I’ve always had this very picturesque dream of making a cabin in the woods, on the lower arms of a towering mountain, with a stream flowing nearby, its soothing music perennial. The fresh and clean air reinvigorating my spirit while I engage in creative endeavors that I’d love to pursue in a calmer environment. Some animals to accompany me and call it home, away from the rush of the shifting sand like chaotic metropolis.
I don’t think I’m the only one with a dream like this and even if I, or you, cannot find that perfectly scenic plot of land in the woods, we can still compensate by making a beautiful little cabin and feel right at home.
Often, when pursuing such dreams, we don’t want anything to go wrong and we’d love the image in our head to be replicated as closely as possible in three-dimensional space. Relying upon hired architects alone does not cut it. We want to be involved in the process, be proactive, call the shots, make the most important decisions and nurture our home from the ground up.
And that is why studying cabin plans and possibly building them on your own seems to be the most enticing idea. This list will only help you through your process of selection, decision, action, and execution. The elaborate plans attached to every cabin on this list will soon make you an expert on cabin making, and you can convince your friends, colleagues, and relatives to try building and living in cabins for a change.
DIY Cabin & Log Home Plans and Tutorials
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Studio Sized Cabin
What’s better than a studio flat? A small and gorgeous cabin that has all the charm of a vintage house. This living space can be quite compact and is recommended for people who like to live a solitary life or want to have a getaway on the weekend or in the summer and winter breaks and don’t want to build over a large space.
More details at theclassicarchives.comÂ
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Alaskan Round Log Cabin
Whenever I think of cabins, I think of a cabin made of long logs. It’s just a very cliched yet homely image that for good or bad has been embossed in my memory. And log cabins are classic. But, the best part about having your cabin made out of logs is that you won’t need to do anything extra to protect yourself from the chill outside because rounded logs are fantastic insulators.
More details at alaskaantlerworks.comÂ
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Small Log Cabin
This is a log cabin that is made with a porch, a small wall in the backyard and has the charm and comfort you definitely desire. It isn’t elaborate in its make yet its simplicity has its own unique allure. It isn’t too difficult to make this cabin either.
More details at instructables.comÂ
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Multi-Roomed Small Cabin
This is a really small cabin, barely 400 square feet yet it is immensely feasible for you. What I really like about this cabin is that it is tiny yet compartmentalized enough to give you the feel of a proper home, with more than one room.
More details at  cabinplans123.comÂ
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Rustic Nordic Cabin
Sometimes the most precious things in life are those that do not cripple you with insurmountable debts. We would all fancy a huge suburban house with extensive facilities, but the housing market will not do many favors in that regard. The cost of a large and well-furnished home is just too high to afford, and in that case, a rustic and small cabin that you can make on your own feels very homely.
More details at motherearthnews.comÂ
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Cabin Plans By UoT
These free plans provided by the University of Tennessee are a blessing. They provide detailed blueprints and instructions for making cabins that fit your budget, style, and preference. Be it a cabin with multiple rooms or a gabled cabin; these plans are right for the task at hand.
More details at bioengr.ag.utk.eduÂ
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Cabin Plans by NDSU
You wonder what Universities do apart from teaching, and this is one of the answers to your question. Universities were formed not just as means of making money off education, an idea that bloomed way later, but as stalwarts of knowledge and these lovely plans provided by North Dakota State University are surely of immense aid.
More details at  ag.ndsu.eduÂ
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The Nuclear Family Cabin
This lovely wooden cabin is bigger than others on this list but is ideal for people who want to not only live alone but also for those who want to live as a nuclear family unit. It has enough space for a good sized wood stove and is the right size of cozy to feel right at home.
More details at motherearthnews.comÂ
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The Big House Cabin
Not all cabins needs to be like studio apartments. One can apply the same system one uses for small sized cabins to create a full-fledged cabin house that has two rooms, more than one bathroom, and a proper kitchen. It is big enough to house guests but small enough to not be a hassle on the maintenance side. You can paint it elaborately whichever way you like and add a little color to it for vibrancy.
More details at lsuagcenter.comÂ
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The Beach House Cabin
I adore beach houses. They are so compatible with the view around and actually complement their surroundings, regardless of where they are made. They are often painted in an array of colors and add glamor to the landscape. So, making a beach house, styled cabin would be a refreshing departure from the standard cabin design. Moreover, with a beach house elevation, you can be safe from flooding issues.
More details at  smallshelters.comÂ
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The Duplex Cabin
I used to live in a duplex, and I miss it. Duplexes are not cramped up like apartments yet compartmentalized perfectly enough to provide ample privacy for its inhabitants. So, if you’re looking to share the burden of maintenance and construction with someone who isn’t immediately close to you or want to set up some boundaries, then making a duplex cabin is perfect for you.
More details at logcabins.co.ukÂ
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The Striated Cabin
A small cabin with striated outer walls and simple yet welcoming color scheme is a lovely option to go with. Adding to this coziness is the covered entrance. It allows you space to sit during the rainy season or just to stand under without being drenched, and also cuts down the impact of the rain hitting your windows directly.
More details at instructables.comÂ
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The Farmhouse Cabin
A farmhouse is nostalgic to look at. It has this classic appeal to it that is hard to match. It makes you want to give up on the daily grind and just take up a calm and simple life or head into retirement early. It can also be the cause of much serenity and mental peace. And if you’re one to share the love for farmhouses, this farmhouse styled cabin is more than worth a shot.
More details at sheldondesigns.comÂ
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The A-Frame Cabin
I love A-frame cabins and their attics. A-frame cabin attics are just so comfy and make me feel warm and secure with a strong urge to fill the place with books and idle away day after day reading a great many stories. And even if you’re planning to skip on the attic section, getting a vaulted ceiling creates a grand and spacious feel in the house.
More details at  lsuagcenter.comÂ
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The Stealth Cabin
Cabins are often representatives of self-sufficiency. They just signify a person’s will to go against the norm of the society and the fortitude to forge a home that does not conform to established standards. And if your lovely looking cabin is powered directly by the sun with no dependency on a power grid, you are defining your ideals very soundly. It is also very eco-friendly.
More details at instructables.comÂ
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The Brick House Cabin
A neatly finished brick house is a lovely house to make. It is modern enough to blend with the aesthetics of the day and has a connection to older times for the enthusiast. Continuing with its positively dual nature, this contemporary brick cabin is two-story even though it does not appear to be large enough at first glance.
More details at tinyhousedesign.comÂ
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The Expandable Cabin
There is always room for more even though sometimes we just don’t know yet if we want more. But, what to do when you aren’t aware if you’d require a larger space and go with a smaller sized cabin instead? Houses are mostly permanent in nature and expansion isn’t always easy. Thankfully, this house plan has a detailed instruction manual that shows how you can actually add more space later on if the need arises.
More details at lsuagcenter.com
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The Standout Cabin
A cabin that is so pretty, it is guaranteed to make visitors, people passing by and any onlooker wow out loud. It blends a very distinctly block design with both modern and older aesthetics to create something that really stands out. From the windows to the main entrance, the borders and the balcony, this tall yet small cabin is worthy of boast and pride.
More details at todaysplans.comÂ
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The Big Farm Cabin
A larger farmhouse cabin gives you the option of making room for more people in the future. With a beautiful brick and tile construction and a chimney and porch to add to the appeal, this cabin is a perfect deal in my books.
More details at todaysplans.net
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The Compact Cabin
A more compact and sharper looking cabin than most, it has a very subtle yet instantly noticeable style that is bound to impress. Not only is it appealing to one’s aesthetic musings, but it also scores high marks on the functionality aspect. It has enough space not to make you feel like you’re trapped yet not big enough to make you feel haunted by the extra space.
More details at lsuagcenter.com
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The Homesteading Cabin
This cabin has a distinctly pronounced A-frame structure, with enough upper room/attic space an entire family. What I love about it is how big the porch is and how it basically gives you the option of organizing a small lunch right there with a long table laid out for people to gorge away food from.
More details at motherearthnews.com
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The Mini Cabin
A mini-cabin is pocket-friendly, cute and resource saving. This specific design not only has an attic space for creating a small room on the top, but it also has a good fireplace area and one large room. The warmth of a home has never felt more comforting than when living in a small cabin and this one is pretty high on the list of options.
More details at sheldondesigns.com
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The Getaway Cabin
Ah! The perfect cabin for your summertime getaway or winter, if that’s your preference. It has a longer roof on both the front and the back, giving you more than adequate dual porch space. It also has a hot tub, which can be replaced with a sauna, and a kitchen, a bathroom and an enormous room.
More details at sheldondesigns.com
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The Basement Inclusive Cabin
What? An actual, full-sized basement in a cabin? Yes. This cabin with a basement is perfect for long-term winter storage, and provides ample protection from storms. It also adds to the space by having a loft for either storage or accommodation. And if you’re in the mood for making some money, you can charge college grads who are looking to make a low budget horror film for making use of both your basement and the loft for spooks.
More details at todaysplans.net
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The Big House Cabin
This is not your standard cabin size, and that’s a good thing. It has more than adequate space both on the ground floor and the loft. Not only can you find a king size bed and more in the room, but you also have enough space on the top for sleeping and on the front porch for relaxing. With a great hearth in its heart, the house looks ideal.
More details at sheldondesigns.com
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The Ideal Cabin
This is a winner in my books. A cabin that has a basement and several bedrooms scream balance to me. It has a large front porch and a huge chimney and enough windows to keep the indoors airy and sun-kissed.
More details at todaysplans.net
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The Symmetrical Cabin
What a wonderful design to actualize. Its symmetry is perfect enough to impress director Wes Anderson, and the enormous porch space on both sides is great for lapping up the breeze. The fireplace brings warmth to this cottage in the winter and on cold nights, and the loft and bedroom provide enough space just to retire.
More details at sheldondesigns.com
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The Buffalo Run Cabin
This huge cabin is 3161 square feet in size on the lower deck and has a 2552 square feet space in the attic. Being spacious, it has four bedrooms, a dining room, a living room and a kitchen with two one spacious bathroom.
More details at whispercreekloghomes.com
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The Aben Cabin
There is more than enough space in this cabin for an average family to live in. It has two bedrooms, one dining room, one bathroom and a kitchen. Additionally, it has a living room which is big enough to accommodate many and two porches for recreation apart from adequate storage space.
More details at ag.ndsu.eduÂ
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The Ozark Haven Cabin
This gorgeous cabin is stilted and has one living room and one dining room, two bathrooms along with a porch and three big sized bedrooms. Moreover, you have a carport and a storage room.
More details at lsuagcenter.com
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The Comfy Cabin
This small cabin has two bedrooms, one kitchen and one living room along with a lovely chimney. The wall and roof have detailed cross-sectioning, and the cabin comes with two porches.
More details at ag.ndsu.edu
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The Vacation Cabin
A standard log cabin in its appearance, this is less of a permanent residence and more of a vacation or guest house. It has a kitchen and dining area and a single bedroom and bathroom.
More details at ag.ndsu.edu
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The U-Shaped Cabin
A U-shaped cabin, this house has a porch that is surrounded and an enormous vaulted ceiling. The large living room gives way to three bedrooms, two bathrooms and one kitchen, all equally divided and spaced in perfect symmetry.
More details at ag.ndsu.edu
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The Trailer House Cabin
This is too small for an average family yet adequate for a couple or more people. It has two levels, one porch and a tiny balcony on the upper floor. It is small enough that you can build it on a wheel base so that you can carry it around like a trailer house.
More details at loc.gov
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The Adorable Log Cabin
This adorable log home is double storeyed and has a trap door entrance to the attic/secondary bedroom. It is too small to provide just about anything else but is cozy for a getaway and for a single person occupancy.
More details at loc.gov
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The One Person Cabin
This cabin is not small yet is not feasible for a family. It can only really house a couple or a single person due to its one-room restriction. It does have a lovely open fireplace to sit in front of and warm yourself with.
More details at loc.gov
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The Slope Fitting Cabin
This is a large cabin with two spacious bedrooms, a fantastic open fireplace, a kitchen and a living room. It is a great plan to implement for cabin making if the piece of land you’re making your cabin on is sloped.
More details at loc.gov
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The Summer Cabin
Perhaps you can use this cabin as a summer getaway place or if you’re into hunting. Either way, it is small enough to be cozy yet not accommodate a lot of people. It has two floors and a very spacious area on the lower floor for both the bathroom and the kitchen. This is definitely one to fancy.
More details at loc.govÂ
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The Placid Cabin
This isn’t big enough for more than one person, but can only house two occupants at max. It has big windows that face the sun in the noontime and hence keep the indoors well lit and just one small room for comfort and lazy days.
More details at thesurvivalistblog.netÂ
So, what do you think? These are quite comprehensive plans, many coming with detailed instructions, reference images, and options for experimentation. An ideal cabin doesn’t need to be for just one occupant as usually thought of. You can build a cabin for a small family or even a big one. It all depends on how much you are ready to expand and how much you can invest in the building of such a cabin.
Conclusion
Is a cabin your primary requirement or is it going to serve as a holiday house or a guest house or a hunting lodge? Evaluate why you want a cabin before you make a decision. Most cabins have a similar structure but can always be tweaked with, both externally and internally. You can add your own unique motifs and touches to the exterior to make the cabin stand out, and for the indoors, there are plenty original ideas for decoration.
Coloring the cabins and adding carvings and antiques and exquisite furniture will really add to the appeal of your small and comfortable homes. Running them on solar power ensures that you have enough electricity almost all around the year and also help the environment. Moreover, you can always harvest rainwater if you’re in a more remote yet not arid area.
The ideas are plenty, the designs equally abundant. Now all you need is to decide and proceed.
