Black and Decker's Basic Shed, shown with glass doors

Black and Decker, Inc. calls their 8′x12′ shed a Basic Storage Shed. it is that, but it can be more. They have designed a simple 8′x12′ platform and stud-wall building that has higher side walls than most sheds. You can build it with simple doors and no windows for the maximum storage space. That way, you can hang tools and shelves on the walls and still have plenty of space left for your lawn mower, bikes and such.

However, you can also take advantage of the high walls for adding windows and doors wherever you want them. Add a potting bench and windows on the south wall of your shed to get your Spring seedlings off to a great start. Have north windows for a little backyard studio. Or, add French doors to create an attractive poolside cabana.

The finish materials for the basic shed also are true to its name: asphalt roof shingles, plywood siding, and simple trim details are appropriately practical. But, you can easily dress your building up with a cupola, siding to match your home and window boxes. You can purchase prehung doors and windows in any style, or build your own using the project plans.

At 96 square feet, the structure is below many building department’s minimum size for required design review. It’s planned to be build on pressure treated wooden skids, without a permanent foundation. Because of that and the small size, you may be able to build it without obtaining a permit. Check that with your community’s building official.

The plans are accompanied by a complete materials list and an illustrated building guide with step-by-step instructions.

Click here to see the Basic Storage Shed’s floor plan and to use the free plans, material list and building guide >>>

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Custom RV Garage and Workshop

For do-it-yourselfers who want to add extra storage space or just want to protect their car from the elements, BigHammer Software’s Garage Designer is the tool to use. Garage Designer uses a grid system that allows you to precisely create the exact size building you need by clicking and dragging. It is so precise that you can size your building to the inch.

Design your dream garage, workshop or storage barn. Then, click and drag it to the exact size you need. Choose a wall height from as low as 4′ up to 16′ to accommodate RVs and other large vehicles. Then, choose between several types of entry doors and garage doors.

After you’re happy with the design, Garage Designer provides all the information you need to transform your garage, barn or workshop plan into reality. You can see your building in a variety of ways, including 3D, plan, and dimensioned front, back & side views. Then, you can print your custom plans and have them at hand throughout your building project.

You can also print a complete material shopping list. You’ll know all your material quantities immediately so you can get accurate prices before you start to build. Garage Designer assures that you’ll never be caught running back to the lumber yard for forgotten supplies. Instead, you’ll be efficiently constructing your ideal, do-it-yourself garage. Your personal shopping list will help you buy everything you need the first time, right down to the nail.

The inexpensive, downloadable program comes with a free, full color garage building guide book that will take you step-by-step through the construction process.

Click here to read more >>>

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This attractive mini-barn, designed and built by Monte Burch, was featured on the pages of Extreme How-To magazine. It’s 8′ wide by 11′ deep with two wide doors at each end. If you have a hard-to-maneuver implement or vehicle, like a garden tractor with a tiller or trailer, you can just drive it in one door and out the other. Of course, you could also omit one set of doors for a more conventional storage shed.

Pole-style construction provides an economical method of building, even if the shed is built on a sloping lot. A dirt or gravel floor makes the little barn easy to drive in to. It also saves the cost of a wooden platform or concrete slab floor. This project is a great way to learn pole building techniques. And, you’ll have a pretty, gambrel roof yard barn when you’re done.

The illustrated, step by step building guide includes clear diagrams and photographs. Monte Birch is the author of Pole Building Projects and other popular do-it-yourself books. He knows how to build and how to explain the process to the rest of us.

Click here for the Pole Frame Shed building guide >>>

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DIY Cabin from Mother Earth News

Builder Steve Maxewell states that “Many people dream of building a cabin or cottage in the woods, beside a lake, along a bubbling brook or on top of a mountain with sweeping views. But cabins are not just for wilderness living. They also can offer cozy space as a guest room, an artists’ retreat, a craft center or a small office”.

In a great article from a 2006 issue of Mother Earth News magazine, he shows you how to build a 14-by-20-foot cabin with a sleeping loft over a shady front porch.

The economical little house is designed for easy framing. Concrete pier footings let the cabin adapt to any terrain, including sloping, rough and rocky ground. Maxwell gives you extensive step-by-step building instructions and a complete material list. A beautiful isometric drawing and details by Len Churchill make the project easy to understand.

Read the article and see the drawings here >>>

If building a cabin from scratch seems too difficult, don’t worry. The article includes a list of similar cabins that you can order as easy-to-assemble kits.

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Build a mantle like this yourself

Mantles can be as rustic as a log set in river rock or as refined as the most elegant piece of furniture. You can design and then build the perfect one for your fireplace with the help of this illustrated, step by step guide by Larry Walton, from the pages of Extreme How-To Magazine.

Extreme How-To magazine provides the latest information on tools, techniques and home-improvement technology for the extreme handyman. It’s a comprehensive resource for today’s do-it-yourselfer. Having the right equipment, materials and building strategies to complete tasks is of crucial importance. Answering this demand, Extreme How-To provides tips on everything from adding a room, creating a patio or refinishing a deck, to installing a window, building a retaining wall or reconstructing a floor.

Extreme How-To sets itself apart from other home-improvement publications not only with dynamic graphic design, but also with an editorial focus that challenges its readers with professional-grade projects. Their stories focus on the tough projects often relegated to remodeling contractors but doable for the seasoned handyman.

Read the step-by-step guide to see if you’re ready to take on the mantle building project >>>

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Click here to enter your name and e-mail address to get an absolutely free, no obligation subscription today >>>

The Back Home Newsletter presents free building plans, videos and woodwork projects from a variety of sources. It also covers inexpensive blueprints, do-it-yourself kits and easy-to-use design/build software. Most importantly, it focuses on buildings and projects that are simple and inexpensive to build and to maintain.

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Garden Oak Garage

The Garden Oak series of garages and workshops, from TodaysPlans.com starts with a sturdy 24′ wide, two bay garage with pull-down stairs to a high and dry storage loft. You can build yours at 22′, 24′ or 26′ deep. Leave plenty of room on your property on either side. The drawings include plans for 12′ wide expansion sheds for more storage space or extra garage bays. You can also plan on using one of the easy-to-build sheds as your hobby shop, studio, workshop or home office.

Construction of this garage uses standard 2×6 studs and 2×8 roof rafters. The free plan set that you can download includes optional foundation and slab details to suit your needs. Building material lists may be printed online. The drawings are intended for experienced builders and use standard methods, abbreviations and symbols. They do not include step-by-step building directions. The Garden Oak Garage is a fairly large building and is not recommended as a project for first-time builders.

Click here to see the Garden Oak Garage’s floor plan and to read more about it at TodaysPlans.com >>>

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Properly storing garden tools, fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides is important not only for safety, but also for ease of use. This 2′x4′ lean-to garden tool shed is easy to build and takes the clutter out of your garage.

You can get an illustrated, step by step building guide and material list, by Monte Burch, from the pages of Extreme How-To Magazine.

Extreme How-To magazine provides the latest information on tools, techniques and home-improvement technology for the extreme handyman. It’s a comprehensive resource for today’s do-it-yourselfer. Having the right equipment, materials and building strategies to complete tasks is of crucial importance. Answering this demand, Extreme How-To provides tips on everything from adding a room, creating a patio or refinishing a deck, to installing a window, building a retaining wall or reconstructing a floor.

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Rockler's Free Catalog

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Store offers top quality, hard-to-find power tools, wood shop furniture, hand tools, unusual woods and venerers, woodworking how-to books and videos and great furniture and outdoor project plans. If you’re looking for gifts that any woodworker would love, here are some ways to give them without having to leave home.

1. Visit Rockler.com - Search online through their 9,000+ different items and order just the right gift online or by phone.

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Click here to read more or to order a gift card, subscription or free catalog >>>

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Harvest Kitchen Table Plans

The Movable Feast kitchen island, by Neal Barrett, is more than a kitchen-cabinet stranded in the middle of the room. Instead, it’s inspired by the classic worktables of rural America, blended with the utility you’d expect of a modern cabinet. It combines harvest table charm with uptown style. The result is a counter-height work-station with drawers, a pullout waste bin, a storage shelf and a drop-leaf top. Best of all, this island isn’t nailed down-you can relocate it to suit the occasion, and take it with you if you move.

Over the years, Popular Mechanics Magazine has featured a variety of backyard building, home improvement and do-it-yourself woodwork projects as feature articles. Now, they offer many of the best projects on their website. These in-depth articles are illustrated with plans, photos and detailed isometric views. They follow the project from the planning stage through final finishing. The articles are step-by-step guides that will help you build the perfect project.

Get your free downloadable plans and step-by-step building instructions >>>

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