My wife built a bed.
![](/sites/default/files/BFF61458-8F9F-48DB-BC6A-AD84D436A017.jpeg)
We looked for a simple plan for a bed and found this one on Ana’s site. Easy to build in a weekend.
We looked for a simple plan for a bed and found this one on Ana’s site. Easy to build in a weekend.
Fun project! Started with rough western red cedar which I ran through a jointer and planer to get good lumber.
I made a few changes to the design. I used thinner seat boards and cut a leaning tilt in the backrests. I also added 2 boards on the back rests.
I used all pocket holes to hide the screws. Once they dry out I will seal the sectionals.
Got a full set of cushions on Amazon for $300. Total for this project was around $700. Not too bad!
This was my first Ana White project and we had a blast putting it together. The plans were clearly explained and the end result is a sturdy loft bed for my son.
There were only a few modifications to this build from the suggested plans. First, I traded out the 2X6's for the bed supports and replaced them with 2X8's. I also replaced the cleats with 2X3's and used the same for the bed slats. Between the slats and the mattress is 1/2" OSB. We also did not use the steps as it took too much floor space for our needs. We added some 2X4's for a ladder step up to the landing.
The theme is Superhero so I designed a custom hero logo in Adobe Illustrator, printed it out and carved it into 3/4" birch plywood with a rotary tool and router.
We're pretty much done with the bed. We now just have to arrange the room and add some lights underneath and maybe some extra storage under the landing.
My boy loves his new bed and I loved building it with him and my dad. It was a blast and will be one of the most memorable weekends of our lives! There's nothing like building with family.
My little two year old is sleeping on this right now, hehe, which is so funny to see his little body take up only 1 square foot of it.
We got a queen mattress from a family member and I had been wanting to build this bed for a while so what better excuse. I had a TON of 1x3's from other projects so used those as slats instead of 1x6's as in the plan. I also used some other scraps up so my headboard part is shorter than in the plan which I also was fine with. It barely fits in his little 10 x 10 starter home room, but I am still pretty proud of it.
Sun, 01/07/2018 - 11:13
I am a beginner and I understand what to do until this point. I am confused by this. Can it be explained in another way: Thanks.
Construct the frame as shown, leaving a 3 1/2' overhand on the headboard end to secure the frame to the headboard. Predrill to at least 4 holes to in this overhang to ease attatching to the headboard.
Had a bunch of scrap wood laying around from deconstructed and unused pallets. Great idea for a table top. NOTE: Table top will be uneven because of different widths and thicknesses of pallet scraps. Use a planer if you have access.
This was my first big project, so I opted to use these simple plans. I ended up making some changes on the fly at the lumber yard by switching the 2x4 legs out with 4x4s and the 1x10 top slats with 2x10s for added solidity. I also had to adjust the length of the table from 8' to 6' in order to fit into our dining nook. We painted the legs and skirts with Behr Anonymous Gray and the table top with Minwax Mission Oak Polyshades. We decided to use the 2 in 1 stain in the interest of time (needed to be done by Thanksgiving). The 2 in 1 didn't come out as well as I would've liked, but all in all it adds to the rustic feel of the table.... not to mention the process was an absolute breeze. The simplicity of the plans allowed me to make numerous easy adjustments to customize the table to our needs/wants.
This was great easy project I could do for my wife while she was at work and surprise her before she came home. I use the same color recommended stain but added the valspar white glaze to makenit more gray and weathered look. Sealed with a matte finish.
Fri, 10/04/2019 - 14:44
Awesome!!! Love how you made it the perfect size too!
First project! Modern Farm Table using a mix of the original and the updated pocket hole plans. Stained with vintage gray/brown on pine. Used Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane in satin to finish. Table - 33" X 69"
Tue, 06/30/2015 - 19:07
I've been looking for a DIY table plan like this for a while! My only question is I have a long kitchen and was thinking of makig the table a little longer, so I can seat one more person on each side. With the extra length, will I need any additional support towards the middle?
These were made from 50+ year old pine that we had from my husband’s late father’s shed. We used one coat of the dead flat poly. In total we made 6 shelves. 3 are 48” long and 3 are 32” long. This was a fun project and a great way to use my photos.
Saw this on Ana's site just in time to make it for a changing table for baby number 4. This was our most difficult plan to take on so far, but it turned out to be pretty straight forward. The details on the plan were a great help - using the spacers to make the drawer openings perfectly spaced, and attaching the drawer fronts on after attaching the rails were great tips. We also used dowel drawer slides for the top 2 drawers, which we really ended up liking.
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 01:15
Did you just use a router for the channels in the top drawers? If yes, what bit? If no, how did you do them?
Beautiful work! Your baby is very lucky! :)
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 03:04
Those grooves are probably made with a dado stack on a table saw, but your could easily do it with a router and a guide. Table saw is easier though.
If you don't own a dado set already, don't buy the cheapest one you can find. I made that mistake, and wasn't overly happy with the results of the cut. When I bought a better dado blade set, I was a lot happier with the quality of my cuts.
That turns out to be generally true: I'm always more happy with the result of a better blade. I also needed to tune up my saw to make sure the blade was properly aligned with the guide slots, and that my fence was parallel to the blade. If you don't do that then the best blade in the world won't help. Also, buy full-kerf blades, not the thin kerf blades they sell at the home improvement store. The full kerf blades wobble less and give you cleaner cuts.
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 05:04
clay,
kathy asked mollie a question, why don't you let her answer it?
In reply to clay, kathy asked mollie a by rob (not verified)
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 06:33
This is a community, there's no need to be rude. Sometimes the authors don't know there are comments, and it's nice to hear more than one solution to a problem. So let's please just appreciate the contribution from all the members, yes?
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 14:56
Brookifer86,
I can appreciate where you are coming from, and I appreciate your kind suggestions.
I can also identify with Rob's comment directed at Clay. Which I did not find rude.
Clay tends to comment on nearly almost every post on Ana's site with a dismissive and know-it-all attitude, giving outdated advice and rude corrections. It has gotten pretty old. Obviously I am not the only one who sees this.
Remember, one person's authoritarian advice on how to do things isn't the only way or even the best way to approach a project. It is simply their experience and their own personal way of doing things.
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 12:16
I'm grateful for all the help on this blog! When it comes to woodworking, there always seems to be more than one way to do things, and I want to hear EVERYBODY'S ideas; it makes me a more knowledgeable woodworker and helps me overcome planning obstacles I would otherwise not get passed.
Clay, I've read many of you posts and appreciate the wisdom you share. And to the complainers: sometimes our thoughts are not always conveyed on Internet discussions. Some personalities can come across as abrasive/arrogant unbeknownst to the author simply because of their writing style. I've seen it time and again on blogs and forums. I know what I want to say, but it doesn't always come across *quite right* when I'm typing it out.
Either way, I want to hear more about these drawer glides! Clay, you posted a great link on the original plan that suggest always using hardwood for drawer glides or at least a hard/softwood combo. Makes sense, any other want to chime in?
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 12:39
Just because I asked him to let Mollie answer the question doesn't mean I was calling him rude. I just think it's common courtesy to let someone who is asked a question to speak first. I definitely appreciate Clay's wisdom and I agree that there are many ways to do something.
What if it were in person though? What if someone kept asking you a question but someone standing off to the side kept answering it before you? Sure they answer correctly every time and give credible insight but after getting cut off over and over, don't you think it might get annoying?
Don't you think the teacher gets a little piffed when that one kid in the back raises his hand and belts out the answer every time and doesn't let any of the other kids answer the question? Sorry for the rant...
anyway the issue isn't about good or bad insight. The issue is just manners. I'm sorry if that comes off brash, but let the person who actually built it answer first.
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 13:18
Lucky for us, we're not in person and we can just "scroll down," lol. I remember recently, one of the blogs I regularly read posted about just this. Her article was spot-on and amusing at the same time...partly because she describes these notorious commenters, and because I know I've been guilty of "thread dumping " myself. There are personalities that clash online and in the real world too. It's worth a glance for a little perspective-and a laugh. http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/2012/02/how-deal-negative-comments.html
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 16:30
I seem to have stepped on some toes, and for that I'm sorry. I'll certainly take your points in mind in the future. I'm afraid that's distracted from the main point: this is a really amazing piece of furniture. Molly, your house must be pretty amazing if you're building furniture like this. I'll bet your children grow up to be pretty amazing if they've got a mom who builds their furniture.
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 12:44
Beautiful changing table! I have only been building a little over a year and I always appreciate the advice on this site. Thanks for sharing so much Clay:-)
Sun, 07/29/2012 - 21:13
I just saw there were comments here on my brag post. So, Clay, thanks for answering for me.
We used our table saw - although we don't have a fancy blade. We should probably get one. My husband just ran it through the table saw several times to get it the exact right width. The blade was lowered so that it would only cut 1/4 inch into the wood. And the slides were hardwood - square dowels you get get at a home improvement store.
Wed, 08/08/2012 - 08:08
I love the plans for this piece, to begin with. Great job on your build. I LOVE this in white! Especially for a baby room or a little girl's room. Thank you so much for sharing your pics and ideas!
Mon, 01/21/2013 - 20:45
Fantastic job on this piece! I think this would be perfect in an adult's bedroom also, with the bottom shelf for a blanket or quilt. I would love to make this.
Sun, 03/31/2013 - 16:01
Hi,
I was wanting to do the same thing...make this for using as a changing table. What are the dimensions of your dresser? Did you change the size of the drawers (did you use something different than a 1x8)? At what measurement did you place the lower shelf relative to the ground and how much space is there between the top of that lower shelf and the bottom of the 1x2 that frames the bottom drawer?
Any help / details that you can give would be so appreciated!
Thanks!
A lady that my husband works with just got her forever home through Habitat for Humanity. We wanted to do something special for her and her kids so we used Anna’s platform plans to build one queen and 3 full size bed frames. The plans were easy to follow and assembly was a snap on delivery.
To make the fulls we took the queen dimensions and modified the cuts for the full size mattress dimensions.
Thank you Anna for helping us to make 4 beautiful additions to our friends home.
Built this for a friend of mine and his fiancé. They just bought a house and thought I would help them fill it. This is my 2nd farmhouse table. I really like the thickness of the table.
This was my first finished project using plans from Ana's site, and I am very pleased with the finished product. Every aspect of the finished sideboard is based on something from the site. I started with the plans for the Planked Wood Sideboard, and made no modifications as the dimensions were perfect for our basement family room. I decided to inset the back (http://www.friendly-home.net/2012/02/gigantic-rustic-sideboard.html) as Ana explained that Hillary had done, and love the final result. This will allow us to use this to potentially divide a room in an open concept space at some point in the future.
For the finishing process, I decided to follow the "Rustic Yet Refined" finish tutorial highlighted on both the Ana-White site (http://ana-white.com/2013/08/rustic-yet-refined-wood-finish) and Jen Woodhouse House of Wood (http://jenwoodhouse.com/blog/2013/06/07/diy-dining-table/). I fully intended to complete the 9 step process, but found that after we applied the Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner, followed by Minwax special walnut stain and wiped it off within 15-30 seconds, the finish mirrored the restoration hardware finish that we were going for. We decided not to proceed with layering on the weathered oak or applying the whitewash, and went straight to the spar urethane satin coats.
Overall, the project was a success, but was difficult to finish during the Minnesota winter as it was unbelievably cold and was forced to complete the finishing process in our basement/laundry room, which extended the length of the project. I am very excited to begin building other pieces from Ana's plans.
Mon, 03/03/2014 - 10:01
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for all the details on how you did this!
In reply to Absolutely beautiful! Thank by moosmani
Thu, 03/13/2014 - 07:09
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am extremely impressed with your brag posts as well, and you may have been inspired to take on the picket storage shed project as soon as the snow melts.
I needed some extra storage space and have always wanted a storage bench in this corner of my dining room. It took me a week to build from start to finish. I’ve never done any woodworking before, so this plan was good for me, as it was easy to follow with the color coding. The only thing that was “off plan” were the X’s on the face of the bench. I had some leftover 1x1 trim, from a handyman project a few years back, that I was happy to use up. It fit perfectly and I had just enough for all X’s. My biggest challenge with this project were the lids. They have a very minor bow, so one of the corners isn’t flush. But, it’s not enough to bother me or need to re-do the lid. All-in-all, I’m super happy with this banquette and may have caught the woodworking bug!
Modified the Farmhouse Storage Bed with Storage Drawers. Changed the design to california king and added booshelves to the headboard. Will eventually turn a shelf into a nightstand for water/light. I LOVE IT!! Thanks for the Design, Ana!
Golf bag stand
Can’t remember if found this plan here or not but get most my plans here. Fun and easy build.
My first project very simple plan to follow extremely proud of it
We had to build a king-size headboard in our 2nd floor bedroom, because the stairway clearance was too small to fit a headboard up the stairs. We added a couple vertical stabilizer boards.
airbnb.com/h/cozycornercottage-millersburg
Love love love this sofa!
I wanted to contribute a plan but unfortunately I'm still learning how to use Google Sketchup. However, here's a brag post in the mean time! My husband were asked to replicate a display table from Hollister Co. and this is what we came up with. :)
Comments
Ana White
Mon, 06/03/2019 - 11:35
Thank you so much for…
Thank you so much for sharing a photo! I've been looking forward to seeing how the bed turns out! Great job!