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Play Deck and Swing

I originally built this for a small closet in an old home.  When I moved, I took it with me and was able to rearrange it to fit in a traditional closet.  The center section is a modification of a toy storage plan that I use to store folded clothes.

I desperately needed storage in our 1910 house that was not in the basement.  I wanted a place to keep my sewing machine and accessories, at-home school supplies, and other odds and ends.  We had an alcove in the kitchen that was about 74 inches wide and 17 inches deep, so I decided to build something to fit that space.  I really liked the Simplest Armoire plan but I also really liked the Kentwood Bookshelf, so I ended up somewhat combining the two.  Since I had a fairly large space, I made the cabinet about 6 ft X 6 ft.  The hardest part was getting it into the house.  This project was my first big DIY building project without my dad's help.  I did call him a few times during the project however, and he helped me hang the doors.  I really enjoyed using the Kreg Jig and I appreciated having all of the Kreg Jig instructions for the Kentwood Bookshelf.  It was a huge help, as I had only used the Kreg Jig a little and with my dad in the past.  My husband has been a great support as I have ventured into building furniture.  He works from home, but any time that I needed him to help hold a large sheet of plywood he was quick to help.  This was definitely a big project for a beginner, but I enjoy a challenge when it comes to fixing things and creating things. Fortunately, this one worked out in the end!  Now what should I build next summer...

I modified the origianl plans by making the cabinet taller.  I also built 2 cabinets and trimmed them both together to make it appear as if it is 1 giant cabient.  It measure over 7 feet tall and just over 6 feet wide.  I did add an additional 1x2 brace in the center of the cabinet to help support.  I also cut an additional 1x4 to use a brace when anchoring it to the wall.  I also chose to add an additional 2 trim pieces to each door because they are much taller than the original plan doors.  

After watching Ana White's video on easy garage shelving on FB, I knew right away it was the perfect technique for adding shelves to my laundry room.  The project was easy and turned out great!  I did the majority of the work by myself, although my Hubby did help me with some heavy lifting at the end (we had to add the shelving before the front frame due to the walls on either side). The shelving unit itself took only a few hours to build.  I painted it the following day making it a weekend project. We have considered adding trim to the front to give it a more finished look, but right now, it is serving its purpose. I will definitely use Ana's technique again.  It was simple and straightforward!  I loved it. 

This is a table and bench that I built for our patio!

I'm so happy that I found the plans for Ana's miter stand and rolling carts!  It was just what I needed for my garage shop... so everything can be organized and stored compactly but things can pull open and expand when I have a project (which is all the time, actually).

The actual miter stand was super easy to build - the carts took a few days working non-stop (when the kids permitted).

I made a few obvious changes from the plans:

-made deeper shelves on one of the carts

-added drawers on one of the carts

-added ped board on the end caps of miter stand

Something I didn't consider before building this was the slope of our garage floor.  There's a 3" difference from one end of the legs to the other so I had to use riser blocks to get everything perfectly level.  Unfortunately there's no way to level the carts as they aren't stationary but they slide in/out just fine.

I'd recommend this build to everyone!  Check Home Depot clearance often for deals on plywood!

I have built some other stuff before, but not with paint and sanding and such. It was definitely a great learning project. There are imperfections, but it's a toy, so kids will be having fun and that is all that matters.

I built a wooden toy truck using a leftover 1x4 board in my garage.  For this build I used Ana White's plans for the wood wheelie cars.  This was a quick and easy project  and my first project using my scroll saw. Not too shabby for my first go at toy making.  However, I am not happy with the finished toy.  If I did it all over again, I would take my time with the finish.  Also, the driver was not perpendicular to the truck's body when I created the holes for the axles, so the truck leans slightly. My son does not seem to notice its flaws, so I will try to overlook them as well!  Check out the blog link for more project details!

My wife and I have a 2 year old, 85lb, golden retriever named Lily. She has a tough time jumping up on our bed and has hurt herself on a few occasions. I was inspired to build her a step, but also wanted some storage. When I saw the Becca Trunk I knew I had to build it!

I used oak ply and solid oak for the trim, including some decorative leaf inscribed trim for the top and bottom. My wife and I picked out some outdoor furniture fabric that was stylish and would hold up to a big dog jumping on it. She used some firm padding and staple gunned the fabric to create a really neat and clean look (I am lost when it comes to that stuff, but she is a genius with scissors).

Quick, easy and inexpensive build... I opted not to do the rounded corners at the base of the tree as I was in a hurry.

This was my first major build and while not perfect and I was little clunky building along the way, I’m happy with how it turned out and I think the girls will love it for Christmas. We are beach dwellers and surfers, but I’m also a former (always) a farm girl as well, so we put a surfing pig on it too. I wanted to keep it whimsical a bit so put starfish knobs for the burners. Took me a long time and more money than average probably because of learning curve as well as having to sneak work on it between working, toddler and infant. I got a Kreg and more tools for Christmas, so I am looking forward to more building! 

update: My little destroyer broke the door within 10 minutes because it was too big for her to work around. So I “remodeled” it and made the door just the top half so that is her oven. MUCH BETTER. Now she can use it far easier and it isn’t dropping to the floor. 

My first real project, can't wait to do another one.