Trestle Picnic Table and Benches
I used the trestle table and benches plans to make a cedar picnic table...
by Joe
Built from Plan(s)
Community Brag Posts
Functional Workspace
I don't have much space for a workshop in my home - just the corner of my basement. This plan was the answer! It adds so much storage and functionality. I plan to add some shelves to both units but love them already. Thank you so much!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Farmhouse Toy Box
Picture of my own version of the Ana White Design linked here
http://www.ana-white.com/2017/01/DIY_furniture/farmhouse-style-toy-box-…
Added Gas Shocks from Amazon 100N/18lbs.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Paint
Minwax Espresso
Minwax Red Mahogany
Minwax Espresso
Minwax Red Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
X brace console table
Built this from Ana White plans. Love how it looks in our four season room.
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Fri, 04/21/2023 - 10:20
Silky smooth finish!
Gorgeous build and finish, well done! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you!
Thank you for the plans! Love the shelves!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Full Toy box bookcase
We knew we wanted to make this bookcase as soon as we saw it! I plan to put baskets and toys in it later, but for right now all books. The only difference to the original plan is that we put some plywood behind the bottom two shelves so that we could have a backing when we do use toys. My three year old loves to sit and go through all the board books at the bottom and clean up is a snap!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshade Bombay Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Sat, 03/03/2012 - 05:36
Great job, I plan on putting
Great job, I plan on putting a back on mine as well, just haven't gotten around to it. It's in the basement, cut, ready to stain...
Bathroom Vanities
Rather than burning a few thousand on vanities for my bathroom remodel I decided to build them instead. The bottom shelf on the right slides out for a footstool so the kids can reach the sink.
Estimated Cost
Wood was cheap, the granite and sink were not, though I was able to save by getting remnant slab from granite shop.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Sun, 01/05/2014 - 20:55
Absolutely stunning!
These are so beautiful -- they really look like high-end rustic pieces. The slide-out footstool is genius. The distressing is fantastic. I really love your pebble art as well.
Would you mind sharing the stain color?
Wed, 02/03/2016 - 17:48
I drew this up in sketchup as
I drew this up in sketchup as I was planning to build one like this, but decided to do something different. Is there a way to upload a sketchup file?
Family stocking stand
We have a vent-less gas wall heater, but had no mantel for hanging stockings. Thanks to the new plan, we have the perfect solution! We already had the 2X4s left over from the simple panel bed project, so we only purchased hooks and stains for this.
We shortened the width to accommodate 4 stockings instead of 5 (we cut the 2 cross pieces 9 inches shorter). We also decided to add a large 2X6 cap to mimic a mantel, which really seems to tie it all together much better. We love this and have ideas now on how to make slight changes so it will more easily slide "over"/around the wall heater
(yes, we are not keeping it that close while stockings are hung, so as to not risk catching fire)
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $20 (if you need to purchase wood/stain, we did this for under $10)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum: Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Weatherly Sectional
We have really been enjoying our new Weatherly Sectional that I built with Ana's fabulous plans! I love the way it fits perfectly in the little corner of our deck.
I only made a few simple modifications:
1. I added an arm to the loveseat, as we wanted an "L" configuration and not a "U"
2. I added at least twice as many 1x3's for the seat slats, as I wanted to be able to sit on the furniture when the cushions were stored inside. I put about a 3/4" space between the slats for water drainage.
I made a 36" x 36" ottoman/coffee table out of scraps & it fits perfectly.
I bought the cushions from the Improvements catalog and they fit great. They are not as nice as the ones from RH, but they were about $40 each and were 20% off with free shipping. Here is the link: http://www.improvementscatalog.com/deep-seat-chair-cushion-24-1-2f2-22x…
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $175 (not including cushions & paint)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Oil-Based Penetrating primer; Benjamin Moore Latex exterior paint in semigloss (custom color)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Thu, 08/23/2012 - 00:35
Weatherly Sectional | Do It Yourself Home Projects from Ana
You actually make it seem really easy together with your
presentation but I to find this topic to be actually something
that I feel I'd by no means understand. It seems too complex and extremely vast for me. I am looking forward in your subsequent publish, I'll attempt to get the grasp of it!
Shared Miter Saw Station
A friend and I built the mobile miter saw stand from your plans. We live in a retirement community and use the saw in our woodworking shop.
Built from Plan(s)
Christmas Media Console
A simple design wood-stained with vinegar and steel wool and black. It's a 6ft design.
Dale Mulert
Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday
Hidden bathroom storage
Adapted Ana's full length mirror storage idea. I needed to recess the cabinet into the stud cavity to save needed floor space. Opened two cavities and made the interior the same length as the cheap $6 behind the door mirror. Was able to just sit them on a ledger board and the shelves hold them from falling forward.
The cabinet looks wonderful and holds a TON of things. Thanks Ana for the inspiration!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 because of buying a custom cut mirror for the outside, and adding expensive rope molding to match what is on the adjacent vanity.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chili pepper semi-gloss Aura paint by Benjamin Moore
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Thu, 07/25/2019 - 18:20
I love this!! So smart to…
I love this!! So smart to make it recessed. Thanks so much for sharing the photos!
Sun, 02/27/2022 - 15:58
I am wanting to build a thin…
I am wanting to build a thin or recessed cabinet for an incredibly small area in my bathroom and knew to go right to Ana White! The combination of these two projects is perfect and exactly what I was looking for! Now here’s to praying I can pull it off!! 😬
Farmhouse Table
We used pine and finished with one coat of Weathered Oak by Minwax and three coats of Minwax Polycrylic.
Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Weathered Oak by Minwax and Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Mon, 04/11/2016 - 19:11
The finish!
I like the finish you used on the table. I built my table, but have not stained it yet. This is my first diy wood project ever so could you break down exactly how to stain the table? I have minwax weathered oak and the polycrylic. I brush the stain on? And then how long did you let the weathered oak sit on the wood before you wiped it off?
Easy to Build Outdoor Wood Furniture
Really easy to follow instructions. Thank you!
Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Bench with Tilted Back Rest
I built this outdoor sofa out of Blackwood. I tweaked Ana's plan to include a backrest and a support in the front, as my planks are only 23mm thick.
Gordon Smith
Built from Plan(s)
Teen loft bed
Combined two plans found on this wonderful site with our own revisions to provide a larger desk work area (20" deep). I also added a small shelf to allow for setting a book, water, whatever on it without getting out of the bed. As my first "indoor" project there were several lessons learned - one is to buy the higher grade lumber for the primary components including legs and beams. I did not do this and I had to spend more time than I should've finding good square, straight wood. Another lesson was that staining and polyurethane coating are a skill that requires a lot of practice and time. I and my daughter are thrilled with the final result but choosing to stain/poly it likely doubled the overall build time. Still no regrets, though. My 12 yo daughter just loves her new bed and thanks to this site for the spectacular ideas.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600?
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used Minwax Cherrywood gel stain (2 coats) and Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane (3 coats). For the gel stain, apply with cotton rag and do NOT let it sit on the wood for more than 10 minutes before wiping it off. Before applying first coat, vacuum the wood especially the knots, wipe all with white cloth, wipe with cloth dampened with mineral spirits and let dry, then wipe with tack cloth, then apply stain. AFTER the first coat and between all subsequent stain coats, let fully dry and wipe with tack cloth before applying poly. For the first poly coat, wipe with white cloth, then wipe with tack cloth, and apply poly using a china brush (specific for finishing). Submerge your brush in mineral spirits and press down to eliminate bubbles, then wipe it along newspaper until mineral spirits are nearly gone from the brush. Cut the first coat of poly 25% with mineral spirits and brush on in even strokes. AFTER the first coat, sand lightly with 220 or 320 sand paper, vacuum all dust, wipe with white cloth, then with cloth dampened with mineral spirits and let wood dry, then wipe with tack cloth, then apply second coat with full strength poly using the same process of first eliminating the bubbles from the brush. Repeat that process for all subsequent coats. Then let dry for several days before assembling the bed.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comfort on the deck
This deck furniture was made using construction grade 2 x 4's and the simple plans from Ana. The cushions were purchased at Kohls. They were on sale for just under $25.00 each. The cushions are made for chairs, but this seemed to work well. The short bench is 4ft long and the long bench is 8ft. I altered plans slightly by adding center support on long bench and adding a couple supports on the back. The back rails and end arms were raised a little higher. Made them 30". May be a little too high? My wife is going to make back pillows and a corner table is to be added later.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Mon, 09/26/2016 - 08:59
Awesome job, love all the
Awesome job, love all the mods! Can't wait to see the side table!
Shiplap Bathroom - DIY Vanity
It had come time to renovate our powder room bathroom. We were on a tight budget so we decided to build our own vanity & add a little twist to it! We splurged on the granite countertop, vessel sink and faucet. Thanks to Ana White we built our vanity for less than $10! The plans were easy to follow . . . .we are so proud of our wood vanity! link to our blog: http://www.houseofrumours.com/shiplap-powder-room-diy-vanity/
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none. slightly sanded and used wood oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Arbor Bench and Rustic Outdoor Table
I built the arbor bench first, and was very impressed at how complete the instructions were. I enjoyed it so much, that I found the plans, and built the outdoor rustic coffee table to complement it. I ended up using pressure treated pine, and am now waiting for the wood to completely dry out enough to put a stain on both pieces. The plans for both were very comprehensive.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Matt’s Cedar Planters
As a beginner this was a pretty fun and easy project. I did use wood screws to hold the edges together since the fence boards are typically curved and brad nails didn’t seem to hold on my first try. Ultimately I really enjoyed the results!
Built from Plan(s)
Planter steps
These steps turned out great!!! My in-laws were using some busted up pallets as a front porch so I knocked these out in a few hours. The blue stain looks really good and matches the other blue on various out-buildings. Very easy project and the plans available were spot on. Thanks Ana!!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project