Custom Counter Height Garden Boxes
Click the blog link for a full description of this project. Thanks for looking! - Clint
Click the blog link for a full description of this project. Thanks for looking! - Clint
I have been wanting garage cabinets for a long time but couldn't afford them. When I saw these shelves I knew it would be easy to add side panels and create doors for the sections. The size is 8'x8' with the 4'x3' under the ceiling rack. I put a 2"x4" in the middle to divide each section, measured and cut doors from 5mm lauran plywood. I also cut the stiles and rails from the same material to give it interest but mainly to make it thicker to avoid warping as much as possible. I added 2"x4" to create a facing for the doors to rest on. Also used overlay hinges to simplify the hanging as much as possible. I was able to follow the design plan and the only thing I did was add a shelf at the bottom. The cleats were definitely not necessary, it's very sturdy.
Making the doors
The first thing is to learn how to measure for cabinet doors. There are plenty of sites and YouTube videos showing how to correctly measure. If you are doing the same type of doors like I have, with no middle divider, then be sure to pay attention how to correctly measure for those instead of a single door.
The easiest way to make the doors will be getting 1/2 in sanded plywood and use a table saw to cut each door to size. Skip the shaker style trim and put the hardware on and be done. Make sure the hinges will be able to hold the weight of the door.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a table saw but I did have a router and a jig saw, and found a great video on YouTube on how to use a router to cut straight edges without a table saw. I measured out one door and used that outline to cut two identical doors. It turned out that each section was slightly a different width so I had to do two at a time. However, if you have a circular saw you can rig it to make a table saw and make a guide to rip the doors. It all depends on what tools you have available to you.
I have a compact plunge saw and was able to cut the 3 inch strips for the shaker style with it. Honestly, that was the most tedious part and most time consuming by far. That also had to do with the fact that because the plywood is only 5mm thick I cut strips for both the front and the back to make it over 1/2 inch thick to help minimize warping and give the hinges something to grab.
I used the miter saw to cut the stiles and rails to size and a 23 gauge nailer with 1/2 nails and glue to get them on the door. I glued and nailed the front and the back of each side at the same time because the nails are a bit longer than two pieces of plywood. I then turned it over and nailed the other side. The great thing about using a 23 gauge is that I didn't have to fill any holes because they are so small you can hardly see them at all.
The last thing is to use your sander to ensure all of the pieces are even. I used a 60 grit and then followed it with a 220 where needed.
If you want to avoid cutting the strips but still want to have the shaker style, Home Depot sells 1/4 thick Polystyrene flat moulding that will add vertially no weight to the door but the cost can easily add up if you have a lot of doors.
Lastly, if you are wondering why I got such thin plywood that ended up creating more work. The reason is because I wanted to save money on hardware and I didn't trust the inexpensive hinges I got off eBay would hold a heavy door for many years.
Wed, 06/19/2019 - 13:20
What kind of paint did you use? Looks really nice, the whole thing!
Thu, 07/18/2019 - 10:28
This is amazing! Thank you for sharing so much detail on your project too.
Wed, 06/10/2020 - 13:14
Can we get detailed plan of how you made this from the start to end like a material list and cut list.
I've been planning on building a patio table for this coming spring and summer, but didn't know where to begin. I found Ana's wonderful site and now I don't know where to stop! So many great ideas.
After seeing ewood's great table I decided to make one similar. I made my square table based on Ana's and ewood's basic designs. Thank you both. I also made a bench based on Ana's design.
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 16:36
That looks like it could handle a big and boisterous group. The cedar and the finish are beautiful.
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 07:37
I have a family of 7 (soon to be 8, I hope), and was trying to figure out how to fit us all on the rectangular table. This is the solution! I can simply make 4 benches to go with it! Thanks for the idea and the picture!
Mon, 04/09/2012 - 07:24
Love this table and your modifications to ewood's table. I was wondering what size are the legs on your table - I can't tell if they are 4x4s...which is sort of what I'd like to have on mine. And they are under mounted, which I love because I want to make ours with the ability to remove the legs for reduced storage space in the winter. If you could would you mind putting a few close up photos of how the outside corner came out and the underside of the corners. It would be much appreciated.
Mon, 04/09/2012 - 07:27
Love this table and your modifications to ewood's table. I was wondering what size are the legs on your table - I can't tell if they are 4x4s...which is sort of what I'd like to have on mine. And they are under mounted, which I love because I want to make ours with the ability to remove the legs for reduced storage space in the winter. If you could would you mind putting a few close up photos of how the outside corner came out and the underside of the corners. It would be much appreciated.
In reply to Questions :) by K_W (not verified)
Sat, 04/14/2012 - 13:35
Hi - sorry it took a little while to get back to you. Yes the legs are 4x4's. I used knotted cedar 4x4's for the legs and made them 29" tall. I wanted to be able to disassemble the table and put it away for winter, so I attached the legs using carriage bolts, 2 per side (4 total per leg). I drilled holes using a pilot bit, then used a spatter bit to make the larger holes for the carriage bolt.
I didn't bother to counter sink them, but if I made another I think I would try that to make a more polished look. The legs are sturdy, the table doesn't wobble at all, but I am sure that someone with more furniture building experience might have a different/better idea.
I've added a couple more photos showing the corners, outside and underneath. I've also added my very basic plans that I used to make the table, one of these days I will study Ana's post of how to use sketch-up, until then this is what I worked with.
Wed, 06/06/2012 - 09:26
Can you tell me what size (width) boards you used on the frame pieces of the table, and what size on the inner boards? From your diagrams, it looks like the frame is made of 1x4s, but the inner pieces look smaller. Thank you !!!
Your table is absolutely beautiful. It looks like a very high-end piece of furniture. One of my favorite things is how the carriage bolts are installed -- I wouldn't change a thing on them!
Tue, 07/30/2013 - 16:36
Sorry it took so long to reply - I didn't see your post. So far the table is holding up well.
You're right, the top is made from 1x4's, including the inlaid slats. To support the top, I cut 1x4's down to 1x3's so they remain hidden by the side 1x4's of the frame.
Tue, 10/16/2012 - 18:02
Love the table - looks absolutely fantastic! I have been looking for a decent square outdoor table for ages and this one certainly fits the bill.
Can you please add a photo of the underside of the table and advise how you fastened inner boards on table top. Thanks.
In reply to Question by Aussie Paul (not verified)
Tue, 07/30/2013 - 16:40
I added a new photo of the bottom. Hopefully this will help show how I attached the top. I have a number of additional photo's I can send to you if you like - this site limits the number of photos I can add.
Everything is attached from the bottom to hide the screws. I used a kreg jig and it helped so much - i really recommend it.
Wed, 08/14/2013 - 12:35
I love the look of this table, man - I think I'm gonna steal some ideas from this.
I have a question about your top, though. The slats look to be 1x4s, which I can understand, but the edges seem to be a bigger size.
Did you use 1x6 boards for the edges? 1x8s? Something else?
Thanks for your help.
Mon, 09/02/2013 - 11:03
Thank you - please take any ideas from it that you can. That is what I love that about Ana's site. You can take these great ideas and make them fit your own style...
You're right - the table top is made of 1x4's and 1x6's. When i put the top together I made the frame first. Then I added the exterior 1x6's. Next I added the center 1x6. Lastly I cut each 1x4 to size and added them.
Sat, 05/17/2014 - 07:15
This is an amazing table, it is beautiful! I am somewhat new to wood working and was wondering if there was a material list? I plan on creating this in AutoCAD first, so I have a visual to work off of. Also what did you use for spacing in between the boards or what was the allowance of space.
Thanks again, your work is beautiful!
Sat, 05/17/2014 - 07:15
This is an amazing table, it is beautiful! I am somewhat new to wood working and was wondering if there was a material list? I plan on creating this in AutoCAD first, so I have a visual to work off of. Also what did you use for spacing in between the boards or what was the allowance of space.
Thanks again, your work is beautiful!
Wed, 06/17/2015 - 11:48
Great table…any chance you can share the plan and material list? Cheers
Wed, 04/22/2020 - 20:37
In looking at the plans and the underside of the table, there are some measurements missing that make it a little hard to decipher. It would be good to know the lumber sizes e.g. 1x4x8 etc. the underneath side seems to have some additional boards that don’t seem to be in the drawing. I was just wondering if it might be possible to get some additional details?
Sun, 05/24/2020 - 08:05
This is a beautiful table and I'm going to try and replicate in a rectangular version. Primary question I have is what length screws you used to affix the framing pieces underneath to the top side so that the wood doesn't split and that the screws don't pop thru the top. Any help you can provide would be appreciated, if even you still look at this page. Thanks in advance!
Needed a shed to store bikes and mowers, etc, so I'd have more room in the woodshop : ) I made a lot of modifications to the plan to fit my space and make it much larger. The completed size is 7 foot tall at the peak, 6 feet deep and 5.5 feet wide. I made it as a 3 sided shed, using the wall as the 4th to save on cost, increase air flow, and make the exterior house wall accessible. I also made an egress in the back of the shed in order to get behind the shed if needed.
Instead of roofing shingles, I opted for ribbed metal sheets and one clear sheet in the middle to make a skylight, so there would be light in the shed. This is my favorite part of the project. It was a huge pain to attach the roofing from a ladder with very limited access, but it looks great and I love the light coming in. We have very little rain in CA, so I'll have to wait until winter/rainy season in order to test out its waterproofing.
Since the shed sits between the house and the neighbors block wall fence, and I wanted to use as much of the space as I could, I decided to design the shed to have the side wall against the house rather than the back wall, as shown in the plan. This took a large amount of modifications, but with careful planning and measuring, it can be done. This also meant blocking off access to behind the shed, so I cut an egress in the back wall and added hinges so you can lift the back cut out panel, and rest it on a stop block attached to the fence behind it in order to have access. That's what woodworking is about- problem solving. Love it.
As you can see by the full shed picture, it fits a large amount of stuff- 2 adult bikes, mower, edger, trimmer, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, garden tools, shovels, etc, with plenty of room for more. I now have a free corner in my garage that I've already filled with a DIY rolling workbench and more pegboard space for tool hanging. Woodshop increased space= happy Brittany.
I should also mention that building the frame and adding the pickets was quite a quick and easy job. The hardest and most time consuming part was the roof (I didn't have metal cutting tools), rolling each very heavy wall to the site (I was alone) and the previous 2 weeks in which I built the paver patio the shed sits on. Hard work, but worth it. I love it!
Thu, 08/20/2015 - 05:56
And for under $300! Nice touch with the skylight also. Two thumbs up.
In reply to This is awesome! by Cross35
Thu, 08/20/2015 - 09:42
Thank you! I'm very pleased with how it turned out!
Mon, 04/27/2020 - 10:28
SWEET!!! What a great use of space! That skylight was a brilliant idea. No lights needed to see what you need to get at in there. Well done!
In reply to SWEET!!! What a great use… by carewarner
Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:15
It has been incredibly useful for storing! One thing about the skylight- Over time the sun has warped it and there is now a hole and crack there. So I wouldn't plan on the clear roofing being a long term solution- I will be replacing it with either thicker clear roofing or 2 layers.
Wed, 05/06/2020 - 13:15
Love the design and space saver idea, brilliant! How can I get the dimensions? Tks
In reply to Love the design and space… by shed man
Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:25
I just went out and measured- 6' wide and deep, 7' tall at its tallest point, tapering down to about 5' tall. Hope this helps!
In reply to Love this! by V2theicki
Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:14
I based it off of this plan, but heavily modded it to fit our space. https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/small-cedar-shed
Hope that helps!
Tue, 06/23/2020 - 20:26
This is exactly what I want to do for the side of my home , I also would love to get the plans for this .
In reply to This is exactly what I want… by ajg1972
Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:16
I used Ana's plans here, but heavily modded it to fit my space: https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/small-cedar-shed
Sun, 02/21/2021 - 09:39
Did you use cedar pickets?
And what did you use for the roofing material?
One day project with hubby! Wanted a wood set, but couldn’t find a reasonable price. Bought tools, wood, supplies, and cushions for under the cost of one online!
Plan modified to be built on stringers due to hight.
Fri, 07/07/2023 - 15:22
Do you have an illustration or instructions on the exact modifications you used for this project?
See more photos and details here https://instagram.com/tom_morgan_nc?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I live in a smaller rental with limited garage space, so I needed a place for my kids bikes. This is what I came up with. It required minimal screw holes in the treated fence posts and I attached a rail system(rubbermaid fasttrak) for the bikes to hang from. I used Ana's easy shelves plan for the upright supports and then just added some corrugated roofing and cedar fence pickets (which I had on hand) to finish off the top.
I made this coop twice as wide like Ana suggested since I have 4 chickens and wanted to make sure there was some extra wiggle room in case “chicken math” got the best of us. I made a nesting box to mount on the outside. I also used plywood for the sides like Ana did in the video. I installed a Run Chicken automatic door that opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. I added some hasps and clasps to make sure all my doors would close tightly. I put hardware cloth across the top before installing the roof panels. I stapled and buried hardware cloth around the perimeter for predator protection. I also spray painted the hardware cloth flat black so that it would be easier for us to see inside the coop. I stained the rest of the wood with Varathane Semi-Transparent stain, color “Carbon Gray.” I also added some roosts and cedar shingle siding for some extra protection during our New England winters at to match our house. Working 2-4 hours a day, off and on, with a bum shoulder and weak hands, this took me about a week! Thanks for the great plan, Ana!
Cost: $45
Made this bench smaller than the plan so it measures 48" X 18". Using it in a spare bedroom so it will eventually get stained to match the wood furniture.
Mon, 12/04/2017 - 09:17
That was my idea as well, to shorten it. My wife just asked me if we could part with a few chairs on the back side of our dining room table and if i would make a bench or two across the back wall. Well "of course" i said hahah!! Nice job on yours!! :{)
Sun, 09/13/2020 - 06:45
That's really beautiful. I think I'll look up the plans and try make one myself.
I modified this a tad from the original plans to suit my needs. I will eventually be adding a platform with attached slide and swing set.
Plans were easy to follow. My store didn't have 1x8's so I stacked 1x4's and used my Kreg jig to join them together and then I added extra bracing.
I had seen this on Pinterest a couple years ago and thought it was the coolest thing! Io excited I was able to build it myself!
We needed a way to get all of the lawn & garden stuff out of our garage and organized. I found Ana's plans for the Small Cedar Shed & adjusted them to fit our space. We used 2x4s as our studs & added front walls on the sides. Our shed measures 9.5'x30". We had a concrete slab poured for our foundation. We are experienced DIYer's but had never taken on a project of this scale from scratch. This project was much easier than I was anticipating, and we were able to complete it in one weekend! Similar shed kits were way more expensive and not the size that we were looking for. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Instead of attaching the top to the coffee table base as done in the plans, the top is attached using a set of coffee table lift top hinges.
Fri, 08/21/2020 - 23:38
Looks wonderful, love the finish. What kind of stain did you use?
Wed, 09/30/2020 - 19:59
I love this table. It is just what l have been looking for. Is there any instructions. I would love to make this.
thanks
peggy
My father and I made this awesome poolside towel cabinet using the Benchmark Cabinet plans. A super easy 1 day build and it looks amazing on the patio. Bring on the pool weather!
The enclosed garden plan.
I made mine 12x12 and added a middle The instructions were very easy to follow. I also had old paver stones, sand and gravel kicking around from a project from last year so created a floor to help with weed control. I used screws and fender washers instead of staples to attach the caging. I added two tiny beds to the inside for sweet peas to grow up the caging to attract pollinators. Let the growing begin!
Barb
Well, I started with one chair and finished with a full set. Not bad for a first timer. Definitely room to improve. Little tip if you're going to make this amazing set... raise the backs as they are too low with thicker cushions. I built a casing to go on top after the fact. Pretty happy with how it all turned out. Thanks Ana for the plans... now onto the next project!
Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:41
Very nice workmanship. I'm curious as to how comfortable they are with the straight 90* backs? Let me know please at [email protected]. Again nice workmanship.
Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:41
Very nice workmanship. I'm curious as to how comfortable they are with the straight 90* backs? Let me know please at [email protected]. Again nice workmanship.
I love how this bed frame turned out! Everywhere that has stain is cedar and the rest is all scrap spruce. Thanks for another great plan Ana!
So I've always wanted to build a Murphy bed. And by always I mean since I first came across plans here that made it look so simple. It ended up taking me a while to do because my job has me working 6 days a week so I was only able to work on it for short chunks of time.
I ended up utilizing a few different plans and mashed them together to build a full size murphy bed. The shelves are the support legs when the bed is down. The "hinge" mechanism are heavy duty 360 degree seat swivels.
All-in-all it turned out WAY better than I expected with only some minor issues throughout the construction process.
Next up is a twin xl Murphy bed with a murphy desk attachment that will serve as a craft table when up.
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.
Modified from our twin sleeper chair plan, this amazing hinged sofa bed was built and shared by #tinybuilderau