Small Utility Table

A friend got a small table-top washing machine. She wanted to put it on a low, sturdy table that would not allow it to “walk” off the table during the spin cycle. The dimensions of this table were chosen for her specific situation. You could easily add a shelf, but she wanted to put her wastebasket underneath, so I left it open.

The dimensions are 22.5″ wide, 15.5″ deep, and 24″ tall. The table top area is 14″ x 21″.

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Toddler Train Bed

A neighbor was looking for a Thomas the Tank Engine toddler bed, hoping to find one second hand. The manufactured plastic version, aside from being expensive, didn’t even do a good job of capturing the shape of a tank engine (not that the average 3 year old would notice). I drew one up, but the neighbor moved, so I never built it.
TrainBed1
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Produce Storage Bins

Wood bins are popular storage containers for many fruits and vegetables that need air circulation as they ripen. My kitchen needed a place to put some of the produce that wasn’t ready for the refrigerator.
binplan1
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Daybed with Back Support

Daybeds need a backrest if you really want to use them as a couch. Leaning back against a pile of pillows, or sitting with your legs strait out leaves a lot to be desired.

Daybed with Backrest
This daybed has a backrest that flips forward about 12 inches, creating a normal seating depth for a couch.
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Strong Platform Bed

A friend who shops in the “big and tall” section wanted to build a platform bed that he was absolutely certain would not be broken. He wanted simple construction with heavy lumber–as he put it, “a barbarian bed”. He also wanted 12″ of clearance under the side rails for storage.
strongbed1

We used 4×4’s and 2×8’s, and put it together with 8 large carriage bolts so it could be disassembled. No special tools are needed, but it does require a few challenging cuts, careful drilling, and countersinking long screws.
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Pet Steps for Under Bed

When caring for a friend’s Yorkie recently, I found myself setting up a box next to my bed to give him a step for jumping up on the bed (he still had hops, but one eye wasn’t so good, so he was afraid to try it when the room was dark). I wanted a small stair step that I could easily tuck under the bed during the day.
Pet Steps for Under Bed
This step folds flat, needing only 6″ clearance to slide under the bed. It folds out, not on top of itself, so it’s almost 4′ long when folded flat, but that will still fit easily under a standard full size bed.
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Pull-out Daybed

Pull-out Daybed
This daybed has a pull-out section to increase the width to a queen size or larger. The basic design is similar to the Hemnes brand daybed, but there are some notable differences.

This bed extends up to 33″ for a total width of 72″, which is wider than a queen, but not as wide as two twins. You could use it with a full size foam or futon mattress, or get a combination of a twin, and a “single” or “bunk” mattress that measures 30″ to 33″ in width.
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Teaching Easel

Teaching Easel
This teaching easel was inspired by an inquiry on ana-white.com.

I had several priorities in mind as I was designing this.
– keep it cheap
– it should fit in a sedan
– adaptable to additional features later

A couple of considerations came into play in the effort to control costs. First, the overall width was determined by the availability of whiteboard and other materials in 24″ widths. Second, all of the lumber is 1×2 or 1×3, which is the least expensive, and gives you the option of using the super-cheap furring strips.

Third, it uses only 2 wheels, which also makes it stable, since two of the feet are solid. It can be easily moved by lifting the side with the solid legs, and it’s stable as soon as you set it down without needing locking wheels.
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Triple Bunk Beds

Triple Bunk
This Triple Bunk Bed plan is a staggered design with the middle bunk offset. This allows it to fit under the common 8 foot ceiling height without compromising head room, by assuming half of the bed is for the footer and does not require as much height.

Despite the overall size of the project, it uses very simple construction methods. All cuts are right angles, and all screws go strait through flat surfaces. The biggest challenge is getting everything square, and simply getting all of the pieces organized for assembly.
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