Lawn Chairs
All made from an 8 foot packing crate.
All made from an 8 foot packing crate.
Building Ana’s farmhouse doll bed went so well that I felt ready to take on a full-sized bed.
Each project seems to come with its own set of lessons. I learned the hard way about the “Measure twice, cut once” rule with a couple of “oops” cuts that sent me back on another trip to the Blue store.
Sourcing untreated 4×4′s was also an issue. I ended up gluing and screwing 2×4′s together to use as the headboard and footboard legs.
The biggest issue, though, was my own fear. Sure I hit some stumbling blocks during the build, but resolved them and got the headboard and footboard all put together… and then choked. Who the heck makes her own bed? Is this really going to work? I delayed and delayed the final steps of screwing the siderails to the legs and attaching slats until I finally had to give myself a stern talking-to and a self-imposed deadline! Has anyone else ever been scared to push through to the final steps?
OK, here goes! I wasn’t sure that I understood the step about toenailing lagbolts through the end of the cleats into the legs until I got out the drill and tried it. Yup, it worked just fine! Next came the slats, and then when I hoisted the mattress on and saw that I had built a bed…. Well, I don’t even know how to describe that feeling of success and empowerment. Wow!
Ana, I wish I could thank you for all that you do.
Used pressure treated (copper) and will allow to fade to grey with sun and sea air. Built to enjoy PEI mussels, lobster and beer in the open air and not too worried about the finish or surface. The table took 3 hours, start to finish - benches x 2 took longer at about 7 hours. Am getting a little lateral movement with the benches so will replace the 1 x 3 spacer with 2 x 4 and may add a diagonal 2 x 2 support as well (to match the table). I don't have/didn't use a Kreg so that may be the issue...?
Plans on Ana White are fantastic - I made the see-saw this weekend too in about an hour....thanks!
fun to make!
I have more pictures, but I've hit the limit...
The coop is 100% cedar except for the plywood sides/doors.
Fun to build.
The plans are great, but not prefect. Make sure you measure everything out before cutting. I had several problems with errors in the plans. Use them as a guide, and like I said, measure before making cuts.
This project could be done in a weekend, but I ended up putting a lot of time into it. Close to 4 weeks from start to end, probably 3 full time days, and a few hours here and there on odd days. It just depends how anal you are I guess, haha! The finished product speaks for it self.
Ana Whites easy to follow plans. Lake house. Love the way it turned out!
Hello Builders!
I made this bed for my daughter right after finishing Ana’s Simple Bed for myself. This bed is great because it is cool-looking (the most important factor for my middle-schooler) and because it adds tons of storage space (the most important factor for me, the mom!). Ana has this bed marked as easy, and it was easy. After working on the Simple Bed with lots and lots of cutting and gluing and nailing, I was amazed at how quickly this bed started looking like itself.
As a newbie builder, I read and read and re-read Ana’s plans and the comments on the plans and any similar plans until I feel comfortable. The Storage Daybed is just three separate benches that sit side-by-side and the mattress just lies on top. Somehow, when digesting the plans, I was really confused about the divider in the middle of each bench, but eventually the light bulb went on (the divider is necessary to support and strengthen the top, but the end result is that there are three cubbies in the front of the bed and three cubbies in the back – perfect for storing off-season clothes).
So I went to the Blue home improvement store and decided on birch plywood. Special thanks to Jen for working up the plywood cutting layout that Ana included in the plan. I don’t think I could have figured out how to get the pieces cut without you. The associates at the large home improvement store were very nice, and they offered to make the cuts for me even though they said that they really weren’t supposed to make “project cuts”. The problem was that their cuts were oh, so bad! They marked out all of the cuts at once, which doesn’t account for the sliver that the blade takes out, and when measuring they didn’t even have the tape measure blade flush against the top in the first place.
On my other projects, I made plenty of mistakes. But they were my mistakes, you know what I mean? On this build, I spent so much time trying to fix bad cuts. But it’s my fault. I was concerned, but I second guessed myself and didn’t speak up while they were cutting. I ended up having to cut a thin strip of plywood to lengthen the side of one of the benches, and had to sand and sand and sand. Also ended up having to re-cut the dividers.
Oh, well. I got a little life lesson in assertiveness, and I got to add a circular saw to my toolkit! After all was said and done, this really is a great bed, and it made my heart glow to hear my daughter going around telling folks: “My mom is making my bed!
My Hubby and I built this bookcase on the livingroom floor on mothers day morning! It was so simple and fun. I had all the wood cut at Lowes and we just had to put it together and paint it!
I used the "how to build" from the Shepherd Kitchen Island plan to help me create my own dimensions for this bar... 60" long, 24" deep, 35" high. It has a space on the left for an under counter ice maker and the wine rack is built in inside the right hand cabinet.
The counter top is plywood covered with a sheet of zinc I bought from rotometals. Fairly easy to do after watching their videos on how to apply and how to patina.
I built them and my husband had painted them all the way down to the logos! Not a thing on them isn't hand painted!
This was my first Farmhouse Table build. 8ft long with 2 benches. Distressed white with True Brown tops.
This was my second project I attempted, the hardest part was the drawer! Other than that I think it turned out great!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/152638624/handmade-narrow-end-table
Farmhouse dining room table built for my mom. Unstained.
Table top is 2" White Pine Boards, legs are cedar, and everything else is whitewood studs. Left the leg assemblies and stretcher board unattached for the two hour transport to Charlotte. Attached them with screws and some glue upon arrival. Loved the plan and finished in two days!
This "pin" was my inspiration (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/540643130244817922/) and I was very happy to have the Hannah canopy plans to modify! The upper canopy was eliminated, a "whimsical wave" was cut in the headboard using a jigsaw, and the foot board posts were shortened. In addition, measurements for the bed were modified to fit a queen size mattress. I used hardwood plywood and hardwood side boards, as I wanted a durable bed. The posts were pine 2x2's as I could not find hardwood of this dimension at my local stores. I also used hardware from the Rockler company (http://www.rockler.com/5-surface-mounted-bed-rail-brackets) to mount the head and foot boards to the side boards, as I wanted to assemble and disassemble the bed easily.
This is a guest bedroom. The closet had 6 panel, colonial bypass doors. The bypass doors leave the center unusable. To save room, I built a dresser in the center. The bypass doors are getting converted to swing doors. I used shelf help to design the project.
Wed, 10/06/2021 - 09:32
Love the built in dresser! Thank you for using Shelf Help, that looks amazing!
weekend project that had been put off for about a year and finally got done. was not that challenging even for a rookie. turned out well and most of all the mrs. was pleased with it.
photo 1: materials
photo 2: lower level on left and upper level on right
photo 3:close up of each level, bottom level was stacked 2x2's plus 3/8 ply on top and 1/8 vinyl so that a 1x4 would cover the front flush and not have a lip so that tha baskets wont get caught.
photo 4: base with corner posts
photo 5: all set minus the trim boards!
final trim on the top level overlapped by 1/2" to act as a lip to hold w/d in place if they decided to "move" on me.
This is the third project I've done from this site and the first that came out absolutely perfect. The others were GREAT but this one....it just soared.
Took me all of 1 afternoon to build and 3 days to stain and finish. I used Early American by Minwax to match the existing dining room table.
My goal is to build the table that goes with it.
But, for now, this is the perfect addition to the house.
One thing.
The plans for this bench call for 1x4s for the breadboards and that doesn't make sense. I think it's a typo.
You will need extra 2x4s to make the project really soar. But, heck, who can't use an extra 2x4 lying around?
My wife was wanting a new coffee table so I decided to build one instead of goin and buying one. This being really the first somewhat hard wood working project that I had tried it turned out very good. My wife did her handy work on staining and making it look very old and rustic.
My father asked for a porch sign for his birthday, and as he enjoys sitting and watching the hummingbirds feed, thats the theme I went with. Sign is made with a redwood fence board that was sanded down and biscuit joined together, then given a decorative routered edge. Painted with Rustoleum paint, and given a few coats of spar urethane. Used jute cord on the back to hang the sign with.
First time building and I'm in love with it!
So happy with the finished product. Used 100 yr old barnwood and matte finish with varathane.
I LOVE this stool! I love the style, the function and how easy it was. I made this in just an hour while the kids were out front riding their bikes. The best part was it was a gift for my dear friend for her nursery.
I already have two more rooms in my house that are in need of this stool, so a few more are in my future.