Book shelves
I have had these for a while but never finished with the painting, the most dreadful part...but found some chalk paint that I love, and will always use chalk paint to finish all my projects now.
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I have had these for a while but never finished with the painting, the most dreadful part...but found some chalk paint that I love, and will always use chalk paint to finish all my projects now.
Love this plan and the table and bench turned out exactly as I hoped. I did it by myself except for a little heavy lifting from my sweetheart. I researched the finish online and I am so happy with the results.
Tue, 02/10/2015 - 08:19
We have been shopping for tables and cannot find anything we like for a good price. I keep going back to building one myself. Your table top looks great .. nice and flat. Did you follow the plans to a T, did you use a kreg jig?
Tue, 02/10/2015 - 22:13
I did change the dimensions of the top a little. I wanted a wider surface. I did use a kreg jig, it made it a breeze to build. I spent a lot of time on the finish, sanding, using steel wool, and several coats of polyurethane. Thank you for the compliment !
This closet tower is from the Craft Room Storage Tower plan, and made mostly with left overs from other projects. I wanted a shallow tower storage just deep enough to hang pants and slacks in, and to use a 12" wide door I already had in my garage. At Target I found some kid-size hangers that were just the right size - about 12" wide. Trouser hangers are about this same width, but they weren't available in-store so I went with what they had. The only things I bought for this project are the knob, hinges, some 1x2's, and the hangers. The sides are from a lengthwise half-sheet of C/D plywood, ripped down to 12" strips on the table saw, with 1x2 edge joined at the back to create a "toe kick" to clear the baseboard. The front is trimmed out in 1x2 with a scrap of 1x3 to trim the top. The removable closet poles are from a flagpole, and the ends are held in place with some 1/2" craft boards. The back is 1/4" plywood. The longest part of this project was the sanding, because the plywood wasn't the pretty kind - used lots of wood filler on the knots and as a grain filler, then sanded it a lot. This project took about 9 hrs total, (sanding took the longest), construction with the Kreg jig and nailgun was very quick, and then paint and adding the door and poles. The removable shelf was added as an afterthought and is a scrap of plywood, with some S4S to hold it up, and a 12" scrap of moulding across the front of the shelf. It is 82" tall, 13 1/2" wide, and 14 1/4" deep. It's a perfect pair with the 6-cube tower that I built from Ana's cube tower plans a couple of years ago.
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 17:56
This is such a clever build! :) Thank you for sharing in detail how you put this together. =D I love how tall this is and how little floor space it takes up, which is especially a big issue for smaller home dwellers like myself. =D
Sat, 08/31/2013 - 06:23
Yvonne, thanks so much for the nice comment! I just love tower storage, you get so much for such a small 'footprint' in the room. We've replaced our bulky dressers with towers, which makes the room look much more spacious. If you build some, I'd love to see pictures!
There are 2 other items not mentioned above, that I added during this build: I added the 1x3 at the top of the insides, to help keep the joined side boards tighter together at the top (at the time I was thinking the joint might try to pull apart if it got humid). The second thing (you can hardly see this in the photo) is a 12" piece of 1x2 attached across the back, spaced between the 2 closet poles. This was added to help keep the side pieces the same distance apart when attaching the back, and provided an additional place across to nail it. I thought it would help make it more rigid. This piece is used every day, and so far it has held up great. :)
What a fun project, and great bench. We had someone ask us if we could make this for them, and we decided to make 2 while we were at it.....now we just need to find a spot big enough for the second one at our house. Loved this build, and look forward to sipping coffee on it on a cool morming.
Started with the 3 plank plans from Anna's project, then dremeled the logo.
I always wanted a cabin-type cat tree where my cats could crawl in and feel safe, but still have a great view of the birds out of a window. I tried to draw my vision on paper, but that had a hideous result. Learning Google SketchUp (at least the basics) was an absolute necessity. I could never have built this without drawing it in 3D first, and seeing how the boards would connect, etc.
For the scratch pad, I built a frame out of 2x4s on top of plywood, covered it with carpet, and dropped the standard size scratch pad in place. This is the cat's favorite feature. I put barn doors on the window with tiny hinges so that I can close for added privacy. The tree sits against a window so that the back side is totally open. I made cozy zippered cushions for the platforms (that can be taken off and washed). I covered the carpeted areas with spare carpeting.
Fri, 07/12/2013 - 09:36
Would you mind sharing your dimensions for this? It is absolutely beautiful!
Sun, 08/25/2013 - 08:10
Do you have the plans somewhere? I really want to build this (even got the okay from the hubby!) but I don't think I could do it without some serious guidelines...
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 15:55
First, sorry for the late notice; I just happened to look and saw the comments/questions.
I don't have plans...all I have is a google sketchup diagram that I created as a guideline for my construction (which is included in the photos), which is not to scale. Actual measurements are:
* Base (green carpeted base): 33.5" x 19"
* 4x4 legs: 35" tall
* 'Mezzanine' scratch pad level: 22" x 17.5"
* Mid-level base: 18" x 32"
* Enclosed cabin: 18.25" x 22.5" x 17" high
* Highest point: 56"
This has turned out to be a fantastic hit with the cats. They use all 5 levels, but the scratch pad and cabin are their favorite spots. If you need anything else or additional pics, please contact me.
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 18:15
Thanks for the dimensions, Joni! I'm trying to learn SketchUp so I can draw up my own plans, also. If I can't figure it out, I'll hand it off to my 12 year old, who is a pro at it (go figure). I know my cats will love it if I can manage to get it built!
Fri, 09/27/2013 - 10:15
I used your pictures and diagram Joni and made one for my friend for her cats! I used 2x4's for the cabin which makes this thing so heavy but so sturdy! It holds my 60 lb child without budging... here's a pic of it almost done. My friend was not finished wrapping the posts with sisel rope though.
https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.brooks1975#!/photo.php?fbid=10151788…
Thu, 10/31/2013 - 14:30
Bhoppy -- I looked at your cat tree on facebook. It's awesome! The sturdiness of it shocked me too. And I was initially worried that my cats might knock it down!!
The worst part of building it was getting that lower scratch pad level on straight with the 3 posts. I'd never want to do that again!
Thanks for sharing, Joni
Fri, 01/02/2015 - 01:18
Funny, almost every time I'm looking for ideas or inspiration when I want to build something, I end up back on this site. I was searching for pictures of cat trees and this was the only one that made me say "Holy crap, that's EXACTLY what I want!" My cat will love it!
Mon, 04/27/2020 - 20:41
Not sure if anyone is still around to see this, but I fell in love with this tree the second I saw it. Wondering if anyone created a detailed plan and might have it handy or possibly a detailed sketchup and wouldn't mind sharing the save file?
In the event nobody has either... I'm planning on having someone else build this for me as I don't have the tools nor skill to do it myself. I have a few questions:
1. The tree base/platform, what's a good recommended thickness?
2. The platform for the scratchpad... is there any certain reason it's so much thicker compared to the other platforms?
Thanks.
Sun, 09/12/2021 - 11:51
Reverse engineering this project, using just 2x4s. None of the photos show the undersides. How are the plywood pillow bases attached for the top and bottom of the cabin? and the base of the top viewing platform?
Sun, 09/12/2021 - 16:42
There are no Minwax water based stain colors with those names that I can find.
Custom tower shelves with hanging space and four shelves.
This is my first Ana-White build and I love it so much! I used a 100 year old door for the back and antique knobs for the hooks. I plan on making a farm house table next :)
This project took me the majority of a three-day weekend to complete, but it was well worth it! I had the lumber store cut the beadboard panel for me so that it would fit in my car. This was also the first time I built something with doors on it, which was a bit of a learning curve, but came out alright in the end. I used pocket holes to build the face frame, and attached the shelves to the frame first before attaching them to the 1x8 back. I used 1 1/4" pocket hole screws and 2" wood screws. I left off the trim at the top and didn't bother to cut out the footer, but I think it still looks pretty cute.
I built this nightstand when my wife and I purchased a new bed. We had to rearrange the bedroom and as such, I no longer had a desk or table on my side of the bed. I wanted something "country" style and after searching through several different plans I found a brag post that fit exactly what I was looking for. Well, technically, I found the original Farmhouse Bedside Table plans and modified them to fit what I needed. It wasn't until after I completed the project that I realized there was a "Mini" version as well. What can I say, I'm not that great as using search. I actually built this over a year ago at this point, and it was the second project I ever built. I learned quite a bit on this project, including the fact your project will only come out as good as your lumber selection! This build actually created my addiction for DIY and woodworking. Thank you Ana!
Mon, 09/14/2020 - 18:41
this is going to be a perfect first project for me and my daughter to tackle!
My first project, I've never done any kind of wood working at all. I made and noticed several mistakes however, I'm still very pleased with how it turned out. I learned from all my mistakes and now know the best ways to avoid them in the future. Super excited to begin my next project!
Sat, 11/20/2021 - 09:23
It looks great and even better, its functional! Thanks for sharing:)
My very first project. Was so easy thanks to Ana's instructions. Dark walnut gel stain and Fusion Seaside. Thank you so much Ana.
Thank you for sharing your plan!
10×10 greenhouse made with re-claimed cedar boards from old barn on Menlo, WA
Wed, 06/08/2022 - 05:52
Beautiful! I like the fact that you bucked the trend and turned your clear panels for Washington rainwater runoff. There are good and bad with both directions, vertical makes the most sense. I can see myself re-doing ours at some point to change the panel direction. At least they're pointing the right direction on my skylights.
Great design, and of course, I love the 'live edge' details you added throughout!
Our last project was building a tiny garden tools storage shed. We used only 1 x 4 boards. We don't have any plans, but you can watch the entire building process on our YouTube channel. We are very proud of the way the project turned out.
We reworked the plans for the pottery barn inspired bed into a toddler sized version. Arms were added near the head to prevent our child falling out in the first year. They ended up being something of a hazard in those early days, as our child kept hitting her head. If we were to recreate it, we would make the arms go up higher or without the finished top. The bed also was not lifted off the ground in as great of a proportion to the original.
The pine is left untreated and unfinished. The only glue used was homemade milk glue.
I started baking my own bread a few months ago, and storage was an issue. My husband decided to build me an old fashioned bread box and set out designing one on his own to fit in our small galley kitchen. I love it. It is a double decker, so I can fit two loaves in it just fine. The inside is coated with a food-grade sealer.
Sun, 12/04/2011 - 02:32
That is a great idea indeed and I love how it has a shelf inside.
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 03:49
This is an awesome idea, can't wait to make one for my kitchen. Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing this!
Sat, 06/30/2012 - 07:05
Just what I'm looking for! Do you have a pattern or measurements on this project? Thanks!
Tue, 08/20/2013 - 10:40
Please, let me know if there are plans/measurements somewhere. Love this!!
A friend of mine has issues with her knees but loves gardening so I built this to allow her to continue gardening. She loved it.
I didnt follow any particular set of plans I watched several you tube videos and combined different ideas from the videos to develop my own plan.
Our nephew Nathan really wanted a captain's bed like his friend. We built him one even better for Christmas this year. I couldn't find one plan with everything we wanted to I used the plans for the Storage Daybed for the base, and used the plans for the Cozy Corner twin bed collection wide bookcase unit. We combined both the headboard and sideboard into one unit (by extending the top to the short end) giving him an L shaped headboard for all his hockey stuff :) The only thing we messed up on was the height of the bookcase. He wanted it higher so it's on blocks for now to raise it. My sister did all the final painting to match his room and it looks AWESOME!!!
Steve had everything cut at work and we put it together in one 12 hour day! Nathan LOVES his new bed. Thank you Ana!
Fri, 01/06/2012 - 16:52
That is one nice, cool looking bed. Interesting colors, is it his school colors? I've never thought of painting plywood, you've given me some ideas.
Fri, 01/06/2012 - 21:24
The colors are the official Montreal Canadiens hockey team's colors, My son is a HUGE fan! Nathan LOVES his bed. and it is very solid.
Fri, 01/06/2012 - 20:29
Ummm... The bookcases were too short because you didn't take the mattress height into account. Looks really good though.
I made this bookcase out of solid hard maple lumber. The project was more expensive because I chose to use this wood. It also took more time because I had to do a lot of sanding in order to finish it with shellac and paste wax, but I think it was worth it. I altered the plans and made the bookcase 5' tall instead of 6' as it would have been a little large for the room I put it in otherwise. I used a kreg jig to create pocket holes on the undersides of the shelves so that I did not have to drill and make holes on the sides of the bookcase. I also used L and T brackets on the back to hold the whole thing together.
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 10:12
I really like this. I made a similar set a while back out of pine, because I needed a lot of book storage in a hurry, but nothing near this nice.
How is the side to side stability? I found a need to put bracing along the back, which also served to keep my books from falling off when the cats push up against them.
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 10:46
The side to side stability is pretty good. It'll rock a little bit, but it's really quite sturdy. The L and T brackets in the back helped significantly with the stability.
Great, simple bookshelf for our nursery
My twins just turned four and were still sleeping in their toddler beds, so it was time for an upgrade. They still want to share a room so we knew we needed to maximize space and open up some room for them to play. We chose the Camp Loft Bed but raised the height to 72" (with 53" of headspace) so we might be able to add a desk underneath when they get older.
Essentially, we made two loft beds with the platforms but omitted the stairs. Then we built a slightly lower platform to put between the two beds, which acts as a step down. Then instead of making stairs that jut out into the room, we added two 2x4s as ladder rungs to the lower platform. This also acts as a tunnel for the twins to crawl under to go between each other's play spaces. This also makes it so the beds can be easily separated if we ever need to put them in separate rooms.
When it was complete we noticed one of the beds was a little wobbly, so we added diagonal braces in the corners and another 2x4 across the length of the bottom to help stabilize it. We also chose to use 1x4 pieces of pine as the slats for the mattress to lay across, but they didn't feel like they would support our weight if we wanted to read to them in bed. So we added two more 2x4s underneath the slats the entire length of the bed, which has added a ton of support.
We stopped keeping track of exactly how much it cost, but it was close to $400 for both beds combined. And it took most of my husband's free time for two weeks, but most of that was painting two coats of paint on every piece before assembling. First he cut all the pieces to size, drilled the holes with a Kreg Jig, and then painted. To make the painting more efficient, he put a bunch of screws into boards so he could paint all the exposed sides of the lumber, flip, and leave them to dry. Then we assembled the beds in their room.
The twins love their new beds, and we love how much more space they have to play in their room! We were worried the room would feel too crowded but with the openness of the plan and the space that was opened up underneath, we think it turned out great! Now we can move in a bunch of their toys and reclaim some of our house! Thanks for the great plans!
Comments
Marisol
Wed, 03/27/2013 - 15:58
My kids love them
My kids love them
yvonne_urra-bazain
Wed, 03/27/2013 - 23:38
Cute and functional
Love these. Also love that you mixed up your own chalk paint. :) Shelving in my daughter's room is definitely a toss up between photo ledges and these now.
Marisol
Thu, 03/28/2013 - 15:54
Thank you, can't wait to
Thank you, can't wait to start on their new bed. ;0)