Community Brag Posts

Single Simple Modern Outdoor Lounger

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/22/2011 - 12:18

Modified the double lounger plans into 2 single loungers. I liked the idea of the boards running the long way rather than from side to side like the single lounger plan. These were pretty easy to build. All assembled with a Kreg for hidden screws. Made with Sanded and super polyurethaned cedar (3 or 4 coats). turned out beautiful with the matching boards running from head to toe!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Multiple coats of polyurethane with sanding between each coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Cedar Garden Shed

We needed a way to get all of the lawn & garden stuff out of our garage and organized. I found Ana's plans for the Small Cedar Shed & adjusted them to fit our space. We used 2x4s as our studs & added front walls on the sides. Our shed measures 9.5'x30". We had a concrete slab poured for our foundation. We are experienced DIYer's but had never taken on a project of this scale from scratch. This project was much easier than I was anticipating, and we were able to complete it in one weekend! Similar shed kits were way more expensive and not the size that we were looking for. Thank you so much for the inspiration!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Reclined Back Outdoor Sofa and Chair DIY

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/09/2022 - 07:12

OK, I think this build may be my biggest project yet! It is definitely the heaviest. With the strong winds we can get here in Florida we needed substantial outdoor furniture.
I did make some modifications along the way measurement-wise so the sofa would fit my front porch better. All in all, this took 2 full days. I built the sofa first, stained it the next day and then decided (due to trying to get stain in all the nooks and crannies) to stain the chair pieces first before putting it together.
I am so happy with the results and so far, almost a year later, this furniture looks great and hasn't moved an inch in any of the thunderstorms we've had! Thank you Ana!!

Comments

Raised Wood Planters by Urban Wood Solutions

Planters build by Urban Wood Solutions

Comments

Dining room sideboard

Submitted by dougw on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 09:12

I made a few modifications from the original plans as I wanted to have some visibility into the cabinets. I used natural pine and finished with a tea, vinegar/steel wool solution to give it the reclaimed wood look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tea then Vinegar/Steel Wool. Protected with wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jessica b

Wed, 08/17/2016 - 23:42

Would you have plans available for the modifications that you made? This is beautiful!!

Laundry bins

Submitted by wy2ak on Mon, 05/07/2018 - 19:57

This was a build from a picture and made to fit into a space we have in the laundry room. Used the Kreg jig for much of it. 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Will be painted and distressed
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sliding Door Console

Submitted by kbdesigns on Sat, 11/14/2015 - 12:10

This is my build of the sliding door console. I built this for my wife after she insisted we needed this for our dining room. The build overall was pretty easy, after my wife decided to change the paint color 3 times (yes, after we had bought the gallons, and I had it completely painted every time). I will say though that if you plan on painting this then you should use plywood for the front facing boards of the frame. I built mine over the course of about a month and after I had painted it I noticed significant wood shrinkage on the areas where boards came together. Plywood shrinks minimally if any at all so it should take care of that issue.

P.S. Don’t mind the unfinished construction in the background, we are in the process of installing bigger baseboards, and the planked walls are still unfinished.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$180-240
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

kbdesigns

Wed, 12/23/2015 - 15:00

Hey, Im so sorry for the late reply. I hope you were able to get that doors/hardware done without problems! The doors werent bad at all, I added right angle bar below the door into my plan to keep them gliding smoothly and in line. Also we have a 1 and a half year old that would most definitely figure out a way to get the doors off without it. As far as the rest of the hardware, I used the link that Ana posted on her original post for building it, it wasnt too bad at all. I had to improvise on a few things, other than that I just followed the instructions. Let me know how yours turned out!

Ashlin

Sat, 03/26/2016 - 08:44

Looks fantastic! Where did you purchase the barn door hardware from? Finding it difficult to find some that won't break the bank!

Shannon92314

Fri, 07/22/2016 - 23:56

I recently completed this project with a few changes. I used 1/4th inch aluminum flat bar for the track and the hinges . For the wheels I used metal screen door replacement wheels. I originally had the pully wheels, but when they are on flat bar it's very difficult to move and has a rough time sliding across the flat bar. The screen door wheels were about $6 and gives you a nice smooth glide for your door, because the wheels have ball bearings. 

ryanb4614

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 17:53

Hello. I have one built, about 90% done just need some staining and paint. My wife and I went to home depot today to look at paint and looked are your intellectual because we really like how yours turned out. Intellectual looks to be a dark gray? In your pictures it looks like there is a possible tint of a blue? What finish did you get? We bought a sample and painted a piece of the wood to see how it would turn out in our room. Doesn't seem to match your color.

 

I made some dimension alterations to our, will post picture when its complete.

kbdesigns

Tue, 02/16/2016 - 20:14

The color is intellectual, but the light coming in might make it look a little blueish. Also the color we have our walls painted behind it is "steel blue," so it may be making the buffet look more blue than gray. The finish we used was satin. Sorry this is a late reply but I hope you got yours all finished and love it!

Lvc1013

Fri, 01/08/2016 - 20:24

Can anyone recommend where to find 2x3 pieces of lumber like she calls for in this plan?  We can find 1x3 and 2x4 but no 2x3s anywhere!  

Stockweb

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 05:09

I'm getting ready to build this and found them at Home Depot. 

Stockweb

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 05:10

I'm getting ready to build this and found them at Home Depot. 

ryanb4614

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 14:43

Is that a 1x10 or 2x10 on the top. All 2x10 I find are rounded on the edges and yours look squared. Ran threw the table saw but now I am short and to big of a gap.

kbdesigns

Tue, 02/16/2016 - 20:18

I used 2 2x10s for the top but I jointed them first so that may be why it looks squared. I ended up rounding it over a little bit anyway to soften the edges. I ended up cutting off more than I wanted also and while I didnt have a gap on mine - the edge doesn't hang over on the front as much as I would like.

phillbuider

Fri, 02/05/2016 - 10:29

what color stain did you use? and when you painted it, did you spray it or roll it on? I'm struggling with the quality of paint job I can do once I finish a project

kbdesigns

Tue, 02/16/2016 - 20:22

The stain I used was Miniwax "Special Walnut." I actually used our paint sprayer that we got for a christmas present for the first time! It took a lot of practice and I ended up having to sand off a bunch before I got the technique down, but in the end it was worth it. The sprayer makes it look much more professional and finished. Just be sure if you use a polyeurathane for a sealer, that you get a water based and not an oil based.

kbdesigns

Sun, 01/15/2017 - 07:07

Sorry for late reply, I never get notified when there has been a comment. At the moment they slide all the way off, but there is a simple pin system you can use that stops them from sliding off. Thank you!

bcnk

Mon, 12/12/2016 - 08:53

So in the materials it lists 

2 - project panel pieces 17-1/4" x 36" (may be advertised as 18" wide project panel - measure in store)

 

What is the thickness of these supposed to be?  I cannot find this at any hardware store and was going to ise 1x4 strips instead.  My question is, if this is going to have heavy use, do I need to use thicker boards to ensure it can hold the full weight of the top?

 

This is for my art studio and will hold tools, printer, laptop ect.  

 

thanks!
B

 

 

bcnk

Mon, 12/12/2016 - 12:03

HELP WITH PROJECT BOARD SIDES

So in the materials it lists 

2 - project panel pieces 17-1/4" x 36" (may be advertised as 18" wide project panel - measure in store)

 

What is the thickness of these supposed to be?  I cannot find this at any hardware store and was going to ise 1x4 strips instead.  My question is, if this is going to have heavy use, do I need to use thicker boards to ensure it can hold the full weight of the top?

 

This is for my art studio and will hold tools, printer, laptop ect.  

 

thanks!
B

kbdesigns

Sun, 01/15/2017 - 07:11

I believe the thicknesses are the same of 1x material that you find at a big box store. If you are going to lowes or home depot it would be in the back of the section where the nice 1x boards are (pine ranging from 1x2-1x12). They will be wrapped completely in plastic shrink wrap. Hope this helps, sorry for late reply!

Closet shelving for sloped ceiling.

Submitted by kellystern on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 16:22

I used Ana’s Shelf Help Configurator to build these shelves for a deeply sloped ceiling. None of those well known Closet Organizer Companies could come up with a decent plan for this closet and they charge a small fortune.

Comments

Two Story Rabbit Hutch

For my first woodworking project, I foolishly decided to build a rabbit hutch without plans for my daughters new Easter Bunny. So I literally scratched some ideas on my wood working bench and started going to work. I did some construction over a decade ago, but never attempted to build any furniture before, so I'm pretty happy with how this came out.

I spent a few days researching various rabbit cages and for our place we needed something that was ascetically pleasing and functional as it was going in our living room. I got some ideas from the web and decided the best thing for us would be to have an entry ramp, 2 sets of barn doors for each level (for easy cleaning) and an open roof. We went with linoleum floors since she's already litter trained. The floors could easily be modified to add 1/2" wire mesh if we decide to change things down the line. Also, we chose an espresso finish with silver hardware to accent the wire mesh

I pretty much crashed and burned on the staining as I've never done that before, but it ended up looking ok after all. I did a light sanding, but will probably invest in a planer and jointer to get my wood in better shape before assembling in the future. Also, I'll probably lightly dab some stain on ends of wood before final assembly as it made it difficulty trying to hide the white pine with the dark stain.

Other cages I saw ran around $200-$350.00 so i don't feel so bad about the cost. It's really the time that it took learning and making mistakes. I'm sure if I had plans I could of cut my time in 1/2.

Total Cost came out to around $150.00 but probably would of been cheaper if I had some plans to go by. I probably wasted a few 2x2s and accidentally mis-cut a scrap piece of 1/4"plywood which added another $16.00 to the bottom line.

Here's a breakdown of my total cost.

Hardware - $30.00
Includes 5 latches, 4 sets of hinges (8 total) and a 3' piano hinge

Stain - $8.00

Linoleum Tile @ ¢.69 sq ft - $16

Brushes, Stain Rags - $5.00

Screws - $6.00

Wire Mesh Roll $30.00
Needed 2 rolls at $15.00 each. I used 1" Wire Mesh measuring 2'x15'

Total Wood $50.00-$60
I used 2x3's for the legs - 2 @ 8' - $2.00 each ($4.00)
probably 15-20 2x2's - $1.52 each - can't remember how many I used to be honest ($30.00)
and a few 1x6's for the Doors - $2.00 each ($6.00)
Sheet of 1/4 plywood - $12.00

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ashinshaw

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 08:09

I also have been thinking with the idea of building a two story hutch for our rabbit. I love your ideas so now i have a new project to work on. Thanks for sharing!

Nicolene (not verified)

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 12:46

I LOVE your cage! We have 2 rabbits and 2 Guinea pigs which means we have 2 ugly cages in our living room. We are planning something similar, but a bit bigger (but lower if that makes sense). And we'll put a 3rd story on for our Guinea pigs. So we have everyone on the same patch of real estate so to speak. I was going to do 3 solid walls with wire "windows" too keep all the hay, poops and such contained. I am also going to put lockable wheels underneath, so I can move it to my office if I ever need to (parties and renovations).

Is there anything that you can now think of that you would like to change on yours? R my research purposes.. :) It looks awesome, I'm just picking your brain for "hindsight" tips.

2x4 modern Adirondack Chair (modified)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 17:45

I was so excited to find the plans for these awesome chairs, I’ve built 7 this season already—the modification happened as an accident, but I loved the result !

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Aged Oak and Black paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Great Plan for Garage Shelf!

Submitted by edapina on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 07:35

This was an easy project to complete in an afternoon that does not require any advance woodworking skills

Estimated Cost
About a $120 bucks considering that I had to buy all the wood and a box of 2 1/2 In screws!
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish used.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

edapina

Wed, 12/10/2014 - 09:41

This is my second completed project with plans and ideas from your website. Thanks for your good work!

Full length sliding mirror cabinet

Submitted by mltdblack on Tue, 10/16/2018 - 19:25

I built this for my daughter after building a ladder shelf for my kids bathroom. It took more time to install and adjust the drawer slides and paint the project.  

Estimated Cost
$65.00 - I used a slightly larger mirror.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior - Valspar Black Flat Latex
Interior - Valspar Filtered Shade Flat Latex
Top Coat - Minwax Gloss Spray Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

akagracegallag…

Sat, 09/07/2019 - 03:32

Hi mltdblack

Really nice finish on the cabinet.  

It looks like there’s molding on top of your mirror.  

Did you buy a mirror with a frame or buy molding and put it on over the mirror?  

What molding did you use an how did you secure it?  

What size mirror did you use?  Thanks

mltdblack

Fri, 01/07/2022 - 14:14

I am so sorry. This is the first I am seeing your question. The mirror came with a frame and I carefully nailed thru the frame to attach with my 18 gauge nailer. I bought the mirror at Lowe’s and I believe it was 15.5” x 50”. Also, I used full extension soft close drawer slides.

Slat Bench

Cost: $45
Made this bench smaller than the plan so it measures 48" X 18". Using it in a spare bedroom so it will eventually get stained to match the wood furniture.

Estimated Cost
45
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Haven't stained the wood, can't decide on a color.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rapturee

Mon, 12/04/2017 - 09:17

That was my idea as well, to shorten it. My wife just asked me if we could part with a few chairs on the back side of our dining room table and if i would make a bench or two across the back wall. Well "of course" i said hahah!!  Nice job on yours!!   :{)

Play Structure & Swing Set

Submitted by Colby032 on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 11:52

My second building project... this one took quite a while, building in the evenings after the kids went to bed.

The playhouse is based off of Ana's Playhouse Building series, with some modifications to fit the space in my backyard and accommodate climbing wall, monkey bars, and slide.

To put the main deck structure into the ground for sturdiness while protecting from moisture, I dug out 5 holes to fit single hole cinder blocks (4 corners plus an extra 4x4 for the monkey bars; you can see an leftover block on the ground in one of the pictures). I placed some brick in the holes, then the cinder blocks on top. I then partially filled the cinder blocks with sand, put the pre-built deck in the cinder block holes (with help - it's heavy!), and then filled the rest of the cinder block holes with sand. It's worked remarkably well - the deck has been up for about a year now. I also sprayed some clear waterproof sealant on the bottom part of each beam near the ground for extra protection (deck, monkey bars, climbing walls, and swingset A-frame). This has allowed me to still run sprinklers near/around the playset and even grow grass underneath the swings!

Materials used:
* Playhouse: pine, plywood, Suntuf solar grey polycarbonate corrugated roofing panels (I live in Arizona, so little rain to worry about but lots of heat - the sheeting lets light in but blocks most of the UV rays, corrugated shape also provides venting at top when placed sideways)

* Deck/Swingset/Monkey bars: treated lumber, composite decking, pine for railings, monkey bars purchased from Amazon

* Climbing wall: pine, treated lumber, handholds/railing bought off ebay/Amazon

* Swings/slide/bongos/wheel, telescope: purchased from Amazon

Modifications:
* Turned playhouse 90 degrees to be in back of the deck, with swingset coming off the side. This meant the support beam for the swingset had to pass through the playhouse - modified the frame for that wall slightly and created a notch for the beam to pass through.

* Slide comes out one end of playhouse - made the "window" on that end larger than the plans called for in order to give room for the slide.

* Monkey bars come off one side of the deck - used extra 4x4 here to create support for the bars, and used extra bars to make a ladder on this side

* Climbing wall instead of ladder for main entrance

* Put large window in back wall of the playhouse

* Added cross bracing to side of decking on swingset end to make it more solid/cut down on sway when swinging

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint on playhouse, water seal on railings
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

yubbie2

Tue, 04/29/2014 - 20:41

This is phenomenal - just the plan & design we've been looking for. Can you upload a few more pictures? Any sketches you can provide? Shopping list? Really great job - I hope your kids love it. It looks awesome.

JeremyFox

Wed, 04/30/2014 - 04:53

Love it! I like the way it sits right next to a tree - I thought it was a tree house at first.

Colby032

Wed, 09/10/2014 - 14:03

Thanks! It's certainly nestled in right behind that tree - I originally was going to place it in between that tree and another one but then decided to just place it behind them in order to take better advantage of shade (critical in AZ) and fit in everything I wanted to put on it (monkey bars, swings, slide, climbing wall)

masons_momma2015

Mon, 07/08/2019 - 00:48

We've  been looking at these type of players for our son, and good grief! Prices are astronomical for playsets that are NOTHING like this. This absolutely an amazing  place for those boys to make memories. You're  amazing!  Do you mind if I ask what it cost once it was finished? I never imagined  that it would cause a tic in my eye to look at the kids from Lowe's or anywhere else for that matter.

Colby032

Tue, 08/20/2019 - 10:14

I don't remember how much it cost in the end... but probably around $900?  That may include getting some tools that I needed but didn't have at the time.  The slide was the most expensive single piece I bought - I think I got it from Amazon.

When it was all done, I remember thinking that what I got for my money was *way* beyond what I would have gotten by purchasing a kit or a pre-built play structure.  Plus, by going my own way, I was able to build it to fit my space and the needs/abilities of my kids.

While the whole thing is big and looks like an intimidating build, it really isn't bad - the platform is a fairly blank base to design everything else off of, and is incredibly sturdy.  Everything else is a discrete part that branches off of the platform and can be planned out as you need.  Adding the monkey bars required putting in a 5th upright (the first 4 are the corners), but that was an easy modification since I knew I wanted it before building the platform.  The playhouse just sat on top of the platform (screwed down, of course).

 

patelscope

Sat, 08/01/2020 - 20:40

Hello. This is pretty cool, probably the best modification that I am looking for from Ana's default plans. Could you please add some more detail on the right side wall, and how you incorporated the support beam through the playhouse? (with maybe a picture from inside of that wall). And secondly, if you can add the dimensions for the monkey bar setup on the left side of the deck? Thanks, much appreciated

Williams Sonoma Inspired Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/10/2020 - 18:46

We took some creative liberties on the Williams Sonoma inspired coop posted here. Because we don’t get a whole ton of sun in our backyard, we eliminated the herb garden planter and instead built a longer run. We also made the coop a bit wider to accommodate for the inevitable chicken math. And, you’ll notice the vent both shaped differently and is a bit higher. This was to increase air flow, avoid the dreaded draft, and to lend a more Scandinavian vibe. We also decided to place the chicken exit on the outside wall to allow for more living space under the coop itself. The project took about a month to complete, dedicated to only working weekends. And, it was very much over budget! Who knew wood is so expensive?! But overall, the outcome was even better than I expected. The chickens love it and I don’t mind looking at it!

P.S. this was a pretty advanced project. The fractions alone had me yelling “uncle!” Thankfully my husband is pretty handy, and my father-in-law (career in the construction industry) had a few pointers, so they took the lead in executing. I chose the paint colors and suggested the deviations from the original blue print. ;-)

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore in matte
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

racbino

Wed, 11/18/2020 - 12:55

Thank you! Yes, I suppose everyone is wanting wood for home improvement projects now that we're not leaving the house! Also, I didn't mean to post a picture of my son and his friends. Am I able to delete?

joshwilson28

Thu, 01/14/2021 - 07:43

does this roof have the same angle as the 'Small Chicken Coop with Plans'? It seems to be 'less steep'. Wanting to start this project next weekend and trying to get my mind wrapped around everything!. Thanks.

Seasonal And Holiday

Fenced-In Walkthrough Garden

Submitted by jmholzma on Fri, 04/29/2022 - 17:08

Used the Garden Enclosure plan as a reference, but wanted a much bigger area to walk through and relax in. Dimensions are about 30'x20'. Took a few months with a break for winter because it was just me working in spare time on weekends, would have gone a lot faster with an extra set of hands. Towards the end realized that drainage in the walk path was going to be an issue so I put in a very basic french drain before I weed fabric and mulched.

Really happy with how it turned out. Cost was pretty high, probably about $1500 all told, between wood, garden soil, etc. But we'll be able to enjoy it for many years.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Easy Build Fence Picket Planters

Submitted by vendo on Thu, 05/11/2023 - 12:14

I've been wanting to build this plan for quite some time! Took me about 2 hours to build and 1 hour to finish. Giving these as gifts for Mother's Day! Total cost was about $15 per planter. I scaled down the design after I found the plants I wanted to put in them. Ana has the best and easiest plans!

 

 

Seasonal And Holiday

Easy Built in Triple Bunk Bed Plans

The Basic Process - Triple Bunk Bed Plans

More info on these Triple Bunk Bed Plans on my blog: http://myhomedonemyway.blogspot.com/2013/03/triple-bunk-bed-finished.ht…)

1. Build the Bed Frames: (I will explain the process for one bed...do it three times if you want three beds)

2. Add Side Supports: ( Also do this step three times for three beds. We did it later but would be easier to do now)

3. Add Roll Guard: (do twice...once for each top bunk. We did this later but can be done now)

4. Build Ladder:

5. Paint desired color (you don't have to paint the sides that will be screwed into the wall).

6. Install into the wall in desired bedroom

7. Add Supports (do three times for three beds)

8. Add Plywood (do three times for three beds) 9. Finish

 

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Floor to Ceiling Canned Food Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/19/2024 - 13:56

Loved these plans. Top unit was built exactly to specs. Bottom unit was built to accommodate one column of cans. I have also built one for my sis-in-law and will be building one more for this pantry. Love this project!

Leah

Built from Plan(s)
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