Community Brag Posts
2x4 Essential Adirondack Chair
I used Western red cedar to build my chairs. The build was a little more expensive but well worth it. The chairs were stained with Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil ( Jarrah Brown). Thanks for the plans Ana, your site is awesome and you do a great job! Mark
Comments
Mon, 11/16/2020 - 12:31
Very beautiful!
Thanks for sharing Mark, definitely worth the extra investment!
Balin Console With Some Changes
We made this table from the original Balin Console table plans, but faced out the drawer fronts with some mitered trim and added some drawer stops inside to keep the drawers from falling out when pulled all the way.
The drawers were made with a cabinet grade plywood along with the sides and bottom of the table. We used 1x8s on the console top to get that nice wood look, where all corners and ends would be showing, but for the sides and bottom of the table, since the edges were all trimed out, the plywood worked out nicely.
The legs seemed plenty sturdy without the extra trim, so we skipped that to get a more simple look.
Drawer handles were found at our local Home Depot.
For the finish, we stained (with Minwax ebony) the edges where we wanted distressing, then wiped on vaseline along edges and painted over in Behr Swiss Coffee (white) in matte. After drying we took sandpaper to the edges to show the dark stain through. Because we used matte paint, after everything was finished, we waxed with a clear wax and buffed for a nice shine and a smooth texture.
Pin For Later!
Bookshelf Hidden Doors Over Closet
Hidden door bookshelves hide a furnace closet. Built by Kraig Faulkner
Comments
Thu, 01/23/2020 - 07:05
Great idea! Do the…
Great idea! Do the bookshelves swing freely when weighed down with books? What type of hinges did you use?
Thu, 09/17/2020 - 08:01
Looks Awesome + Safety Note
I'm currently working on a basement renovation project. I'm probably going to incorporate a feature like this for my mechanicals, too.
One important safety note for anyone who wants to do this: It's recommended that your furnace be a minimum of 30" away from any combustible materials. That includes walls and partitions. The image of this project displayed is right next to the furnace, which is not a good idea.
Reclaimed Wood Outdoor Sofa
We had a small deck with many rotted boards. The contractor who demoed it, knowing my interest in diy projects, sorted out any usable boards. I loved the idea of an outdoor sofa, so altered your beautiful pattern to accommodate decking boards - I literally only had to purchase 2 boards for the entire project! I’m so thrilled with how it turned out! Thank you!!
Camey Brown
Modern Adirondack Chairs
We love how these modified 3-panel adirondack chairs turned out! The pillows were from Costco- $15 for a two pack.
Comments
Sun, 05/06/2012 - 14:25
Love these! Did you use 1x8s
Love these! Did you use 1x8s for the back instead of 1x4's?
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 16:13
Are there plans for these chairs?
Is it possible to get the plans for these chairs??
-c
Planter Boxes
I followed the plan exactly including the suggestion of the fence paint (2 coats). This was a very easy build. It took much longer to paint than it did to build. These boxes are the perfect accent on our new patio/firepit.
Comments
Cornhole Boards
Custom cornhole boards, made with pocket joinery
Comments
Ladder Herb Garden
Staying at home during this pandemic pretty much inspired a lot of families to build, discover a new hobby or have their own vegetable garden. Built this ladder garden recently but had to cut it a little short because fences here in California are not as high, at least most I think. We use it to plant different kinds of herbs that we actually use like basil, Thai basil, peppermint, cilantro and parsley and loving it so far.
Comments
Sat, 08/22/2020 - 11:36
Ladder Herb Garden
Hi - This looks very nice!
Are there any plans available?
Best,
Eric
Modified firepit bench
I built the one bench using the original plan with the storage and table top unit but needed two additional seating benches to go around the firepit without the bulk of the backside of the bench.
I modified the original plan as follows:
Shopping List:
(2) 2X6X8
(3) 2X4X8
(2) 1X6X8
Cutting List:
(2) 2X4X17" front legs, 15 degree cuts, parallel long to short
(2) 2X4X23" back support, 15 degree cuts, parallel long to short
(2) 2X4X20.75" back legs, 15 and 60 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(2) 2X4X24.75" under seat, 15 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(2) 2X4X30" bottom support, 15 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(1) 2X4X42" bottom cross brace between leg sets, 90 degree cuts
(2) 2X6 cut equally in half, 3 for the seat and 1 for the top plate
(2) 1X6 cut equally in half, 3 for the back rest and 1 to be tucked under the seat overhang
Comments
Thu, 09/08/2022 - 11:23
Great job! Do they tip at all?
Great work! Have you had any tipping issues with the benches without the table back? If you kneel on the bench backwards and lean on the back do you think it would tip? Ha I clearly have kids around to be asking such strangely specific questions... TIA!
Thu, 09/08/2022 - 14:26
Also, what size platform did…
Also, what size platform did you pour for reference?
Sat, 02/25/2023 - 08:57
The concrete pad they are…
The concrete pad they are sitting on is 14 foot diameter.
Sat, 02/25/2023 - 08:56
I built these for my…
I built these for my daughter/son-in-law and their young family. I have grandkids that use them and have never tipped them. However a strong wind gust 100km/hr did flip one over but not the other. I would suggest adding a horizontal ground level ‘foot’ extension on one or both back legs to alleviate any concerns of tipping.
Strawberry planters
Using plans from this website here are pictures of two, five tier strawberry planters.
Each tier is wide enough for 4 plants in one litre pots.
Comments
My first project!
Thanks for the awesome, easy to follow plans!! All that's left to do is stain it and build another one- I'm going to have 2 on my back patio! A successful first project! Thanks!!
Comments
Sat, 03/07/2015 - 12:27
Awesome job!
So awesome!!! Especially for your first project! Super inspiring for those of us who would like to attempt a project like this! Thank you for sharing!
Mon, 07/20/2020 - 07:15
Niiice...I'm thinking about…
Niiice...I'm thinking about this for my next project. Great work.
My first Easy Build Headboard, King Size
This was my first project and it come out beautifully. I did learn a valuable lesson - if you are going to build something in the basement, make sure it fits up the stairs. Not sure if you can tell from the picture but this ended up 6 inches shorter than the plans. Can wait to find my next project!
Special Teacher Gifts
My son Jack, has Down syndrome. He's had the same preschool teacher for the last 3 years, and now it's time to move on to kindergarten. Not only does he have a dedicated teacher, but he has two paraprofessionals (teacher's aides) that take turns in helping him 1:1 all day long. I figured that it was time for all three of them to relax this summer. So, in appreciation, I made three of the adult sling chairs so they can enjoy their much deserved relaxation.
Comments
Tue, 06/21/2011 - 00:00
As an OT in the schools, I
As an OT in the schools, I can understand your connection to the dedicated teacher and staff that work for your son. I'm sure that these gorgeous chairs will show your appreciation! What great choices in fabric, too!
Tue, 06/21/2011 - 15:18
What a fantastic gift!!!
Seriously so thoughtful! I love how they turned out!!!
Tue, 06/21/2011 - 18:20
I got my fabric at JoAnn's too!
I made this same chair for my husband and I got my fabric at JoAnn on sale! They have a great selection of outdoor fabric. :)
Fri, 09/23/2011 - 19:31
instructions
Would you mind sending the instructions for these chairs. I think this is something that I could do and would love to make a set for my husband for Christmas. We are all about homemade. That would be so great!
Wed, 09/28/2011 - 20:05
Instructions
Hi Sherry. To find the page where I got the plans, just click on the words "Wood folding sling chair - adult" next to the bolded "From Plan" listed above. That will take you directly to Ana's plan.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 03:45
instuction for sling chair
would love to make could i get these instuction thanks
Complete Full Sized Hailey Bed and Storage System
This project was our largest build to date, but the outcome was definitely worth the sweat! The build went relatively fast between my mom and I. I had a little problem assembling the tower bases, but we'll blame the 108 degree heat on my inability to figure out where to place my Kreg holes! I included a picture of how I did the tower base, in case anyone else runs into the same issue.
To accommodate for our base boards we added furring strips to the wall to bring all of the pieces flush. The hutch is secured into the studs with multiple L-brackets and so are the towers.
Finishing was very time consuming, but we'll worth the end result and look on my daughter's face! This system provides an incredible amount of storage. Thank you so much for the plans Ana!
*3 very light coats of Zinsser oil based primer with a foam roller, sanding between each coat
*2 coats of Behr Hi-Gloss lacquer in off the shelf white. Finishing was definitely the most time consuming part of the project.
Small Planter Stand
Easy build and I like how I can just set planters inside the top box and change out easily!
DIY Outdoor Sectional
I used the armless chair plan, and altered the one armed plans to make two chaises. Then I increased the size slightly to accommodate the 25x25 pillows I bought. This took about 12 hours with one person working. I am super proud of it! Finished today, and will eventually stain after the wood has dried out a little. Thank you, Ana, for making straightforward plans that gave me the confidence to do my first woodworking project!
Andrea in Michigan
Grant Secretary Desk
I never got around to building the top hutch section, but my wife loves this desk.
Comments
Mudroom Closet Makeover
The concept of hidden boot storage at the back is genius!!! I knew as soon as I saw your plan that I needed that in this space! Thank you so much for what you do!
Comments
Fri, 01/22/2021 - 11:42
Closet Mudroom
May I ask how you would assemble if you wanted the hinge in the back as in this picture?
Thank you.
Wed, 08/25/2021 - 04:51
Hello, can you tell me how…
Hello, can you tell me how to find the plans for the Mudroom Closet makeover? I’m interested in doing the one pictured on this page.
Thank you
Drawer bases turned banquette
I took Ana's open base and drawer plans, added a few inches to the height (so that the base trim on the storage units would clear the base trim on our walls), and put them together to create a banquette-style bench with tons of storage underneath. We use the drawers for our family board games and photo albums.