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Plans
If you are worried about your littles rolling right out of bed at night, this external bed rail is just the thing. This concept can be used on any of our beds with just a few modifications that are as easy as pie! If you will be adding this to a bed without posts, you can add an additional vertical piece in each of the corners so the entire rail unit is self sufficient.
Psst… In addition to the original twin sized house bed, we now have plans for a toddler sized house bed , a twin sized house bed and a full sized version too that all sit on the floor with a platform base and have a chimney!
- 2 – 2×3 at 19 1/2″ – Upper Front Rails
- 2 – 2×3 at 9 3/4″ – Vertical Front Rails
- 2 – 2×3 at 17″ – Lower Front Rails
- 4 – 2×3 at 30″ – Side Rails
- 2 – 2×3 at 55″ – Back Rails
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
// The height for this should leave no more than around 2 inches of space between the top of your mattress and the bottom of the upper rails. These dimensions are based on a 4 inch mattress so adjust accordingly. Your front unit rails should extend 1 1/2″ beyond the outside edge of your bed and you should leave a 16″ space in the center. If you are working with a different bed than this example, simply measure the entire length of your bed and add 3 inches. Then simply subtract 16 inches and divide by 2. This will give you the length of your longer upper rails for each of these units. Then subtract 2 1/2″ from that length to get the length of your bottom piece.
Cut your pieces to length and add pocket holes for 1 1/2″ material on one end of the vertical pieces and one end of the shorter bottom pieces. Secure all 3 pieces together for each of the front units. You will fasten together using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws and you will secure the shorter bottom piece into the vertical piece, and the vertical piece into the upper piece. Then secure each unit to the bed posts using your countersink bit and 2 1/2″ wood screws. You can also use a nail gun for this if you prefer. Be sure to leave a 1 1/2″ overhang on either outside edge as shown in the diagram.
// Your side rails should extend from one edge to the other, of your head and foot board, without any overhang. The overhang will be on the other pieces and yes I just realized I am referring to the side rails for this bed rail unit in the place where the head and foot board will sit and the front and back of the unit are actually where the side rails of your bed will be. So this is confusing and hopefully it isn’t too hard to keep straight!
Secure your side rails to the bed using your countersink bit and 2 1/2″ wood screws. If you are able to seecure the rails so that you can also fasten the front units to the side rails, then wonderful, do so!
// The back rail will extend the entire length of your bed and will overhang by 1 1/2″ more on either end. If you are working with a different bed, measure the overall length and then add 3 inches to determine your length.
Secure the back rails to the bed using your countersink bit and 2 1/2″ wood screws and also fasten to the side rails if possible. The back rails will overhang by 1 1/2″ on either side and cover the ends of the side rail pieces.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired.
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidential and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Post May Contain Affiliate Links
Shopping
Showcase
I made this bed ages ago and it has a few tweaks to the design.
To Read More About This Build, Visit This Blog Post
Modifications
I used 12″ x 6″ beams for the headboard and made the sides of the bed flush instead of having an overhang.
Plans
At long last, we have the plans for another version of the twin sized house bed playhouse! You all loved the original twin sized version so much that I am rolling out the other requested sizes and each will have a slightly different variation in style, from the last. Hopefully this will let you choose your own adventure with this project, depending on your needs and how it will function.
Psst… we now have plans for a toddler sized house bed and a full sized version too that sit on the floor with a platform base and a chimney, as well as a toddler size bed rail to help keep those little in the bed!
With all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- 7 – 1×4 at 10′ – can sub for 1 sheet of 3/4″ plywood
- 6 – 2×4 at 8′
- 4 – 2×3 at 6′
- 1 – 2×2 at 6′
- 20 – 1×4’s at 39″ – Slats (Can sub for 3/4″ plywood at 39″ x 72″)
- 2 – 2×4’s at 75″ – Lower Side Rails
- 2 – 2×4’s at 39″ – Head and Foot Rails
- 4 – 2×4’s at 36″ – Posts / Legs
- 2 – 2×4’s at 29 3/4″ – Roof
- 2 – 2×4’s at 31 1/4″ – Roof
- 1 – 2×4 at 5 1/2″ – Chimney
- 1 – 2×4 at 8 1/2″ – Chimney
- 1 – 2×4 at 4 1/2″ – Chimney
- 3 – 2×3’s at 72″ – Center and Side Boards
- 2 – 2×3’s at 68″ – Upper Side Rails
- 1 – 2×2 at 68″ – Pitch Rail
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut all 6 boards to size and then bevel the 4 posts at a 45° angle, on one end, making sure to keep the length of your original cut. You will be making 2 units here and you can drill your pocket holes in the bottom rails as shown, and set your Pocket Hole Jig for 1 1/2″ material. Attach your posts to your Rails using glue and 2 1/2″ Pocket Hole Screws. Your posts will sit with the longer edge on what will be the inside and the same side as your pocket holes.
** When you bevel, you are simply cutting your board at an angle with your board laying flat and your miter saw tilting 45° rather than being turned at a 45° angle as it would be when you miter.
Create your inner frame by cutting your boards to length and attaching them to your Head and Foot Rails. If you prefer for your slats to sit flush with the rails, secure the Center and Side Boards 3/4″ down from the top edge of the Head and Foot Rails and 1/4″ up from the bottom edge. Secure the Center and Side Boards in place using your Kreg Jig set for 1 1/2″ material and 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws and glue. Attach the center board first for ease of securing with pocket hole screws and you can place the pocket holes on the outsides of the Side Boards since they won’t be seen.
Now you will attach the 3 units you have built by securing the Side Boards to the Bottom Rails with 2″ wood screws and glue. Use your countersink drill bit to pre-drill for screws that will sit flush with your boards. Since you will secure the Side Boards directly to the Bottom Rails, you can simply glue the Head and Foot Rails to the Side Boards if you wish, but there is no need to worry about securing these with screws or pocket holes.
Fasten your slats in place using 1 1/2″ brad nails or finish nails. If you don’t have a nail gun at your disposal, you can opt to use 1 1/2″ screws, just be sure to countersink them using your countersink drill bit to pre-drill and then fasten your screws with a phillips head drill bit. The slats should fit perfectly with no spaces between them, but it would be wise to dry fit just to be sure!
Now for the fun part! This looks so much more complicated than it actually is – promise! Cut your boards to length and note that you will be creating 2 units for the pitch of your roof and that the 2 boards that form one unit are not the same length. One side is going to be 1 1/2″ longer than the other. Once you have them cut to length, bevel one end of each board at 45°. Be sure to keep the length as directed when you do this. Once you have beveled the end of each board, you will create your pitch by securing the straight cut end of one long and one short piece together. Please be sure to set the short piece to the inside edge of the longer piece as you see in the diagram.
Once you have your 2 roof units created, you can secure them to your posts using glue and 2″ wood screws, downward from the top edge of your bevel down into your posts. Be sure to countersink and pre-drill so your screws are flush.
**Note that these pieces will sit flat for beveling as well as when you secure them to create your pitch. The face of your roof boards should match that of your posts and both will have the face side of your board (the 2 1/2″ side) run the length of the bed (the longer sides) rather than the width (the shorter head and foot). This means that when you look at your bed from the side, your boards will appear slightly bigger than they do when you look at your bed from the head or foot, but all should match.
Secure the rails in place using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws and glue. Cut your rails to length, noting that the top rail that runs the between the 2 roof units is a 2×2 while the Upper Side Rails are 2×3’s. The 2×3’s will sit with the face of your boards (the 2 1/2″ side) facing outward. Place pocket holes for 1 1/2″ material on either end of one face of the 2×3’s and secure to the Posts and Roof Units from the inside of your bed. Note that the top edge of your Rails will actually sit flush with the top edge of your roof board bevel. Place your pocket holes for 1 1/2″ material on either end of your 2×2 Pitch Rail and secure this sitting flush to the very top of the pitch of your Roof. Place your pocket holes on the underside of your Pitch Rail so they aren’t visible.
This last step is optional, but pretty adorable. To create a chimney, you will simply cut all 3 pieces to length, and then bevel the legs at 45°. Secure all 3 pieces together using 2″ wood screws and glue and be sure your beveled edges face the same direction and note that this chimney unit will also sit with the face of your board (the 2 1/2″ side) sitting the same way your posts and your roof sit (along the sides) with the sides of your board (the 1 1/2″ side) facing the front and back.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired.
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidental and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Post May Contain Affiliate Links
Entertaining / Home / Studio
From Fandom to FANtail in 3 Easy Colors – said no one ever… which is precisely why I am calling on you fabulous folks to help me do just such a thing! So what exactly is a FANtail you ask? Well get excited, because when we finish with it, it will be the best cocktail this side of the Mississippi – using my favorite team's colors of red, white and gold. That's right, we will be taking the art of FANdom to staggering new heights!
At least that is how I see this happening…. there might even be confetti! Or maybe just a pom pom?
And on that note, I am super excited to announce my partnership with Smirnoff Ice this fabulous football season – as we celebrate female football fans everywhere – and take those manly tailgating parties from Eek to Chic – whose with me?
First on my list is to create the ultimate FANtail using Smirnoff Ice as my foundation. Now I suppose right off the bat I am extremely lucky that my team's colors just so happen to be super easy to work with. Imagine if I had to work with black or blue… Not impossible, but certainly more difficult – amiright?
There are so many decisions to make… and I think we should make this a group project as you may have noticed… but I suppose we should start at the beginning and decide – sweet or savory? What say you?
Most of the Smirnoff Ice flavors are on the sweet side, which is naturally an easy direction to take here. But why limit ourselves to what is easy, eh? With several flavor options in the citrus family, it shouldn't be too difficult to make the leap to the savory or salty spectrum here, without things getting weird. That is always a good thing in my book. Halloween is over so there shouldn't be any fright in this delight, if you know what I mean.
Now that isn't to say that we can't make things complex and dare I say 'interesting' with our flavor combinations… Truly, there are so many directions I can see this going, so I turn to you for guidance and input along the way! I hope you will join me and let's just see how this little culinary social experiment turns out… Maybe it is like our very own 'Cocktail Idol' with voting and judging – obviously I need to think this through, but it sounds fun, don't you think?
Sweet or Savory – this will be our first decision.
On the sweet side, think strawberries, cranberries, raspberries – divine! Maybe even Rhubarb, coconut, caramel and spice…
On the savory side, think tomatoes, Sriracha, and bell peppers – delish! Maybe even radishes, radicchio, citrus and salt… Lend me your taste buds and take your pick.
A big thank you to Smirnoff Ice for partnering with me on this. This will be the first in an ongoing series and of many fun things to come and I can't wait to see where it takes us. And thank you fine folks for supporting the brands that help bring fresh new content and projects like this to The Design Confidential. I heart you guys, and as usual all ideas and opinions are my own!
Plans
By special reader request… the 90 inch table! Of course if the 65 Inch is more your speed – plans for that are here.
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- 3 – 2×12 at 8′
- 5 – 1×3 at 8′
- 2 – 6×6 at 6′
- 4 – 6×6 at 30″ (Legs)
- 2 – 1×3 at 23 3/4″ (Side Aprons)
- 6 – 1×3 at 30 1/4″ (Table Supports)
- 2 – 1×3 at 79 1/2″ (Front/Back Aprons)
- 3 – 2×12 at 90 ” (Table Tops)
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Attach the Side Aprons to the Legs. These will be fastened 1 1/2″ from the top of the leg and will sit back 1″ from the outside edge of your legs. Use your Kreg Jig set for 3/4″ material and your 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws with glue.
Build the Frame // set your Kreg Jig for 3/4″ material and create your pocket holes. Use 1 1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws and Wood Glue to fasten together.
Attach the Frame to the Legs // Use 3″ Screws and Wood Glue. Frame will sit 1 1/2″ from the top edge of the legs and will be centered front to back with a setback of 1″ from front edge of legs as well as on the backside.
Cut 3 boards to length for the top of your table. Remove a 3 1/2″ square from 2 of the corners for 2 of your boards. Use a jig saw, circular saw or router for this. Then attach your table top boards to the frame and aprons using 2″ finish nails and glue.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidential and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Post May Contain Affiliate Links
Showcase
I work for an excellent employer that allowed me to build my own desk instead of ordering a pre-fab one from one of the big box retailers. I'm really proud of what I was able to put together as this was my first real foray into furniture-building. There were a couple issues with the assembly order that I found while building from the plan on TDC, but thankfully I was looking far enough ahead to anticipate them and adjust the plans. I finished the desk about 6 weeks ago, but I'll work hard to remember what I encountered.
For the desk, I got 3/4″ maple 7-ply plywood and true cabinetmaker's maple 1×2″s (more on this later). To save on costs, I bought cheaper plywood (13-ply chinese birch) from the same place for the interior pieces (mostly the drawer boxes). I used optimalon's cut optimizer (http://www.optimalon.com/index.htm) to make sure I used wood efficiently. Since I wasn't using traditional dimensional lumber, I bought 200 BF of 1×2″ and trimmed it all down to the actual dimensions (3/4″x11 1/12'), then glued the 1×2's together after they have been trimmed on the table saw to get the number of 2×2's I needed.
To save weight and materials, I nixed the full plywood divider, and replaced it with a full frame of 1×2 around the underside of the top assembly. That way, it was easier to install drawer slides later, as well as make adjustments to other portions.
I also put a back on the desk since it wasn't going up against a wall. If you're going to do that, you need to purchase a 3rd sheet of plywood as there won't be enough material with just the two in the list.
This was also my first project with the Kreg Jig, and I loved working with it! I have definitely learned that I need to be more consistent about clamping with screwing together pieces, there are a number of pieces on the desk that don't sit as flush as I would like because I screwed them together without any clamping. Learn from my mistakes!
Speaking of mistakes, you'll notice the top has a sort of cross pattern with 1×2 and plywood panels. That was done because I made a bad cut on the piece meant for the top of the desk. It was a 1/2″ too narrow at one end, so I put the 1×2's in as a frame and filled it in with pieces I measured twice and cut once! I wish I had done it right from the beginning, but the end result looks on purpose and I'm happy with it!
I don't know what else to write about the project, but I'd love to answer any questions you may have about the build and the plans from my experience with them!
Estimated Cost
I spent about $500 on wood, screws, and the Kreg Jig for this project. The 7-ply exterior pieces of plywood were most expensive at $77 each, but they were worth it for the quality. Very good to work with. I bought the wood at Nashville Plywood, in case you're in the area. They were great to work with, even for a rookie like me.
Length of Time
I worked on this project for about 30 hours total. It would have been shorter if I had a garage, but I had to move stuff (tools and materials) in and out of the house each time I wanted to work on it, so that exacerbated the time and space significantly to build.
Modifications
I'd avoid the full middle panel and frame it instead with 1×2's. That way, no edge finishing to do on plywood, and it saves a ton of weight without sacrificing any strength or functionality. It also allows to you drill holes in the top to run cable and such without having to remove the drawers. Makes for a cleaner desktop without wires.
I also just screwed the drawer fronts in the normal way, I didn't assemble them per instructions. Fewer screws and less time.
I secured all of the side and back panels by drilling with the Kreg jig instead of doing brad nails or anything like that.
Lumber Used
I had 200 feet of maple 1×2 that I glued together to make my 2×2's as well as using for the 1×2's./p>
2 4×8 sheets of plywood for top, back, sides, and drawer fronts
1 cheap 4×8 sheet of plywood for drawer boxes (could have probably used less, but have extra to play with now!)
1 sheet of 1/4″ plywood for drawer bottoms, plus one extra small piece I had to go back and buy (no way to make the drawer bottoms with just one piece, measurements don't work out)
Finishing Technique
Brushed on Minwax Early American stain. Will put poly on later, I'm not so good with coasters and know it's only a matter of time!
Read up on ways to make accurate repeat cuts. That's the one thing I had wished I had done, it would have saved many headaches in fitting everything up in the end. Still some things I need to fix in that regard, but having it together with flaws is way better than not having it together.
Entertaining / Home / Studio
We may only be a few days into November, but I’m ready to start thinking about Christmas. Luckily, it is time for the annual Michael’s Dream Tree Challenge, so if you need a little inspiration, I’ve got you dialed in. And of course there are the other 50 makers out there who will share their trees today as well so there is no shortage of Holiday Cheer to be found!
The Holidays are such an interesting time in the world of media since we tend to focus on Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas virtually all at once and always much earlier than most. It isn’t unusual to have Halloween on one side of the room and Christmas on the other so this year I decided to create my dream tree in terms of style, of course, but also for comfort and ease of enjoyment.
The tree has a way of needing a decent amount of square footage in a space, and it’s often difficult to work around and keep from feeling fussy and unmanageable. You know the drill… decorate the tree, then hope no one touches a single branch because there is no way you will get things back to how you have them – which of course is perfectly, perfect just so. The tree basket is the perfect solution for much of this and is the star of the show without doubt since it ties the tree into my decor seamlessly and is the key to making this tree feel easy and carefree. You can find one at your local Michael’s and if you hurry, they may still be on sale!
My decorations are a combination of handmade and natural elements, with a dash of glitz and glam thrown in here and there. Feathers and eucalyptus alongside natural wooden shapes and beads aplenty. This tree has a little bit of all the things I love and works perfect with everything else in this space.
This little family of mine loves this time of year because we all love the sparkle and the glow that comes from holiday decorations. Naturally, keeping things kid friendly is important so my littles can love the tree the way they tend to and I have no fear of them breaking something or getting hurt in the process.
There are many handmade ornaments and modified items all throughout this tree and I will be sharing all the details for them throughout the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for those to roll through and in the meantime, feel free to check out the other 49 beauties from all my gal pals across the interwebs!
Inspired to start decorating your own tree? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the other 49 Michaels Makers’ dream holiday trees that were created this year. Psst… From now until November 14, you can get FREE shipping on all Christmas trees that are 6ft or taller on Michaels.com!
Design / Home / Shopping / Studio
This post brought to you by Unstopables
The challenge… to bring the new Unstopables line into my décor in a way that lets me experience the amazing scent, without having to sacrifice style. The outcome… super easy to achieve and rather good looking too, if you ask me.
I have mentioned more than a few times that I seriously dislike bad smells and also that I adore amazing smells. Naturally I have tried more than my fair share of products to find a few that work for me without overwhelming my sensitive and allergy-prone family. It just so happens that the smell of fresh, clean laundry is one of those universal scents that we all love, and I personally can’t get enough of. As luck would have it, the Fresh scent smells just like that and happens to be a gorgeous shade of blue, which works with the décor in most of my spaces. Yahoo.
The color and pattern on the glass lend well for creating a bold space, which is definitely my thing, so I rounded up a few of my accessories to show you the direction you might take with this and how you might keep the design elevated and grounded without being over the top.
Blue and yellow are a natural pairing for high-contrast spaces, but what fun would it be if we played it safe? A mustard hue paired with the pale teal like you see above is perhaps a much more interesting way to make that color combo a bit more youthful and chic.
For this vignette I chose to focus more on the warmer, coppery hues to pair with this pale teal color and since orange is adjacent to yellow on the color wheel, yellow being the contrasting color for blue, stepping one hue over in this instance results in a relatively high-contrast pairing that is just a tad bit more subdued and complementary feeling. Still bold, but not cold. The warmer hue seems to really ground the high-contrast nature of the other pieces and that is extremely important when you are walking the line of high-contrast design. Editing your accessories in this way will help you stay on the right side of the design fence without going over into the realm of crazy and chaotic. Black accents are a must when trying to balance and enhance the bold pattern of the Unstopables products and the color of the candle itself should, too, be well played and feel intentional in your space. You can easily achieve this by peppering the color throughout your space in coordinating shades of blue – both lighter and darker work well – it need not be exact.
If you like that fresh, clean smell like I do, you will be excited to hear they also have a laundry scent booster to keep your clothes smelling amazing, longer (yeeesssss), and a fabric refresher spray that is just about my favorite thing ever. With the number of vintage pieces that roll through here, a scented fabric refresher spray is relatively crucial, but I love to spray the fabric of my newer pieces as well. With two boys, two dogs, and a husband, you can imagine how things can need a refreshing every so often.
If you prefer a lighter or more feminine color or scent, there are a number of other options and the peachy pink color called Glow is To. Die. For. So good. I have been using it for boosting the scent of my laundry since I seem to have become immune to that fabric softener smell I adore so much – I guess you could call it overuse – but who’s keeping track, eh?
So what say you? Are you a scent-loving nut like I am? Do you prefer a fresh, clean kind of scent or maybe a soft feminine floral? Perhaps a sultry scent is more your speed and the kind of mood you prefer to set in your home?
SOURCES // Fresh Scent Unstopables
Lamp / Copper Vase – Vintage Nate Berkus for Target / Midcentury Vase – Vintage / Basket – Vintage Target / Towel – Vintage Nate Berkus for Target but these and these are Similar / Bird – Vintage / Small Art / Pillow / Large Art / Mid Century Dresser – Vintage
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Unstopables through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about Unstopables, all opinions are my own
DIY / Entertaining / Home / Studio
Brought to you in partnership with Painters
I don’t know about you guys, but once fall is upon us, we begin a fairly intense season of entertaining. With both holidays and a massive number of birthdays that all happen in a four month period, I am always in need of simple yet gorgeous ideas for gifts and that add a bit of that something special to my décor when I am playing host! This is just one of those projects that would be a fabulous hostess gift, a much appreciated gift for new homeowners or newlyweds, and would add that holiday sparkle to your table in a snap.
Psst… Painters is having a monthly contest between now and December where you can make your own amazing creations using Painters. They are giving each monthly winner a prize valued at $500! Yahoo! There will be five different themes for the Style by Aisle with Painters Contest (through December) based on store “aisles.” You can submit photos of your homemade creations on elmers.com/painters, and while you are at it, download a coupon and go crazy with colors or tips. Go to the website to learn more!
November’s theme is Kitchen + Dining so get crafting and share your creations on social media with #StyleByAisle and #PaintersStyle. This contest officially launches Nov. 2 so start dreaming up something good!
While this particular tutorial walks through the steps for making napkins, just know that this method will work for most fabric based projects, so grab your painters and let’s get to it.
I decided to use linen because it is the epitome of casual luxury, which is my preference for pretty much everything. It also happens to be really easy to tear, which for me, is a much more reliable way to get straight edges. Dinner napkins are typically 20-22 inch squares for an informal setting so I went with 20 and marked off the dimensions by giving each corner a little cut with my scissors. That cut then worked as my starting point to rip the fabric into cute little squares. Depending on the amount of fabric you have, you can very likely rip a strip that is 20 inches wide, then rip that into 20 inch sections for a bit of mass production on this step.
I chose a metallic gold Painter with a medium round tip for my napkins in white linen and a silver metallic for those on the darker linen.
If you are working on a pattern that is location specific with rows or columns, start by folding your napkin as you would for a place setting. That would be in half, and then in fourths by folding the sides inward to the half way point and then in half again. This will create a nice guide for making sure your design is sitting pretty when it is folded and set out.
I wanted coordinating patterns that are each different and yet all work well together and would dress things up without shouting ‘Christmas’ or ‘fall’ specifically. A retro star, abstract plaid, and dotty confetti pattern are a fabulous trio and there are dozens of possibilities here. Think monograms or hand lettered words like ‘cheers’ and ‘celebrate’… I’m essentially ready to decorate all the things everywhere! This project is actually simple enough that you can even get personal and use this as a sweet little take away that also plays the role of place cards for your dinner party guests with their names decoratively written on their very own napkin. If you make those napkins slightly larger, they can double as a tea towel and you will essentially blow their minds!
For a more abstract pattern that doesn’t involve written words or monograms, you don’t need the fold guides, but you should add your design to both ends of your napkin so that it looks good regardless of how it is folded.
TIP // Keep your tip wet by replacing the lid and giving your painter a bit of a shake or by pressing it onto a piece of paper. Once you reload the paint, be sure to give it a bit of use on a paper or scrap fabric so you don’t end up with bleed from an overflowing marker.
There are no less than one million color options available in the Painters (fairly certain that is an accurate number, but don’t quote me on it) and several tip styles to choose from including chisel style and fine point, so you can create anything your heart desires.
Once you finish your designs, you will want to heat set them with a household iron. I chose my heat setting based on the type of fabric and made sure to keep my iron moving in a circular motion for about 30 seconds for all areas of my design.
Start to finish this project took no more than twenty minutes and a decent portion of that was spent contemplating my design so this has definitely become a major fave in my list of creations. I have big plans for these in the coming months, so hopefully my family isn’t reading right now – fingers crossed!
This project was brought to you in partnership with Painters Style by Aisle. Thank you guys for supporting the brands that help bring fresh new content like this to The Design Confidential! I heart you guys. All opinions and ideas are my own.
Plans
A favorite for many of you, this plan is the Queen sized version of our King Canopy Bed! Yahoo.
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- 8 – 4×4 at 8’
- 14 – 2×8 at 8’
- 7 – 2×4 at 8”
- 4 – 4×4 at 84” – Posts
- 2 – 4×4 at 61” – Front and Back Frame
- 2 – 4×4 at 92-1/4” – Frame Sides
- 2 – 2×4 at 61” – Front and Back Top Rails
- 2 – 2×4 at 92-1/4” – Top Rail Sides
- 2 – 2×8 at 61” – Front and Back Platform
- 2 – 2×8 at 92-1/4” – Platform Sides
- 2 – 2×4 at 92-1/4” – Cleats
- 1 – 2×4 at 92-1/4” – Center Support
- 2 – 2×4 at 3-3/4” – Center Support Legs
- 13 – 2×8 at 61” – Slats
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the Posts, Front and Back Frame, and Frame Sides. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the Frame pieces. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. At this point, the Bed is upside down so that it is easier to assemble. Make sure that the pocket holes will face the ceiling when the bed is turned right side up.
Flip the piece over. Next, cut the pieces for the Front, Back and Side Top Rails. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the Top Rail pieces. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. Make sure that the pocket holes face the floor when assembled.
Cut the pieces for the Front, Back, and Side Platform pieces. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the Platform pieces. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. Make sure the pocket holes face the inside of the Bed when assembled. In addition to the pocket screws, you can use 2” wood screws to attach the Top Rails to the Platform pieces.
Cut the pieces for the Cleats. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the Cleats. Assemble to the Platform Sides as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. In addition to the pocket screws, you can use 2” wood screws to attach the Cleats to the Platform.
Cut the pieces for the Center Support and Center Support Legs. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in the top ends of the Center Support Legs and in each end of the Center Support. Attach the Center Support Legs to the Center Support with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. Attach the Center Support to the Front and Back Platform pieces and assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws.
Cut the pieces for the Slats. Attach the Slats to the Cleats and assemble as shown with glue and 2” wood screws.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidential and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Affiliate links are used for tools and materials. The Design Confidential will earn a small commission for any items purchased using these links. Thank you for your support – every little bit counts!
Home / Shopping / Studio
I have a little story to tell you guys. Like many stories, even those with happy endings, this one begins with a tragedy that would only later become a near miss and a lesson learned the hard way.
You see, when we moved to the house we live in currently, Blake had just turned 5 and Penn was just 5 months old, and while both were obviously quite young, Blake was already a very conscious, forward thinking, and reasonably aware child. Unlike the other homes we have lived in over the years, this new home had honeycomb cellular shades on all of the windows. Considered an upgrade by most standards, with heat blocking characteristics and light filtering capabilities. But for me, they were cumbersome because I need the natural light and to see the view, which means I have to pull them up entirely and can no longer simply tilt open to let the light in.
A unique combination of things, including the age of this home, the ridiculously tall height of each and every window, and my obsession with having the shades open, means that a sturdy unyielding cord hangs down from each of those blinds that is no less than 90 inches, in total. Hanging as if to lure children in with the temptation of something fun to swing from. I think you can probably see where I am going with this… This home is not old, by any means, yet apparently it is old enough that the window treatments don’t have child safety features built into them – just in case. Many blinds have a safety release that will pop the blind out of the mount, or a portion of the cord that snaps off when weight is applied to them, and all of mine had some form of this over the last 10 years. Brand new window treatments now have a completely cordless option or a continuous loop to help keep your kiddos from strangulation. I learned that mine don’t have this – the hard way – one quiet afternoon shortly after we moved in.
You can see the window line in my family room in the image above. There isn’t a window in this entire house that doesn’t sit below a standard height piece of furniture. On the one hand, this is dreamy, but on the other…
Let me preface this by saying that never having ever had to pull the blinds up on a single window in my entire life, never having windows this tall (long? whatever), having Blake be the age that he was, and my assuption that every house built in the mid 2000’s or later had fixtures with these safety features I mentioned earlier built into them (especially the high end fixtures)… the danger of that dangling cord never even occured to me. Literally – not a single thought. If you know me in real life, you know that I tend to be a worrier. Inside, I am the crazy, fearful, terrified of the ‘what-if’, stupid accident happening and harming my children type of gal. So needless to say that if I thought there was something to worry about, I definitely would have. Not to mention Blake and I had the ‘talk’ many times in his life prior to this, about never touching the cords and what could happen. He could never even come close to reaching them anyhow, unless he was standing on something.
And then my sweet blue-eyed boy was playing with the cord, swinging it wildly back and forth and letting it wrap around his neck like a tether ball. I had no idea he was doing this mind you, because at the time I was putting Penn down for a nap upstairs. Several minutes later, Blake wandered up and was telling me his neck hurt. I asked him to show me where it was hurting and he got a little tearful as he typically does when he is trying to be tough but is actually a bit hurt. He pointed to the side of his neck which appeared fine from where I was sitting and he said he thought he scraped it. That might have been a red flag if it were any other kid, but my kids in particular inherited their weirdness from me and so mention of a scrape on the neck wouldn’t have been the oddest thing to ever have happened. Though I can usually tell when an odd claim such as that is more of a reference to how it feels than to what actually happened and that is what I figured here. He was describing that stinging, burning sensation that happens when you get rug burn or a scrape on the knee. When he got a little closer to me I could see that a line was starting to show. It did indeed look a bit like a scrape and even more like he had been running with a stick in his hand and it hadn’t ended well. Over the course of the next 20 minutes a full burn mark appeared and wrapped around the front of his neck from ear to ear. When I pressed him further about what happened he finally managed to tell me that he was jumping off the furniture and surfing the sofas as he often does and that the cord from the blinds got wrapped around his neck and choked him.
I started to cry, finally realizing what he was attempting to tell me and seeing the complete situation unfold in my mind. Running through the horrific details and what he must have just experienced – what he could have experienced. He was frightened and while I still don’t know to this day exactly how things actually unfolded, I know enough to know just how scary this almost was. The mark on his neck was so severe that I kept him out of school for an entire week while it healed. You see, until you experience seeing the unmistakable appearance of a rope burn around the neck of a little kid, you honestly can’t know the horror and I honestly can’t even put it to words. This goes for any child, not just your own. Had I seen this on someone else’s child, I wouldn’t have been able to shake that image from my mind, and may have burst into tears at the sight of it. It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen or experienced as a mom so far. My worst nightmare – and I am one of the lucky ones. I didn’t have to experience the loss of my child to understand the danger and to figure out that everything I thought I knew, wasn’t actually true.
They say ignorance is bliss, and I suppose in this case it was, until that terrible day. Having never had a reason to raise the blinds before living here, all of the cords were up and out of the way, even when they were danging down, so this was unique for him as well. Maybe my warnings didn’t resonate since the circumstances were different here, or maybe he was young and the power of temptation was too great to heed my words. And maybe he simply forgot – kids do that. There is nothing that will draw a child in like a dangling cord. Since then I have rigged make-shift cord wraps at every window to wrap the cord up and out of the way. But children will always find a way if they really want to. Luckily he doesn’t, and may never touch another cord like these ever again in his life, but now Penn is 3 and a force to be reckoned with. So rather than live in this fear I have, I am ready to replace these death-traps and upgrade the window situation altogether. For safety and for style.
We have no molding or trim around our windows, just a simple drywall return. And while the shades are relatively high end, they match the wall color so closely that they somehow look dingy and undeniably blah. With furniture that rubs against the drywall thanks to those low lying windows, the paint is beginning to wear and with curtains that are never left alone by my boys and the dogs and that spend most of their time tied up in a knot and off of the floor… let’s just say everything is ready for a major update and refresh. I want to streamline and I would love to replace the shades with something that looks beautiful on it’s own – curtains or not – and is lasting and classic. No more temporary solutions.
I had a lovely gal from Smith + Noble come out for a design consult. We settled on a gorgeous neutral linen in a classic roman shade. They have a cordless option available for this, which is incredible, though with the height of my windows, it maybe be hard for me to reach. They also have a continuous loop option that is perfect for putting my mind at ease and would still allow me to reach the pulley to raise and lower easily. Even their standard cords can be locked in place so they don’t dangle. Of course we are now talking about an upgrade that will take many years to do all throughout this house, but hopefully I can tackle this one room at a time. I will try to make this a priority as I refresh paint, add trim and update other general fixtures as well.
These mock-ups are what I envision the roman shades will look like and what I hope to work toward over the next several months (years probably). If I trim out the windows themselves, then I should have the option to do away with the fussy curtains altogether if I like. In the spaces where we spend a lot of time, and the boys do a lot of playing, no dangling curtains sounds amazing. The dust and dog hair they pick up is unreal.
If you have kids, and you need to upgrade your #WindowSafety -do it in style – #SafeandStylish. Smith + Noble is hosting a giveaway for $1000 toward new window treatments, so go forth and enter (I did)! If you have existing shades or blinds in place, they will give you $50 trade-in value for every blind you trade in. They also have a handy little guide to help you child-proof your existing window treatments. A must if you aren’t looking to replace or install new blinds or shades any time soon. With no less than 8 million windows in this house, I should rack up the discounts, no? Fingers crossed because this little mama bird is terrified of what my younger daredevil child will attempt. He is a definite hazard.
