Community Brag Posts

Storage Daybed with Trundle Drawers + Storage Headboard and Hutch

I combined Ana's plans for Daybed with Storage Trundle Drawers and a Storage Headboard with a Small Hutch.

This is my 3rd daybed with storage drawers. It's such an easy build and gives so much extra space. The entire project took about 40 hours. I used Minwax stain in Classic Grey and three coats of polyurethane. For the drawers, I used 1.5" casters. I drilled a hole through the back of the headboard to feed cords through. Then I put the whole thing in the back of my truck and drove 500 miles for the final assembly. :)  In the provided photos, some of the pieces are flush because I hadn't permanently attached them. 

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Classic Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Garden Enclosure with Custom Gate

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/29/2017 - 09:54

I found the plans on the website last year but we never got around to building it.  So this year it was first on the list!!  I wanted a large enclosed garden because we had a hard time keeping our dogs out of our last boxed garden.  I followed the plans pretty closely, making minor changes to give us more room for planting. 

 

I did not use the corner wood pieces for bracing because I did not like how they looked.  Instead I used brackets made for decks that I can't see from the outside of the garden.  I also made a custom gate to mimic the custom railings I had made for our deck.  Added brackets to the outside for hanging baskets. Still needs to be stained and sealed.  Hoping to get that done next week.

 

Note:  I bought 22 2cubic feet bags of Miracle Grow Flower and Vegetable soil to fill the garden boxes.

Approximate costs were around $180.00 for wood/stain/gate hardware, netting and deck screws.

Approximate costs for the soil was $140.00.

 

I hope  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$180 for project
$140 for soil
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Raised Garden Beds

Submitted by kari on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 09:54

I made these last summer for my sister. And she didn't even use them yet! Very easy to make. She did want them taller, so that is the only modifacation I made. We're hoping the bunnies won't notice all the yummy veggies up this high :) I know, probably wishful thinking. Makes a great kid corral too.

Estimated Cost
it's been a while
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Seasonal And Holiday

Playroom Stage!

Submitted by kdins31 on Thu, 01/02/2014 - 09:48

I had a perfect corner in our playroom that was reserved mostly for clutter and always wanted to do something fun with it. The base is made with 2x8"s topped with Handscraped Hickory laminate flooring. Bored holes into the floor and installed 1" diameter color-changing LED decklights. Added theatre-style tracklights, disco ball and other dance floor lighting for extra effect. Of course the stage wouldn't be complete without wireless microphones for karaoke and mic stands hooked up to a small amp and speakers in the ceiling. I made the shelving on the right side with 1/2" black pipe and used leftover 2x12" shelves from an old garage shelving install from 7 years ago! The kids were ecstatic on Christmas morning for the reveal!

Estimated Cost
$125-150 for wood, flooring and moldings. Black pipe is very inexpensive.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Send me message if you'd like to know which products I used, e.g. mics, speakers, lights, etc.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Garofola2013

Wed, 04/16/2014 - 11:53

I would like to know which products you used...e.g. mics, speakers, lights, etc. We want to do this is in our basement =)

THANKS!

Snix26

Sun, 07/27/2014 - 15:52

This is great! I was just wondering what your dimensions were? I've been looking for something like this to do for my niece but have been struggling to find a plan and figure it out myself LOL.

kdins31

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 05:58

Hello, the back wall is 8' and side wall is 6.5'. The stage comes out about 2.5' on each side then the front is around 7'.

Hope that helps, good luck!

atilley

Tue, 11/18/2014 - 19:37

 

Great job!! can you tell me where you got the microphones and mic stands for this?

 

dmbphoenix

Sun, 04/10/2016 - 14:44

Actually, I was wondering ,what lights did you use? I'm working on a very similar project and was curious to the lights your used please.

Mls4460

Wed, 11/13/2019 - 09:53

Do you have the actual plans to build this?

I would love to copy this idea for my 4 year old!

Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Insert

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/11/2024 - 10:43

Modified these plans slightly for my needs. I kept the table saw open for easier dust collection and only had one side of shelving on the other bench to allow for storing larger items. I can’t get over how much storage in a small space you get with these and how multi functional they are.

Cedar Planter for Pole Beans

Submitted by swhitead on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 10:41

Increased width of box to 46" by using 8 fence boards instead of 3. put base at 12" down, lined box with landscaping fabric to hold dirt. Created trellis with 1x2 boards with 10" long corner braces, spaced screws 6" apart around edges and weaved cotton thread to create the trellis. Used 12" scraps of 2x2 to create a "slot" inside the center of the planter to support the trellis. Added container mix and green pole beans started in egg cartons earlier in the spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Basement Play Gym

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 05:51

With Christmas approaching and the realization that my three young boys had way too much “stuff”, I enrolled the help of my dad to build this amazing basement play area. When I found Ana’s plans for the play gym with monkey bars, I knew we were in business. I modified the design to fit our space and we were off. Such a fun build and my boys absolutely love spending time down there. Thanks so much for your continued inspiration and the confidence you give us mamas to build with the big boys, Ana!!

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

modified Adirondack chair

Submitted by dannyk9260 on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 18:57

I've always wanted an Adirondack chair so I was excited to find these plans. I wanted a more rustic chair so I used fence pickets and 2 x 4' s that I had. to add some height to the back, I added some little feet to the ends of the legs with my Kreg jig. I love that thing. The markings on the wood are from the natural patina of the 60 year old redwood planks I used. Now I just need to make 3 more and a table for the back yard.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none, just going to seal it with some poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ultimate work bench

Submitted by markmart74 on Fri, 06/16/2017 - 18:44

Tablesaw, router, fliptop mitersaw, and dust collection workbench. 

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Daybed with storage

We wanted to build my daughter a smaller bed with lots of storage. I really liked the Daybed plans on here, so we used those and made a few minor adjustments. First, we wanted the bed to sit inside the frame of the bed, instead of just sitting ontop the frame. This will prevent the matress from sliding around. We did this by adding 3 inches on both the length and width of the bed. After building the bed you probably only need to add 1-2 inches, but it still turned out fine. I glued and screwed strips on the side rails a few inches down and then attached my 3" strips to the rails. I also increased the height of the bed slightly by addinga few inches to the 2x4 sides. Also, instead of using 1x12 boards for the construction of the bed, we used 3/4 plywood. This let me make the sides and drawer taller than 12" and also saved a lot of money. I was able to make the whole bed from 2x4s and one sheet of plywood, plus I bought a sheet of MDF for the bottom of the main drawer. This brought the entire cost of the bed to around $150 in materials.

For the bottom drawer we wanted one large storage area instead of 3 seperate drawers. The main reason for this is so we would use it as a trundle in the future if we wanted to. I build the drawer bottom out of a large piece of MDF, and maded the sides out of 3/4 plywood. I cut a 1/2" rabbit on the bottom of the drawer sides so the bottom sits flush. My main reason for doing this was because the boards are different colors (MDF and plywood) and I knew I was not going to be painting the drawers. The drawer sides and attached by pockethole screws which are hiddle. The front pocket hole screws are hidden by the front drawer face and the rear screws could only be seen if you look behind the bed.

I used homemade chalk paint and put about 4 coats on the entire surface. The finish was done with a high quality paste wax which was put on, let dry, and then buffed. I put 3 coats of wax on the finished project.

 

The bottom of the drawer has 6 straight casters on the bottom for easy pull out.

The contruction of the bed was done in about a day, but the finishing took longer due to the multiple coats and letting the wax dry.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Home made chalk paint. 1/3 cup of plaster of paris mixed with 1/3 cup of water. Mix that with 1 cup of white latex paint. Make small batches at a time as the chalk paint can not set out for a long time after mixed. Chalk paint goes on thick and will need 3-4 coats for a perfect finish. A wax must be used to seal the paint as poly will yellow the color. 3 coats of wax will work fine. When putting on the wax, use an old shirt to apply the wax generously, then wipe off the excess before you leave to dry. Let the wax dry 8-12 hours before each coat, and buff in between coats and on your final coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ana White Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/06/2022 - 12:41

We built the first one about 8 years ago, and then the wind flipped it over and scattered it all over the back part of the property. I then dug footings and anchored the second one down; I was able to save the Dutch Door I made for the first one. Thanks for the plans!!!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse King Bed Frame

Since developing a love for woodworking I’ve began building things for other people. This particular bed frame I built for a couple who are rebuilding their home after it unfortunately burned down. It’s a beautiful farmhouse home out in the country, and this bed frame fits perfectly in their new home.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax pre-stain to prepare the wood. I then stained it using special walnut by Varathane (got it from The Home Depot). Finally, I finished it using a clear satin polyurethane by Minwax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Catio heaven

Submitted by bhoppy on Fri, 09/04/2020 - 15:43

Ana doesn’t have a plan for a catio but she does for a playhouse and a cedar shed made from 2x2’s. I sort of combined my knowledge from making her plans over the last 10 years and came up with this for my cats. It was fun to make!! My baby kitten is loving it. I used garden fencing and stapled it to the outside and pocket holes for the walls. I made each wall individually like the playhouse then connected them once in place.

 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot semi transparent outdoor deck and fence stain. ($9 oops section)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wifey

Wed, 06/09/2021 - 12:36

Thank you for sharing! My daughter wants a cat for her birthday but it can't be inside due to our son's allergies. Roaming outside isn't really an option because we have coyotes. We are going to use one of these in combination with an underground electric fence.

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse X Desk

Submitted by Jeremysj on Thu, 10/15/2020 - 10:59

I built the Farmhouse X Desk with full extension drawers instead of shelves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White cabinet & furniture paint and dark walnut stain for the top. Finished the top with several coats of Minwax polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack chair from Pallets

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2017 - 19:42

I decided to try and use the plans on Ana's site but with a twist. I wanted to limit myself to using only pallets. I think it turned out great! I can't upload all the photos because they exceed the maximum size limit. If I was able to you could see how each chair is slightly different and has a lot of character. I finished them with a waterproofing oil which I highly recommend over other finishes. 

Estimated Cost
$10 for screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Square Picnic Table Project

This was a great summer project. The table looks great and it was any easy build. Doesn’t get any better than this. I added a hole in the center of the table for my umbrella and used the longer screws for more frame stability.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used semi transparent cedar tone stain. Lightly sanded edges and surfaces. Applied stain with a brush before assembly.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday
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