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IKEA Hack 6" Tray Cabinet

Submitted by Matty3481 on Thu, 01/07/2016 - 16:30

I'm happy to share with everyone my IKEA hack 6" tray cabinet.

I found a 24" cabinet box in IKEA's As-Is section and took it home for half price ($23)!  I would have preferred plywood, but my table saw is a little small and cutting large sheets of plywood is a little scary.  When I deconstructed the cabinet, it sustained some damage (as its particleboard), so if you try this at home, be careful!  I ended up changing the depth to 22" in order to cut off the damaged piece, but that shouldnt be noticeable with average trays and cutting boards.  

I used Ana's 6" tray cabinet plan and modified the dimensions a little for my planned space.  It still needs the back, face frame and door (which will be a replacement drawer front from the cabinet manufacturer).  I plan on building the face frame at the time the cabinets are installed, since this will go in between the 36" corner easy-reach and the 36" sink base.  Once its done, I'll post updated pics!

Built from Plan(s)
6" Filler Tray Base Cabinet - Momplex Vanilla Kitchen
Estimated Cost
$30 (cabinet and an aluminum straight edge tool to help me cut straight lines with my Dremel).
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Face frame will be painted to match factory cabinets
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sandbox with Benches

Submitted by cscottrun on Mon, 04/13/2015 - 10:33

We altered the original plan by enlarging the sandbox (approx 5' x 6') which made for wider benches that can comfortably seat an adult.  The benches and back rests are three boards deep instead of two.  We added 2x12 supports under the benches for additional support, as well as another 2x4 support in the middle of the backrest.

Built from Plan(s)
Sand Box with Built-In Seats
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday
Spring
Summer

Just My Size Closet

Just My Size Closet!

Built this from Ana's plans with a few modifications.

Started with a big empty box after ripping the old stuff out and finished with this look.

Adjustable shelves and all !

Blog Link
Just My Size Closet
Built from Plan(s)
Just My Size Closet
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever white paint my wife bought !!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

Built from Plan(s)
DIY Garage Shelves [Freestanding]
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!

Laundry Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 10:03
We followed these plans, but instead of building two cabinets, we combined them with one side in the middle. We also used pine planks on top. The sides are painted with chalk paint, and the top is finished in dark wax. 
Built from Plan(s)
Laundry Basket Dresser
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Murphy bed

Submitted by bpcooper14 on Wed, 05/08/2019 - 06:09

So I've always wanted to build a Murphy bed.  And by always I mean since I first came across plans here that made it look so simple.  It ended up taking me a while to do because my job has me working 6 days a week so I was only able to work on it for short chunks of time.

I ended up utilizing a few different plans and mashed them together to build a full size murphy bed.  The shelves are the support legs when the bed is down.  The "hinge" mechanism are heavy duty 360 degree seat swivels.

All-in-all it turned out WAY better than I expected with only some minor issues throughout the construction process.  

Next up is a twin xl Murphy bed with a murphy desk attachment that will serve as a craft  table when up.

Built from Plan(s)
PLANS: A Murphy Bed YOU Can Build, and Afford to Build
Modern Farmhouse Murphy Bed and Bookcase Featuring Addicted 2 DIY
Estimated Cost
3 - 4x8 sheets of 3/4" plywood ($25 each)
3 - 1x2x8 to wrap the frame ($2-3 each)
1 pack Door Hinge pins to serve as the pins to hold the bed upright ($3-5)
1 pint stain
1 pint shellac
2 - Heavy Duty 360 degree seat swivels ($20)
Screws/nails/etc.

All told, this project probably cost around $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Built in dry bar

Submitted by releematt on Fri, 12/28/2018 - 14:16

My husband and I worked on this for a few months, no rush. This is the outcome and all we need to do now is get one glass shelf for each cabinet. This is a great place to store all liquors and glassware. The drawers are a nice addition. The paint it black chalk paint with wax finish. All materials were purchased at Lowes or Home Depot. 

Built from Plan(s)
30" Sink Base - Momplex Vanilla Kitchen
21" Wall Kitchen Cabinets - Momplex Vanilla Kitchen
Estimated Cost
$800.00 including butcher block top, glass, back splash and lights.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Garage Shelf (w/ Workbench)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/08/2017 - 11:15

Great plans allow for versatility and easy customization. Put the whole thing together in a day w/ one other person. My set up is 16' long - 5' on the side shelves and 6' for the workbench. Added a pegboard and fluorescent light under the top middle shelves. I'm also designing a slim drawer to go under the workbencheck area. Thanks a bunch!

Built from Plan(s)
DIY Garage Shelves [Freestanding]
Estimated Cost
~$150 including pegboard.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will stain dark in the future
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

DIY Breakfast Nook with Storage

Submitted by jfelker on Wed, 10/23/2013 - 08:54

DIY Breakfast Nook

I completed this project in a weekend, over 2 days. The space was an empty void in the corner of our kitchen, so I decided to fill with a functional seating and eating space.

I first removed the trim from the wall, so I could reuse it on the front of the box later, to make the bench match the rest of the kitchen. One challenge I came across was rerouting the a/c vent through the front of the box so we didn't lose that circulation.

My sister-in-law chipped in to make the cushions and pillows to soften it up. I added the DIY table, and further defined the space with wainscoting and trim.

Blog Link
More Info and Pictures
Built from Plan(s)
Banquette Bench with Flip Up Storage - Customizable Size and Shape
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss trim paint was use, to have the ability to clean later after meals, etc.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

homeideas5099

Wed, 10/23/2013 - 10:10

Looks fantastic. Love how you reused the trim to have the whole unit blend in with the rest of the kitchen. Well done.

PDubs74

Sun, 01/09/2022 - 16:45

Hey there,
Absolutely love your DIY breakfast nook. Unfortunately the additional blog/info link is no longer working as I'm trying to gather more information. Would anyone be able to send the instructions and/or new link?
Thank you

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 04:17

Made the outdoor sectional. The coffee table was made out of left over pieces!

Built from Plan(s)
One Arm 2x4 Outdoor Sofa - Sectional Piece
2x4 Outdoor Sofa
2x4 Outdoor Coffee Table
Estimated Cost
$260
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a semi transparent stain applied with brush. We would recommend a hand sprayer instead.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Christmas 3-tier cookie stand

Submitted by calcowoods on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 12:51

Inspired by Shara of Woodshop Diaries, created this 3 tier tray for displaying cookies for Santa. Added a 3 dimensional star as the topper and simply followed the excellent photos and schematics on Shara's website.

Blog Link
DIY Tiered Plate Candy Stand + 3 Ingredient Christmas Candy
Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Chicken Run with Turkey House

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 10/13/2021 - 10:03

My daughter helped me build this enclosure. We used Ana's chicken run plan, but just made it taller so we could walk in easily. We added an overhang to store food and pellets under, for the supports we used Ana's easy shelves angle support plan, and finally we used the playhouse base plan for the base of turkeys house. All plans used are linked below. We ran the chicken wire out under the structure and still need to bring in some large rocks or pavers, but so far no issues with predators. Turkey was getting too big to fit in the smaller coop, so we decided to have fun with his house and used cedar fence pickets and some treated 2x4's, built a box and jig sawed the shape of a turkey. As you can see in the first photo the ladder for turkey wasn't big enough, all the other chickens were in his house, lol. So I beefed up the ladder and he happily can put himself up at night now:) Overall a super successful project, I wasn't sure what to do with the top and just at that point, the neighbor walked over and offered the metal, talk about a huge win and the perfect solution! We attached the run to the previous smaller structure and now they have so much more room and are laying like crazy:) Finally, I think this would make a great dog kennel as well...

Built from Plan(s)
Open Shelves for our Cabin Kitchen
Chicken Coop Run for Shed Coop
Build a Simple Playhouse Deck

DIY Farmhouse Bed

We built this Farmhouse Bed in 1 weekend for less than $200!

Blog Link
DIYstinctly Made
Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Bed - Standard King Size
Estimated Cost
Less than $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut Stain applied with a brush and immediately wiped off using a lent-free cloth. Sealed with Minwax Satin Spar Urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Four station desk (PB inspired)

Submitted by monty742 on Sun, 03/15/2015 - 08:58

I really liked the PB mega desk, but I didn't want to spend $1600 on it.  After seeing someone's post here (a couple years ago...) asking for plans on that desk, I decided to do it myself.  I took these two plans and made 4 base units.  They are 18" square at the top and 34" tall.  I used 2 IKEA table tops connected underneath for the top, to make a total height of 36" - counter stool height.  I constructed them a little differently than the plans, but no matter how you make them, the idea is the same.  The plan is to take them apart and make 2 desks once everyone is too old and cool to do homework/artwork together.

Built from Plan(s)
Modular Office - Counter Height Desk Base
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Kitchen and Bath finish paint (2 coats) - it's a little shinier than eggshell (I only used it because I had 2 or 3 gallons extra at home :) then 2 coats acrylic top coat matte finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

monty742

Sat, 08/15/2015 - 04:33

Just seeing your comment...sorry for the delay!  I got the stools and the light fixture at a Ballard Backroom (outlet) store near me.  3 of the stools ended up being about $40 each with the sale they had at the time, and the 4th was $60? - bought at a later time than the first 3.

AlisaH

Wed, 11/04/2015 - 07:40

How did you connect the table tops from the bottom so that the tables were secure together? I'm curious what's the best way to do this. Since two of the four seats will be where the seam is, I want to make sure I secure it properly so it's not wobbly. Thanks so much.

 

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 05:06

I'm just seeing these latest comments for the first time, so you may have long finished this project already!  The tops were surprisingly sturdy but I did reinforce them.  I placed the tops on the floor upside down and screwed some metal brackets (about 12" long each) across the joint in four places.  I just screwed them in through holes already in the brackets.  This wasn't the most stable because those tops are particle board and don't hold screws very well...  But since it was already pretty sturdy, I figured it would do.  It has been fine, even with standing on the top (kids who get up there and me hanging the light fixture above).

Once the tops were joined, I placed the bases so there was about a 1" overhang on the top.  To hold the top in place, I used small pieces of wood screwed to the underside of the top at the inside corner to act as a placement stop.  The top is pretty big and heavy even though they are IKEA tops, so they don't have a tendency to move or slide at all anyway.  I'm going to try to figure out how to post another picture of the braces and corner stops...we'll see if I can do it!  Let me know if you have any more questions...again, sorry I didn't see this in a more timely manner!

Pmprdwife

Sat, 01/02/2016 - 05:55

Is the photo above the Pottery Barn version or your product result?  I'm trying to figure out the dimensions for the drawer and shelf configurations.  Thanks!  BTW, I'm totally addicted to your style and personality...my husband loves the productivity inspiration I've received. :-)

 

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 10:17

Hi!

I'm glad you like the desk!  The one in the picture is the one I built, not the pottery barn one!  My dimensions were a good bit different than the PB desk - square bases instead of rectangular and counter stool height instead of desk/table height.  So, I have no idea if I have my plans for this anymore, so I went and measured it again for you!  

So each base is 18" x 18" square and 34" high so that with the 2" top the total height is 36".

 

Each base was made of oak plywood that made with 3 sides, a top and a bottom.  All edges were rabbit joints (3/8" deep in thickness of boards and probably 3/8" wide - not 100% on width of rabbits).  It's kind of a pain to do rabbit joints if you don't have a dado blade for your table saw, so you could use pocket hole screws instead.  I glued and nailed these joints with a finish nailer, I believe.  

I figured a diagram with measurements would be easier than trying to write descriptions...so I'm adding another pic with the dimensions outlined.  Drawing is NOT to scale, so sorry about that!  I really need to learn to use SketchUp.  Let me know if you have any questions!  

Monty742

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 07:57

Hi!

I'm glad you like the desk!  The one in the picture is the one I built, not the pottery barn one!  My dimensions were a good bit different than the PB desk - square bases instead of rectangular and counter stool height instead of desk/table height.  So, I have no idea if I have my plans for this anymore, so I went and measured it again for you!  

So each base is 18" x 18" square and 34" high so that with the 2" top the total height is 36".

 

Each base was made of oak plywood that made with 3 sides, a top and a bottom.  All edges were rabbit joints (3/8" deep in thickness of boards and probably 3/8" wide - not 100% on width of rabbits).  It's kind of a pain to do rabbit joints if you don't have a dado blade for your table saw, so you could use pocket hole screws instead.  I glued and nailed these joints with a finish nailer, I believe.  

I figured a diagram with measurements would be easier than trying to write descriptions...so I'm adding another pic with the dimensions outlined.  Drawing is NOT to scale, so sorry about that!  I really need to learn to use SketchUp.  Let me know if you have any questions!  

monty742

Thu, 07/28/2016 - 14:13

No you can't buy them from Ikea.  I bought the table tops from Ikea, but I built the bases.  The dimensions for the bases are in one of the additional pictures with the post if you want to see them!

treverandamber

Mon, 10/10/2016 - 07:41

What are the total dimensions of the table top? Thinking of building something like this, but want to make sure it will fit in my space.

Simgre81

Thu, 12/28/2017 - 07:00

Are these just slide in drawers, or did you use some sort of hardware to have them slide in and out?

wooden cooler stand

Submitted by stealth517 on Sat, 04/18/2015 - 20:48

This is the cooler stand presented by Jenny from Birdsandsaoap. Very easy to build and always ends up with someone asking to buy it or have you make them one.

Built from Plan(s)
Wood Cooler by Birds and Soap
Estimated Cost
$120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Bike Storage

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 10/13/2021 - 10:10

I live in a smaller rental with limited garage space, so I needed a place for my kids bikes. This is what I came up with. It required minimal screw holes in the treated fence posts and I attached a rail system(rubbermaid fasttrak) for the bikes to hang from. I used Ana's easy shelves plan for the upright supports and then just added some corrugated roofing and cedar fence pickets (which I had on hand) to finish off the top.

Built from Plan(s)
Open Shelves for our Cabin Kitchen

Grill table with stainless steel top

Submitted by krochelle on Tue, 08/20/2013 - 08:00

I made this table to go next to an outdoor grill to be used as a food prep area or just a surface for holding ingredients (instead of using the deck railing!). The top is stainless steel which fits tightly over 2 3/4" pieces of plywood laminated together. The bar/handle in front is made out of galvanized pipe. All wood was treated.

Legs - 4x4 posts
Bottom shelf - 1x6's
Sides - 1x4's
Top - 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood laminated together with a stainless steel top (custom fit) over top
Towel bar - galvanized pipe (cut and threaded to size at Lowe's), floor flanges and 90 degree elbows

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Kona stain but since it was over treated wood the stain did not take as dark as it should have. I will have to restain this piece after it has completely dried out.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Tue, 08/20/2013 - 09:07

Love this. Where did you get the stainless steel top? Did you have to special order to fit?

krochelle

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 10:33

Sorry about the late reply! Yes, I just gave my dimensions to a local steel supplier and they made the top. I think I have about $40 into the stainless. They didn't weld the corners but I've never had an issue with them.

krochelle

Thu, 05/15/2014 - 10:46

No...I didn't have any plans when I built it but it's a very simple concept. I chose to use all treated wood since I knew it would be sitting outside unprotected. However, my 4x4 posts weren't square so this caused a lot of problems and everything was built to fit. I believe I just used 4x4's, 1X6s (for the bottom shelf) and 1x4s for the sides (top and bottom). For the top, I just laminated 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood together to bulk it up and then had the stainless top built to fit. It fit perfectly so I didn't glue it to the plywood. This makes it easy to remove and clean, if necessary. For the galvanized pipe (towel bar), I bought it at Lowe's and had them cut/thread it to fit my dimensions.

Outdoor Sofa and Chair with Slanted Back

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 10:22

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!!

Blog Link
The Simple Salty Life
Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Sofa - Modern Comfort Collection