Outdoor planter steps or benches
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A very enjoyable project. I'm relatively new to diy woodworking projects but these plans make it so much easier.
Thanks.
A very enjoyable project. I'm relatively new to diy woodworking projects but these plans make it so much easier.
Thanks.
We live in a termite infested area and as such were nervous about putting wood in contact with the ground. We modified these plans to sit on top of a welded bar frame that is moveable and stands a meter high. The measurements are custom to our welded frame but the shape was based on these plans as was the construction process followed. We dont have a worry about predators so have used a design that doen not have a closed floor - our girls can simply fly or walk up the ladder to the roost and are able to leave the coop when ready in the morning without us opening doors. We are also in a warm environment thus an enclosed coop is not needed.
So far they are happy and are happily laying in the two egg boxes (We left the remaining space closed internally so that we can use it for storage) and as there is no bottom to the coop they poop straight into the run and onto the sand floor.
They are not free ranging yet as we are nervous of our dogs chasing them but once we are happy to let them free range we will use the gate built into the welded run.
Thank you Ana and lady goats for this design - I spent hours (and hours) researching and reading and looking at coop designs before deciding that this cute number was the one we wanted.
From me and my happy hens, thanks again!
My husband and I love entertaining, but our small kitchen table was just not cutting it for both our space and our hosting abilities. We decided that instead of searching for the perfect table and spending a ton of money, we would just build our own table. We found that Ana's Rustic Table plans best matched what we were looking for, but my husband being the detailed person that he is didn’t just want to take her measurements and run with them. So we taped off the floor around our old table to decide how large we wanted our own table to be.
We basically followed Ana White’s plans to a T.
Until it got to the legs. Ana White used 2×4′s for her legs, but we decided we liked the look of chunkier 4×4 legs instead.
We also did things in a different order, like attaching the legs to the apron before attaching the table top. This did make everything way easier when it came to painting, no tape needed.
We also stained the bottoms and sides of the tabletop boards before attaching them to the apron. After the top was attached I stained the top side and applied about 3-4 coats of Matte polyurethane. I like the matte finish because it doesn’t add any sheen and makes things look even more rustic; however, we’ll have to add a regular coat of poly as well because the matte is too soft for something that will see such rough use over the years.
And now for what you’re all wondering about, how much did this project cost us?
Mon, 12/31/2012 - 09:43
Your table is gorgeous! You did an amazing job.
I am getting ready to attempt my first two projects, bookshelves and a buffet table. I had a couple of questions about how you got such a consistent stain.
1) The Stain - What kind of stain did you use? How many coats did it take? Did you use a conditioner first?
2) Wood filler - How did you get the wood filler to match the stained areas so well? What kind did you use?
Thanks for the advice! I was thinking I would have to paint the buffet but after seeing your table I think I may actually attempt the stain.
My hubby is 6'5'' tall. Since most matresses are 80 inches long, he mostly ends up with his feet hanging out of the bed (since you don't lay your head down at the very beginning of the mattress, right?). So I tried to solve this problem by making the bed 4'' longer than the plans suggested. I added 2'' of foam on each end of the bed, so now its 84'' long and my hubby fits perfectly!
Thanks for the great plans, I had a blast building my own bed!
Pretty much followed the steps as outlined in the rocket bookcase plans. Googled astronaut and spaceship stencils and free hand drew those on construction paper. This bookcase is heading to my 3 year old son's room and he's pretty excited to fill it with toys and books.
This was my first project that I've built and I feel really great about how it turned out!
Thu, 01/24/2013 - 14:25
Great job! Your bookshelf looks solid and the color is crisp against the darker wall. Love the frames too!
We needed a bench to hold shoes and bags on the foyer, and this plan fit the bill. I stretched the bench one foot so 3 kids could sit on it and to add one more cubby. I used pocket holes everywhere I could, so I had to modify the assembly order. We're excited to start using our new bench!
We have very little storage in our house and wanted someplace to store board games. This works great in the dining room. I made the hardware using patio door rollers and used my jigsaw to cut steel and aluminum bars to fit. I hammered the ends of the track in a curve and put a track on the bottom of the cabinet to keep the doors more flush against the cabinet. I spray-painted all the metal and bolts to match. It is 36" high, 13" deep and 63" long. I didn't use the center board in the front because I wanted to accomodate for larger games.
My cousin needed a computer desk but wanted it to look like a piece of furniture when not in use since they have limited space. The left side stores her tower, the right side has a pullout shelf for her printer and storage for printer paper & supplies. She works with 2 monitors so the center on the hutch will accommodate both but be hidden when she isn't working. This was a fun project and using Shelfhelp made it a joy to build. They will be my "go-to" place when building large pieces of furniture.
Sat, 12/19/2020 - 10:30
Thank you for using Shelf Help! It looks fantastic:)
I used elements of both the Emme Twin Bed and Farmhouse Storage Bed to create this perfect bed for my daughter. Thank you so much for your fantastic plans Ana!
So glad these plans were posted so that I could build my own outdoor sectional. I built two armless and two corner/end pieces. I used cedar with American Walnut stain and clear/satin spar urethane. I purchased the cushions online. They only had 24x24"; so for the back cushions, I used a seam ripper to open the cushion, cut the foam and extra fabric, and re-sew.
This was my husband and I's first furniture building exercise. We've been looking at farm tables but the prices were astronomical ($500 to 1,000+)! So, we came across this plan and thought maybe we could do it. And we did!
It took us about a weekend...we have two kids - ages 3 and 6...so we have frequent interruptions...including my daughter spilling my brand new quart of paint...so another trip to Home Depot.
We made some alterations to the plans...to fit our needs.
List of Alterations:
- Moved apron back (and would move it back more if I built again) 1" further.
- Added another stretcher on the bottom so that we could put a shelf there. We will probably add wood to the shelf in the future. Another blogger used a free pallet that he took apart. Seems like a good idea. Also moved the stretchers toward the back so that stools can sit under the table and be out of the way. Our table (as seen in the pictures) is up against a wall...so it made sense.
- Didn't add breadboard - the look was too finished for us.
- Used 1", 2x6 pine boards for two reasons - 1) liked the thinner material. 2) needed a smaller table than then 2x8's would let me do.
Tools:
We did have to buy tools to accomplish this project. My husband has a lot but obviously not enough.
- Purchased a table top miter saw - Harbor Freight - $89 on sale. Our circular saw just wasn't powerful enough (battery operated) and too hard to use.
- Purchased the full Kreg Jit (because it has the clamp mechanism) - $99
Thanks for looking!
Wed, 02/20/2013 - 21:37
Lovely! The deliberate stains are a cool feature! Can't wait to see the "real" top.
Made a few adjustments to the farmhouse toy box. Made it a little bigger and added Xs out of 1x2s around it to give it a little extra something! I'm using it as a storage coffee table and I couldn't be happier with it! So in love!
Built this new Mudroom / Office from some plans i found on your website and I absolutely love it! It has turned out better than I Expected and I learned soo many new things when planning and building this out!
My husband has been hounding me to build him a bookshelf for his office. I actually used wood that I already had in my garage. The next time I build it, I will follow it exactly... I used plywood on the shelves and planks on the back... next time, I will do the opposite, but I really love it!!
Fri, 03/19/2021 - 09:31
The brackets add that farmhouse industrial feel, great job!
Thanks for the free plans. I did have to make modifications for the doors. i hid the hinges to give it a clean look. i used cedar for the trim and Plywood Siding Panel T1-11 4 IN OC (Common: 19/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.; Actual: 0.563 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.) for the doors. i used a metal flashing for the roof so it will vent.
This is an adaption of the shoe shrine shelves. Since I didn't have a closet or other room than the bedroom to put these, I put them on their side. I modeled these off the shoe shrine shelves.
Each cubby is 11 3/4 deep x 8 x8 for the long version. The 2nd version I made was only 48 inches wide and did not divide well so I simply left the center cubby wider. I also made the 48" version to have different height shelves for purses in the middle and flats on the bottom.
I basically flipped the shoe shrine's on their sides and added LED lights. This also inspired a tall version for a cubby we had upstairs.
I used a panel saw to cut the plywood and then assembled with a Kreg pocket hole jig for horizontal pieces and biscuits for the top and the dividers. I did not want to fill the holes or I would have used Kreg instead of the biscuits.
I used 3/4" paint grade plywood and a 1/4inch back panel.
LED lights came from LED wholesalers on amazon. This step requires electrical knowledge! Not much more than a wiring a light but do not attempt if you are not qualifed to do so. LED strings required a fine tip soldering iron, wire and heat shrink.
Fri, 03/22/2013 - 08:18
Great job! Your closet now looks like a fancy shoe boutique!
Fri, 03/22/2013 - 11:50
The LED's came after we designed them. I was like there is no light where these are going and its hard to see inside the cubbies. This is true for the bottom cubies which are only 5 inches tall. So for 30 bucks a cabinet it was a quick and easy addition that really made them pop. Only downside is it can make the room look like you are in Nordstom's :) so she doesn't leave the lights on regularly.
Thu, 09/18/2014 - 01:42
Very nicely done. Do you mind telling me more about which particular LED product you used and the process to wire them in? Did you mill out any part of the cabinet to set the lights? How are they activated? Thanks in advance. You can also email me at [email protected]. Much appreciated!
I have had these for a while but never finished with the painting, the most dreadful part...but found some chalk paint that I love, and will always use chalk paint to finish all my projects now.
Wed, 03/27/2013 - 23:38
Love these. Also love that you mixed up your own chalk paint. :) Shelving in my daughter's room is definitely a toss up between photo ledges and these now.
Thu, 03/28/2013 - 15:54
Thank you, can't wait to start on their new bed. ;0)
Love this plan and the table and bench turned out exactly as I hoped. I did it by myself except for a little heavy lifting from my sweetheart. I researched the finish online and I am so happy with the results.
Tue, 02/10/2015 - 08:19
We have been shopping for tables and cannot find anything we like for a good price. I keep going back to building one myself. Your table top looks great .. nice and flat. Did you follow the plans to a T, did you use a kreg jig?
Tue, 02/10/2015 - 22:13
I did change the dimensions of the top a little. I wanted a wider surface. I did use a kreg jig, it made it a breeze to build. I spent a lot of time on the finish, sanding, using steel wool, and several coats of polyurethane. Thank you for the compliment !
This was my first attempt at a farm table. I found the fancy x plan for inspiration. The length is 6ft. I had to modify all of the measurements. All of the boards came off my grandad's old barn. The posts are laminated together from guide posts from his corral. There is a lot of history and character to the table. I did have to make the bench to match it. I'll post pictures of that soon. Most importatnly, my wife loves it!!!! Happy wife, happy life!!!
Mon, 05/18/2015 - 12:00
Hello, awesome job on the table. Was wondering if you would mind sharing the table top dimensions. I have a smaller space and was thinking of modifying to make something in the 6ft range as well. Thanks
Comments
Ana White Admin
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 12:45
Looks great!
Great job on the build, thanks for sharing!