These are way too expensive for me to buy, but I think they'd be a long-lasting source of good play for Sam, so I'd like to make one or a pair. I'm handy with wood and tools, just balking a bit at designing them.

If you have playstands, have you made your own or did you buy them? If you made your own, did you wing it or did you use plans? And are there any features you would change or add to yours to improve them (whether you made or bought them)?

If you have no clue what I'm talking about, here is a link to a picture:
http://www.achildsdream.com/playthings/dream_play_stand.htm

Thanks in advance!

Tara

LOL...I'm bumping because just today I was looking online for any instructions to make something similar!

:)
Janice

They are super easy to make mama. My dh made some for dd. I can take a pic for you and measure them tonight or tomorrow cause i gotta go out right now.
Peace
steph

Okay here are the measurements of the playstands dh made.
42 inches high X 43 inches wide
The shelf is 8" up from the floor so it has a low center of gravity and won't tip as easily and makes a little bench for dd to sit on.
The end boards are 3 1/2 inches wide at the top and about 9" wide at the floor.
If we made them again I would put in a dowel at the top like alison did instead of the 1x2 board
It is held together with screws and dh just sanded the edges so they wouldn't be sharp.
Also we left the stands unfinished because i prefer natural wood and wanted to be able to sand them if my little picasso coloured on them.

Janice- If you just wanted the edges so they wouldn't be sharp sanding works well but if you want them to look fancy you could use the router.

Here is a pic
http://home.cogeco.ca/~kgregory1/playstand3.jpg

Check out this site :)

http://www.waldorfresources.com/gallery/designs/playstands.html
they have "blueprints"

my father is in the process of making some for ds... they were supposed to be a b'day gift but they weren't finished in time... since we are moving at the end of the month I thought it would be better to wait until after to add more "furniture" to our home ;)

we decided to make them a bit taller than the ones pictured... 45"tall (rather than 38")
hth

if you have any specific questions I could email my father and ask him... and I know a few mamas here have made their own (there was a long post about this before the boards moved... ) :)

Here's some really nice looking ones, too:

http://www.waldorfshop.net/playstands/index.htm



Steph, I'd love measurements, if it's not too much trouble. Did your dh use a circular saw (I'm not quite sure what I'm talking about, but I assume if I wanted rounded edges, I'd need to use one...they wouldn't do that at the lumber store, would they??)

My dd would just love these.

Anyone with instructions on how to make something like the learning tower (an easier version)?
http://www.littlepartners.com/specs.htm

Janice
Hey, here's the least expensive playstands yet...you build them yourself:
http://www.naturetables.com/

Still too much for shipping to Canada, though.


Oh, Amy! Thanks for the info. You must have been posting when I was! ;)

We made our pair, it cost $40 and took 3 hours. Super easy! We bought the wood and I just drew on them how I wanted the sides shaped and dh did the rest. You don't really need plans, they are just two sides with rounded tops, one shelf and a bar across the top.

http://www.araspants.com/images/playstand.jpg

Thanks to everyone who posted links and ideas. Steph, I'd love your measurements when you get a chance.

Allison, yours is beautiful! Is that a wooden dowel (like a curtain rod) across the top? Great idea. I also like how sturdy yours look - some of the ready-made ones don't look as good. Did you just use a clear varnish on the wood to seal/protect it?

Again, thanks everyone!

Tara

nt

Allison...I agree...that playstand is gorgeous!

I'm going to ask some dumb "never been or been married to a woodworker" questions.

What type of wood is best? Do you use screws? Or nails?
What equipment is used? Circular saw? sandpaper?

For those who just have one "shelf," would you have preferred two or is one just fine?

I'm inspired. I'm sure I could find someone to do this for us. Do they do basic woodwork cutting at a lumber/hardware store?

:)

Janice

Just reread and realized Steph answered some of my questions. Thanks again Steph! Love your playstand! A router, eh?

Say...'nother question...does anyone know of a Canadian retailer of play clips?

Janice

We made them taller (I think 45") than some, and made sure they were just as long as they are tall. I wanted two shelves and I made the bottom shelf wider than the top one. If I had to do it over, I'd get the shelves a little wider than I did.

We also made a bar that goes across, linking the two together, actually two bars. Hard to explain, but it makes a square when you put it together, with the two stands parallel and the bars going across the top (cut out notches for the bars to sit on the dowels). We hung curtains on the front bar for a playhouse. The bars make it super stable, no chance of either stand tipping.

I just drew a template for my dad. He used only a jigsaw to cut the wood, even the rounded parts. We did use a router on the edges to make it super soft, then sanded it, then oiled it with sunflower oil.

Pics:
http://www.dancing-bears.com/images/playstand1.jpg
http://www.dancing-bears.com/images/playstand2.jpg
http://www.dancing-bears.com/images/playin.jpg

We just used wood screws and recessed them so that we could put in wooden plugs. I glued in the plugs..so there are no visible screws. Be careful if you do this as my kids were able to get one out and they are chokable.

I think pine is best, cedar is nice but expensive. We measured ours all out and got the basic straight cuts done at the home store. All that was left was to cut the curved piece. Wood screws are probably easiest for construction.

Originally posted by tara


Allison, yours is beautiful! Is that a wooden dowel (like a curtain rod) across the top? Great idea. I also like how sturdy yours look - some of the ready-made ones don't look as good. Did you just use a clear varnish on the wood to seal/protect it?



The top is a closet rod, a lot of people use a dowel but Ara hangs from everything and we wanted something she wouldn't snap in half. We used beeswax for a sealant. The shelf is teething height and we didn't want Simone gnawing on something with chemicals. The wood is pine. I will take measurements when I get home. I think it is 36" high. We were going to do a bottom shelf but dh split a board when making them, so we just did one shelf. I am glad we did because they use the bench and sit at it like a table and play restaurant a lot.

Janice - contact Bernice/almom/Bsknees about playclips. She bought hers and mine in Calgary (aren't you in AB?) and they were SO cheap. Her email is raabis@telusplanet.net Tell her that her favorite American sent you :)

Lauren,

Thank you so much for the advice and photos! I love this "play stand build and show" ;) Beautiful work!

Allison,

Thank you, thank you! I'll email your Canadian friend ;)

Do you find your stand to be sturdy enough (not tippy) without the lower shelf? I love the look of the higher shelf and bench. Great bench...did your dh make that, too?

What an amazing, creative and resourceful bunch of mamas we have here (as if I didn't know that already).

Janice

I wouldn't go so far as to say you are my FAVORITE.... I just tolerate ya :P

The playclips from Sunstreams in Calgary are awesome and super cheap! The other thing is once you have seen one you realize they are EXTREAMLY easy to make, if you have the proper tools. In fact I think a mama here at Amity's could make a little extra cash pretty easily if she made them, like I say they are cheap and easy to make.

Originally posted by B's Knees~almom
I wouldn't go so far as to say you are my FAVORITE.... I just tolerate ya :P



Hey lady, admit it, you love me!

Okay, dimensions of mine are 40" tall, 40" wide, 12" deep, shelf is 21" high ( I think we measured a kid table to get that height. I wanted it tall enough to stand under with the silk on top.

Ours isn't tippy, plenty sturdy without the bottom shelf, if you look closely you can see the brace under the top shelf. That is necessary if you don't do a bottom shelf. That keeps it from wobbling. both my kids sit on the shelf, so it has been wobble tested :)

Also, we made the bar on top stick out both sides so Ara could hang a "door" on it. I made a door with cording with elastic circles on both ends and two hanging curtains made from batik that can be slid open along the cording. The elastic loops just loop around the rod ends that stick out. Did that make any sense? I can take another pic of the whole thing together. We made it like that so she could make it totally enclosed, but also just take the 'door' and 'roof' off and move the playstands around.

Dh didn't make the benches, but they would be simple. We picked those up at Ikea 7 years ago.

Originally posted by Janice

I'm going to ask some dumb "never been or been married to a woodworker" questions.

What type of wood is best? Do you use screws? Or nails?
What equipment is used? Circular saw? sandpaper?

For those who just have one "shelf," would you have preferred two or is one just fine?

Do they do basic woodwork cutting at a lumber/hardware store?



Sorry, I keep missing questions. Here is what we did. We bought long 12" wide pine boards. Dh cut those into 7 40" long boards. 1 of those I marked with a pencil where I wanted the shelf, then tapered in from the shelf up to where the rounded part is, leaving the rouned part wide enough for the closet rod. Dh then used a jigsaw to cut those straight lines, curving it a bit as he got to the top. He also used the jigsaw to cut the bottom arch. He then clamped that board to the other boards, one at a time, and used a router to cut all the others. Then he took a hole saw and put the four holes in the top, tight enough that we didn't need glue or anything to hold the top bars in, they don't move but we could pry them out if we ever wanted to take them apart for storage. He then routered the edges. Then he took one of the 40" pieces and cut it in half so it was 6" wide (those are the braces) and routered the bottom edges of those. He routered both edges of the shelves. We marked where we wanted the shelves and dh predrilled the holes - two for the shelves and one for the brace for each end. Then we sanded all the boards and beeswaxed them. Then we took them home and hid them for solstice :) After Ara went to bed we screwed it together and set it up with the scarves and door. We didn't use wood plugs for the same reason we didn't glue the rod in, we wanted to be able to take it apart.

I think that is it. LMK if you have any questions. Even if you don't have all the equipment yourself, I bet you could hire a woodworker to make them for you cheaper than you can buy them. They are really simple to make if you have the know how.

Originally posted by B's Knees~almom

The playclips from Sunstreams in Calgary are awesome and super cheap!

Does this company have online ordering? or are they a local store?
I've been saving some paypal to buy some playclips, and the cheapest I have found is $5US at BornNature. I haven't ordered yet because I can't afford any extra duty charges right now... so I would love to order from a Canadian company :)
Thanks

We were planning on making some too... but I foudn the cutest wooden lemonade stand at a garage sale for $25. :-)

I have seen Allison's IRL, and my kids played with it, too. They all loved it, and it was so open ended.

We are planning to get some pretend food and a cash register for the lemonade stand. We'll use it in our homeschooling next year to help teach money.

Heather

Oh a lemonade stand sounds like it would be wonderful! There are so many shapes of things that could give kids a lot of pleasure. My project for later in the year was going to see if I could build a fold up puppet theatre (the floor kind)...I love those!

Amy, I pm'd ya. I'll check out with the people at the store about the clips.
:)

Allison...great, detailed information. Thank you. If I can find someone to do it...that all is so clear. Did you just rub hard beeswax into the wood? It's a beautiful color and must smell lovely.

I don't quite understand what you're saying about the door. It's early for me, though, so I'll try to read it later to see if it makes sense. :)

Janice
Okay...just reread...it makes perfect sense! I think the "cording" confused me lol! Thanks Allison.

My Dh built some from modified plans off the waldorf resources site. They are really beautiful. We have one shelf, which is better than two, I think. We used wooden dowels and made them longer than the playstands themselves so as to hang things, etc from them. They are made out of pine planks, held together with wooden pegs, except the underside of the shelves, which have screwed in supports. We used a beeswax finish, which is so pretty! I would be happy to post the recipe for this if you would like it.
We also hand made our clips..if you can make the playstands, you can make the clips! Our first clips are modeled after clothespins. We use the rubberbands from organic broccoli heads! :)
If we could change anything, it would be to make them taller, so we will be adding a awning this year, as my two yr old ds can't stand under the playsilk anymore. And we are going to try to make clips just like the rounded ones most commonly sold.
It cost 40$ total for all the materials for these wonderful toys!
Bethany

Originally posted by Bethanydear

We used a beeswax finish, which is so pretty! I would be happy to post the recipe for this if you would like it.


Oh please do!! ~ does it have linseed(flax) oil in it? my father had made some about 20yrs ago... and wasn't sure of the exact recipe ~ I was hoping to finish ours with beeswax
TIA :)

1/2 cup beeswax
1/4 cup linseed oil
2 tbsp wheat germ oil
1 cup turpentine
Melt beeswax on low heat on stove. When melted add oils. Remove from heat, stir until cool. Add turpentine, stirring until well mixed. Use sponge/rag to coat, allow to sit 12-24 hours. Polish, buff well. Store in glass jar in cool area. 4-5 mos shelf life.
BTW, this finish can feel sticky for awhile, like a week or so, until completely dry. If needed, you can sand any coloring/nicks/marks right out over this finish.
Bethany

No they are not online BUT if you look up the Calgary yellow pages which I belive you can find at www.telusplanet.net and put in Sunstreams, you can just call them. They will take an ordr over the phone on CC and send them out. They may even take a personal check or MO if you sent it. they are really friendly :)

Originally posted by B's Knees~almom
No they are not online BUT if you look up the Calgary yellow pages which I belive you can find at www.telusplanet.net and put in Sunstreams, you can just call them. They will take an ordr over the phone on CC and send them out. They may even take a personal check or MO if you sent it. they are really friendly :)

Thanks for the info :)

Hi Amy! I'm pming you too.

I dropped by SunStreams today...they're having some construction done but the store is still open. I asked about play clips and the woman *sort of* knew what I was talking about. They don't have any in, but might be able to order some. I left my number for her to check with someone and call me back (hopefully tomorrow). I'll let you know.

:)
Janice