If you’re into aquarium fish and need a sturdy and inexpensive tank stand, building your own aquarium stand is a good woodworking project that’s not too difficult for someone with a few basic carpentry skills. You can use a variety of woods and vary the stain to suit your decorating style. You’ll also be able to add finishing components to dress up your stand, or you can use minimal decorative elements to keep your cost down.

This stand is very sturdy, as it must support the weight of a 55-gallon tank. The plan calls for double 2x4 members at the corners and a fully reinforced shelf that can accommodate a 10-gallon quarantine tank. There’s also lots of room to hold all the miscellaneous supplies, food and testing equipment your little colony will need.

The shell of the stand is made of furniture grade plywood, and it can be stained and varnished with a waterproof sealant to protect the finish. This stand features four doors with simple framing and blends with almost any décor.

Free Arbor Plans

The slight curves on the upper edges of the top beams, the curved cutouts on the bracing and the gentle concave arc at the ends of the crossbeams give this lattice-enclosed arbor a stately Oriental feel that blends with almost any garden or patio style.

This freestanding structure is built with cedar for durability, and standard dimensional lumber for ease of construction and cost. The only special tool you’ll need is a jigsaw to cut your curves, so this is a good project for a beginning wood worker.

Using this basic plan as a starting point, you can customize the styling to fit the design style of your home and property. Add a bench beneath the arbor, and you’ve created a quiet retreat for reading and relaxing.

Building a tree house for your kids is a real labor of love. It’s basically like building a small shed. However, it’s a little more rigorous than the building the average shed, as you’re doing all the construction seven or more feet in the air. Add to that the fact that you’re attaching it to a tree with sporadic, free-form branches, you’re standing on a wobbly ladder, and you can see just what a labor of devotion this project is.

This tree house is designed to do as little damage to the tree as possible. The platform frame encircles the trunk of the tree and is secured in place with four sturdy braces. The weight of the structure rests on the bracing, which in turn rests against the tree trunk. This ensures that the house remains secure and stable in high winds.
Once you’ve completed and installed the floor framing, you can enclose the structure in any style your little darlings can imagine. The shell can resemble a fort, a king’s tower, a whimsical cottage or a pirate ship. Sit down with your kids, a pad of drawing paper and do a little brainstorming. You can build the tree house of their dreams, and you’ll probably relive a little of your youth.