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Sturdy Workbench Sink

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/01/2023 - 09:57

Used sturdy workbench plans with 2x6 cedar top for outdoor sink. Turned out much better than I expected!!

Built from Plan(s)
Sturdy Work Bench

Comments

Side-Street Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/19/2016 - 07:41

This is a mix the "Side-Street bunkbed" plan and the "How to Build a Loft Bed." I used "Spax" 3 inch wood screws to attach the side rails instead of bolts used in Side Street plan.  I used KregJig pocket holes for everything else. 

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Bunk Beds - Side Street
How to Build a Loft Bed
Under Loft Bed Tall Bookcase
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr paint: Anonymous
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cedar Planter with Mitered Top

This was by far the easiest project. This planter is HUGE as well and makes a great focal point for your curb appeal. I didn't extend the sides but rather created a mitered edge for the top creating a nice clean finish.

Blog Link
How to Make A Planter
Built from Plan(s)
Cedar Planters with 2x2 Legs
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax English Chestnut with a Spar Varathane protective coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

adkgirl

Sun, 09/22/2013 - 20:25

how exactly did you attach the mitered top?? Finish nails or is there a way to use the kreg jig to hide joinery? These are beautiful, BTW. Thanks :)

Porch Swing Glider

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/19/2017 - 09:25

Built the porch swing and was inspired to build the glider frame by another "Brag Post" Looks great and fits perfectly in my back yard!

Built from Plan(s)
Simple to Build Porch Swing
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Transparent deck sealant for frame, white exterior paint for seat panels
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rachael Brown

Fri, 02/18/2022 - 08:20

Are there any dimensions for the glider part? I have first year agriculture students building this, but we are unsure of the cut list for this. I am sure I can figure it out as the teacher, but with 20 students in the class, it would be better to be able to give them instructions to follow on paper. Thank you!!!

Super Easy, Super Awesome! Thank you Ana & Ashley

Submitted by jhavinga on Tue, 03/18/2014 - 09:24

Loved this Coffee Table and wanted to suprise the wife for christmas, so being my first project I got started! had no idea what I was doing but they were great instructions, and the KREG JIG is AMAZING. altered the plans a bit to make it a rectangular coffee table (added 12 inches) instead of square to fit our living room better. Now to tackle the next project!

Built from Plan(s)
Corona Coffee Table - Square
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used 2 different stains to get a brown/gray finish. just one coat of each!
Minwax Weathered Oak & Minwax Special Oak.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MichelleC

Wed, 03/19/2014 - 07:39

I absolutely LOVE the finish on this, thank for sharing!!! For the estimated cost you put $100, is that without including the cost of the turned legs? Did you get the legs through Osborne? I think I NEED to make this coffee table and use that finish!

jhavinga

Wed, 03/19/2014 - 09:02

Now that you brought it to my attention you are absolutely right, I completely forgot about the cost of the legs. including the cost of those, it does come to $200 dollars, ill change that. I also did get the legs from Osbourne. As for the finish yes do it! I am really happy with how it turned out :) thanks again and let me know when your coffee table is done so i can check it out!

Cheers,
Justin

Mandybeck

Wed, 08/27/2014 - 21:35

This is absolutely beautiful!!!! Quick question... You said you used weathered oak and special oak for the stain. Did you mean special walnut? I can't seem to find special oak! Thanks!!!

usmcjeff7489

Fri, 07/17/2015 - 12:59

Being as yours is much lighter (and i like it more than the darker). Did you use the wood conditioner and how long did you leave the stain on for? it almost looks like once it was on you were wiping it off. Love it well done :)

Also, do any of you guys use the paste wax when finished? I was thinking about following the stain with some poly to seal it. any suggestions?

My Outdoor Bar Table

Submitted by schackjw on Mon, 06/01/2020 - 09:46

This is my first project, based on your outdoor bar table plan. Great design. I changed the top a little, still needs a little work.

Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Bar Table
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted with the Limousine Black in the plans.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Butcher Block Modern Box Frame Coffee Table and Console Table

While staging my most recent flip house, I needed some accent tables for the living room.  I picked up a butcherblock countertop at IKEA, then created two end tables and 1 coffee table.  I loved Ana's simple design, and I thought it was a great balance to the warm butcherblock top.  Thank you Ana for a great plan as always!

Blog Link
Butcher Block Coffee Table
Built from Plan(s)
Box Frame Console Table
Rectangle Box Frame Coffee Table
Box Frame Rectangle Side Table
Estimated Cost
<$100 for all 3 tables! The countertop cost $75.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White semigloss on leg frames
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Teen Loft Bed

Submitted by KailuaGirl on Fri, 03/15/2013 - 12:59

Aloha!
I was inspired by what I saw on Ana's website. My daughter was obsessed with the PB Teen version of the loft bed, so I tweaked the plans here to make it more like the $2500 bed from the catalog!!!!! Yikes and don't even get me started on what the shipping to Hawaii would be....It was well worth the effort! My daughter loves her new loft bed...Now if I can just figure out a way to get the dog to love the high bed!!!
Cheers, Tina

Built from Plan(s)
How to Build a Loft Bed
Estimated Cost
$250 because I added a glass top to the desk
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
white glossy paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DawnL

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 02:57

Aloha Tina!

You did a great job! I was wondering, how high is the bed, room and clearance? We also live in Hawaii and my daughter's room is small. Any feedback on what modifications you made would be greatly appreciated! Mahalo!

KailuaGirl

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 13:35

Hi Dawn,
Yes, my daughter's room has low clearance, so I tweaked the loft bed height.
I determined what top clearance I could maximize that would allow my daughter to sit up in bed comfortably, but it will be tight as she grows. She's 5 feet now...
Then I tweaked the desk area height as well to maximize without too much of a struggle to get into the area.. I hope this reply is helpful..
Floor to ceiling height is 96 inches. desk area has clearance of 56 inches and from the top of the mattress to ceiling has a clearance of 28 inches.
Aloha, Tina

hansje01

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 16:06

Im having a problem finding the plans for the teen loft bed shown above. any direction would be appreciated! Thanks!

KailuaGirl

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 16:59

HI! There are no plans for this loft bed.. I used the plans on this site and just literally DIY'ed to fit my needs.. Sorry I know this doesn't help you much…
If you have a specific question, maybe I could help…
Aloha, Tina

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

Recessed cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/02/2022 - 14:14

My bathroom has very little storage space. So during our recent remodeling of the room, I decided to add this cabinet. Changed the plan a little to make it recessed in the wall. I love how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Full Length Mirror with Sliding Storage Cabinet

Comments

Tool Caddy

Submitted by docbromo on Thu, 01/20/2022 - 15:21

I repurpose furniture as a hobby and I got tired of having my tools hanging on a wall on the other side of the garage so I bult this rolling tool caddy. It is made out of 3/4" plywood, a couple of 2x4's and some heavy-duty casters. I built one about 3 years ago and realized that there were some things I wanted to do differently so I sold it and bult this one. My wife gave me a subscription to SketchUp and I had fun drawing it up and tweaking it. I left an over hang of 3" on both sides so I could store my clamps. I also attached an electrical cord reel on the right side and reversed the ends so the male end can plug into the wall and I can roll the unit across the room allowing me to be able to charge my batteries. The back side has a 44 drawer storage organizer and also a few shelves for additional tools like a router and a multi-tool. I'm not nearly the craftsman many of you are and I'm sure you could do a much better job. I didn't build it to look pretty but to be functional and it works for me.

Comments

Jayp413

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 09:16

I really like this idea. I have my tools hung up neat all around the garage, but I keep walking back and forth for tools and batteries. It would be great to roll this over to a project and have everything you need right there. Nice work. I will modify one for my needs.

BigMacQue

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 10:06

there are some very thoughtful features on this, notably the wings at the top and the bottom for clamps and extra tools and the different shelf heights. Well done! I'm going to build one just like it and a power strip for battery storage.

Queen Murphy Bed

Submitted by Jenga on Sun, 12/06/2015 - 12:59

Not too bad of a project but had to a good bit of guess work so I could changed the plans for a queen size bed and flip in on its side.

Built from Plan(s)
PLANS: A Murphy Bed YOU Can Build, and Afford to Build
Estimated Cost
$200 if you already have the bed
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Paint and laminate flooring left over from the floor.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Arilie

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 18:50

Good evening!

I am new at wood working, and would be very interrested in knowing the different measurements you changed to get from a twin to queen murphy bed. If it is posted on this page, I tried but couldn't find it. Thank you for your help. Have a good day.

Marie-Julie

Outdoor bar table

Submitted by hueybp on Tue, 07/21/2020 - 20:06

Not quite finished but love the table already. Trying to decide how to stain/paint it. The Kreg jig was a must for this project. It was my first of hopefully many! I used cedar for the 4x4s and 2x6 top pieces. The 2x4s are treated lumber (only because there were no more cedar ones....apparently lumber is getting hard to get lately!!!). Anyway....thanks for the great plans and motivation for this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Outdoor Bar Table
Estimated Cost
Lumber was about $150 bucks (I bought mitre saw and kreg jig, too)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will probably use semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Trash / Recycling Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/27/2021 - 11:21

This was a build I was able to check off my Honey-do List. We use it as a Trash / Recycling Cabinet. Basic cabinet build with tray drawers for the trash cans.

Built from Plan(s)
Small Kitchen Island with Slide Out Double Trash Cans
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Play Structure & Swing Set

Submitted by Colby032 on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 11:52

My second building project... this one took quite a while, building in the evenings after the kids went to bed.

The playhouse is based off of Ana's Playhouse Building series, with some modifications to fit the space in my backyard and accommodate climbing wall, monkey bars, and slide.

To put the main deck structure into the ground for sturdiness while protecting from moisture, I dug out 5 holes to fit single hole cinder blocks (4 corners plus an extra 4x4 for the monkey bars; you can see an leftover block on the ground in one of the pictures). I placed some brick in the holes, then the cinder blocks on top. I then partially filled the cinder blocks with sand, put the pre-built deck in the cinder block holes (with help - it's heavy!), and then filled the rest of the cinder block holes with sand. It's worked remarkably well - the deck has been up for about a year now. I also sprayed some clear waterproof sealant on the bottom part of each beam near the ground for extra protection (deck, monkey bars, climbing walls, and swingset A-frame). This has allowed me to still run sprinklers near/around the playset and even grow grass underneath the swings!

Materials used:
* Playhouse: pine, plywood, Suntuf solar grey polycarbonate corrugated roofing panels (I live in Arizona, so little rain to worry about but lots of heat - the sheeting lets light in but blocks most of the UV rays, corrugated shape also provides venting at top when placed sideways)

* Deck/Swingset/Monkey bars: treated lumber, composite decking, pine for railings, monkey bars purchased from Amazon

* Climbing wall: pine, treated lumber, handholds/railing bought off ebay/Amazon

* Swings/slide/bongos/wheel, telescope: purchased from Amazon

Modifications:
* Turned playhouse 90 degrees to be in back of the deck, with swingset coming off the side. This meant the support beam for the swingset had to pass through the playhouse - modified the frame for that wall slightly and created a notch for the beam to pass through.

* Slide comes out one end of playhouse - made the "window" on that end larger than the plans called for in order to give room for the slide.

* Monkey bars come off one side of the deck - used extra 4x4 here to create support for the bars, and used extra bars to make a ladder on this side

* Climbing wall instead of ladder for main entrance

* Put large window in back wall of the playhouse

* Added cross bracing to side of decking on swingset end to make it more solid/cut down on sway when swinging

Built from Plan(s)
Build the Simple Playhouse - Front Wall with Door
Build a Simple Playhouse Deck
How to Build a Swing Set for the Playhouse!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint on playhouse, water seal on railings
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

yubbie2

Tue, 04/29/2014 - 20:41

This is phenomenal - just the plan & design we've been looking for. Can you upload a few more pictures? Any sketches you can provide? Shopping list? Really great job - I hope your kids love it. It looks awesome.

JeremyFox

Wed, 04/30/2014 - 04:53

Love it! I like the way it sits right next to a tree - I thought it was a tree house at first.

Colby032

Wed, 09/10/2014 - 14:03

Thanks! It's certainly nestled in right behind that tree - I originally was going to place it in between that tree and another one but then decided to just place it behind them in order to take better advantage of shade (critical in AZ) and fit in everything I wanted to put on it (monkey bars, swings, slide, climbing wall)

masons_momma2015

Mon, 07/08/2019 - 00:48

We've  been looking at these type of players for our son, and good grief! Prices are astronomical for playsets that are NOTHING like this. This absolutely an amazing  place for those boys to make memories. You're  amazing!  Do you mind if I ask what it cost once it was finished? I never imagined  that it would cause a tic in my eye to look at the kids from Lowe's or anywhere else for that matter.

Colby032

Tue, 08/20/2019 - 10:14

I don't remember how much it cost in the end... but probably around $900?  That may include getting some tools that I needed but didn't have at the time.  The slide was the most expensive single piece I bought - I think I got it from Amazon.

When it was all done, I remember thinking that what I got for my money was *way* beyond what I would have gotten by purchasing a kit or a pre-built play structure.  Plus, by going my own way, I was able to build it to fit my space and the needs/abilities of my kids.

While the whole thing is big and looks like an intimidating build, it really isn't bad - the platform is a fairly blank base to design everything else off of, and is incredibly sturdy.  Everything else is a discrete part that branches off of the platform and can be planned out as you need.  Adding the monkey bars required putting in a 5th upright (the first 4 are the corners), but that was an easy modification since I knew I wanted it before building the platform.  The playhouse just sat on top of the platform (screwed down, of course).

 

patelscope

Sat, 08/01/2020 - 20:40

Hello. This is pretty cool, probably the best modification that I am looking for from Ana's default plans. Could you please add some more detail on the right side wall, and how you incorporated the support beam through the playhouse? (with maybe a picture from inside of that wall). And secondly, if you can add the dimensions for the monkey bar setup on the left side of the deck? Thanks, much appreciated

My new and amazing outdoor bench

Submitted by ישראל on Sat, 11/16/2013 - 21:57

Thank you for the easy and fun bench plan.
It was really easy to install.
Even my 2 little daughters had fun (-:

Built from Plan(s)
Modern Slat Top Outdoor Wood Bench
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Bondex walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Chachamation

Thu, 10/02/2014 - 07:21

This is absolutely amazing!

This "ישראל" person is super talented comes to the final touches!!  From now on, I will start following your work...

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