Do-It-Yourself Project Plans

I’m a self-trained builder. Most of what I know came from building something, figuring out what worked, figuring out what didn’t, and then doing it better the next time.

That experience eventually became my DIY playset plans. Now I’m expanding the idea.

Over the years, I’ve built furniture, shop projects, mailbox covers, playground equipment and plenty of things that started simply because I had good wood left over and wasn’t willing to throw it away. Some projects were built to solve a problem. Others were built because I wanted to see if an idea would work.

Now I’m going to start turning more of those projects into plans and sharing them here. Build them the way I did, change them to fit what you need, or just use them as inspiration for something completely different.

And if you take one of my ideas and make it your own — or have something you’ve built that might inspire somebody else — I want to see that too.

Build Your Own Playset Plans

My DIY playset plans grew out of years of building, repairing and moving wooden playsets and swing sets. Every time I built one, I found something I could simplify, strengthen or make easier for the next person to build.
Eventually, I started putting that experience on paper.
Today, the playset plans are still the most developed part of my DIY plan collection. They aren't intended to lock you into one finished playground. They're designed to give you a solid starting point that you can build as shown, add to over time, or modify to fit your backyard and your family.

Ready to build? Explore Jack's Backyard DIY Playset Plans.

My mailbox cover — one of the projects I'm turning into DIY plans.

Do-It-Yourself Outdoor Plans

Not everything I build starts with a set of plans. Sometimes I need something. Sometimes I have an idea I want to try. And sometimes there's a pile of perfectly good wood in the shop that I'm simply not willing to throw away. That's where a lot of these projects come from.
For years, most of my time was spent building playsets and treehouses for other people. That's changing. I'm stepping away from most of the construction work, which finally gives me more time to get back into my shop, build some of the things I've been thinking about, and turn more of them into DIY plans.

The mailbox cover and picnic table shown here are two examples, and there are plenty more scattered around my shop and backyard. As I turn those projects into usable plans, I'll add them here. Build them the way I did, change the materials, change the dimensions, or use the plans as a starting point for something completely different. That's part of the fun.

More projects. More plans. And finally, more time to make them happen.

Kid-size picnic table — another shop project I'm working toward turning into a DIY plan.

Show Me What You're Building

Gluing up 2x6 lumber to make the larger beams for my outdoor concrete-top ping pong table.

Sometimes you get a woodworking project in your head and no matter how hard you try, you can't shake it loose — but you still can't quite figure out how to move forward. My chosen craft has taken me down that path plenty of times. Fortunately, friends with similar minds have shared their thoughts on my projects and helped me clear the sawdust.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything. I'm self-trained, and a lot of what I've learned came from trying something, making mistakes, talking to other people who build things and figuring out a better way to do it next time.

That's part of what I want this page to be about.

If you've built one of my plans, changed one of my designs, or have a project of your own that might inspire somebody else, send it to me. Share what you've learned, what you changed, or even what you would do differently next time.
Maybe somebody else will see your idea and think, I could build that.

Share Your Project With Jack