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Children's Storage Chair

We made 6 storage chairs for our school area. I added two inches to the height of the chairs, making them 16 inches at the seat. I wanted them to last for several years. They turned out great!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
We used two coats of Valspar spray paint. This is the first time that I used spray paint and I love it! I added two coats of Minwax spray polyurethane. They dried great and are holding up awesome!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Thanks!!! Love it

Submitted by TLai on Sun, 07/20/2014 - 21:40

Thanks so much for the plan!! I altered the plan so it would fit the cushions I brought and used 2x4s and 2x3s only. Total cost with cushions - $45! Excited to make a matching love seat!

I was afraid that 1x4s may be too weak, so I used 2x4s instead. It's pretty sturdy.

Cushion sizes:

19x20x3
22x24x6

Estimated Cost
45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Number Cubby Shelf

Very easy project. It took a few hours from beginning to end including measuring, cutting,assembling and painting. I used salvaged wood from a pallet I got for free. The only cost for this project was for a can of spray paint. Great shelf for the playroom to organize art supplies. You can see more details of this project in my blog: http://blueberryjunkie.com/uncategorized/diy-number-cubby-shelf-a-potte…

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5.99
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Corona Coffee Table

Submitted by daisy1235 on Tue, 07/22/2014 - 15:09

My husband really wanted our sectional couch, but we had the hardest time finding a coffee table that worked with it. I went back to the store that we bought it at to see what they suggested, and they showed me a $700 that I fell in love with. Since I was not spending $700 on it, I did some research. Found these plans that were almost my dream coffee table, the only difference was the wood border around the outside. So my husband and I modified the plans a little and got to work! We made it the exact dimensions of the coffee table I wanted and are absolutely in love with our final product!

Estimated Cost
Around $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum, dark walnut - 1 coat
Rostoleum, matte finish - 2 coats on bottom, 3 coats on top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mudroom

Submitted by Taa-daa on Tue, 11/01/2016 - 13:22

My front closet was transformed into a mudroom. Hidden storage is a genious idea. Thank you Ana!!! It wasn't easy though.

Estimated Cost
a bit less than 150$
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My work table

Submitted by ewebrat on Fri, 07/24/2020 - 13:19

Started to renovate hubby’s bathroom, got annoyed with lack of space on his work bench, built my own. Since this pic, I’ve added locking casters, a power bar up one leg, and a plain metal tool holder on one side. Still have some thoughts rattling around in my head about various other upgrades. Super plans, easy one-woman job.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish. I want to add a 1/4 or 1/2 MDD top, but that’s the only not-naked original wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Big Egg Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/22/2024 - 16:11

This is a variation of the green egg table to fit my husband's homemade smoker project. He loves the table!!

Jill Lagman

Farmhouse Island

Submitted by scrapkali on Mon, 10/01/2012 - 12:11

I loved everything about this island, and knew I needed it for my craft room.

This was my first try at furniture building, and the step by step instructions were amazing, and so simple. It took me about 5 hours to build, and another 2 to sand/paint.

For the top, I used a table top from Ikea, and also added the rod and baskets from Ikea to the end of the island for holding craft supplies.

Estimated Cost
$225
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Channing Desk and Hutch

Submitted by brittanyj on Fri, 07/25/2014 - 09:07

Made this desk custom for a friend and I am so happy with how it came out. Took around 4 days with finishing. I didn't put a back on it because drilling those holes for cords always goes rather splintery. If he wants a back we can easily put it on. The top ended up having strange coloring with the Dark Walnut stain, I think because of the wood filler, but I like it because it gives it a rustic old world kind of look. I saved a lot of money by hounding the scrap bin at Home Depot several times a week, looking for wood on Craigslist, and raiding my leftover stash. I modified the side so there was a tower partition and a shelf on shelf pins- courtesy of Kreg shelf pin jig. I used moulding I had sitting around to cover the exposed edges of plywood.

Estimated Cost
30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
wood conditioner, Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain, floor poly (just what I had lying around). Applied stain with sponge brush, then wiped excess. same for conditioner. poly applied with paintbrush.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tufted Parson Chair

Submitted by johnana on Sun, 11/06/2016 - 02:41

I was in need of two more parson chairs. So, I thought that I could maybe buy them from the same place I originally purchased my set, but they only had something close. I don’t mind mismatch when it reasonably works together. These did not. So I started my search…. Anything I liked was either out of stock, or way too expensive. I’ve been making and updating a few furniture pieces lately, but never made any chairs or stools. Why not? I guess I thought that they were too intimidating. I started doing some research on the web and learned that they are intimidating. But then there is a very talented person out there by the name of Ana White. She has plans for a parson chair that really made me say that this is not as hard as I thought. So I used her plans as a basis for my own. I used left over pieces of wood I had from another project. So why not try one and if it works I’ll do the second one.

I did however make a few changes to make it my own.

Estimated Cost
$30 for Two
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Wood Shades Espresso. you can find the instructions at https://homeessentialsweb.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/parson-chair/
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by BPJacobs on Mon, 07/27/2020 - 06:39

I built these a couple of weeks ago - very easy. I did not have a pocket hole jig so I added a 26" 2x4 to attach the pieces behind the back-rest. I don't think is makes it look bad, and it adds some weight which is nice.
I have built 6 so far - 4 for myself and 2 that I gave to friends. the first couple took a while to get the process sorted out but after that they came together in about 30-45 minutes per chair. I did make a couple of mistakes in the cutting initially (forgot to cut angles so I wasted a lot of wood), and then of course the additional piece of 2x4 added to the price.

Estimated Cost
About $80-$90 per chair
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior wood sealant
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Magnetic Spice Rack Drawers!

Submitted by biz_kid1 on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 09:10

So our oven died back in July and we ended up having an unplanned mini kitchen remodel. One of the things I wanted to implement was magnetic spice racks in drawers, simply because we had a little space left on either side of the oven. Note: we hired a contractor to modify the existing cabinets because we had already been without an oven for over a month by the time home warranty decided they would have to replace the oven and we knew us doing it would take too long - a whole different, LONG story (read about that here: http://christinashaw.com/?p=1203).

But if you want to read more about the magnetic spice racks (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, by the way!), you can read about that here: http://christinashaw.com/?p=1168

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Easy Build Wood Headboard, King Size

Floating headboard made for a friend of mine. Didn't have a picture of it mounted in their room but I wanted to get it up here anyway.

Estimated Cost
$70-$80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain (Dark Walnut) and one layer of polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Inspired Sofa Table

Submitted by danicarby on Tue, 11/08/2016 - 04:25

This was a very fun project for me!  I love turning unwanted-old things into something beautiful and usuable!  I built thit table using a reclaimed door and old railing spindles but you could easily improvise by using dimensional lumber for the top and buying new spindles or using 2x2's if necessary!  This took me a few days because I built as I went and made sure it was just right.

 

Guess what?  I built it for $37!!  The door and spindles were a great find at my local Habitat for Humanity store - check yours out!

 

I have a building tutorial on my blog so you can make one too!

Estimated Cost
$37 - plan for around $50 if reclaimed materials aren't being used
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Washed Latex Paint and Polycrylic Protective Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm Table (Pocket Holes)

Submitted by egm on Tue, 07/28/2020 - 18:03

First time I have ever attempted something like this. Made this table for my wife's birthday. Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 Coat Natural Danish Oil
1 Coat Medium Walnut Danish Oil
1 Coat Dark Walnut Danish Oil
3 Coats of wipe On Poly
Base is painted with Benjamin Moore "Black Panther"
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Murphy Bed - queen

Submitted by fielden_m on Mon, 10/08/2012 - 08:15

Taking the plans for the full sized Murphy bed (http://ana-white.com/2010/03/plans-a-murphy-bed-you-can-build-and-affor…) I added a few inches to convert to a queen and raised it off the floor 5 1/2 inches with removable fence post toppers.

The yellow head board lifts up and stores inside the frame when up. If I had it to do over again, I would sand and paint as I built. Thanks to Ana, I now have a guest room!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
wood was sanded, primed and painted
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 11:13

Holy smokes! Great job! I just got my early birthday present - a Kreg Jig Master System!!! One of the first things I will be building is a murphy bed, so thank you for the inspiration.

It looks great!

nasrockswell

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 19:55

I love your adaptation of Ana's plans. Would you be willing to share the dimension for the queen murphy? Thank you!

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:51

I fudged the plans by adding to the width and height to make up for the change in bedding but also for the hinges and detachable feet. Measures will differ based on your hinges and feet.

vgb777

Mon, 04/29/2013 - 14:32

I am wondering what king of hinges you used for the bed. Did you use continuous (piano) hinges or regular door hinges? How wide are they? I am not sure what the acceptable width for the hinges is to be safe. Thanks.

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:47

I used 3 5" gate hinges. They are thick enough to leave a gap of 3/8" between my base and the part of the bed that swings down.

phelan1202

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 16:35

What were the altered measurements and exactly how did you raise it? I really like Anas plan except that the mattress was so close to the ground. I want to make this for my apartment and I'm painting the outside like a tardis. (:

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:50

I raised it 5 1/4 " using fence post toppers from home depot. The fence post toppers unscrew for upright storage. You could leave them in for a more dramatic look but I liked the cleaner lines with them out until needed

intrigued89

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 15:33

Would you be willing to share the dimensions you used when building your queen murphy? Even if they aren't exact, it would be such a big help to me!

rfpeterlin

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 03:33

That is definitely an attractive and well finished project. I am interested in how you finished the legs. I see in the second picture (bed in closed positions) where the toppers may have attached. Where do you store them?

fielden_m

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 22:56

In that same picture, if you look at the bottom 6 inches of the closed bed (under the hinge) there is a storage section where I hide the legs when the bed is raised. It is otherwise dead space and made for an easy storage conversion at the last minute.

Ben Childs

Sun, 01/10/2016 - 17:02

Can someone please help me I see this can be adjusted for a queen size bed. I don't know how to adjust the measurement to make it work. 

Ben Childs

Sun, 01/10/2016 - 17:04

Can someone please help me I see this can be adjusted for a queen size bed. I don't know how to adjust the measurement to make it work. 

Console Table

Submitted by missytoe on Thu, 07/31/2014 - 08:14

This is my first Ana White project and it came out great. We used the Kreg Jig for the first time and it's awesome! I put a coat of Rustoleum Weathered Gray on first, which has a blue tinge to it. Then I added two light coats of Minwax Provincial (basically wiped it on and then back off...didn't let it sit). Finished it off with two coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly, which is super easy to use and great for items that need a little protection. The only downside for me is that I have discovered that I am apparently allergic to pine resin which throws a major roadblock into building pine furniture!!! I end up with an itchy rash and face swelling when I around the freshly cut or sanded wood. Totally sucks. So I may have to have hubby do the cutting and sanding.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weathered Gray on first, which has a blue tinge to it. Then I added two light coats of Minwax Provincial (basically wiped it on and then back off...didn't let it sit). Finished it off with two coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly,
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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