Bench Planter
This build was also a lot of fun! I made an extra brace to hold the wait of two sitting on the bench. Thanks again Ana for your plans!
David Marks
This build was also a lot of fun! I made an extra brace to hold the wait of two sitting on the bench. Thanks again Ana for your plans!
David Marks
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
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.
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)
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.
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).
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
I love Ana Whites's site. I go to it all the time when I have project ideas. The Video tutorials, combined with plans, is just amazing. Plus, the brag pages of people that have done projects from what they found here. Thank you Ana.
The floating shelves part was from Ana's site. The other part was done using my own plans (I used SketchUp to draw them)
My wife added the books, plants, and decorations, and I finally opened the dusty boxes that contained my insane LP collection. The experience has nothing to do with steaming music, it is far more complete.
I used plant-lantern brackets to prevent books from falling from the sides of the shelves. All done, this is great.
I would like to change the main picture, but I get strange messages from the site when I do this.
Mon, 05/20/2024 - 08:23
Wow, this is such an inspiring project! I can relate to loving Ana White's site for DIY ideas and tutorials. It's amazing how you've combined her plans with your designs using SketchUp. Adding plant-lantern brackets to prevent books from falling is a brilliant touch. I remember how I wrote a story about how I did something similar. I used https://essays.edubirdie.com/personal-statement-writing because I wanted to write a motivating story. And there I was able to get help from professionals. I understand the frustration with wood costs right now; it’s great that you still went ahead with the project despite the expense. The effort and time you invested, especially with the multiple coats of stain, really show your dedication. Thanks for sharing this – it's motivating me to start my DIY project soon!
Great little project. Finished just in time for Thanksgiving.
Andy
I built a big kids see saw using 2x6's all around with a 2x8 seat. The center post is 30"h.
Your easy to follow 2x4 proje ts turned out amazing. My outdoor set is complete. The chairs, also, came from your plans. I built all of it by myself in one weekend. Thank you
Thanks for the free plans. I did have to make modifications for the doors. i hid the hinges to give it a clean look. i used cedar for the trim and Plywood Siding Panel T1-11 4 IN OC (Common: 19/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.; Actual: 0.563 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.) for the doors. i used a metal flashing for the roof so it will vent.
I used the plans from Ana excepted converted the measurements to fit a King. Our mattress comes in on July 3 so I'm praying that it fits! This was our first project and we cannot wait to do more!!
Tue, 06/25/2013 - 14:52
Thanks so much! I purchased it from fabric.com. I actually ordered a bunch of swatches first before I chose :)
Fri, 06/28/2013 - 17:51
That's really awesome! Well done! The Suzani print fabric was a nice choice :)
Tue, 04/13/2021 - 21:40
This is very cool! What size & type lumber did you use for the slats?
Utilized the plan for the Locker Book Shelf-Full Size and modified it a bit to convert to a golf club locker. Definitely keeps all the clubs, shoes, and accessories organized and eliminates the clutter. My wife loves it, course she added the baskets, which makes it look awesome! Actually this is how I stumbled upon Ana White's website. I was looking high and low for a plan for golf club lockers, and found Ana's website as part of the process. Best google search I've ever done!
Mon, 04/11/2022 - 14:51
WOW, that looks awesome and is the perfect storage solutions for all the golf gear! Thank you for sharing.:)
In January, I came across your plans for the farmhouse, coffee table. I made it, and loved it! I had been wanting a new spin on kennels for our dogs. And thought your coffee table transformed into a dog kennel would be perfect, and they are!!
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 11:53
Love the look, thank you so much for sharing!
Modified plans to include game storage drawers, a flip open mantle for DVD player and hidden charging port, and hidden cupboards on both sides for DVD storage. I scoured the Internet for months before drawing this up to fit my space and tackling all on my own! I love it and all of my other Ana White inspired projects!
Casey O.
My son needed more room in his bedroom...and to be rid of the very girly furniture he inherited when he moved into his "big boy-ish" bedroom. At 10 yrs old, it was high time he got a bed that wasn't pink-tinged, white washed pine with 4 posters and enough curlicues to choke a forest. He also needed a desk which I couldn't really fit in his room with the armoire and chest of drawers that came with the Queen sized bed.
So off to Ikea we went and I saw a black loft bed for $300, but it was really, really high which meant I would have to cut it down and it was not sturdy at all. I looked at PB and saw the $1800 bed. Um, no - that wasn't happening. So, off to Ana-White I went and I'm so happy I did!
I built the full sized version of these plans and, to keep costs down, used wood I had on hand. This meant I had to work a bit at the cuts, but it all worked out.
Mods:
1) I modified the railings to have the ladder at the end of the bed to keep away from the ceiling fan.
2) Because I put the ladder at the end of the bed, I got very nervous about having a soon-to-be teen climbing on to a ladder secured to a 1x10 that was only connected to the side railings with glue and screws. So I sandwiched extra 1x3s over the bottom rails and attached them to the top railing.
3) I was very nervous about making sure that the bed was adequately supported so I put a 2x4 down the center instead of the 1x2.
4) I went a wee-bit overboard screwing things together to the point where it's a bit embarrassing and now I have to paint over the screw heads.
5) I made the ladder treads with 2x4's, modifying the inside spacer board cut lengths.
Because I had quite a bit of lumber on hand, the bed only ended up costing me about $90.
For the bookcase, I did end up buying the 1x12s and the adjustable shelf railings. I made the book shelf the entire width of of the bed and split the two sections based on width of the 1x24 board I bought for the desk. I only put the backer board up half way so that the daylight could get underneath the bed and make it not so cave-like.
The book case cost me about $70.
The desk was the easiest...but most costly item. A 1x6x24, 4 table legs and the table leg mounts ran me about $80. The plexiglass top that I had cut for the top cost me about $80.
Time wise, this would have taken me a lot less time than the 4 months it took - but I worked on it as I could and when I could, by myself. I got some friends to help me bring it upstairs and put it back together, but it was mostly done when I could fit in some time.
My son LOVES this and it really does give him so much room!!! Thanks Ana - I really appreciate it!
Thu, 01/17/2013 - 08:42
Hello,
Where might I find the modified loft bed plans that allow for a full-sized mattress and the under desk-shelves?
Thank you!
Fri, 01/18/2013 - 07:38
Hi!
To modify this to be full sized, I just added 15" to the width of the bed. Ana said this in the plans:
Cutting Instructions:
Converting to Full Size This bed can easily be converted to full size. You will simply need to add 15″ to all boards that run parallel to the ends. This includes the planks, end top pieces and the slats. Shopping list will need to be adjusted as well.
So I modified the cuts to the head and foot board parts and the full size mattress fits perfectly.
For the shelving underneath, I just looked at some of Ana's other plans for shelves and winged it.
This took me and my father a few weekends to complete simply because that is all the time I had to work on it (was the weekends). We put a lot of effort into it and made sure everything was neat and safe. We modified the original plan a bit to give some more boy feel to this bed, and we added window bars to keep my children from climbing out of them. You know boys! We also added a window on the far side of the top bunk. We should have added one to the bottom too since it is so dark, but he likes it anyway! If you want to see some step by step photos, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151477424866465.1073741825.5…
P.S. The estimated cost was for the bed only, not the mattresses or stain
Sun, 03/17/2013 - 14:53
My daughter walked in and said.....AH! I wanna sleep on the top! HAHA. Good job
Sun, 03/24/2013 - 08:08
I love this! You did a fantastic job. I think the stain makes it look great!
This was my first EVER wood working project.
With that being said, it took me more than just an afternoon.
I used cedar, and all the materials on the cut list had to be sanded , since I didn't like the roughness of the cedar.
I also made the box 4x8. I didn't take into account that that would require a minimum of 48 inches for the top planks. So, some of my top planks are shorter.
I also wished I had a little more instruction from which side to screw the screws in. May sound a little needy for some of you, but I never did anything with wood before. The instructions simply read attach top planks to arm rests (or something int that manner) and I wish it would have told me from which side to screw in (or give me a picture). Looking at some of the brag posts helped a lot.
Because its larger size, I decided to make the seats 3 top planks wide (and also the back rest) and made another middle cover piece to bridge the additional gap when both seats are folded down.
Also, the cedar was VERY expensive, and all the screws, hinges, and handles almost cost me as much as the wood.
The sand to fill the box ran us another $80 (for good plays and), but that was because we made it so big.
All in all, a rather pricey sandbox, but worth it because of the large custom sizes, and the cute little seats.
Pictures show the sandbox without sand, and with some of the handles still missing. I also still need to fill the holes.
Will add a picture of finished box filled with sand when it is available.
Building a storage shed was quite a jump for me but because of the confidence and experience I gained from Ana's site I decided to give it a shot. I acquired the plans online. It has 8 foot high walls and 3 feet of "attic space". The shed is 8'x12'. I used cement board lap siding. It took about seven weeks to finish working a few hours here and there. I really like it. Even has a little window flower box.
When my wife and I moved we sold our old table and was in need of a new one. We've shopped around and didn't like anything we were seeing. She insisted that I build one but I never had any time due to my job. In the past it would've been easy because that's what I did was woodworking. So she researched and came across ana's plan and she loved it. Keeping the wife happy I made time. I made my material list & cutlist but was concerned with using construction grade lumber for the tabletop due to over time it likes to cup and warp in the right conditions. Instead I went with 8/4 Poplar which will make a solid tabletop and last forever. I was only able to work weekends on the project so it was finished in a month which I added the total hours & it equaled 1 week. She loves her new table and is now shopping for 5 canvas chairs to go with it. With her posting on social media I now have requests to build more. Where will I find the time?
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.
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.
I modified the origianl plans by making the cabinet taller. I also built 2 cabinets and trimmed them both together to make it appear as if it is 1 giant cabient. It measure over 7 feet tall and just over 6 feet wide. I did add an additional 1x2 brace in the center of the cabinet to help support. I also cut an additional 1x4 to use a brace when anchoring it to the wall. I also chose to add an additional 2 trim pieces to each door because they are much taller than the original plan doors.
My son chose to make a workbench for his high school theater for his Eagle Scout project, and selected the Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand as the basis for the project. The theater teacher wanted pegboard for tool storage, so we extended the rear legs on each workbench and notched the top to allow them to pass through. We built two frames from 1x3s to fit inside the rear legs, then put a pegboard inside each one.
To secure the extended legs, we added a riser shelf from 1x8s. We put a storage station for drills at one end of the riser shelf.
We also made all the cart shelves adjustable and added an adjustable shelf under the miter saw, and added lighting and power strips.
We left out the panels at the end of the workbench to allow access to the shelves there without having to remove the carts. Once we had constructed it, we added a brace at each end of the workbench to better support the outside front legs.
This plan was the perfect one for the theater, giving a stable work area for the miter saw and allowing for tool and materials storage. The carts can be rolled around to where a work surface is needed. This will come in handy for years of set construction in the theater. So proud of my son and all the leadership and hard work he put into this project!
Mon, 10/18/2021 - 11:54
WOW, that is absolutely amazing, thank you so much for sharing this story!
Loving this furniture! We modified it slightly by raising the height of the couches. Added some height and a slight tilt in the back. The chairs are super comfortable as the plans are done. We used 6” 25x25 cushions. We plan on staining soon.
Jaime Sallis
A great weekend project...the "love swing"! I used the plan from Ana for the swing seat and added two arm rests from left over 1x6, rounded them off and sanded.
I cobbled together an A-frame to hang everything, made from five 8 foot 4x4s and two 8 foot 2x6s laminated together for the stretcher. Assembled with 1/2" galvanized carriage bolts and hung with 1/4" chain.
Definitely going to want a good miter saw for the A-Frame angles (the top ones are a bit tricky to get everything lined up)
Love it! Thanks for another great plan Ana..and of course..Shanty2Chic!