Wood Outdoor DIY Furniture Set
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Built this 2x4 deck furniture set. Stained in espresso color.
Kelly Kesler
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Built this 2x4 deck furniture set. Stained in espresso color.
Kelly Kesler
When Ana posted the plans for her shoe dresser last year, I knew I wanted to build it for my entryway, but I was intimidated by the "Intermediate" rating she gave it. This year, after putting a couple other builds under my belt, I felt confident enough to finally tackle it.
Turns out it wasn't quite as bad as I thought. The wooden dowel hinge was a little tricky. I had to sand down the bottom of the doors to get them to open wide enough, but other than that, the plan is pretty straightforward.
You can find more details and pictures on my blog.
Fri, 10/19/2012 - 18:30
This looks AMAZING!I wish i had the space for this!
Love this bookshelf. I do think it just a bit tall.
Thanks so much to Ana and Shanty2Chic for the plans! I modified the design to exclude the arches - my hands are too weak to make the cuts, but I replaced them with black strapping that matches other features in the house. I also extended the table to 12 feet long in order to perfectly fit the windows overlooking the lake. I absolutely love it and will definitely be making more things for our new home. Thanks again!!!
Our spare bedroom was in need of some furniture and when I saw this plan for the rustic "x" console table, it was a perfect fit. And as mentioned in the blog, this was perfect for displaying the handmade quilts our grandmother made for us. When I first read the plans, and the materials list, my husband wasn't too sure about furniture made out of 2x4's and 2x6's but when all said and done, the table came out beautifully and we are both enjoying it. Thank you so much for the wonderful plans!
Mon, 10/22/2012 - 06:37
Thank you! And yes, this is a bulky piece. I didn't really realize how bulky until it was going together. But at that point, I knew I'd find some place for it :) Luckily we had a pretty large room that was mostly empty so I think the scale of the table fit the room size.
Mon, 10/22/2012 - 12:09
I noticed you did the x's slightly different than the plans, as they have two cuts on both ends and attach perfectly. any advice on doing this?
Mon, 10/22/2012 - 18:00
For me, the x’s were the most challenging part of the project. I scratched my head and stared at the table side for a while thinking of how to make the x’s so they would meet the center of the table corner. Here’s what I came up with. Figure out your angle. There are a few ways to do this. You can do this by using an online angle calculator where you enter the height and width of your opening and it will give you the angle, you could use a protractor and hold it up to the corner to figure out the angle, or make a template out of paper and transfer that onto your wood. I will admit, I think figuring out the angle is the toughest part, at least for me. Once you have your angle, cut both ends of your wood parallel to one another at that angle. Then measure and mark the center point of your cut. The next cut is through the center point and 90 degrees off of your existing cut . I find it easiest to lay my carpenter square on my cut side then draw a line 90 degrees through the center point mark. A few things I learned along the way, the more square you can get your corners the easier it will be to cut and fit your x’s and make some practice cuts with some cheap 2x2’s then transfer your measurements over to your final 2x2’s. Hope this helps. Happy woodcrafting!
Fri, 07/26/2013 - 09:11
Were you able to find black L brackets or did you have to paint them? I'm trying everywhere to find them and I've had no luck! Any help you can give me of where to look for them would be great. Thank you so much and what a beautiful job!
X Bookshelf. Followed Ana's great plan, only change was to spare 1x4s that I planked for shelves. Finished with antique white milk paint. Very happy with result.
Wife wanted an entry table for when you walked in the house. Loved the plans we saw from the site, so just modified slightly and here it is.
Thank you so much for sharing your plans! We love to DIY and your plans give us direction. My husband and I built this table for my oldest daughter. We modified the length of the table and benches to fit her dining room.
I am so excited about Ana's new book, I love it! This is my first project from her book and I am planning to do many more.
This was a fun build, the angles were not bad, except for the top angle on the two sides, I had trouble getting it on my miter saw, because the board was so long...
It all worked out in the end and my kids and I are really enjoying having it!
You can get more information on the build and finish at my blog:
http://mylove2create.blogspot.com/2012/10/vintage-step-stool.html
I loved the project and it fits perfectly in my home. It's the 3rd piece I've made. I'm getting both faster and better each tme!
Tue, 08/12/2014 - 13:00
I loved the project and it fits perfectly in my home. It's the 3rd piece I've made. I'm getting both faster and better each tme!
A quick pantry idea using 4 - 1x12x6'. 2 for sides 2 cut into 24" shelves. Start with basic box and then fill in shelves where you need them. Used 4" 2x4 scraps for feet. Put together with screws and nails will eventually add back panels to keep it square.
This project scales very nicely, and lends itself to many different variations.
I was asked by my wife to create a sturdy but small table for my child's school that would support an election box for students, and afterwards be used as a decorative hall table. I wanted to use some leftover 1x's instead of the plans instructed 2x's, so I halved many of the dimensions to keep the scale relatively the same. By halving the dimensions, I had enough wood to create two tables, and I'll use the extra as a printer stand or plant stand, but the point is this plan offers many different latitudes. I will stand by the strength of these tables - by using a half lap joinery as a cross beam, not only did i add some mission style faux tenons, but the strength is unbelievable! Considerations for this plan can include making a "well" underneath the desktop, with a hinge access to the well - or slanting the desktop and off centering the I beam to allow for more leg room.
I really enjoyed this project and invite others to try it.
http://ana-white.com/2012/08/plans/55-fancy-x-desk
made out of maple plywood and edge banded. the doors are not totally square but for a first go I am ok with it but its been a great learning lesson. I know where I am and where I want to get to in terms of skills.
def have to give props and shout out to Ana. her "can-do" attitude is infectious and the website is awesome. great resource and inspiration.
still gotta put on the doorknobs which were picked out by my 5 yr old son and are awesome...
I've used saws before (radial arm and chop) but had never built anything. My husband helped me but let me do the work. This was my first time drilling and using the Kreg Jig. I'm planning my next project...
I added a cross piece below the X and stained the top.
Fri, 02/03/2017 - 10:25
Still love it. Can't decide what to do next.
Fri, 02/03/2017 - 11:30
Beautiful job, love it! We changed you to the author now too! Thanks for posting.
Love this plan! I used locking hinges instead of legs because it will overlap a bed in our guest room when in use. The hinges are rated for 250lbs and have held both of my sewing machines with no issues. I placed the middle shelf to fit my machines on the lower and standard fabric storage cubes on the upper. A metal adhesive measuring tape was added to the edge for convenience. This table will also be used as a buffet for family/group gatherings.
Wed, 12/02/2020 - 09:09
Hi! I need my sewing cart to be used without legs as well and have search everywhere for an appropriate hinge. Could you share with me what type & size you used? Did you change the sizes of the top to accommodate at all? Thanks!
This desk as planned was really quick and easy. I choose it for my 13 year old's room so I had him help me with everything. Added in a 2X6 from one end to the other with Pocket Holes in the bottom for a place to put his feet and just that much more support. The top is a door I ripped down from a house that was being torn down. Really Easy!
First, thank you everyone on the site for the excellent contributions, ideas, comments, and inspiration!
I decided to attempt this bed after I made the Clubhouse bed for my 2 yr old and his older brother was jealous beyond belief (to be expected, right?). My 4 yr old has a full size bed, so I needed a plan that was a little friendlier to changing the bedding and with a little more clearance underneath.
I came across this plan and knew it would be perfect. One of the previous comments included instructions for materials and cuts for a full. I followed those and like magic, this bed came together in a little over a week. My 4 yr old LOVES it and calls it his Castle Bed!
I especially like that the materials are pretty consistent - 2x4s and 2x6s.
Thanks, all!
I bought the treated lumber from a local liner yard. I enjoyed doing this as it is so versatile. My daughter uses it for her outdoor art projects. I made 2 of them. Took 3 hours after work to cut and put them together and another hour to sand. I haven’t painted or stained them but will wait a few months.