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Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. This is my 4th DIY furniture project. First time working on cabinet/doors. Installing them straight was the biggest challenge. The side of the pantry is actually four 2x4's. I measured the frame so tightly that I had to use a hammer to bang in the fourth 2x4 on each wall, also adding a distressed look in the process. The pantry is very large, 48in wide and about 17 inches deep. Our kitchen lacks storage space and we could use a little more space for food and also pots, pans etc. The staircase to our basement is off our kitchen, so I placed the pantry right at the bottom of the staircase for easy access. I am thrilled with how this came out considering the time and effort it took. Very gratifying. Build on!

Basically I took Ana's plan and tweaked it to create a diy sofa, a love seat, and a corner piece to make a sectional. All 3 pieces have the same basic design and function (they all have a storage compartment), although the corner piece, because of its placement and the thickness of the seating cushions, doesn't open unless the couch is opened first. We purchased custom cut, 6" thick foam cushions for the seats (we bought the XL-38 foam from https://www.buyfoam.com/, but if we had to do it again, we'd go with the XL-28 as the 38 is VERY firm). We also used upholstery fabric instead of a paint drop-cloth to cover the couches. The foam and upholstery fabric upped the overall cost significantly. Other changes from Ana's plan, I used 15/32" OSB because the 1/4" plywood just felt too flimsy (I'm a large guy). I also added I bolts to the underside of the seat before the foam and upholstery so I could add a stress relief rope to prevent the kids from opening the top and dropping it and ripping out the hinges. I used piano hinges as they seemed to me to provide the most support. Finally, I ended up using 1x2s for the base trim since I couldn't find any 2x2s that were straight and finish-ready, then I added router detailing to provide some visual interest. I used 3" pieces of 4x6 for the feet and added matching router detail. Additionally, I used T-Nuts and bolts to make the feet and base trim completely removable.

So I finally finished the dog bed I've been working on for over a month now (I've been trying to avoid the 100+ Texas heat but it just wouldn't go away!) It was based on dmanar33's farmhouse dog bed (linked below) and I just made it larger for our greyhound, Daisy. It's far from perfect but it's been another good learning project for me while practicing before I start our desperately needed King bed.

The bed was made using 2x8 for the internal structure (with one 2x4 center "slat"), 1x6 and 1x8 boards for the surround, with 1x2 as trim and 3/4" plywood for the cushion base. It is rather heavy but can easily be moved with two people. This was my first project using my finish nailer ($16 at Harbor Freight) and it was worth every penny! I can't believe I never picked one up before.

For the cushion I tried to find a cheap, thin 3" futon mattress on Craigslist to cut up (as I've done before), but after 2 days of looking online I ended up settling for a $12 full size foam mattress topper from wally world. I folded it in half and wrapped with some thick batting I had laying around so the cushion ended up ~2" thick. And for the cover I used Ana's doll mattress tutorial with some wally world Chino Cotton curtains for $16 as fabric (thick, durable, cotton and cheaper than anything I could find at the fabric store) and it worked out great! I left one end open to put a zipper into once I pick one up, so right now it is like a large pillow case, but it works just fine.

I'm very happy with the total project and I love that Daisy (~75lbs) won't be breaking it anytime soon. She has plenty of room to stretch out and it looks much nicer than the old lumpy "giant pillow" style dog bed on the floor we had before.

With another baby boy arriving in August, my one and three year olds are moving to a "big boy" room. My oldest decided he wanted a bunk bed and as they both are obsessed with tractors, when I saw the "John Deere Tractor Bunk Bed" plan, I was sold.

We would be needing a twin sized bunk bed though not a toddler. I used the classic bunk bed plans and simply modified them to suit our needs. I moved the ladder to the front, added a rail on the bottom bunk and added a small ladder to the side for my one year old to climb into the bottom bunk.

Once the the frame of the bed was complete, I added the tractor accessories. A couple of storage cubby shelves with fabric baskets for toy tractors which act as stairs up to the ladder and make the tractor bucket at the front. Also, the wheels which are made from joined 1x6s as I find plywood hard to sand and paint to the quality of finish I like. A cab & roof from 1x4s framed together. A side mirror that I decoupaged a picture of another tractor on. I used push lights for the headlights as well as a reading light above each bed (they're on timers so they'll turn themselves off). A steering wheel (play equipment access from toys r us). Also, I built and mounted by the head of both beds a "flat wall book holder" so they would have somewhere to store a few books.

My boys and I are fairly new to building so I spent a lot of time planning and measuring to ensure it would all come together in the end. It paid off because it all went smoothly (even with "help" from my boys). It's not perfect but they're very happy with the result. We also built a John Deere themed "Just my size closet" and even finished with over a month to spare before the new baby arrives! :)

Just want to say a quick thank you to Ana both for the amazing plans and also the inspiration to take on these projects. The time spent with my boys building as well as the resulting treasures are priceless and I would have never realized what we were capable of had I not stumbled upon your website and been so inspired by you and everything you've accomplished. Thank you!