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)?
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.
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... )
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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??)
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.
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Allison
mama to Ara, Simone, and Zarin
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?
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Just winged it on ours,
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.
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.
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Location: firmly planted in the postmodern pastoral economy
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Oops, to answer a few more of your questions,
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.
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
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).
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.
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Ayla our Zen Child born August 19, 1995
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re: wooden playstands
Wow, great info, thanks!
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