1. Ana-White.com
Ana White is a mother and self-taught DIY'er from Alaska. Her website provides hundreds of comprehensive project plans drawn up by Ana herself, advice on how to get started, and an active community of followers. I think what is most appealing about her site is her personal, down-to-earth tone and “You can do it!” enthusiasm. Ana's unique projects and easy to follow instructions present endless inspiration for the DIY'er.
2. Shanty-2-Chic
Created by two sisters, Shanty2Chic is a DIY website that shows you how to make stylish furniture and home decor on a budget. The site has a simple design that is effortless to navigate, with projects and plans categorized accordingly making them easy to browse. I love the variety of projects the Shanty sisters feature – indoor, outdoor, different mediums and purposes, etc. Some are very small and simple decorations while others are larger, more time-consuming projects.
3. Jay's Custom Creations
A bit of a “manlier” site if you will, Jay's Custom Creations is written by Jay Bates, a DIY'er from Mississippi. Jay specializes in woodworking and provides detailed project instructions and video tutorials. He utilizes the program SketchUp to draw up plans and create diagrams. I also like that he periodically posts “Interesting Stuff from Around the Web,” where he features woodworking projects that others have made.
4. ArtofManliness.com
ArtofManliness.com is a website dedicated to all things man, with the goal of “reviving the lost art of manliness.” The site was created by husband and wife team Brett and Kate McKay, and hosts many contributing writers. Hop over to the “Manly Skills” section for a myriad of masculine projects and how-to's. You can learn everything from knife-making to turning your garage into a woodshop, as well as how to thread a needle and survive in the woods.
5. Instructables
Instructables is the brain child of MIT graduates Eric Wilhelm and Saul Griffith, and it is a site that relies on user-generated content. Anyone is free to create and upload a step-by-step DIY project, and others are free to comment and rate the quality of the project. There are projects and instructions for nearly any topic you can imagine – electronics, jewelry, recipes, costumes, furniture, and so on. The workshop category has plans for tons of high quality woodworking projects and is definitely worth checking out.
What are your favorite sites? Please share!