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planked wood sideboard

Based my cabinet on the planked wood sideboard but moved away from using the tens of pocket screws the project called for. I also used hidden hinges so my doors do not enter into the cabinet. I cut and glued multiple boards to make my top after using my planer. But soft close drawers and hinges on the unit. Also installed baskets with soft close for the bottom of the 2 side cabinets. Turned out pretty good. Super heavy though which well built items will be. Routed my door and table top edges for style. Wife loves it.

Estimated Cost
500.00 counting hardware and sanded plywood
Finish Used
table used golden oak stain

Comments

Hall Tree for Apartment!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/26/2023 - 12:26

My husband built this for my birthday. He adjusted the seat height so the storage bins would fit underneath. We also added the corbels under the shelf on top. I can't stop staring at it! Just love it! We had no place for coats etc by the front door of our apartment before!

Built from Plan(s)

Entrance Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 19:55

First project from own design and wanted to share as pretty pleased with how it turned out. Sides are 4 by 2s with a routed 45 degree grove on each edge to give some detail. Wanted to make the drawers stand out so I added the edging detail.

Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax pre stain. Minwax Ebony - 2 coats. Minwax Poly Satin - 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy Hall Tree, scaled down

I scaled down the fancy hall tree plans to 39" wide to fit along our entry way wall. I also added shelves for shoes. It was a great birthday present for my wife, thanks Ana! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax classic grey 271 oil stain, and minwax polycrylic sealant.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Bedside Tables

Made these rustic style bedside tables for my master bedroom. I used the Reclaimed Wood Bedside Tables plan, but modified it to make it a little wider- to 24" top width. I wished the plan had exact plans for the drawers, but I made do without them, and all in all, they turned out fantastic! I used pretty heavy duty 100 lb drawer slides, and used 1x6's for the entire drawer square (backer board for the bottoms). I wanted the slides to be able to handle the extra weight, plus all my books etc that will fill the drawers. I used standard spruce/pine from the store, but ripped my own 2x2's and 1x2's from 2x4's and 1x4's. I liked the crosscut look to stay, so I only sanded them minimally. The hardest part was putting on the top from underneath, as I didn't want my tops to have the nail holes in them, but my trusty brad-nailer came to my rescue!
It was a good day or two project by the time I got them built, stained (with Minwax Espresso), and sealed with (Minwax Poly-Acrylic).

Estimated Cost
$160 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Espresso Stain, Minwax Polyacrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/03/2023 - 08:46

I'm a 65 year-old woman and proud to say I built this all by myself with leftover lumber from our deck project. I'm almost finished with a second sofa and plan on building the section piece and a dining table and benches.

Keren Weaver

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Toddler Bed

We followed Ana's "Toddler's Upholstered Bed" plan nearly exactly. The only major change I made was to add fancy looking french country legs I found at the local hardware store. They were screw in, so I used metal screw guides that popped right in after a little pre-drilling. I included some pictures to help explain this variance to help give others ideas. Thanks so much for these plans Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
upholstery fabric, brown spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Wishing well projects

Submitted by Jason48 on Thu, 04/03/2014 - 08:02

Started these wishing wells as only having fun and for family it seems now that it is going to be a little more than I thought now taking orders from family friends

Estimated Cost
120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Jason48

crafty_love

Tue, 11/19/2019 - 07:33

I love the wishing wells, but I can;t find a plan.  My mom has wanted one of these forever! She now has stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma Stage 4 and I would love to build her one before it is too late.

Sports theme Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/28/2016 - 11:20

 These chairs turned out awesome!!! Go Royals! Go Tigers! The step-by-step directions were great and easy to follow. We went with a fun twist on the Royals chair by cutting out the top with the scroll saw to look like the crown. Turned out great, couldn't be happier with the outcome and will definitely be making more!

Estimated Cost
$50 per chair
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
decals are all hand painted which took the longest, the chairs themselves were easy to make and assemble. Great step-by-step plans! I went with the actual team colors that I found info on at our local Home Depot (the sample size paint worked great, no reason to get quart or gallon size) and applied a couple thick (but not runny) coats of polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Queen sized farmhouse bed

Submitted by SAKR on Fri, 04/24/2020 - 13:31

I needed a new bed for my son and could not fin anything we liked for a reasonable price. In searching online for bed plans came across this site. The plans were really easy to follow and it came out great. The only change I made was adding an extra support leg and I reused the bed slats from his old bed rather then make new ones. The bed came out great. Although my husband and I are both quite handy I never imagined building my own furniture. But now we are both looking for new things to build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Mahogany Stain and Miwax Satin Polyurathane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Backyard Retreat Daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/08/2023 - 08:43

We fell in love with this daybed plan right out of the gate but had to modify the plan somewhat due to the rain and crazy weather we are experiencing during the warmer seasons. Rather than use a twin mattress we purchased the largest size outdoor cushion we could. We covered it in Dacron wrap and used an olefin material for the huge cover which maxed out at 54x96. It was one heck of a big zipper to sew! The material is mould and mildew resistant and has proven to be really resilient and I vacuum to keep it clean. It feels luxurious to slide into. We added a polycarbonate roof with a 6% slant, that projects 8-10 inches from the front and back, for rain and snow and because it sits under a crabapple tree which provides shade but will drop small projectiles on your head. We wanted to be able to manage the snow efficiently if we received a heavy fall. We hung the curtains using a chain link fence rail and are able to spend afternoons resting catching the breeze and reading so comfortably. It is situated in a southwest exposure so they are necessary to provide a little protection. The curtains are closed and secured with clamps for heavy rainfalls and so far so good! Everything has stayed dry despite high winds.
 

As you can see from the little ramp, we have four buddies that love the bed as much as we do! It is our little retreat. We love our magic space and the relaxation we experience the minute we slide in. Thanks for such great plans. It was so straightforward that modifications were simple and easy!

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Pallet Frames

For my sons airplane/helicopter Birthday I painted murals on 2inch thick cardboard. three mnths later they are still in the back yard, the cardboard has been rained on as well as the sprinklers have watered them almost daily and as you see they're still intact. so i decided to build them a frame out of pallet boards and hang them on the wall in the backyard. Since I used pallet boards, nails i already had, and remaining spray paint I have from my tractor tire project. This project cost me practically nothing, had to by anchor screws to hang..

Estimated Cost
4.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

First Project - Closet Makeover with Laundry Basket Dresser

I altered this plan to make a short and wide version of the dresser. It is also one whole piece as shown in the picture. I am remodeling my office closet and plan to use it for storing bulky items like cables, gift boxes, etc. I must say for my first project, I think it came out pretty good.

I then moved the existing shelf in the closet up, added shelf bracket rails, and spackled & painted the wall. I added a few shelves, dollar store bins and then labeled everything. I also screwed some small metal baskets with removable handles to the wall, I think it turned out terrific.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ana!

Estimated Cost
$30.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White glossy paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Farmhouse Table For Under $40!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/02/2016 - 16:39

This is my sqaure farmhouse style dining table. It is so easy to make! An important tip is to get good pieces of wood. You don't want any bowing or else it won't be perfectly level. To see more photos and tips, go to SweetTeal.com/diy-farmhouse-table.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
For the color combination, go to SweetTeal.com. For whatever color you do though, remember to put a finish on top. It will help protect your table and seal the wood. I used DecoArt's Soft Touch Varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Garden-potting bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/27/2020 - 19:48

Great project! Thank you Ana!

1 thing though, it was 6-2×6×8' boards!
Cheers!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Red Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/19/2023 - 16:59

Ana, I want to say how inspirational you have been to me over some years. I think my first project found on your website was a chicken coop. More recently I have built the large garage workbench system with 2 rollout workbench/storage units (still in progress). In the past few weeks I have built the Adirondack chairs. The Adirondack chairs spurred me to continue building a “park like” setting in my small backyard. This includes a park bench (to match the Adirondack chairs), a park style grill, and a water fall. The waterfall is fairly simple (now that I have done it once - ha).

Ken Moody - Babcock Ranch, Florida

Twin Farmhouse Bed - Green w/ Envy

Submitted by tameanaka on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 05:25

Modified the Twin Farmhouse Bed slightly to meet the needs I felt were necessary for my 2 year old daughter.

I put the side rail cleats as low as possible to minimize height. I totally left out the Rail Supports for Footboard/Headboard (Part M), as they are unnecessary. I also added three center supports using 2x4 joist hangers. On the headboard posts I added two blocks to make assembly easy and uniform. The bed comes apart in 4 pieces and is easily put together by one person using screws. I will take more pictures if anyone has questions about anything.

Building the different pieces took roughly 6 hrs as I'm a little OCD. Finishing took a ton of time. I only have a palm finishing sander so I first sanded with 60 grit, then 120, then a final 220 (220 was recommended by Minwax). Finishing was time consuming as I had to finish one side of each piece at a time due to space limitations.

Minwax water-based stuff is a little tricky with pine as it causes "grain reversal" which is fine for me because I like the look. I think it was really designed for oak or other denser woods.

Tip: Use a low-profile box spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Water Based Finishes:
Started with Pre-stain
Stain was Green Tea
Two coats Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

RachelLButler

Wed, 08/29/2012 - 12:34

I would love to see more pictures, especially of how you built it to allow for disassembly. Soon I plan to build this for my almost 2-year old son. When you get a chance.

Thanks!

Spring Entry Update - DIY Storage Bench

The entryway in my mom’s house was the perfect candidate for a spring update. Home to a broken, non-functioning storage bench and constantly cluttered with shoes, we decided it was time for an upgrade. It took us a weekend, some PARA paint & stain, a little fabric and lots of elbow grease, but we were able to take the entry way from boring to beautiful.

Estimated Cost
$100-125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Bench - PARA TimberCare Solid Stain tinted in Runway (P5191-85D) topped with PARA WoodCare urethane varnish in glossy

Bench seat - Landsmere fabric in 'Current' from Tonic Living.

Storage boxes - Primed & painted in PARA Too Hot To Handle (P5078-85)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bedside Tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/05/2016 - 18:33

Went together well, a few things modified. 

I get my wood from a sawmill and plane it myself, so the legs are 2x2's instead of the commercial sized 1.5's x 1.5's and to make them go with my Ana White Farmhouse bed I built a few weeks back I made the legs 30" long to compinsate for the height of the bed

Winwax Polyshades Mission oak

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
40 dollars before stain
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Mission Oak x2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Chairs, Modern Loveseat, and the 2x4 Outdoor Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/29/2020 - 19:58

I took this opportunity while quarantined to make this set. I think it came out really beautifully!

Finish Used
Shou sugi ban, Simple Finish by Maker Brand, and Total Boat Halcyon Clear.

I used a blow torch to burn each board. Then I used a wire brush to remove soot, and washed with water and allowed to dry completely. I opted for pocket holes for the chairs and love seat. After assembling, I finished with Simple Finish by Maker Brand ($40/qt), and top coated with Total Boat Clear Halcyon ($32)
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