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Book Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/22/2016 - 11:08

I built this book rack using scrap wood and modified plans from the Full Length Plate Rack. It was a really straightforward build, and functions very well as vertical storage that takes up little space. I predrilled, screwed and glued all of the joints, vs. stapling.

Blog Link
DIY Wall Mount Book Shelf
Built from Plan(s)
Full Length Plate Rack
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of "Simplicity" country chic chalk paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

4x4 Truss Table

Submitted by BojackH on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 20:08

We needed a sturdy table but didn't want to spend a fortune buying one so decided to take a stab at building one.  Our space isn't too large but also wanted the ability to expand the table with leaves if we have a large crowd.  I built leaves by cutting notches in the horizontal leg 4x4 and then sliding in/out with 2x2's attached (see pic).

I will say it makes life a whole lot easier learning how to use Sketchup or some other design software.  That way you can visualize what it will look like, cuts you need to make especially if you will be deviating from the original post design and don't want to do math in your head (like me).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
4x4 Truss Beam Table
Estimated Cost
~$200 for wood
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the vinegar/ steel wool solution and then 6 coats of Minewax semi gloss polyurethene. Before applying polyurethene, I used a blow torch on the corners to make some neat burn marks.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

First Project - Farmhouse Storage Bed

Submitted by kmac1036 on Fri, 04/27/2012 - 11:55

Working on getting furniture done for my kids. Gives me something to do when they are away on visitation. New furniture from a store is too expensive right now & gives me something to work on to keep my mind off of things.

Modified to fit a Twin XL mattress.

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Storage Bed with Drawers (Queen)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Passion Pink latex enamel semi-glass from Sherwin Williams. top coat with polyurethane for chip/scratch resistance
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

birdsandsoap

Fri, 04/27/2012 - 13:37

Beautiful job! I love the color. I have memories of being gone for weekends on visits and coming home to a newly decorated "Rainbow Brite" bedroom and my mom assembling a waterbed for me on the kitchen floor (it was the eighties); it felt great to know that my mom was thinking about me while I was gone, your kids will not forget those things.

amercado

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 09:48

Hi!, i am new to all of this and would love to make this bed for my daughter, could you share the measurements for the twin version? thanks!

fortmac (not verified)

Sat, 06/02/2012 - 03:12

Hi, I like this bed for my son, also looking for the measurements for the twin version.Thanks

Nicole 1016

Mon, 08/27/2012 - 11:05

This is gorgeous! I would love to know how wide you made this and if you only had to adjust the headboard and footboard?

grreenbeans

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 09:17

Hi! I know this question has been posted before and replied to but, for some reason, I can't see the replies so... would anyone mind maybe sharing their converted measurements for a twin sized bed? Thank so much! This will be our first project and I'm sooo nervous!

grreenbeans

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 09:17

Hi! I know this question has been posted before and replied to but, for some reason, I can't see the replies so... would anyone mind maybe sharing their converted measurements for a twin sized bed? Thank so much! This will be our first project and I'm sooo nervous!

Firemedic

Fri, 02/05/2016 - 20:20

I made this bed in a twin. The twin mattress is 39x75. That's 21 inches narrower and 5 inches shorter than a queen. So just make the head board, foot board, and slat measurements 21 inches shorter keeping the height the same. The length is five inches shorter but to get three drawer slots the same size I made mine 75 3/4 long. ( 24 1/4 for each drawer slot).

Kind bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/16/2020 - 22:07

King bed hand made made with 1by4 pine boards

Built from Plan(s)
Simple Panel Bed (All Mattress Sizes) - No Pocket Holes
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

My very FIRST build!! LOVE IT!!

Submitted by AmJoy37 on Sun, 02/23/2014 - 09:11

My husband is deployed and I just decided to start building, to keep my mind busy. I built this table & benches, sanded, stained it & had it in my nook in just 6 days!!! I worked on it every night when the kids went to bed. Thank you Ana White!! :) I will be using this site quite a bit to keep me busy!

Built from Plan(s)
Rustic Parsons Farmhouse Table
Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Adirondack Chair

Submitted by HoodFam on Sun, 05/13/2012 - 12:27

This was the second (larger) type project my husband has completed and I got to help this time! We made this for the loving ladies in our lives for Mother's Day. This one is his mom's and we didn't finish it because we don't know if she'll want to stain or just paint it. It was relatively easy!

Built from Plan(s)
Classic Adirondack Chair
Estimated Cost
25-30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Not completed yet! We are making two for ourselves so I will upload those when we get them finished.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Chestwick Queen Bed

Submitted by maw0130 on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 19:29

Built this as a platform bed for guest bedroom. Nice, sturdy bed.

Built from Plan(s)
Chestwick Platform Bed - Queen Size
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Niki Maddux (not verified)

Sat, 09/29/2012 - 04:11

I Love this Bed. Would love king size dimensions. This is exactly what I have been looking for.

Hawkins pantry

Submitted by mlhawkins on Wed, 04/09/2014 - 08:21

I needed more storage for our TINY kitchen. I found the nursery armoire plans and asked my dad to help me build it for a pantry! We modified it some by making it taller and adding more shelves inside (sorry no pics of that). For the doors I wanted to do something fun so we cut lots (over 700!) of small pieces of wood and inlaid then in a herringbone pattern - IN LOVE! For the handles we used copper pipe and I am IN LOVE with those too! Enjoy!

~ Maggie

Built from Plan(s)
Nursery Armoire Plans
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Garden Bench Storage

Cut down the Farmhouse Console Table to make a garden bench with storage

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Presuure treated Cut & Seal with a Saman Poly finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Dollhouse

Submitted by keribeth on Sat, 07/07/2012 - 05:46

I combined my favorite elements from three of Ana's dollhouse plans to make this dollhouse for my kids. My favorite part is the stairs, which I cut from a 2x4 with a miter saw. I made this project from start to finish in one day while the grandparents took the kids, and it was ready for Christmas morning! I made simple furniture for it, too, which you can see in the second picture.

Built from Plan(s)
The New Dollhouse
Open Frame Dollhouse for 12" Dolls
Firehouse Playset
Estimated Cost
~$20 (I used some scraps)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
linseed oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jerika

Wed, 02/11/2015 - 06:35

Is there any way you could email me the plans you used for the furniture? or just individual pictures of the furniture? [email protected] (you may wanna copy and paste that people always get it wrong, haha).
I LOVE THIS

MissM

Wed, 07/10/2019 - 04:08

I know this is an oldie but if you have the finals plans I would love to see them!

What a great open dollhouse!

Rustic Modern 2x6 Platform Bed

I recently moved to Boulder, CO and finally have a garage where I can actually work on projects. Since I moved here with practivally nothing, I decided I should build my own bed. This is probably one of the most ambitious wood working projects I've attempted. I also tend to be slightly anal, so I've probably spent way more time on this project than most people have or will.

After reading the plans and other Brag Posts, I felt I was ready to start. I ordered the Kreg Screws, and a few other supplies I would need for the Project on Amazon and was off to the races. Several trips to Home depot to get various pieces of wood, (since I wasn't going to fit it all in my Subaru in one go), I finally had most of the lumber for the bed frame. Let me tell you, it's not easy getting straight pieces of lumber (as mentioned before, I'm a little anal). I decided to go with oversized lumber, since I would have more usable leftover pieces for other projects.

I spent several hours after work during the week, and several more on the weekend, sanding down all the lumber with 60 Grit, then applied the first coat of Stain, to raise the grain. I was out of town for the weekend, and let the stained wood sit in my garage while gone. When I got back, I noticed a lot of marks which I didn't notice before staining. Some of these were from the belt sander I used to knock down really rough parts of some of the lumber. But most of the marks were because I put too much pressure on my random orbital sander.

Lesson learnt: Sanding takes time, and patience! DO NOT press down hard on the sander, if you don't want marks on your wood. These marks will be significantly more prominant after staining.

I decided to sand everything again, 60 grit, then 100, then 150. I gotta say, the wood feels so much nicer to touch and I'm glad I decided to re-sand. I spent a few hours after work to get most of the head board pieces done, but noticed that the 2x4 had warped beyond repair... I'm going to get the upper and lower 2x6 pieces ready to assemble with my kreg jig this weekend, and then decide if I want to add a 2x4 in the middle like the plans call for.

I decided to go with just 2x6s for the headboard, I used the Kreg Jig to put it all together, I also attached 4 supports made of some scrap Plywood I got from my neighbor for the headboard.

I stained it all with a Staining pad twice, then applied 3 coats of Poly with a brush. I didn't sand between coats since I was applying very thing coats and I had already sanded everything down with 150 grit. 

Built from Plan(s)
Rustic Modern Platform Bed Frame with Headboard (All Bed Sizes)
Estimated Cost
$100-150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stain: Minwax Oil based Dark Walnut - 2 coats with a staining pad
Varnish: Satin Water based Indor Polyurethane by Varathane - 3 coats with a brush.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Minwax-1-qt-Wood-Finish-Dark-Walnut-Oil-Based-Interior-Stain-70012/100376185

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Clear-Satin-Water-Based-Indoor-Polyurethane-200241H/100169146
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

username.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 19:17

Sick job dude! What stain is that? I like the color of it and might use it for mine. Did you notice a stain odor at all after applying the stain and covering it with the poly? 

Gun cabinet

Submitted by Flowerchld on Sat, 07/21/2012 - 11:36

This is a gun cabinet I made for my dad out of old barn wood.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Joshua_kubinski

Wed, 12/02/2015 - 20:47

I would love to get plans for this. I have been trying to come up with my own but I'm not very good at it. Thanks love your work.

Joshua

Small Table Plant Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/23/2024 - 10:19

This is a revised kids table plan. I needed a plant stand. It is 36 inches tall and the top is made from 1 × 4's. The top is about 11 x 14. What did I learn from this?. The top is so small it was hard getting the kreg dill bit in to screw in the Kreg screws. I should have thought of that. Also learned that you dont get a tight fit if you have to take out the screws. 2nd time they dont grab and hold as tight. Overall I'm happy the way it turned out. But lots of room to improve.

Barb Runquist

Family Back Deck COVID19 Project Facelift

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/02/2020 - 11:53

Thank-you so much Ana White! We took on our back deck as a family COVID19 “homeschool” two weekend project! Why just build a sectional sofa when you can build a sectional sofa, coffee table, farmhouse table with two benches, two Adirondack chairs and a side table that the 11 year old designed and built himself! Mission accomplished, he’s a builder for life.

Our deck was brutally neglected and the boys had had some exposure to power tools and small builds. We decided that the best way to remedy the situation was to set up a family build all at once so that the tools are out and then put back away after the build is complete!

The plans were easy to follow and incredible! Thanks again so very much!

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Easy Build Adirondack Chair
Farmhouse Table - Updated Pocket Hole Plans
One Arm 2x4 Outdoor Sofa - Sectional Piece
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stained the sofas, chairs, coffee and end table with outdoor solid stain. Used the same solid stain on the bottom of the farmhouse table benches, and outdoor oil based spar varnish on the farmhouse table and bench tops. Finished the look by refinishing the deck with Behr Penetrating Oil finish in Chocolate and cushions from Lowes for the sofa. Adirondack chair cushions were sewn by myself with Sunderland fabric leftover from front porch, cushion inserts from IKEA.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor furniture

Submitted by td_tx on Sun, 06/07/2020 - 11:33

I used rough cedar to build the patio set. I pre-sanded all pieces to smooth them out and sanded again at the end to limit any remaining splinters. I could not find cedar 2x2, so I ripped all 2x2 from 2x6 using the table saw. The furniture is covered by our porch and we decided to leave it unfinished to let it weather naturally. The plans were modified slightly to accommodate IKEA outdoor cushions. I had some remaining wood, so I built a basic coffee table using some black iron hairpin legs from Amazon.

Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Sofa - Modern Comfort Collection
Outdoor Chair - Modern Comfort Collection
Estimated Cost
$600 with cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Left unfinished to let the cedar weather
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Our twin elevated gardens

Here's our planters, and they're our first carpentry projects! We found that there were cost efficiencies when building 2 units. We also opted for nut and bolt attachments for the legs instead of making pocket holes…mainly because I don't have the guides for making pocket holes. Seems to work fine, although I do still need to get a saw that I can cut off the excess bolt length on the inside (see pics). Perhaps next time I should trust my measurements and buy the correct bolt length. Ended up costing about $250. Slightly more than the cost of ready-to-build planters at home depot, but those weren't elevated and not nearly as heavy duty or as large. Well worth the investment of both time and money, and a great starter project for beginners. Good luck to you all! -Don and Staci

Built from Plan(s)
Elevated Planter Box
Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Only a light red stain on the exterior as we didn't want the chemicals to invade our vegetables. Ended up with a very nice orange hue when the red stain combined with the pine's natural yellow coloring.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Storage Daybed

Submitted by hilt_m on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 08:06

This is the 3 box storage daybed, as you can see I added an armrest on one end as it sits in a corner.

Tips for building this project: Buy a decent circular saw, I used a cheap one and really regretted it. Square your timber, I ended up squaring my timber using a sander, which wasn't as easy as it sounds. Check you measurements, the bottom of one of my boxes was a little short because I didn't double check the measurements and I ended up having to fix it with an extra piece of timber. 2 or 3 saw horses are a real help and lots of clamps.

I used the cutout outline from the link below but had to convert it all to metric since I live in Sweden, also a standard single mattress here isn't as wide but longer then the one used in the linked project. I didn't take this into account and ended up having to buy an extra piece of plywood.
http://ana-white.com/2009/12/plan-stratton-daybed-as-request-by-you.html

I got the single mattress and the pillows from IKEA.

This was a lot of fun and I look forward to spending many hours relaxing on my new daybed.

Blog Link
Storage Daybed
Built from Plan(s)
Storage Daybed
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rusty Cottage

Thu, 08/09/2012 - 10:48

Nice job on the daybed, I like that you got through all your "dilemmas".

Your saw's bevel function (hopefully it has it) might be nicer than mine but you can try to adjust it.

I have a $50 dollar skil saw and my only complaint is how difficult it is to set the base plate 90 degrees to the blade. I even take care to set the circular saw between two 2x4 when not in use so that setting it on the ground doesn't change the angle of the foot plate to blade. I can cut 90 degrees with a speed square as a guide, but I can't adjust the saw right.

I will be starting assembly of my first furniture project with the wood I cut two days ago. I will see how the pieces go together.

Best of luck on your next project!

hilt_m

Sat, 08/11/2012 - 06:27

Thanks, I'm pretty pleased with it. Yes that was one of my problems as well, trying to get the base plate set at 90, I found that if I leaned on it too much it flexed a bit which isn't good. Also by the end I had a pretty blunt blade or I was getting pinching or something thing because the plywood had some shocking edges with splintering. What I would really like is a proper saw table, but for now that's just a dream. Good luck on your project.

AmandaKay

Wed, 08/21/2013 - 10:50

Hi there! I was hoping that someone on here had added the armrest! Would you be willing to post a pic of the end of the bed so that I can see how you configured it? Im goint to be starting this project soon for my daughter, and need to strategize some armrest ideas for hers.

Thanks so much!!

AmandaKay

Wed, 08/21/2013 - 10:50

Hi there! I was hoping that someone on here had added the armrest! Would you be willing to post a pic of the end of the bed so that I can see how you configured it? Im goint to be starting this project soon for my daughter, and need to strategize some armrest ideas for hers.

Thanks so much!!

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