This is my first ever woodworking project and I'm really pleased with how it looks! Thank you for the plans, they were really clear and the video was the perfect guide for someone like me who had never done this before. Assembly took a couple of weekends I think. I had to predrill holes and I found the cuts for the x a bit difficult to do so had to try a couple of times. But definitely doable and very satisfying to have built something!
This bed was my 3rd project from Ana white. I'm just getting around to posting it now....
The headboard and footboard were made 2 inches wider than the original plans to account for my wider crib mattress. For my mattress width (28"), I required an extra 1x4 for the headboard and footboard center panels (7 instead of 6), along with 2 1x3s. This meant that I needed to add one extra 1x4 to my shopping list. I only required one 1x6, at a 10 foot length (since I didn't make the arch on the headboard).
Most of the work was done on our backyard deck, my outdoor workshop. I usually enjoyed the company of a little chipmunk as my "helper". He became very tame over the summer, allowing me to pick him up and pet him. At times, he would sit on my lap or ontop of my shoulder while I was working on a project. He was always with me, just hangin' out. I'm not really sure how long this project took, as I was usually distracted by his company!
I really enjoyed making this project! Our daughter was SO excited to sleep in her new big-girl bed!
Thanks Ana for the great plans!
Wed, 03/13/2013 - 13:40
Hi dmcarwin - Thanks so much for your comment!
I love my little helper as well. You, however, must be a VERY busy lady! With 6 little helpers??? How do you ever find the time for all your fabulous projects? You truly amaze me!
In reply to Little Helpers by Tea Granny
Wed, 03/13/2013 - 15:35
You are so sweet, I don't do projects in a normal time frame, they are more like, cut the wood one day, sand the next, build another, etc....It is rare I do a build all at once, for obvious reasons! But I truly love it and so I make the time for it when I can! I just checked out the rest of your projects they are fabulous!
Wed, 03/13/2013 - 18:07
Oh, yes. I certainly know about the non-normal time frames. My projects are done during nap-time or in the middle of the night. I finished a play kitchen at 4am on Christmas Day! Cutting it close - after numerous 4am nights, a couple all-nighters ...and about 40 hours later. I definitely was an elf in the workshop.
The play kitchen is pictured in the background of my second photo for my Toddler Chalkboard project. I used Ana's plans and another plan as my inspiration, heavily modified the measurements. I have not had time to post it yet, but soon....
Okay, so I've just checked out your blog! Wonderful.
Sun, 08/09/2015 - 06:51
This is gorgeous!!!!! My daughter will be two in two weeks, and while I'm not quite ready for a big girl bed, and we don't need her crib for another baby yet, I'm so excited to finally find the perfect plans when I am ready. You did a GREAT job, it's just beautiful. When I compare this to the $400 plus beds in stores I just shake my head and say THANK YOU ANA for giving us great alternative options. Thank you for the inspiration!!
We built this in early 2013. We ended up turning the house 90 degrees on the deck, because the slide worked best off the backside of the deck due to the various heights around the deck. The sloped back yard caused some challenges, but in the end it's a very sturdy deck with the cross beams attached. Thanks for posting these plans online for us, our 3 daughters are loving the playhouse and swingset! Here are some more pics of the project: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11031534@N00/sets/72157633009259873/
Fri, 03/22/2013 - 16:39
Love this - my grandson's back yard is too small to build something like this; which is why we had to settle for his loft bed airport/clubhouse.
Thu, 06/27/2013 - 05:24
I'm planning on building two A-Frames and no playhouse, so my questions are focused there.
Did you do any modifications to swing portion of the plans?
Is it sturdy enough for an adult to swing on as well?
It looks like you put the posts in the ground, did you cement them in too?
How high off the ground is the bottom of the support beam for the swing?
Is there any issue side-to-side swaying?
This was a nice simple build. The only problem where I live (near Edmonton, Alberta) is that the price of lumber has gone crazy. I think it is the same everywhere. 2 x 4's are running about $8.50 (CAD) each. I can see myself building a few more of these as the neighbours like them. Chose to go with a funky magenta colour to add some colour to the backyard. Very comfortable to sit in but I think I will add some cushions. I should have taken Ana's advice and painted the boards (especially back and seat) first. Once assembled I had to go in with a small brush to get the sides.
I was intrigued by Ana’s Simple 2x4 Potting Bench. The project seemed simple enough and it would be used as a means to clean up clutter in the garage. My main focus was to make it semi-portable and weather resistant. Instead of using 2x4’s for the corner posts, I used 4x4’s to accommodate casters. I also shorted the length of the posts by 4 inches to compensate for the height of the casters. To provide extra rigidity I did a dado for the 2x4’s that connect the front and rear legs. In retrospect, I wish that I did not dado the legs because it made it more difficult to attach some of the shelf planks. I painted the frame green and left the shelves and backboards clear for beautiful contrast. My wife is ecstatic with the result.
I used the plans from JRLwoodworking and the pictures from AZCA33 and combined them to create an entertainment center to hold my new 60" flat screen tv. I priced new entertainment centers at furniture stores for a nice entertainment center to hold a large tv and the price was around $2000. I looked around online and found a couple of websites of handmade entertainment centers and decided to give it a try. I had never made anything remotely his large or detailed, but with the plans and some patience, I was able to bring this thing to life. I couldn't have done it without the help of this website or jrlwoodworking. I am very proud of this piece of furniture and plan to cherish it for a long time....
Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:21
Hi RAZORBACKFAN, I am so excited to see this build from our plans at jrlwoodworking.com! This is absolutely beautiful. It looks like a very difficult project, but with the step by step instructions and going through it a few times, it really can be done by a handy do-it-yourselfer. I hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoy ours. The best part of it is telling everyone you built it. Nobody would believe it unless we had the pictures to prove it.
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! :)
This is my laundry room and it is about 12x10. It looked so bare with only the washer and dryer. So I thought making this a mudroom also. I live in the mountains and have snow 3 to 4 months a year. This will be perfect. I purchased an IKEA cabinet built it in and added the Ana White plans with two bays.
Modern Adirondack Chairs
I built this outhouse to go with a dry cabin I'm working on, and also as an emergency backup for my house. I used treated lumber on the base/deck and splurged on T-111 for the siding. I wanted to use greenhouse polycarbonate for the roof, but found a piece of metal roofing in my shed that was exactly the right size so I used that instead. I thought about doing a fancy cutout on the door but ended up going with a half moon because it was easy. I'm thinking about cutting out stars of different sizes all over the rest of the door to let in more light. I'll trim and stain it next summer.
This is a great beginners project. I wanted something that would match my living room and still be functional for my daughter to get her toys out . We have a full tutorial at our blog.... www.Ahouse-2-Home.com Also , if you have any questions please feel free to leave us a comment! Thanks!
Built this to clear up my son's room a bit. Lots of flexible storage for his legos, rock collection, art supplies, and everything else cluttering up his room.
I made this porch bench for my daughter-in-law 's birthday. She purchased bench cushions from Pottery Barn and asked if I would build the corresponding bench. Using the dimensions of the cushions and examining online photos I was able to build the framework and tried my best to duplicate the
Chatham series bench. Not quite ready to tackle the curved bench rest and arms but after watching YouTube on how to make curved woodworking items I might just take a shot at it next time.
She really loves the bench and I am pleased with how it turned out.
The Shelf Help app helped me customize this to my space, the plans were excellent. Thank you!
Sat, 10/23/2021 - 17:14
We are so happy you tried out Shelf Help! It looks amazing~
I recently published my first foldable farmhouse table last week here: http://ana-white.com/2013/06/foldable-farmhouse-table The first one I made was very heavy because I used 2x6 tops and 4x4 legs. I decided to make another one that would be lighter and easier to transport. The plans are basically the same just instead I used 1x6 for the top and put 2x4s together for the legs. I also shorted the length by about a foot. The only issue with making the table shorter length is that the legs don't fold completely flush. You could easily make the legs short enough to fold flush, but then the table was a little too short from the ground up for us. The same as before I simply used kreg joints to join the top boards together. I then made a 2x4 frame and attached it to the bottom. I made each of the legs separately by joining 2x4s together and sanding everything down. Everything was stained before putting the legs on using Miniwax Dark walnut stain. I used 2 coats of Miniwax water based clear coat to seal it. A notch was cut out on each of the bottom 2x4 supports on the legs and I glued in a small piece of wood cut to size. These are so I can put in a 2x4 support board under the table so that the legs do not fold in on themselves when it is standing up. The legs are just attached using door hinges you can buy in packs in the hardware section. Be careful when screwing into the 1x6 top not to use too long of screws or else you will over screw and have them come through into your table top. Table design was by Amber Veatch Designs and photographed by Andi Mans Photography
Tue, 07/07/2015 - 06:41
We have built something very similar and we have a good bit of wobble at the top, even though the stretcher down the center of the table is holding solid in there and secred with clasps. Were thinking of some sort of sliding pin into the top of the leg to the apron. Anyone run into this before?
We made some modifications by adding a hearth for additional height (the room we have it in is very large and open) and joining 2x4s for the mantel and base which I stained grey for contrast. We decided to use thin brick for in the "firebox" to make it look more realistic. We also have a newborn and spent over two months putting it together a little at a time in our free moments so I'm not sure how long it would actually take to do at once, but cutting and putting up the brick was very time consuming.
Thu, 08/27/2020 - 11:16
This looks great! I'm actually in the middle of this build with the hearth as well. Couple questions....
How did you connect the two pieces? Also, did you connect to the wall? I'm assuming you didn't leave the 5 1/2 inch gap on the bottom of the fireplace and connected direct to the hearth. Let me know, thanks!
Mon, 10/26/2020 - 06:55
Absolutely beautiful and what i have been searching for!! Can you send me the plans for this?
Sat, 11/14/2020 - 21:06
Did you receive the plans? If so, can you please share!
Sat, 11/14/2020 - 21:06
Do you have the plans for creating this fireplace with a hearth? Would love to build over thanksgiving break!
Sat, 11/21/2020 - 21:16
Very nice fireplace would you happen to have the plans for it?
Thu, 04/01/2021 - 21:27
Would it be possible to send the plans for this beautiful faux fireplace?
We shortened the length of the table to 5 1/2 feet. Took me bits and pieces of 3 weeks to build working around rain days and napping children.
Around $80 in materials, not counting the new orbital sander (which I wanted for a while).
Looking forward to building 2 benches next month. A sturdy table for my family of 7. (Including 3 boys!!!)
This was my first project. I see the flaws, but overall, I'm very happy. I built mostly myself, but hubby had to help with the hauling indoors/outdoors, kids held wood while I used the saw, stood on boards while I attached. It was fun for all of us and we are thrilled with the results. Even the scratch in the tabletop photo below was done by my 2 yr old and I call that his little touch!
I made this simple but elegant projects for a last minute Christmas gift.
Mon, 12/27/2021 - 15:58
Looks great, I'm sure the recipient loved it! Thank you for sharing:)
My 10 yr old son and 8 year old daughter really loved helping make this for their cousin. They've never been so excited to give a gift!
Used your youtube instructions for the square planters and revised them to create these! Thank you so much for your video it helped me so much. I was trying to make a small backyard for my dog at my condo without breaking any rules not to have a fence. Gary loves it!
Wed, 03/09/2022 - 14:10
Those look awesome and create a nice barrier! Thanks for sharing:)
This was my second wood project. I loved working on it. The measurements and instructions were great. It is definitely for toddlers which works well for us. I used stain we had from/for other projects. Thanks.
Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:28
I love it.. it turned out great! Good job! That looks so fun for the kids!
Sat, 06/11/2011 - 13:32
I have been eyeing this for a while...but I ended up doing the preschool bench. SO CUTE!!!!
Sun, 06/12/2011 - 10:40
Marisol, I was choosing between the two as well... but since I have boys the choice was a bit easier :-)
Sat, 06/14/2014 - 12:12
Are the seats and table top supposed to be 1x2 instead of 1x3? I am confused bc the sides would be too short.
