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Eric's Cedar Shed!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 21:35

Thank you for the plans, shed turned out great! My association required me to match the siding color, roof color, and anchor to a concrete slab. So I poured 25 bags of 80lbs concrete to make a 9x5 slab. Redid the plans for an 8x4 shed, built the frame with 2x4s and not 2x2's, installed flashing, ice/water shield + felt + matching shingles since I'm near Chicago, and used a flexio finishing sprayer to paint the shed. Saved some $ by using 2 Redwood Grain Fiber siding panels for $22 each at HD.

All in all very happy with my shed and all my dangerous yard tools and woodworking tools can be put away from my toddler.

Built from Plan(s)
Small Cedar Shed
Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Plus exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Grill Station

Submitted by JDillen on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 15:32

Grill station

Built from Plan(s)
Sturdy Work Bench
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Farmhouse Dining Table

Had to make modifications for size, errors, and personal preference, but we love this table! Still deciding on all white paint or a 2-tone finish. Also- first time using a Kreg jig. What an amazing tool.

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Table - Updated Pocket Hole Plans
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wranglerstar Greenhouse

Thank you Ana for the excellent plans. We have been talking about this for months and are excited finally have a greenhouse. We live in the mountains and this will help extend our growing season. Please tell Ram thank you from the Wranglerlerstar family.

Blog Link
How To Build A Greenhouse
Built from Plan(s)
DIY Greenhouse
Estimated Cost
$750
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
stain
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

jnow8687

Sat, 08/31/2019 - 12:34

Did you extend the base height? I want a greenhouse to enclose trees that do not do well in the winter and I think I would like to raise the base height a foot or so.

Simple White Patio Sofa

This was one of my favorite DIY projects. It's so much more affordable than buying patio furniture, and the building instructions make it sturdy as ever.

I built this with my fiance, who you'll see in the image of the in-progress bench. It was a snap for us, since we have a fair amount of experience building our own furniture. With the right tools, this project can take only two days, including wait time in between coats of paint and varnish.

We made our sofa to fit the cushions we found, and thus, the sofa is actually 84" wide, instead of 72" wide. By doing this, we also eliminated the need for a love seat, and instead are in the process of making two chairs to match this sofa. All in all, our patio will seat 6, which is what we were aiming for.

TOOLS
The most important part of making this an easy, fun project is having the right tools. I highly recommend you purchase or borrow:
- Compound miter saw
- Kreg jig
- Square head screws (stripping these is nearly impossible)

Blog Link
Build or Buy? A Guide to DIY
Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Sofa - Modern Comfort Collection
Estimated Cost
$300 (including cushions)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior satin white (stay away from spray paint, since it's less efficient and more costly)
Exterior spar varnish in aerosol can for extra outdoor protection
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farm bench and Adirondack chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/07/2020 - 14:14

Had already posted the truss bench but since I was staining both it and the Adirondack chair together thought I’d share both side by side. Thanks for the wonderful, simple plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Heavy Duty Adirondack Chair Plans with Back Leg and Footstool
2x4 Truss Style Farm Bench
Estimated Cost
Bench=$25 chair=$45 (wood and screws)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Honey Pine stain and urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse L Desk

Submitted by kellyd77 on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 09:02

Put a twist on the farmhouse desk plans

Built from Plan(s)
Rustic X Desk

Comments

Garage Shelves - Freestanding (Modified)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 20:45

First project ever! I have been planning to build this for at least a year, and I finally did it! I had to modify the plan to fit my space, but it worked out well. They cut the wood for me at the store, so I did not make any cuts myself, just assembled all of the pieces together. I used all 2x4s, 8' and 10', cut down to my measurements. I did not finish the shelves since it is just for the garage, but I did sand rough board edges and some of the faces. I just used an palm sander and coarse sandpaper (80 grit). Please double check all measurements and lists because I forgot to add my shorter shelf supports to the list and had to go back to the store. I also forgot to add the width of the top shelf to those two shorter supports, so the shelf boards are resting on the top instead of nestled into the supports. It turned out not to be a functional problem, but a good lesson to learn. I also learned to make sure my driver battery is charged fully before starting - that took a large chunk out of my first day building and I had to finish the next day. My husband helped with some lifting and holding, but I mostly did this on my own in one weekend, so you CAN do it! Don't wait like I did - it is soooooooo useful and it looks great! All of my friends are really impressed and it feels so good to have made something like this! Thank you Ana!!

Built from Plan(s)
DIY Garage Shelves [Freestanding]
Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
N/A
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Doll Bed

Submitted by TeamR-K on Tue, 12/11/2012 - 13:04

My handy husband whipped this little bed up from the leftover wood of the rustic "X" end table! I love it so much, a great toy / newborn prop!! I wanted to finish it with the steel wool/vinegar method, but it was too late, he already painted it. I love it just the way it is! Thank you for the awesome plan!!

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Bed for American Girl or 18" Dolls
Estimated Cost
$15 - or free if you use leftover pieces of wood
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint-Beautitone Satin Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 05:26

Nice build, but the baby steals the show. What an absolutely precious baby and picture! The stuffed lamb is adorable, too, lol!

5 tator tots (not verified)

Tue, 12/18/2012 - 11:37

Our baby is due in a few weeks...makes me want my husband to build this just for pictures! Adorable baby!

Three story doll house for my granddaughter

Here's my version of the Dream Doll House. Three stories, made with birch plywood and pine, featuring realistic stairs, baseboards, crown molding, exterior corner battens, and left in the natural state with just a few coats of water-based poly. Put the whole thing on casters for ease of rolling around the playroom. Fun project and the hugs were all the reward I needed!

Built from Plan(s)
Open Frame Dollhouse for 12" Dolls
Estimated Cost
Maybe around $100.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Water-based polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Children's Playhouse

Submitted by Markb25 on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 08:54

A few years back I decided to build a playhouse for my daughters birthday, the ones available locally were plastic garbage. Since then people started coming forward asking me to build ones for their kids, which is great as it's kept me busy and sane after being forced into early retirement. I've stuck mainly to the more traditional looking on ground house but, soon requests came in for treehouse-style ones; taking Ana's playhouse deck plans and adapting them slightly I now starting my fifth order for a platform house. Being in Cyprus all our timber is imported and very limited, I've more chance of seeing a Unicorn than a piece of Cedar which has meant a little more work involved to make sure they withstand up to the elements, we only get around 20 days of rain a year but, the summer heat is like the surface of the sun. Fortunately, with this not being a new problem there are plenty of options available for preservation/protection, the 'colours of Greece' range by Kraft paints perfect, its sprays beautifully and the colours spot-on for kids.

Blog Link
https://facebook.com/phoenixcreationscyprus
Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
For the main part, the houses have been finished using wood aqua by kraft paints using the 'colours of Greece' range, lots of soft pastels and Mediterranean inspired colours. the application was using via HVLP spray gun and four coats. Sanded lightly with 220 grit in between coats and finished with up to and including 1500 grit post paint to give a glass-like finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Light Wash Sideboard

Inspired by the RH Salvaged Wood Panel Sideboard. No measurement adjustments to deviate from the Planked Wood Sideboard plan.

Built from Plan(s)
Planked Wood Sideboard
Estimated Cost
375
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finish Milk Paint (color: Linen) custom wash. Finished with a glaze in Van Dyke Brown.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Industrial Shelf Unit - Basement Storage

Submitted by zakdat on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 07:39

With six people in our household, we were in desperate need of easily accessed storage for our off season clothes/gear.  This ended up being a perfect solution.  We customized shelf heights to fit the bins that we use for storage as well as made an area for our cat box (at the bottom right).  It's such a relief to finally have everything tucked away but easy to get at when we need it. 

Built from Plan(s)
Wood Closet Shelving
Estimated Cost
$300 Canadian
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Puritan Pine
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Extra tall bar stool

Submitted by Jbonacci3 on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 12:18

I built a breakfast bar into an existing wall shared between our kitchen and living room. I built it on the taller side of average since I wanted to have room to install new electrical outlets above the counter on the kitchen side. After the project was done we went to buy bar stools to use with the new bar and found that even the "tall" stools were too short to work. Research into extra tall stools showed that what we needed was going to $400-600 each! Luckily my wife found these stools on your site and we were able to make three of them for around $115. Also, they are much sturdier than anything we looked at to buy.

Built from Plan(s)
Extra Tall Bar Stool
Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted frames with Valspar paint + primer (black). Padded and covered seats with a canvas material.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Breibee23

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 23:53

This is a saving grace... We didn't want to spend 600-1400 on extra tall bar stools that actually look good and this plan rocks as a stand in :)

Rustic Table and Bench

I basically stuck to the plans, but I shortened the length of the table just a touch, and lengthened the bench to fit just inside the legs. I also used 2x4s for the legs, tapered them for aesthetics (similar to some other posters), and reinforced them with "L" brackets to reduce the wobble. We finished it with Semigloss white paint, Minwax Honey stain, and Minwax Gloss Polyurethane.

If I can make this table, just about anyone can.

Built from Plan(s)
Simple Rustic Table
54" Bench with Cross Bracing - Made with 1x boards
Estimated Cost
150.00 for lumber,
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey Stain, Minwax Gloss Polyurethane, and Semigloss White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

shelbyautumn

Mon, 11/07/2016 - 11:29

Your table is beautiful!

Do you remember how you tapered your legs? I'm trying to figure out if I can do it without a table saw.

Thank you!

Lovin the Drawer dividers

Finished this in no time and wow did it create a lot of space. I was able to get rid of my knife block because there’s now room for my knives in my drawer. Thank you Ana for sharing your wood work with us! This was well worth the $25 I spent!

Built from Plan(s)
DIY Drawer Organizers using Metal C-Channel
Stick-On Drawer Organizers - Cheap, Quick and Easy!
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rural School Bus Shelter

Submitted by Medeek on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 09:02

Rural Bus Shelter with 3/12 shed roof, designed to keep your kids out of the elements as they wait for the bus. Shown with log siding and 2x trim. Can be constructed on a slab on grade or remain portable with pressure treated runners and wood floor as shown.

Upgrade further with electricity and insulation for those really cold and dark climates (ie. Washington, Oregon, Alaska, B.C.).

I will make the plans for this shelter freely available to all that are interested.

Blog Link
bus shelter
Estimated Cost
$1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Very good idea to stain and treat the siding which will greatly increase its longevity and attractiveness.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Free Standing Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/28/2021 - 09:13

thank you so much for these plans! We cut the original design in half, so it would fit the space- we used pine so the boards were a little warped but eventually everything screwed down into place and now it really does free stand and its all level! We may add a crossbeam at the back for extra stability. Stained with Ipswitch Pine by Verathane , 2 layers with sanding between, basic piping from the hardware store. Well under $200 total!

5.5 feet tall, 6 feet wide, 2 feet deep

Thanks again, your plans were thorough and easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)
Wood Closet Shelving
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Laquer - semi gloss
2 coats, sand in between
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments