward to your weekly plans they inspire me to build projects and give me lots of ideas .
by Richard
Northland
New Zealand
I loved doing this project. I used Anna's plans but modified them just enough to help be with my biggest problem, stuffed animals! :) I increased the height by eight inches and cut one of the bead board panels just above the mattress. Next I attached the top panel using a piano hinge. Finally, I reinforced the bottom panel with an extra piece of 1x1 (horizontally) so that my daughter can climb in to and out of the corner unit and not crack the bottom bead board panel. She now has a place to put all her stuffed animals and as a bonus a new "secret hiding place.
To spruce up the storage beds and corner unit I added moulding to the front of everything and then painted everything cream colored to match her dresser. The molding took extra time, but it was well worth it! Because I increased the height of the corner unit I also added a thin piece of plywood behind each piece of bead board (heard boards) to help reinforce it and would support the weight of someone leaning back on the "head board". All in all it was a great project to work on, Anna's design plans were easy to read and allowed me to make adjustments when necessary without any trouble.
Thu, 07/07/2011 - 12:36
This is so perfect! The trim makes it all look very professional. I love the idea of the door and utilizing the extra storage...something we all need more of! I also built the storage beds, but my girl's room isn't big enough for the corner unit, but if we ever move and they have a bigger room I will be back to look at you design for the corner unit! Good job!
We took existing twin size bunk beds and modified the measurements to fit for 2 crib size mattresses. 1 for my 3.5yr old and the bottom for my soon to be 2yr old. It took us 12 ours to build from start to finish then about another 1hr to place in room and set it up completely. All in all they love them and sleep thru the night in there own beds lol. I also have a 7mth old in my room too...
pine jelly cabinet
This is my favorite build so far! My two younger daughters share a room with an inevitable shortage of floor space. What they do have is a fairly large closet for 1 and 3 year old. I removed the crumby sliding doors and filled the bottom third of the space with the dresser, leaving plenty of room for kids clothes to hang above. I combined two separate plans and adjusted the measurements to fit the space. What I ended up with is a monstrous 6 drawer dresser that I would never have room for in the bedroom otherwise. The drawers are enormous (a must for a house with three little girls. They have more clothes than their mother and father combined).
I took the frame concept from the Shanty2Chic rustic rolling dresser and the drawer concept from the Madison dresser from Old Paint Design. (Thanks Ladies!) It took me some significant math adjustments (I'm not a math guy) in order to alter the drawers for wood slides, alter the frame to fit that, and alter both to fit the 70 3/4" x 24" space.
The finish took the most time with a bizarre mixing of Rustoleum Dark Walnut and Rustoleum Classic Cherry. I love the color now. Clearly I have not fixed the wall paint yet :)
The wood is big box pine as I am still working up the confidence to work with more expensive wood. The top is 1x12's and 1x2's. The sides (hidden) are 3/4" plywood. The hardware is from Lowes.
My daughters were nice enough to decorate the dresser during the build with crayon requiring a 40 grit sanding Grrrr.
Sat, 09/21/2013 - 09:53
Thank you so much... I have instantly fallen in love with building.
Sun, 09/22/2013 - 12:40
Built-in closet dresser - genius! I am already thinking about how I can make this work for my daughter's room. Looks great, too. Good job!
In reply to This is a great idea! by JW
Sun, 09/22/2013 - 14:09
Thank you. We have a fairly small house and every little bit of space helps. This site has been incredibly inspirational for that especially.
