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Toy storage bin

Submitted by JimDel on Thu, 10/29/2015 - 12:46

This was my first Ana White project and the first time using my new Kreg jig that my wife bought for me as a birthday gift.  I modified the plans to build this as one complete unit and not as separate bins to be stacked.  I used my Kreg jig on the dividers and ends to attach each section to the next.  This saved on material and made it a bit lighter since I was building it 4 units high.  I added small 2x3 feet to the bottom to clear an outlet behind the toy bin.  Two L brackets were used to anchor the unit to the wall. 

Built from Plan(s)
1x12 Wood Bulk Bins
Estimated Cost
Cost was about $80 for materials. The stain was a mix from what I already had.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades. This was a mix of a couple stains I had left over.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

His & hers studio closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 22:55

Instead of using galvanized pipes, to save money we opted for ready made closer rod & hardware from Lowe’s and added additional 2x4 pieces perpendicular to the shelf supports and screwed the closet rods into those. 

Built from Plan(s)
Wood Closet Shelving
Estimated Cost
>$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ana’s Rustic Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/03/2022 - 17:42

I used Ana’s plan to build this great bench for the Master Bathroom. It works out great!

Blog Link
Hidden Dog Workshop
Built from Plan(s)
Small Rustic Bench

Comments

My $6 Doll Crib

Submitted by Lady Goats on Sat, 08/13/2011 - 21:17

Well, this crib is STILL unfinished, and the date-stamp says I built it December 5th.... So... Uhh.. I should really get on that!

I had initially built this crib for a friend's daughter's birthday gift, but the baby (8 months old at the time) got REALLY sick, so I wasn't able to finish it in time (don't worry, we got her a Pillow Pet - she got a gift still!). It was just before Christmas, so instead of going out and spending more money that we were tight on, I just bought 3 1x2s and used scraps for the rest of it.

The crib's basically been sitting in the baby's room looking cute until about a month ago. That's when she decided that her stuffed owl (from Build-A-Bear) needed to be put to bed every night before I put HER to bed. It's become such a routine that I have no idea how she'd react if we couldn't put her owl to bed! So I'm scared to try to start filling all the holes and painting in fear that we'd have a mental breakdown if I didn't finish in time for bed! EEK!

Built from Plan(s)
Olivia’s Doll Crib
Estimated Cost
$6
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
OOPS bin paints on the parts that WERE finished.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Craft Table

Maui Costco had a craft table but I waited too long to go back (1 week!) and they were sold out & discontinued. I stumbled across Ana White's website and found the "modern craft table." After a couple of modifications I am extremely happy with the results, as is my Golden Retriever "Buddy" who likes hanging out underneath while I am working. And yes, he has a mohawk!

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Craft Table
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
latex & primer in one
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

tracysmith

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 23:39

Buddy looks very comfortable under "his" craft table ;-). Great job and isn't it fun to get something you want anyway - even after the big stores have sold out or discontinued, or both!? Love that part of building!

Modified Michaela's kitchen island

I used the plans from Michaela's kitchen island, but modified the top. Instead of 2x4s pine studs, I used black walnut boards a friend of mine had lying around. They were ~1x8" boards so I ripped them to ~4" width and ~60" length. They were a little warped so I glued and screwed them togther using a Kreg jig (best tool ever). This made a huge difference and there was only minimal gaps (1/16") between the boards. I ended up borrowing a belt sander from another friend to take out the 1/16"-1/8" lips in the boards. First time using a belt sander and it took a few minutes with 80 grit across the grain to get a level surface. Used 120 grit paper with the grain to smooth out the scratch marks from the 80 grit. Attached the top to the base with screws, finish sanded with 220 and 320 grit, cleaned up the dust with a tack cloth and then applied a few coats of polyurethane. For the drawers, I couldn't find 21" slides so I ended up modifying the drawers for 20" slides. Another fun and satisfying project!

used the plans for Michaela's Kitchen Island, more or less, but scrapped the top. Instead of wood, I went with a piece of Corian that I got very, very cheap at a local recycled building materials store. It was not that much more expensive than using wood, believe it or not. It's also easier to work with than wood, at least for this project. We even had enough left over for 2 large cutting boards. - See more at: http://ana-white.com/2012/02/kitchen-island-w-corian#sthash.yUJ3fA16.dp…
used the plans for Michaela's Kitchen Island, more or less, but scrapped the top. Instead of wood, I went with a piece of Corian that I got very, very cheap at a local recycled building materials store. It was not that much more expensive than using wood, believe it or not. It's also easier to work with than wood, at least for this project. We even had enough left over for 2 large cutting boards. - See more at: http://ana-white.com/2012/02/kitchen-island-w-corian#sthash.yUJ3fA16.dp…
Built from Plan(s)
Build Michaela's Kitchen Island
Estimated Cost
$200, includes cost of wood and hardware. The black walnut was free, but otherwise would be over $100.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr "Frost" semi-gloss paint for the base, Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane for the top. After cutting all pieces, but before assembly, I applied a coat of white primer to all base pieces. I then applied 2 coats of Frost semi-gloss. For the top, I applied coats of polyurethane with light sanding using "0000" steel wool between coats. Synthetic 2.5" bristle brushes were used for paint and polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Boys Garage Bookshelf

Submitted by Chriss45 on Sun, 12/30/2018 - 09:55

I built this bookcase for a friends son for Christmas. She sent me a sketch of what she wanted and I drew up the plans in sketch up. I built it out of plywood and capped plywood with poplar strips. I made the Cedar shingles out of Cedar shims that I cut down to 2 inches, I used corrugated metal for door panels to give garage look.

Built from Plan(s)
Dollhouse Bookcase
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr satin paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Narrow planked bedside tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/11/2022 - 08:43

I made these, then had to re-make them once I realized they were just too wide for our narrow bedroom. Each shelf is now three slats wide, not four. Modifications were easy: cut cross supports to 10 1/2” (not 14) and tabletop planks to 15”.

Thanks for the plans! Simple enough and stylish. -Katie

Built from Plan(s)
Planked Wood Bedside Table with Shelves

Comments

Adirondack Chair

Submitted by Marisol on Tue, 08/16/2011 - 14:09

I made this chair for my 3 year old son's Birthday, he loves it. Really easy build.

Estimated Cost
$10-$15
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed and used Navy Blue spray paint- letters were done with my Cricut machine on vinyl and then placed on chair, spray painted, then peeled off.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Marisol

Wed, 08/17/2011 - 15:03

I love the navy blue and white combination, I am trying to use it more around the house...just waiting for my son to be tired of his toy story theme room to re-do it. :)

Barn Wood Buffet

Submitted by nickdevos on Mon, 09/09/2013 - 13:20

Finished this project using scrap pine for the frame and shelves and old barn wood for the doors/siding/table top. Turned out great, can't wait for other projects to finish.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

nickdevos

Tue, 09/10/2013 - 13:23

hello, I really don't have plans for the project but I could send some pictures to you that would show how it was contructed. For the legs, lower shelf box, and table top box I used precut standard board (scrap board from Menards, $1 a piece. and then I glued the doors together and the side skirts, the back I just screwed on from the inside and these parts were all the barn wood.

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)
Grandy Barn Door Console
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!

Fancy X-Brace Farmhouse Table and Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/26/2022 - 12:53

My employer asked for an "upscale farmhouse table" to act as a feature in our new training facility. After perusing designs online, I found this one and decided to upgrade it just a bit for the stated purpose.
Made entirely of white oak (over $1600 worth!) purchased as 4/4 and 5/4 stock, I milled all the lumber to spec in our shop. As it was to be 10' in length, and I was unable to acquire acceptable wide stock for the tabletop in that length, I went with breadboard ends, which also seems to have served to upgrade the appearance over "picnic table" to elegant showpiece. All joinery is invisible, using mostly dowels and glue where joints had to be hidden.
Final treatment was with tung oil, and it took up residence in its permanent home last week. I had to assemble it on-site, as there is NO way to move a table of this size in and out of the building. It's there to stay.

As my lumber wasn't exactly spec-size (1X4, 2X10, etc), I had to do the math and make some adjustments to achieve spec height, but the final product is a rousing success.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Built from Plan(s)
Fancy X Farmhouse Table
Fancy X Farmhouse Bench

Comments

Benchright Farmhouse Table

We really liked the plans for this table, but it was too narrow for our taste. My husband altered the plans so that the table is 36" wide. The solid oak boards on the table top are reclaimed from the old barn out back.

Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
He raised the wood grain, and applied three coats of Minwax provincial, sanded in between coats, and five coats of polycrylic clear coat to protect it.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 20:20

Thank you Ana for making the plans available and easy to follow. My honey-do list gets longer. You do such great work.

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 20:19

The top is oak from an old barn we have on our property. The stain is named Provincial from Minwax. The rest of the boards are whiteboards from Lowes.

kareylynn

Sun, 12/04/2011 - 07:14

Gorgeous table!!! I love the finish, and I know you must be so proud of your work. I love the pic that shows the bones of your table in progress. It shows the craftsmanship that you put into this piece. Great job!

cassiopeia_816

Tue, 02/14/2012 - 04:55

You have the correct stain on the website, I used 3 coats on the table top to get it darker and let the stain soak in longer before wipping off the extra. On the chairs only 2 coats were applied. What I did was sand in between all the coats, even though the stain directions say its not needed, I just wanted to try and the results I liked. As always try on a spare piece of wood first. I hope this info. helps, thanks for looking and asking.

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:30

Great! Thank you for the reply. I am going to start on this project in a few weeks and your input is very valuable. I'll give it a go and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 03/07/2012 - 19:39

I love the table, but I'm suprised that no one said anything about the chairs. Do you have the plans for the chairs you made? I built the table but would love to have chairs that matched! Thank You

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 03/13/2012 - 14:21

I'm in LOVE with your table!!! Did your husband follow Ana's directions for the legs? They look like they are at a slight angle. Does your husband have the plans for this? Thank you so much!!

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 03/13/2012 - 14:26

Hi, I LOVE your table - it came out so beautiful! Just wondering, did you change the plans other than the with of the top? The legs look like they are at a slight angle and I love that!

cassiopeia_816

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 15:47

I followed Ana's plan to build the legs, they are at a slight angle. The chairs are based on the Modern Angle Chair. They are posted as another project. I did add the three cross supports on the bottom. When I saw my wife sit down and lean back a little bit I could see the back legs moving to much in the wrong direction. I basically used a 1x2, and I tried to measure about the middle or what looked good and screwed them in. It added more strength to the legs and made the chair much sturdier. I hope this info., helps. Sorry it took awhile to reply back.

jsh2001

Thu, 01/31/2013 - 04:40

This table is stunning, great work. Everytime we think we know which type of table we want to build we go and see another that looks even better.

cabin in the woods

This was something I had always wanted to build for my nieces and nephew! it was a blast to build and see it come together. Two people working on this job is best. I loved the look of being able to open the doors top and bottom! I added the awnings above all the windows and doors to prevent as much water going into the playhouse as possible. The roofing was a little overwhelming at first but as we got going it turned out just fine! I wanted to lantern in the front to actually light up but I didn't want to run electricity so I got the lantern and put a motion sensor battery light on the inside and it works great! I also put one on the inside for more lighting there too, along with 3 battery "candle" lanterns. For the inside decoration I went with a wood land theme, put a growth chart on the inside wall to measure their height each year, and even made face masks! This is always and ongoing project for me seeing as how i'm always adding something new. The little ones love coming over and getting mail in the mailbox. Thanks Anna for the playhouse plans! I'm excited to see my nieces and nephews imaginations grow with all the possibilities the playhouse brings!

Built from Plan(s)
Build the Simple Playhouse - Front Wall with Door
Build a Simple Playhouse - Gable End Walls
Estimated Cost
$250-$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
exterior paint from menards in "clam chowder" and the brown is exterior paint we had on hand.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

amelierainfall

Tue, 07/29/2014 - 14:04

So I had a hard time figuring out which house to build for my daughter and your house gave me such inspiration! I cannot wait to make this for my little girls 2nd birthday. She loves play pretend. Thank you for your inspiration!

Porch Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/05/2019 - 06:23

Love the easy to follow plans!!! Make sure you have room when building....this a Big bench.

Rob V.  

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Early American, then Chalk paint over. Sanded lightly to have stain show through. I also did the wood transfer for the lettering.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Martinec97 on Tue, 10/04/2022 - 06:46

This is a King size farmhouse bed that I made based off of Ana's plans. I love it! I painted it a light gray and then glazed over it with a darker gray. Thanks for looking! - Wendy

Blog Link
https://www.facebook.com/wendymartinec/
Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Bed - Standard King Size
Farmhouse Storage Bed with Drawers (Queen)

Comments

Modified Dresser - Perfect for my little guy

Submitted by Sarah A. on Mon, 08/22/2011 - 17:26

I built this for my son's bedroom, but modified it to fit our needs. It is 42" high, 38" wide, and 18" deep. I did a double thick top, which I love, and my Dad routed it for me. This piece is solid! I am very happy with the result! Sorry for the not so great cell phone pics!

Built from Plan(s)
Dresser with Open Bottom Shelf - Open Leg Version
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Vaslpar Primer and paint in Admiral Blue, in eggshell, then wipe on Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Camerons_Mom

Tue, 08/30/2011 - 14:54

I absolutely love this dresser!! You did an amazing job. My husband and I are preparing to redo our little boys room and this dresser would be perfect. I especially loved the little shelf on bottom. Very unique looking piece.

My first project - Little Helper Tower!

Submitted by amandapdx on Sun, 09/15/2013 - 14:38

Well, as my first project off of ana-white.com, I decided to make my two little guys the Little Helper Tower. I had seen store versions that cost $200 or more, so was excited to be able to have something that we wouldn't normally be able to buy.

It was supposed to be a Christmas present. It was finally painted and ready to go by mid-March. Which is to say, I couldn't find time to work on it too much, though it also took me much longer to do than what Ana said, which is not unusual for me.

The main problems I faced were 1x2s that I bought wet and that warped by the time I got around to using them; not having an honestly flat surface to work on, not having lots of experience with my jigsaw, so my top arches and bottom curves are not that attractive, and using some leftover red paint that took about 3 layers, plus the primer, to cover well.

In the end, I have a working helping tower with a movable floor that both my kids, now 2 and 4, can use in the kitchen (mainly - we didn't make the folding kind because the hinges were way too expensive!, so it doesn't move around too much) and it has helped my little guys help me on endless baking projects. My 2-year-old still can't get out of it himself, but my 4-year-old swings on it like a monkey. Thanks, Ana, for all your inspiration! I have a list a mile long of projects I want to tackle. Hopefully I'll get to one soon!

Built from Plan(s)
The Littlest Helper Tower
Estimated Cost
$35 and leftover paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and paint left over from other projects.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Record Display Shelf

I recently started collecting vinyl records and wanted to show some of them off but also have them readily available to play.  I saw some options online but decided to make some shelves myself.  No judging my music!  :)

 

More details and instructions on my blog:

http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/blog/diy-record-display-shelf

Blog Link
WoodWorkingFourDummies
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used the MinWax Ebony stain and finished it with polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project