Community Brag Posts

Raised bed planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/02/2020 - 16:36

Hey Ana,

I saw your raised bed planter and decided to tackle it for ourselves. It measures 2'x8' and stands 28" to the bottom of the planter. I used redwood fencing for the sides and bottom at a cost of $1.79 each. I didn't use the wire mesh for the bottom but drilled 1/4" holes in the redwood fencing for drainage.

Thanks for the idea!!

Mike Howell

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I left ours in it's natural state
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dressing Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/26/2024 - 13:58

My daughter wanted a dressing table and we had just dismantled a small wooden shed so I made her one by recycling the wood. I’ve only been woodworking for about 2 years and I’m really proud of it. Hope you all like it.
Steve Ross

Front porch planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/07/2021 - 20:21

Followed your plan but added extra 1 x 2 trim to the sides, feet made from 1 × 3 and 1x 3 trim around the top

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 per planter
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Naturaltone Behr Waterproofing Wood Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Lawnmower Shed

Submitted by PipesTX on Wed, 01/07/2015 - 06:19

Modified the design to allow me to roll lawnmower directly in the end. Fun project.

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Storage bed with platform modification

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:06

Hi, I’m Joe and love working on my cabin in Stanley Idaho. I needed a queen size bed on the ground floor but the room is small so I incorporated the footboard into into the platform to gain 6 inches of space in the room. It took a couple months working off and on but all fun. I also made the drawers deeper front to back to maximize storage. I did this at the peak of lumber prices and spent like $900 on lumber. It came out great, my Airbnb guests love it!

Comments

My incredible chicken coop and run!

This was my first attempt at building anything....ever. It was so incredibly fun and I certainly learned a lot. My 8 little chickens are loving their new home and I can't wait to build my next project!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

GreenLaLa

Wed, 06/19/2013 - 11:51

Hello! Could you repost the picture / info on your chicken run? I keep getting "page not available" and I've been trying for days :O) I think I want to build that chicken shed (too big for 3 hens?? It's just so cute!) and a run like that to go with it! Thanks! Have a great day!

GreenLaLa

Wed, 06/19/2013 - 11:51

Hello! Could you repost the picture / info on your chicken run? I keep getting "page not available" and I've been trying for days :O) I think I want to build that chicken shed (too big for 3 hens?? It's just so cute!) and a run like that to go with it! Thanks! Have a great day!

Storage Daybed with Trundle Drawers + Storage Headboard and Hutch

I combined Ana's plans for Daybed with Storage Trundle Drawers and a Storage Headboard with a Small Hutch.

This is my 3rd daybed with storage drawers. It's such an easy build and gives so much extra space. The entire project took about 40 hours. I used Minwax stain in Classic Grey and three coats of polyurethane. For the drawers, I used 1.5" casters. I drilled a hole through the back of the headboard to feed cords through. Then I put the whole thing in the back of my truck and drove 500 miles for the final assembly. :)  In the provided photos, some of the pieces are flush because I hadn't permanently attached them. 

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Classic Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Our Daughter's Playhouse

Submitted by jhedlund on Fri, 03/22/2013 - 06:17

We built this in early 2013. We ended up turning the house 90 degrees on the deck, because the slide worked best off the backside of the deck due to the various heights around the deck. The sloped back yard caused some challenges, but in the end it's a very sturdy deck with the cross beams attached. Thanks for posting these plans online for us, our 3 daughters are loving the playhouse and swingset! Here are some more pics of the project: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11031534@N00/sets/72157633009259873/

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

sgilly

Fri, 03/22/2013 - 15:07

Of course your girls love it - it's fantastic! Great job.

Robinwood

Fri, 03/22/2013 - 16:39

Love this - my grandson's back yard is too small to build something like this; which is why we had to settle for his loft bed airport/clubhouse.

slug

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 05:24

I'm planning on building two A-Frames and no playhouse, so my questions are focused there.

Did you do any modifications to swing portion of the plans?
Is it sturdy enough for an adult to swing on as well?
It looks like you put the posts in the ground, did you cement them in too?
How high off the ground is the bottom of the support beam for the swing?
Is there any issue side-to-side swaying?

Seasonal And Holiday

Garage Shelving - Some minor mods to Ana's great basic plan

My father-in-law and I knocked this project out in about 5 hours including the trip to the lumber yard. You've got a great basic design here! A few modifications we made:

1. I thought the depth of the shelves in the original plan was a little too shallow so I used 3 2"X6"s instead of the 4 2"x4"s. That made the shelves 1 1/2" deeper. Although 2"x6"s are obviously more expensive, the overall cost for the project didn't change much because we only had to use 3 boards per shelf instead of 4. This also reduced the amount of screwing and made it easier to position the shelf boards without taking measurements since we only had one middle board to deal with (instead of 2 with the 2"x4"s). We just eyeballed the spacing of the middle shelf board as we worked.

2. Since our garage has a 10' ceiling, I decided to go 8' tall with the unit. This allowed us to add a 5th shelf.

3. Some oversized tubs can be 18-20" high or more so I varied the height of each shelf -- 24" at the bottom, then 20", 18" and 16". There's approx. 24" available between the top shelf and the ceiling.

4. Due to the position of the garage door track, I had to notch out a couple feet at one side. The end support piece is only 6' high.

5. Since many storage tubs can be 16-18" wide, I made sure that there was at least 54" between 3 of the vertical support structures. This will allow us to store 3 tubs side-by-side and maximize storage. You might notice that I have two vertical supports that appear to be very close together near the back wall. I did this so I would have something on that side to attach more shelving to on that short wall where the garage door opener is. 

The only cuts we had to make for this entire project were for the 18 1/2" 'braces' or support pieces on the vertical ladder structures. The shelves are either 14' or 12' (top shelf only) and the vertical 2"x4"s are either 8' or 6'. Most lumber yards will carry these lengths in either 2"x4"s or 2"x6"s. 

We didn't use any wood glue, and I admit this may come back to haunt me. However, to get a good fit and eliminate gaps, I used clamps I already owned to squeeze the boards together before adding the screws. Everything feels very solid and sturdy to me. 

Because of the extra height compared with the original plan, I was worried about it possibly tipping over (we have a 10-year-old who likes to climb frown) so I made sure that 3 of the supports are lined up with the wall studs. After leveling the entire unit, I plan to anchor it to the wall using 3 1/2" screws.

So for about $187 in lumber and maybe $20 in construction screws, I've got 76 feet of STURDY shelving that should accommodate hundreds of pounds! Not a bad investment at all...

 

Estimated Cost
$187 lumber + $20 construction screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None right now, but my wife wants to sand it and apply marine varnish to give it a shiny, yet still unfinished, look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Playroom Stage!

Submitted by kdins31 on Thu, 01/02/2014 - 09:48

I had a perfect corner in our playroom that was reserved mostly for clutter and always wanted to do something fun with it. The base is made with 2x8"s topped with Handscraped Hickory laminate flooring. Bored holes into the floor and installed 1" diameter color-changing LED decklights. Added theatre-style tracklights, disco ball and other dance floor lighting for extra effect. Of course the stage wouldn't be complete without wireless microphones for karaoke and mic stands hooked up to a small amp and speakers in the ceiling. I made the shelving on the right side with 1/2" black pipe and used leftover 2x12" shelves from an old garage shelving install from 7 years ago! The kids were ecstatic on Christmas morning for the reveal!

Estimated Cost
$125-150 for wood, flooring and moldings. Black pipe is very inexpensive.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Send me message if you'd like to know which products I used, e.g. mics, speakers, lights, etc.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Garofola2013

Wed, 04/16/2014 - 11:53

I would like to know which products you used...e.g. mics, speakers, lights, etc. We want to do this is in our basement =)

THANKS!

Snix26

Sun, 07/27/2014 - 15:52

This is great! I was just wondering what your dimensions were? I've been looking for something like this to do for my niece but have been struggling to find a plan and figure it out myself LOL.

kdins31

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 05:58

Hello, the back wall is 8' and side wall is 6.5'. The stage comes out about 2.5' on each side then the front is around 7'.

Hope that helps, good luck!

atilley

Tue, 11/18/2014 - 19:37

 

Great job!! can you tell me where you got the microphones and mic stands for this?

 

dmbphoenix

Sun, 04/10/2016 - 14:44

Actually, I was wondering ,what lights did you use? I'm working on a very similar project and was curious to the lights your used please.

Mls4460

Wed, 11/13/2019 - 09:53

Do you have the actual plans to build this?

I would love to copy this idea for my 4 year old!

Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Insert

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/11/2024 - 10:43

Modified these plans slightly for my needs. I kept the table saw open for easier dust collection and only had one side of shelving on the other bench to allow for storing larger items. I can’t get over how much storage in a small space you get with these and how multi functional they are.

Catio heaven

Submitted by bhoppy on Fri, 09/04/2020 - 15:43

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.

 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot semi transparent outdoor deck and fence stain. ($9 oops section)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wifey

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.

Seasonal And Holiday

2x4 Outdoor Chairs and Side Table

I built the 2 chairs and side table using Ana's plans. Wood in the UK is perhaps not as cheap and ubiquitous, so I managed to get hold of some rough siberian larch to build them. After what seemed like a lot of sanding I started cutting. I've used stainless steel screws and have used a plug cutter on a mahogany board I had to plug the screw holes. I really liked the contrast and neatness that this has given the project. I also used some rubber feet to raise it off the ground and try and reduce any water damage. The side table is reduced in size from the 2 foot version in the plans, this was easy enough once I'd worked out the impact on all of the other measurements. My wife has commented that I should have used less wood in my next project as they are very heavy, they certainly aren't going anywhere! My wife did produce the lovely grey cushions that you see in the pictures.

Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used a wood preserver followed by a coat of stain to obtain the light finish seen
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Our new pantry

We bought a vacation home that has such a small kitchen. I knew we needed more storage. So I checked out Ana's plans and made this bad boy based on the Simplest Armoire plans.

The home is in the mountain/lakes area of northern New Hampshire, so I wanted to bring the outside colors in. I used Valspar Cabin Red paint and the Valspar Antiquing glaze over the top after distressing it a bit.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 +
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Cabin Red paint
Valspar Antiquing glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sliding "barn" door from reclaimed pallet wood

I saw many different sliding door projects online, so I did my own spin on one. I was able to get several old pallets for free (pine and oak). I went to Lowes and bought a few 2x3s which I used as the frame, and the track hardware which was only $13! Most doors I see are mounted from the wall, but since I have 7' ceilings downstairs I mounted mine from the ceiling. This project only took about 4 hours total and cost about $40 when you figure in costs for screws, stain, etc. The most difficult part was taking apart the pallets. Using a reciprocating saw with a 12'' demolition blade is the best way to take them apart. Thanks for the idea Ana.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

BREATHESMILEBE

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:00

Hi!!
This looks so awesome! I came across this and was hoping to repeat it. You mention that you found the door hanging hardware at Lowes for $13. I can't seem to find it. Do you happen to remember the name of it? I'm entering "hanging door hardware" into Lowes and Home Depot and can't seem to find any hanging door hardware at all. I'd appreciate the help. Thanks!
Tina

Eagle Project Workbench - Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand

Submitted by nelsoncc on Mon, 10/18/2021 - 11:32

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!

Comments

sandbox with benches

Submitted by nananana on Fri, 07/10/2015 - 13:18

This sandbox has been around for some time BUT it is still a great project to build The plans were simple to follow and would be an excellent project for beginners. We built this for our grandson and future grandbaby. Was easy to complete in one day, including painting

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Estimated cost was $75.00 including the wood, hinges and paint.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a flat exterior paint. paint color was Cool Bamboo. We put on two coats to preserve the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

New counter height planters in use

Submitted by jrbdmb on Fri, 06/20/2014 - 05:05

Using the counter height planter plans from Janettx. Thanks!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Janettx

Mon, 09/20/2021 - 13:24

Nice job!!! I'm still using mine. I ended up putting 12"x12" pavers under each leg to extend their life. After the 2nd year now we get bumper crop out of ours each season.

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