Built-in Desk with Dog Kennel
Built in desk with dog kennel complete with slide out printer drawer!
by Lisa
Built from Plan(s)
Community Brag Posts
seesaw for big kids
I built a big kids see saw using 2x6's all around with a 2x8 seat. The center post is 30"h.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Helmsman 3 coats exterior grade clear satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Cedar Planters made from Reclaimed Fence Pickets
I built Ana's under $20 cedar planters for free. Or, almost free! I had to buy some more wood glue, but I had some of the wood on hand and took some from a friend's pile of old fence wood. It took me about five hours to build both planters from start to finish. See the blog link below for more info.
Pin For Later!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidized the new cedar 2x4s with steel wool/vinegar (http://thefriendlyhome.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-oxidize-wood.html). Other than that, no finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Tue, 09/08/2020 - 16:12
This is great. I just tore…
This is great. I just tore down my old fence and have tons of old cedar pickets. I want to make some planters for my new patio.
Cutest Baby Doll High Chair
My neighbors grand-daughter is about to turn 3 and I thought this would make a great present for her.. plus, when she saw it online while visiting me (I was checking the website as usual), she said "Oh, I NEED one of those!". I laughed and then that night went out and checked my scrap pile to see if I had everything I needed to build it.
I only needed one 8' piece of 1x2 to complete it.. .everything else I had, so great!
Estimated Cost
About $10 with paint.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I have yet to paint this little project, but it will be painted in a gloss lavender purple so it's easy to clean.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Comments
Small Raised Planter
"Here's a pic of the planter I made! I modified it to fit a 36" planter. I LOVE it. Thanks!!"
Built from Plan(s)
Dining room set (with Classic Chairs made Simple)
This was my first attempt at making furniture...but it turned out GREAT! My fiance was about to buy a VERY similar dining room set for $1300 before I stopped her and insisted that I could build it myself, finish it to match our kitchen/dining room, and save a TON of money!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350 total
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Expresso Stain plus 2 coats of Minwax Polycrylic on table top and seats
Minwax Classic Black Polyshades on frame
Minwax Classic Black Polyshades on frame
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
Cedar Boxes
We built these before we saw these plans, but they are pretty much the same... We added the chicken wire to keep the rabbits (and our dog) out of the garden. We added the owl to keep the birds out. We've gotten a ton of tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers so far. Next year, we'll add a few more beds. We also added the verticle garden to take up less space, but its not deep enough. We'll make the next one deeper.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Comments
Sun, 07/10/2011 - 14:19
Love the vertical garden!
Love the vertical garden! What a wonderful idea! Did you line the boxes with plastic??
Thu, 11/17/2011 - 07:59
Success
We ended up getting a ton of tomoatoes and green peppers from the garden boxes. We've actually built a couple more. We'll probably double again before next spring. We're looking at adding more veggies.
We now have ton of stuff planted for the fall...
Tue, 04/03/2012 - 06:19
vertical box instructions?
i love the vertical boxes. I am just trying my hand at the world with a green thumb and could use as much advice as possible about how to make as well as to line the boxes or not to line them. All advice appreciated!
Fri, 11/23/2012 - 21:53
Hello there
Hi, my name is berman. I found you pin from my pinterest and your box garden is so great. I am a newbie in this field and so interested to build garden in my house. If i can ask you some question, could you please to answer that?
cheers,
berman
Tue, 03/10/2015 - 21:19
Vertical Box Instruction!
Hello! Do you mind sharing the Vertical Box Instructions? I absolutely love this idea!
Sun, 05/31/2015 - 21:00
Love the vertical boxes
Came across this beautiful design while searching for my next diy garden idea. Wondering if there are blueprints available
Farmhouse Railing Upgrade - by Sara and Chris
Amazing stair railing upgrade shared by Sara and Chris!
Built from Plan(s)
My Simple Outdoor Lounge Chair with 2x4 modification
I modified this chair with 2x4's as the base and 2x2 for decoration on arms, this is prior to sanding and finishing
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15-$20 dollars, depending on local lumber prices and finishing options.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
DIY Murphy Wall Bed
Just finished up my Murphy Bed project. Hope you like.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
280.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered Oak Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Mon, 03/09/2020 - 20:30
Amazing. I’ve seen these and…
Amazing. I’ve seen these and have been looking for plans. May just have to dive in and interpret from pictures. You did a really great job, nice work.
Wed, 12/22/2021 - 14:06
The plans are for a…
The plans are for a different bed than the one in the picture.
A-Frame Chicken Tractor
New to raising chickens, but eager to jump right in to it.
We bought a pre-made coop for the main home for our new chicks and it's very nice, not something I could do myself since I'm not yet at that level, but I saw this chicken tractor and thought it would come in handy for what I have in mind so I made up my mind to build it.
The lumber, chicken wire, staples, and wheels are all store bought new and came to about $75. The materials we had on hand were the screws, hinges, plastic coated metal shelving (used in the nesting area, I thought that would make it easy to clean), paint, and the corner piece of vinyl siding for the roof cap (hubby's brilliant idea, and I painted it green with spray paint for vinyl).
I did not try to build it quickly, I don't really know how much time it took me, but if I had to guess I'd guess total time would amount to about 3 afternoons, by myself.
I wanted to leave the top on the one side open with the option to slap on the other boards if/when the need arises. I have the other t1-11 panels that can sit right in those areas because I stapled the chicken wire in a way that would allow it.
I also added a flip up panel as seen in the pictures for access. I didn't want a small door that I would have a hard time getting to things in there. I'm so glad I added this feature, it sure gives plenty of room for me to maintain the food and water dispensers as well as get in there and catch the little chickies :)
I wanted it green to blend into the wooded background in our backyard. I didn't want to take any beauty away from the cedar greenhouse and fencing we added last year, and this tractor would be moved from time to time and I felt this green that we had on hand was perfect to help it blend in rather than stand out.
This thing is heavy! I have a hard time moving it around and usually need my husband to move it so I won't hurt myself. I am considering some options... I don't like the rope I have on it to pull it, any suggestions would be appreciated.
As with the other items I've made with Ana's plans, this was fun and pretty easy to make. I love this site! Soon I will take on my next project, I've bought and gathered the materials, I'm anxious to get started :)
Thank you for looking :)
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75 - $85 for the new materials listed
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Green exterior paint we had on hand.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Tool Caddy
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
Fri, 01/21/2022 - 08:28
What my hubby needs!!
This is EXACTLY what my husband needs!! Are you willing to share your plans so I can build it for him?
Fri, 01/21/2022 - 09:16
Great job!
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.
Fri, 01/21/2022 - 10:06
What a great job
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.
Fri, 01/21/2022 - 11:25
This is awesome - great job…
This is awesome - great job.
please post plans!
Fri, 01/21/2022 - 14:21
Very cool!!! I would…
Very cool!!! I would appreciate it if you would share your plans…so that I could attempt to make me one.
I used the corrugated polycarbonate to cover the greenhouse I made from a chalet style Sun Country Greenhouse Plans. Thanks for the idea.
I saw the barn shaped greenhouse plan but preferred a regular roof pitch. I did however incorporate the corrugated polycarbionate as a covering. I find it odd that you guys installed the polycarbonate horizonitally instead of vertically.
Anyway thanks for the info on polycarbonate.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Using cedar framing... 9 x 16' @ $3000 +/-
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Tue, 09/01/2020 - 17:47
Love this! I really prefer…
Love this! I really prefer the roofline on your greenhouse. Did you modify Ana's design, or did you get plans from another site? Would love to replicate your design if possible-very elegant.
A cottage bench with shoe rack
Only slightly modified cottage bench - I made the storage area bigger and added shelves to put my shoes. Only my second project so it's not perfect (especially the paint job) but I loooove it! Sure, the shoe rack I had was perfectly functional and bigger, but this is waaay prettier.
Found a perfect red oops paint at Lowes and I even added a little birdie stencil. I have a few more pieces I'm working on and hope to finish soon. Thank you Ana for the plans!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and two coats of paint, lightly sanded in between. I skipped the top coat because I want the red color to naturally fade with use.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Outdoor Sofa and Chair with Slanted Back
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!!
Built from Plan(s)
Love our new greenhouse!
With the help of friends and family, we managed to build this greenhouse rather easily. We had to start with the foundation since the spot we chose was not an even grade. We did this by filling sono tubes with cement and leveling each off so the greenhouse would have a solid place to sit. We then built out a frame around the outside of the cement tubes with some reclaimed 6x6's. After that, we filled the space with 5 tons of river rock and then got to work! After the foundation was ready putting the rest of the house together was a piece of cake. The frame was so easy to put together. We had a few minor kinks to work out here and there, I won't say this house came out 100% perfectly, BUT I am so happy with the end results. We chose to paint it a deep green color as a final touch. So far we just moved a few potted plants from our deck to the greenhouse for the winter. It has been working very well to keep the plants cozy during the colder days we've had. Eventually, I plan to build a potting station, shelving, and most likely a garden bed for winter harvests.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Mon, 11/09/2020 - 09:52
Beautiful!
The foundation looks great the greenhouse looks amazing! I'm sure fun was had building it too:) Thanks for sharing.
Cedar Planter Boxes
They were simple to make and the plan was easy to follow. The only modification I made was adding the 1x3 topper in place of the longer legs sticking out of the top.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$23
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompson's Water Seal which I just brushed on using a cheap paint brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Fri, 07/19/2013 - 06:36
These are great!
Adding these to my to-do list for spring (yes, I plan ahead). I'm thinking of elevating and elongating them to fit around a bay window.
Folding Workbench
We chose this project because we have a small garage and space is at a premium. The dimensions of this build fit well in our limited space and allowed us to organize items such as paint, stain, screws and nails into one central location. I chose 2x4's on the sides to give it a more stable feel. Our garage and parking lot are all sloped and with the 2x4's this prevented the twisting. It feels solid and the wheels are smooth. We picked everything up at Home Depot. The screws that came with the hinges are to long and my husband used the Dremel to grind them down. You could just buy shorter screws. This is one of my firsts builds and I've definitely learned a lot of lessons along the way. Measure, measure, then measure again before you cut a piece and use a level surface to make level pieces. Overall, everyone in my family played a part in helping me build this piece and so I love it and will cherish this piece and the memories always. Thanks Ana for all your fun videos, sharing your life with your family, and providing resources like this plan to us for free. I'm thankful for my son who bought me a compound miter saw for Mother's Day and other family for buying me a Ryobi circular saw. I'm truly blessed and loved. Thanks
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I'm leaving it in the raw due to the nature of the piece. I may put a clear coat on it later.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Mon, 08/31/2020 - 11:19
I love how you used the 2x4…
I love how you used the 2x4 on the sides. great idea
Trash / Recycling Cabinet
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)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Outdoor chair frames and coffee table
I built a set of chairs and a coffee table for our newly designed outdoor area. These look amazing and people love sitting on them and hanging out outside our house.
Built from Plan(s)