Indoor Playhouse for nephew
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First project with pocket holes. A little challenging for a complete beginner, but pretty forgiving and fun to make! My nephew LOVES it!
First project with pocket holes. A little challenging for a complete beginner, but pretty forgiving and fun to make! My nephew LOVES it!
This is my take on a few of these I have seen. It started out seeing the retail version of this table at a large furniture store with a $2k price tag on it. I really like the look of it so I decided to build one and searched for additional pictures and found these plans.
I used the plans as a guideline for overall dimensions for the table. I was using reclaimed oak fencing from an old Kentucky horse farm (who uses oak for fencing!!). This stock came in 5/4" x 6" x 7' boards so I had to get creative with the dimensions, etc. It was a mixture of red and white oak and this stuff was HARD!
The boards also came painted black with years and years of build-up and weathering. On a side note, if you ever work with reclaimed wood that has been painted or stained, please test it for lead. Lead based paint was banned around 1973 and you don't want to be planing or sanding on this stuff unless it is safe. Fortunately, I had this tested using a kit from the local big box. Most of my time was spent planing the boards down enough to show the oak but also leave some character as you will see in the pictures.
I like the look of knots and this wood had a few of them so i left the knots exposed on the support frame, however, on the top, I used a clear epoxy to fill the knots. This allowed the top to be smooth but you could still see the depth and character of the knot on the surface of the table. I did some mild distressing on the table top but nothing too dramatic as the wood really was cool. I also added the bolts near the tops of the legs and used threaded rod and turnbuckles for an industrial look.
The stain is a dark brown, almost ebony color. This went will with the black paint that was left in the saw marks after planing. I finished the table with 2 coats of satin polyurethane and and additional 3rd coat on the table top.
I have built furniture in the past but this has to be my favorite for both the history of the wood and the character.
Fri, 08/09/2013 - 20:21
One look at those painted boards, and I would have run screaming. What you did with that wood is unbelievable. This is such a one-of-a-kind piece now. The finish is awesome. Would you mind posting the color of stain that you used?
We couldn’t be happier with the outcome! This bed is beautiful and everyone who sees it is impressed. We did raise both the footboard and headboard so that both gave a bit more impressive appearance and so that the footboard rises above the mattress.
Only about a month before Ana published her Christmas plan for a faux fireplace, the hubby and I built one of our own out of a sheet of quality plywood, 1x12's, crown moulding, and a little trim. Originally we simply wanted a place to hang our stockings over the holiday season, but now our HUGE faux fireplace is the HEART(H) of our home.
Fri, 07/08/2011 - 15:22
Wow...that's gorgeous! Nice attention to detail, too! Just a suggestion...have you considered painting the inset of the "fireplace" black? I painted the inset of my fireplace with a flat black paint and it made ALL the difference in the world. Just something to consider. Either way, job well done!
In reply to Gorgeous!!! by Pug Bug (not verified)
Mon, 07/11/2011 - 08:28
Thanks so much! Would you believe that I am not as brave as I would like to be when it comes to painting anything black? We are planning to have faux logs made and stacked in the faux fireplace! We think that will do the "trick"--pardon the pun :o) Thanks again!
Tue, 07/12/2011 - 13:06
Have you considered trying a faux marble paint treatment? Or, marble-look wallpaper might be a little more fail safe and could even be applied in squares like marble tiles.
I love the proportions you chose. I think a foundation would really sell it, and would increase the safety if using candles.
Fri, 11/25/2011 - 13:22
Love this fireplace, very beautiful but very disappointed that there isn't any plans and just pictures lol a little bit of a tease.
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 04:44
Hello Everyone,
I am so sorry I have not responded sooner, but I wasn't even aware that there were any recent comments on this post :o)
Now that I do know, I just wanted to let you know that I will try to get something drawn up and post it here. I am not entirely well suited for design drawing software, but maybe you all wouldn't mind if I literally draw them out for you and post pictures of those drawings, yes?
Thanks for your kind comments, and I promise to have something soon! This project really is so simple, I just know you'll love the finished product :o)
Thu, 06/21/2012 - 09:01
Please post drawings for this with dimentions!
In reply to Please post drawings for this by Wendy T (not verified)
Mon, 06/25/2012 - 06:17
Hello Everyone,
I apologize for the delay, but we have been out of the country for six months and don't have any way of knowing the dimensions of the faux fireplace without measuring it personally. But we will be home within the next few weeks and I will try to measure and draw up some simple plans for those of you would like to see them.
Thanks :o)
Thu, 10/11/2012 - 10:35
Hi!
I love this room, do you know who makes the paint and what the color is called?
Thanks so much! Great job on the fireplace!
Thu, 10/11/2012 - 10:36
Hi!
I love this room, do you know who makes the paint and what the color is called?
Thanks so much! Great job on the fireplace!
Wed, 02/05/2014 - 07:34
I've seen lot's of same concept. But this one has its own unique looks makes me inspired.
I really wanted to put a barn door in my husband's home office, but have you looked at the prices of the kits? No way was I going to spend that for a door. So I decided to fabricate it myself. For the rail hardware- I used a 72" steel rod, copper pipe fittings, and lag screws. For the door hardware, I used 12"ish, long pieces of steel, pulleys, and carriage bolts.
The door itself is made from plywood siding, 1 x 4's, 1 x 6's, and 1 x 3's. The entire door and hardware cost around $80 to make myself. It's functional and looks amazing! The entire tutorial is up on my blog!
Beginner here and I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I played with the angle of the back and finally perfected it on chair three and four. I put the last bottom slat a little closer to the front to create more of a back angle. I also added a third back support position of the bottom slats are essential for comfort so you’re not sitting on a slat. My cushions need to be a bit thicker because you can definitely feel it. Overall, I enjoyed this project. Longest part was making all the cuts, and then painting because I use the sprayer and had to clean it. Thanks Anna!
I made these boxes for my daughters for Christmas. I used maple, and I rabbeted the drawers and backs so that the plywood would sit flush. On the first box, I attempted to join with dowels, but as a novice, that didn't work well, and I converted to a few countersunk screws. On the second box, I used glue and nails as the plan suggested, which was much better. Installing the box hinges and lock was the most finicky part of the project.
Wed, 12/02/2015 - 16:51
Thanks so much. This is high praise from a master builder. Thank you for the plans. Yvonne
My son saw this project and wanted a rocketship. I was also tired of piling up his books on the floor. The only wood I bought for it was 1/4" ply for the back as I used leftover 3/4" plywood for the bookcase itself. Fairly easy with a Kreg, it just took a little while to finish all of the painting.
The house is 48" high and 36" wide and 28" deep. It has 3 floors with a total of 10 rooms. Floors were made to look like hardwood floors and stained. Was fun to build and my granddaughter cried when she saw it. Due to the size of it, I installed wheels on it also. I made it from a picture on Ana White of Kidkraft Chic Dollhouse 2011-12-06 Paint all your pieces before you assemble. It makes it a lot easier than trying to paint afterwards.
My bed frame dimensions were 76 wide by 80 length. So that is the inside demension after assembly. My headboard posts were cut to 54" and footboard posts were cut to 24". Headboard panels are 31.5" (14- 6" boards) and footboard panels are 15.5" (14- 6" boards). My posts were made from combining two 2x4s together. I plan on mounting the metal bed frame to the inside of the bed rails. I enjoyed this project greatly.
I’m in love with how well this bed turned out. Modified by using a 2x4 for middle support and 1x4’s for slats. It was less money and felt better for support.
my wife and I had our first son, Mason, over the summer and I was in love with the idea of building his crib. It was a lot more work than I had anticipated but it was well worth the hard work. it came out beautifully. I made a 2X4 spacer that we can remove as he gets older to lower the mattress height. i used all pine lumber for the crib.
I love this workbench! I added casters so I can move it around the garage, outside, wherever it's needed. I just took 4 inches off the bottom of the legs. My hubby is admiring my handy work and planning on making one for himself.
Wed, 01/25/2023 - 14:31
Love this with the casters! So beautiful. I'm new here and wondering at what point you took 4 inches off the legs. Did you build the table and then just cut off the legs? Or did you adjust the measurements of the cuts? Thanks in advance! :)
Mon, 01/30/2023 - 02:32
The overall height of a 4-inch caster wheel is a little over 5 inches with the mounting bracket, so that also needs to be taken in to consideration. 2nd photo shows the overall dimensions, but to me the bracket and brake area appear to be a bit more than 1.03 inches. https://amzn.to/3DkMKzB
I think the best bet would be to have and measure the overall wheel height, prior to measuring and cutting the lumber.
I have a small kitchen. I found this plan on Ana's site to turn it into a pantry shelf. Initially, I was going to have wheels. That way, I could roll it to sweep. I took measurements to match the height of my upper cabinets and width so my door would clear. I put this shelf up to the side on my fridge. I didn't account for the height difference adding wheels. I still can add wheels if I change my mind. I did differing spacing, considering spices and cereal boxes and items between. I haven't quite figured out the end placement for items. I also am considering appliances to be placed on the bottom. I purchased baskets and spice drawers so I can visually organize and see what works. I used odd and end prices of wood and adjusted the measurements to fit my space. I love my corner 2x4s! They are dark and once planes, have these dark brown ribbons revealing the growth rings. We think they might be brown treated boards. Some of the shelves have a darker brown edge, 5 total. I purposely wanted the dark edge facing out. But I didn't have enough so I used different looking boards (same thickness) and played around with assign them their spot. My friend had copper pipes laying around, so I used those in the back to stop my items from falling off the backside. I polyurethaned to keep the natural wood colors. I really love it and am excited to do more projects!!
Used Anna’s cup tree plans for this project. Thank you Anna!
I’ve also successfully built a few of your beds. Your plans are always straightforward and easy to follow.
What you do is so appreciated!!!
Angel
Sun, 03/12/2023 - 22:11
Attempted to submit while logged in, but could not. Thank you
My husband built this conversation set during covid. Since then he has built so much stuff for our yard. More pics to follow.
Modified "Mimi's Hall Tree" as I'm a single guy and wanted a more "rustic manly" (haha) look than the white with beadboard. Widened by 12" and 12" taller as well. Used 2 sheets of corrugated metal from Lowe's. The corrugated metal came extremely reflective and just too "new" looking so I followed a youtube video on how to make corrugated metal look old. It's really easy. Just rub toilet bowl cleaner on it with steel wool, leave it for 30 min, and rinse off, repeat until desired look is achieved. You can even leave pieces of the steel wool on with the toilet bowl cleaner and it will create rusted spots.
Twin beds - adapted from a queen bed Ana White plan.
My father in law and I built this kitchen set for my two daughters, ages 3 yrs and 9 months. It was so fun to work with my father in law. I have built a few things before (table, chairs, doll bed, etc.) but nothing of this quality or magnitude. He is a great woodworker and knows how to do all the neat finishing touches that just make the project look really professional. I learned a ton working with him and had a blast!
I was inspired by Ana's kitchen sets and used a combo of then and the Lowes plans and I was very happy with how it turned out. I changed a few things: put two doors under the sink, made "gas" burners instead of "electric", used half the sink cabinet top for the sink and left the other half for counter space, added a clock to the stove, made the oven door open down.
The sink is a food service warming pan 1/4 size and the faucet came from Wal-Mart for $10. I will probably replace it with a nicer one from the ReStore when I get a chance
Break down of costs:
Lumber: $100
Hinges and pulls: $40
Paint and primer: $45
Burners: $20
Sink: $24
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 12:33
What a beautiful kitchen! I love the burners! And the warming drawer! Thank you for sharing.
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 13:09
Holy cow! Fantastic job! You guys really pulled it together and I really love the creative use of hardware, etc.
Wed, 12/28/2011 - 07:50
Thanks guys! Only problem is that my girls use it so much, I only get a chance to play with it when they go to bed! :)
Wed, 02/29/2012 - 10:03
Sorry I didn't see your comment sooner - I made the burners with craft wood circles and squares and 1/2 inch pieces of wood. I notched the ends over the circle with a chisel.
<p>I worked on this for about 2 weeks in my free time. I modified the original plans from this site to accommodate my needs. I just wanted a “#1” only place near my pool so I didn’t have to dry off and walk all the way up to the house. The trash can is for the TP and I will just toss it when I need to. I used a traffic cone as a pee funnel and attached tubing to the end of the funnel that I buried down along the slope of my yard against the fence line. I ended up adding an area for boys since I didn’t want the inside all gross. I added solar deck lights to the outside and a light inside too. It turned out amazing!!!</p>
Comments
Ana White Admin
Wed, 04/27/2022 - 10:32
Fun!
Great build, this is super cute! Thank you for sharing.