Porch Sectional Seating
Porch sectional all done. Just need the fire pit.
Built from Plan(s)
Community Brag Posts
Basement Play Gym
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!!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
In reply to Fabulous! by Ana White Admin
Fri, 01/08/2021 - 16:23
Thank you so much!! 🙏
Thank you so much!! 🙏
New Outdoor Kitchen!
This is the new outdoor kitchen I had been working on - finally finished! It was inspired from the kitchen island plans - I like the slats, and thought they would work well outdoors for air flow and water drainage. I worked around the existing grill, and it is all modular, so it can be moved if necessary (such as painting or treating the deck). It includes cupboards underneath the bar, dorm fridge and sink with storage under the countertop. The cooler stand raises the cooler up to 'user' level (no more bending!). Because I'm an avid recycler - most of the products used were recycled items. All told (not including the already purchased grill) - this kitchen cost me a total of approximately $95.00 (I had a lot of the materials already). This project took me approximately 5 weeks working on it part-time after hours. I built one cabinet at a time, then the countertops.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$95.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the same paint I used on the house - an exterior Behr latex stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Wed, 07/06/2011 - 10:12
I would love to see more
I would love to see more pictures of of your bbq kitchen. This is just what we need. Thank you for sharing.
Wed, 07/06/2011 - 17:29
This looks really awesome
This looks really awesome Colleen! I was thinking about putting a sink like that on my deck. What kind of finish did you use for the countertops? Would you please post more pictures of it? Great job!
Thu, 07/07/2011 - 04:42
Thanks!
Thanks Kmatt & Viola...I'll try and get some more pictures up asap. For the bar top and countertop I used tile, and treated the grout lines many times with a waterproofer. Both tile and grout were purchased at our local ReStore - a total of 20 cents a piece for the tile, grout was $3. Not bad for a countertop!
Thu, 07/14/2011 - 16:57
What kind of top did you put
What kind of top did you put under the tile? Plywood, cement board?
Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:48
WOW!!
Wow, this is really amazing! This is just what we need for our new deck - something modular and not too expensive to build. Do you have any more pics? I'd love to see what the area in front of the grill looks like. Very, very nice work.
Mon, 03/05/2012 - 10:54
Hi, I was wondering if you
Hi, I was wondering if you have the plans for the kitchen around the bbq grill, i would love to make this for my husband for his birthday.
Mon, 04/09/2012 - 18:38
Hi, this is great. Is there
Hi, this is great. Is there anyway you can post pics of the front of the bar where the sink is and especially the bbq, I want to build around my existing bbq grill but dont know how. thank you so much.
Farmhouse Toy Box
Super simple build with fabulous results! I have been using as a coffee table and it looks awesome and is functional for lots of toy storage as well. It would also work so great to house extra blankets and throw pillows. I added a lid support so it does not slam shut on little hands. This would also be a perfect addition to any playroom for some nice looking toy storage!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
For the legs I used Rustoleum Canyon Black paint and for the rest I first used Minwax Weathered Oak with Minwax Early American over the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Kid's Playhouse and Slide
I LOVE these plans. This was my first project, and although it was a big one to start with, the plans were easy to follow. If I can do it, anyone can. I added the rock wall. My kids and I love it. Total cost for me (including all lumber, nails, paint, slide, etc.) is about $850.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$850
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 coat primer, 2 coats paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Clubhouse based on Ana's Plan
I used Ana's plan as a base.
I changed it from 8x8 to 8x12, made the 4x4x8's to 4x4x10' for a higher main platform and swing platform, and added a 12' long monkey bar set to the other side. Also, an 8' climbing wall and a plank walkway to accompany the two slides.
For the clubhouse, I used Hardiplank 4x8 sheets for the siding and an EZ-Framer kit for the structure itself.
The slides I purchased from Lowes, monkey bars from Amazon, and the swing frame braces from Amazon as well. The swing kits I got from ebay.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
1500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Floating Bench (Walnut bench Board and Batten Wall)
Followed the instructions in the original blog. I would like to thank Ana for the blog. It was the inspiration I needed. This project was challenging for a rookie like myself. The plan is basically the same as the original post from Ana.
Materials:
4" Vertical MDF primed boards
3" Horizontal MDF primed boards
Our wall has texture so we had to use tempered board to make it nice and smooth.
Half inch plywood for under the bench seat.
2x4 for the bench frame
I ordered furniture quality Black American Walnut from a sawmill for the floating bench (not cheap but worth it). I stained it with one coat of Watco Black Walnut just for protection (took 10 minutes to do super easy) let it dry for 24 hours at least.
Challenges:
1. The wall on the right side of the bench did not have a stud just a corner stud, I was not going to risk this bench support so I put the bench support on the one corner stud and installed a hidden strong tie: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-CF-4-15-16-in-x-6-in-Con…
This provided the support that the missing stud would've. Now the bench is structurally sound.
2. Walnut uneven cuts from the sawmill, I had to use a plane to bring the planks closer together didn't want huge gaps.
3. Outlet in the way. City code mandates to remove outlet leaving access to it. We decided to build above the outlet making the bench a bit higher than we wanted it but still worked out, now we still have an accessible outlet under the bench.
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Thu, 12/30/2021 - 11:21
Gorgeous floating bench!
Thank you for sharing, that looks amazing, just shared to our Facebook page:)
Simple Console Table
I used dimensional lumber for a little nicer look and laminated two boards for the legs. I used light walnut danish oil to finish. I adjusted the width and got It the perfect width for my hallway.
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
The Gíaffe TV Stand
The Gíaffe Free Standing TV Mount. Handcrafted and engineered to use its center mass to deliver strength and balance for tv sizes 30-60". Display your television without detracting from your home's decor. The Gíaffe Free Standing TV Mount is the perfect solution and its rich finish will be perfect for any house/office room.
Estimated Cost
$109
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain - Dark Walnut - Varathane - 2 Coats
Finish - Water Based Polyurethane - Varathane - 3 Coats
Finish - Water Based Polyurethane - Varathane - 3 Coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Wed, 03/11/2020 - 07:16
I absolutely love this!! Are…
I absolutely love this!! Are there plans available?
Modified Garage Shelf (w/ Workbench)
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)
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
Fireplace with hidden Mantle storage and side bookshelves
Thank you Ana for you Fireplace design as it was exactly what I needed! We’ve lived in our house for 3 years now and I’ve wanted a fireplace ever since. Your plan was perfect and with a few modifications I made it come to life. My 9yr daughter as I was almost done building thought there should be a shelf for books and movies below the fire place. It gave me the idea of adding storage on the sides. I had already had the idea of the mantle storage and just used a floating shelf idea and made that. This was a lot of fun!! It took me a little over a week to build. But can’t wait to build something else for our house… like the mudroom!
Amy
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Thu, 12/01/2022 - 16:07
THIS IS AMAZING!!!
Oh my goodness, you knocked this one out of the park! Amazing job, thank you for sharing.
Sun, 01/08/2023 - 19:02
That looks awesome! My…
That looks awesome! My husband and I are planning on doing this as well. I do have a question, as I see you have carpet just like us. Did you cut out the carpet where you built out, and if so how did you go about that, or did you just build on top of it?
DIY Farmhouse TV Console
This was the second piece of furniture that my husband and I ever made. We had built a coffee table that had a lift up top so that we could eat dinner on the couch and store all of our board games. Once we tackled that, I thought we could conquer the world (even though the table was pretty basic). So when my now-husband was about to move into his first apartment without a roommate and I saw it as an opportunity to decorate my own place (even though I wasn’t living there). Luckily,he agreed it was time to get rid of his tiny Ikea TV stand that was probably 2ft off the ground and not a great height for a TV, and agreed to build this awesome TV console with me. To this day, it’s still my favorite piece of furniture in our house.
Comments
Sat, 11/09/2019 - 14:12
Love this, needing one in my…
Love this, needing one in my front entry way. How long did it take?
Mudroom Bench with Easy Drawers
We've been desperate for more storage in our little house and this build really helped. The whole bench is 103“ wide and each drawer gives us 24"x17" of usable space. We had to do some custom shaping for the benchtop (two joined fir 2x12's) fit as the walls are not square but in the end we were really pleased.
The hardest part of the project was getting all of this built and in place while working around a busy family as this is our only meal space and the majority of cutting/forming was done either on the weekends or after bedtimes. If I were to do this again I'd prioritize sending the kids to grandparents for the weekend and know king everything except for paint out in one go.
We could have spent less time with the benchtop by using plywood like in the plans but we wanted the look of a separate benchtop. We may replace the fir with stained oak down the line but this should be plenty sturdy for the next several years.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar paint, minwax clear poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
3 Square Picnic Tables!
I built 3 of the square picnic tables, as we have a large extended family. I enjoyed the project and the results. I did end up adding a cross brace and some metal clips, they added a little more strength for the table when it was full of people.
Thank you for sharing your plans.
Rick
Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse table
First table build! We modified the plans with no breadboard ends since we live with lots of humidity and wanted to allow the wood movement. We also used 4x4s for the legs. White chalk spray paint legs and custom mix of special walnut and weathered oak stains. We LOVE it!!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Eric's Cedar Shed!!
Thank you for the plans, shed turned out great! My association required me to match the siding color, roof color, and anchor to a concrete slab. So I poured 25 bags of 80lbs concrete to make a 9x5 slab. Redid the plans for an 8x4 shed, built the frame with 2x4s and not 2x2's, installed flashing, ice/water shield + felt + matching shingles since I'm near Chicago, and used a flexio finishing sprayer to paint the shed. Saved some $ by using 2 Redwood Grain Fiber siding panels for $22 each at HD.
All in all very happy with my shed and all my dangerous yard tools and woodworking tools can be put away from my toddler.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Plus exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
King Size Farmhouse Bed with Dog Stairs and Storage
We have a frosty faced blind girl and an aging tri-pawed that we wanted to be able to continue snuggling with us so we adapted the Farmhouse Bed with Storage to make it a king size. We made the drawer boxes deeper which allowed us to get rid of our dresser to create more space in our room. And we added a flight of stairs for the pups.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes White Wash with Arm R Seal Oil Based Satin Finish top coat. (If you want the white wash to be more white and less amber, use water based.)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Fri, 12/30/2022 - 07:53
This is exactly what I’m…
This is exactly what I’m looking for! Perfect for our dogs. Although, I wonder if a ramp would work or if it would be too steep? Hmmm
Church Pulpit
A good friend of mine, a pastor of a local church, asked me to build a pulpit for their recently finished church up in the countryside of Grenada. She showed me a picture of what she had in mind and based on that, I drew my own plan in SketchUp, and then built it out of Yellow Pine boards and Plywood.
Note to the dimensions:
After I drew the plan, and just when I was at the lumberyard to have the plywood and boards cut, I thought I might have had it estimated not wide enough, so I decided on the spot to make it 2" wider and the top panel 2" wider and deeper too. So if you'd like to build based on my plans, please consider if it's wide enough for your purposes.
This is what I used (corrected measurements here):
2x 2x8 26" long YP Boards (Base)
1x 18 1/2" x 6 1/2" Plywood (Base Support Panel)
1x 26" x 16" Plywood (Top)
1x 18 1/2" x 9" Plywood (Shelf Panel)
2x 45" x 9 1/2" Plywood (Side Panels ) - these are cut angled, see plans
1x 44 1/2" Wood Moulding (for the "stopper" on the top panel, and the "back" of the top shelf.
Estimated Cost
~ US$ 115 (material is very expensive here on the island, and I guess you could build it for about half or 2/3 of this in the USA)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MINWAX Polyshades / American Chestnut Satin (375)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Swing and arbor
Weekend swing project
Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Tue, 05/07/2019 - 10:42
We don't currently have this…
We don't currently have this plan available, although I'd be happy to draw it with the author's permission.
I have linked a few plans above that could be used to create this plan. Just make sure you bury the arbor uprights underground on concrete pier posts or similar (like building a fence)
Fold-down Backyard Bar
Hi Ana,
I saw your link on Facebook to the fold-down bar by Home Depot, and I wanted to show you the one we built last year. We're pretty proud of how it turned out! It was easy to build - we just used a reference photo we found on the web and built it to our own specifications. We have a very tiny backyard with absolutely no space to set up a drink area, so this works perfectly. It folds up out of the way when it's not needed (and doesn't have to be packed away for the winter!)
After installing it, I handpainted the back (bottom) with an inside-joke between my husband and his friends. "Duffy's Bar and Grill!" is how they answer the phone whenever one calls the other.
I hope you like it!
Barb Steadman
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany stain (MinWax), Polyurethane topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate