Second project after newly discovering Ana’s site
Had to adapt sizes slightly as timber in the UK is sold in metres, not feet -so the lengths are slightly shorter but really pleased with the result!
Tracey317
This project took a little more time than expected. Being new at this I'm definitely not efficient yet. Sanding and staining took the longest. Though the plans said to put it together in the room then sand and stain, we chose to stain it outside then put it together, so to avoid the mess in the room (renting and couldn't risk it!). That worked well for us. We also added 5 inches to the height so some day it could be converted into a full bunk bed. For some joints we should have used 2" screws rather than the 2 1/2" suggested in the plans, some of the screws went all the way through to the other side. We used key hole plates to attach the stairs to the platform to make it easy to take apart and put together. We also adde 45 degree braces to support the extra height and an extra brace around 3 sides of the bottom which will one day be the frame for the bottom bunk. It worked really well. The boys love it!
I took Ana's awesome queen-sized storage bed plans and jut made a couple minor tweaks for my full. Our bedroom is TINY, so I wanted queen (or king) sized drawers/cubbies, which means I kept 20" depth. The side boxes run 53" in length, 54" for the end. I used poplar ply for the boxes, red oak for the trim, and I stained everything with a Varathane Early American wood stain, followed by a couple coats of polycrylic. It came out beautifully, and I love how easy it is to move around and set up.
For the final step, I'm still debating adding drawers or doors, which would hinge on the bottom and secure with cabinet magnets. I'm leaning toward the latter just because our bedroom is so small it will make accessibility a bit easier.
My daughter turned 5 in July. She loves twirly dresses, unicorns, and building. Her current project is a full size airplane made from wood. She is certainly ambitious. For her birthday, she received all kinds of building toys (Legos, knex, etc.) and quickly got to work, creating masterpiece after masterpiece. Like every 5 year old, dismantling a masterpiece is unthinkable. So, she has taken it upon herself to display her projects on every available surface, despite its intended function (i.e., my desk). We needed something that she could use to build, store, and display her projects that wasn't in the way and didn't disrupt our everyday routines (Mama's gotta work!).
Enter, this window seat. I've been wanting to build one for years but never really found a plan I liked. This is exactly what I was looking for, as it has enough building space and storage space to meet our needs. Maybe one day i'll get to use it as a window seat!
I used the flip top storage bench plan and modified the length to fit our windows. The lid is 69" wide and the base is 64.5". I added some supports in the middle, as well. I painted the inside storage space purple to give it a kid friendly touch. I also added lid supports on both sides to prevent pinched fingers.
I built these easy diy wood table numbers and card box for a large birthday celebration. I had a friend make the vinyl lettering, very simple projects that were a great additon!
This is the second of the Simplest Stool design I retrieved from Ana's site and built. I love the stool for its ease of construction and beautiful lines. Get your measurements spot on and it goes together in a flash. I did use a 15 inch diameter project round for the seat. I built it upon the request of a friend so they have to finish it. Lots of PHs in this small stool so I wish that Kreg or someone would produce PH inserts that easily fit where you have 11/4 inch ph screws.
This is an extremely easy project and great for beginners. The step by step guide was spot on. I would only suggest that if you are having your local home goods store do the cutting to make sure they cut according to the guide given or you will end up with only enough "correct cuts" to make one shelf.
I applied a dark brown base coat and then a nice coat of DIY chalk paint (off white). I distressed the edges and a couple of spots on the top shelf and topped it off with clear paste wax. Looks great in the living room.
Thank you for the plans!
This project cost us about $850CAN and took us around a week (5ish hours a day) to complete. My husband and I are definitely not carpenters so it's not perfect but it's pretty amazing :)
we made several alterations to the plans including making the bottom bunk larger to accommodate a double/full size mattress. We also made the "door" to the bottom bed larger with an opening of 30". Another alteration was we dropped the mattress cleats to 9" off the ground so that the mattress dat down in the bed. The bed is for our 2 year old so we thought she would have trouble getting in if it was much higher. This eliminated the storage area underneath but she has a large closets so we didn't think it would be an issue.
The plans were great and pretty easy to follow. We are over the moon with how it all turned out!
I had left over lumber from a fence that I put up. The kiddo needed to have a big boy dresser. Made this with all treated 2x4s. I cut all of the inside supports to dimension from the 2x4s. Only wood that I needed to buy was for the drawers.
We changed the design a little bit. We used dowels to hold almost all of it together. Then we joined the top and used figure eight fasteners to account for wood movement. My nephew loves it, we think it looks great in his room.
Dave Jacobs and Vaz Franchuk
I built this bed for my sister's new house. I used aspen for the visible boards and furring strips and regular lumber for the rest. The only change from the original plan is that I used 1x6s for the legs so it would sit higher off the floor.
I painted it with Rustoleum Painter's Touch Metallic in Oil Rubbed Bronze and I really like how it turned out. I didn't use any primer, so you can almost see the wood grain which gives it the illusion of being stained. It also has a metallic sheen in the right light, but it's very subtle. The only downside is the metallic gives it a rough texture. I contemplated putting a couple coats of poly over it, which I may do later.
*Picture was taken with her old full size mattress
Rustic x coffee table made from plan. Used 3-4 coats of early american stain and two coats of poly.
This project was such a fun challenge for me! I needed a table top version of this great Christmas tree shelf, so I modified the plans just a bit, and created an additional shelf. The little ornament blocks were fun to make too!
I made this over the door shoe organizer for my heels using a pair of 6' 1x3s, a scrap of 1x4 and some crown molding. It was quite quick to make and I am really happy with how it turned out.
For detailed instructions, check out my blog: http://homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/10/30/diy-crown-molding-closet…
I made this surround to give me a place to hang my stockings for Christmas and give me a mantel to decorate. It also moves easily!
Re-worked plans slightly to include turned legs with matching bench. Been great for family dinners in our kitchen
Plans from Wood Parsons End Table with Bottom Shelf.
24Lx24Wx21H
After clearing some doesn't-belong-here furniture out of my living room, my coffee table became the home to our stereo receiver and HTPC. This project was about getting my coffee table back, in a quick, inexpensive way. The photos *still* don't do justice, but since I've added the equipment, I am SO not hauling this back outside for glamour shots.
Size: Adjusted to fit under a wall-mounted flat TV:17.5"D x 21"H x 42"W. The adjustment was simple: use 5 2x4s instead of 4.
The photos also make the stain appear darker than it is -- it's truly a rich teal. I love the color so much, I'm going to strip my built-like-a-tank, 65-year-old wooden front door and stain it, too.
This is my first "real" project. I've built things before. Badly. Now, I have a Kreg, and I'm learning to be a little more patient with clamping and squaring for better results. :)
It appears that my next project will be the taming of the cable spaghetti.
This was such a fun project. Had to figure out how to build the sliding door HW. I didn't want the doors flying off when sliding so I did secure in a way that didn't limit the aesthetics or function. I did add a back to the cabinet since the picture was taken. Strips of plywood to give it that barn flavor. The most time consuming part was painting, staining, protecting and waiting for it to dry.
