Rustic X coffee table
First coffee table build. Plans were perfect! Built for $50, sold for $255
First coffee table build. Plans were perfect! Built for $50, sold for $255
We had some bulky items that needed to be stored. So I came up with dimensions for a low platform bed so the bows could slide under. I decided to build a faux drawer to conceal the bulky items and added shoe storage into the faux trundle drawer. Of course I used one of Ana's plans for the basic idea and modified from there!
This was our first time building furniture. We built our new bed over the course of four days. We don't own any power saws so opted to give the cut list to our local hardware store who only charged us about $50 for all the cuts.
Day one consisted of picking up all the lumber, sorting into the three sections and labeling all the pieces. Day two was the longest day, lots of drilling and measuring and screwing and gluing and even the first two coats of shellac. On the third day we built the drawers, and finished coating everything with shellac. The last day was the installation of the drawer hardware, including the slides.
We're quite happy with the quality of our work, and appreciate the directions and plans. Though we aren't fine furniture makers, and probably none of our corners are 100% square, we finished in the time we thought, pretty close to budget, and with the satisfaction of doing it ourselves.
I've made 4 of these awesome chairs. The first two I did the same as the plans called for, and also made the stools to go along with them. Then I seen where someone had made the arms larger and added an extra board along the bottom to give it a more finished look, so I did the same and love these even better. Thank you for the plans.
Debora Cadene,
Atikokan, Ontario
Built it for our recently arrived baby !
We needed a place for our garbage/recycling bins that would look nice and was inaccessible to our dogs. I decided to make two drawers for the bins and two drawers for storage. I found a set of 10 drawer slides on Amazon for around $50. They are heavy duty and full extension. I measured our garbage bins and built to size. The total height of the cabinet is 36" including the countertop. The cabinet width is 35.5" and the depth is 20". The butcher block countertop(25" by 48") was purchased from Home Depot for $98. I only had to do a light sanding, router the edge, and apply a finish. The cabinet will be located along a wall and have room for a counter height chair. This will allow my youngest to have a snack while I work in the kitchen. Although I didn't use a specific plan, I used ideas from several of Ana's designs. Thank you for the inspiration Ana!
Ana’s West Elm Emersen Plan stained in Aged Barrel
Love it. Matches the bar I made
Sat, 12/03/2022 - 12:23
Better than anything you could buy in a store, love the finish choice! Thanks for sharing.
Super Duper Easy
Built in 2 hours including time to change outfits on my daughters' poly-pockets, feed the baby dinner, and pick up kindergarten carpool.
and yes, I did it all on my kitchen table.
I was trying to find plans for a pot-rack that also holds the LIDS!!! By the time I reviewed half a dozen designs that didn't work, I had thought of one myself that works brilliantly. I can reach and store the lids from the ground (yes I'm short) as easily as I can the pots. I hung mine over the kitchen sink so it doubles as a pot/lid drying rack as well.
If you want details on steps I took, materials used, or mistakes I made, message me.
Happy building!
Modified Ana's plans to omit the chalkboard and make larger. Measures 75"h x 36"wide. All 1x2s, cuts are 2 @ 75", 2 @ 34 1/2", 2 @ 73 1/2", 2 @ 31 1/2".
Farmhouse table with walnut top and breadboard ends. Edges of boards were put together with tonque and grove. I use a router to do that and I used a router for the breadboard ends. I have the ends held in with three dowls. The walnut made this an expensive project. The wood for the top was around $600. 2 by 6 pine boards could be used instead for a lot less money. I wanted to try something that required more advance woodworking skills such as tongue and grove and mortise and tenon. It took awhile and I had plenty of mistakes tyring to get it right. I have built similar tables using pocket hole screws but I found that the boards tended to seperate and or crack over time. I did not use glue on this table top as I want the wood to be able to expand and contract without splitting.
Thank you for a great gift idea!
Though I'd spent a few months crocheting a baby blanket, my mother also wanted something special and lasting as a gift for a future new family member. She tried to think of something unique, but kept coming up empty. I went online to help her, and looked for newborn items. Unfortunately, I just kept running into toys, toys, and more toys. Ones that would be "grown out of" quickly, too. It was late at night, and very quiet, the time when your brain is calm and sometimes things just dawn on you.
Why not a toy BOX? (And one already "worn in," so that it could take a lot of play throughout the years.) I knew right where to look for a plan--Ana White's website! It ended up being a gift for him from both of us, and while he's a little too young to notice it now, we hope it grows with him and brings him years of joy.
Thank you, Ana, for sharing your talent and helping us (and so many others) create something truly special. That old blanket can wait until Christmas!
Sun, 09/11/2011 - 04:36
What a wonderful idea! As baby girl gets older it could become a hope chest (not a common thing to have nowadays but still useful and appreciated). For the cuddly boys, a storage locker for sport jerseys, memorabelia, etc. A gift that truly lasts a lifetime!
Sun, 09/11/2011 - 18:42
mikejillnelson5, those are great suggestions! Another one for boys as they age is to use it as a place to dump sports gear (basketballs, baseballs, bats, etc.).
Kids as they age can flip the toy box around, so that anything that becomes "childish" to them--like a name or added detail--can be hidden against a wall.
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 08:52
My Step-daughter-in-law just announced she is pregnant with her third. What a great gift I could make for the baby!!
Modified Farmhouse style bad. Used lighter wood for headrest and footrest. Changed measurements for Lithuanian size of mattress (200x160cm). For headboard panel were used pallets wood so it was necessary to paint it right. Also Added some trims for decorating edges.
Sun, 09/29/2013 - 06:37
I wish I would have seen your plan before I built my bed. Your head and footboard bases make it a lot easier to attach the side rails. Paint color and texture look good too. Did you use a satin finish?
Sun, 09/29/2013 - 08:25
Thank you for your opinion.
I used glossy paint and its over. No final polishing or lacking ant the end if you asking this.
Lots of modifications - first, from a safety standpoint, I wanted more exits on the lower bunk. I built two versions of the front, so they can get in and out on both sides. I also added a ladder on one side because I'm not going to build the stairs for a few weeks. I have a firefighter friend who has warned me of some safety aspects, including not to put this up against a window. There's 3 feet clearance from this bed and the window. So, still to paint and decorate it, but that will happen later.
These were such a gratifying project to build! Used a 1x4” for the top front frame and cut a curve in it to give a Craftsman vibe. I really like the look of the retired IKEA Norna bookcase and that inspired the 2x2” framed base painted in a contrasting color. I also finished the top with a full 1x2” frame with mitered corners to make it look more “finished.” If I were to do it again, I’d cut the top plywood shorter to create less overhang on the sides. Eventually I’d like to paint a design in white paint on the top!
I made this this February for my daughter’s birthday. I did not use Ana’s plans for same desk since at the time I did not know this site existed. I made my own plans that were influenced by Ballard design and Pottery Barn catalogs. It took me many nights though if you have the time it should not take more than a weekend to make.
I added a keyboard shelf using special slides hat I found at HD.
I made it out pine and plywood from HD. I trimmed the bottom with a trim and painted with primer and high gloss White Dove Valspar paint.
Thu, 03/15/2012 - 22:47
Your desk turned out beautifully! Does the bottom drawer hold hanging files? Ana's plan mentions buying rails that fit on the sides of the drawers and cost about $1.50, but she doesn't mention specifics. I wondered if you found something that worked for this purpose.
This is the first time I have ever built anything and I'm very pleased with the results. The stain is water based 'charcoal gray'. It took 2 - 3 rounds of sanding, one coat of pre-stain, two coats of stain, and 3 coats of polyurathane. Total investment was about $350. It took me 3 months (I didn't have but an hour here and an hour there to work on it). My main concern was that I make it so that the screws were not visible. So I drilled a hole the size of the head of the screw about 1/4 in deep (then the typical pre-drill for the actual screw), screwed it together, then glued a wooden 'plug' in the hole. I'm very happy with the result of that. I also struggled a bit with how to attach the side rails - I ended up using 2 door hinges at each corner. The bed frame is completely separate from the mattress. I have a metal frame that is working fine, so the wooden frame actually does not touch the metal mattress frame. It is just built around it. Tools I used: Hammer, Paint Brush, Electric palm sander, Miter saw and a drill. The miter saw was huge for this project.
I built the coat rack along with the mail sorter and rustic bench for the long hallway to the garage since our new house doesn't have a mud room. I modified it to a length of 6'. All but a couple pieces are made from poplar. I burnt the stained pieces with a torch, then put a quick coat of Special Walnut on them. The painted pieces are Rustoleum Weathered Wood. Hooks are from Home Depot.
Made it smaller to better fit my daughter's room.