Community Brag Posts

Shoe dresser

Submitted by RoseOfShaz on Thu, 07/04/2013 - 15:26

I didn't build this shoe dresser because I particularly needed one, but it looked so lovely that I couldn't resist.

- I modified the plans by building 3 bins instead of 2 so it could hold more shoes.
- I decided against the dowel stick and opted for hinges instead, which were surprisingly not too difficult to assemble. I found that I didn't even need the magnets after installing the hinges as the doors stay closed.
- I used 7" chains on both sides of each bin instead of a belt to make it extra sturdy.
- I added two back legs.

Et voila! This is the end result. I'm very pleased.

PS. Those flopping bins are a pain when you're trying to build!! An extra pair of hands is definitely recommended.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 (with extra bin)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut (can't remember the exact name of the stain, but it's the one Shanty 2 Chic always uses!)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

SoCaliforniaMel

Fri, 07/05/2013 - 22:49

Pretty :) Good Job. Now if I only had the space for one thats 10 rows high :P I like the stain color too. Shanty 2 Chic always uses Rust-o-leum. I think its called dark walnut. Dont quote me though. I love the stain and spray paint combo colors they use.
~Melody

Chair Build with Loveseat Modification

Submitted by Joshh81 on Sat, 09/02/2017 - 12:26

Built the 2 chairs according to the plans, and then modified it for a bench that's 48" (our cushions are 23.5 x 23.5). Worked really well!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Fireplace Mantle with Drawers and Hidden Storage

Modified plans to include game storage drawers, a flip open mantle for DVD player and hidden charging port, and hidden cupboards on both sides for DVD storage. I scoured the Internet for months before drawing this up to fit my space and tackling all on my own! I love it and all of my other Ana White inspired projects!

Casey O.

Seasonal And Holiday

Nail Gun Cabinet

This week was a collaboration between me and Brad at FixthisBuildthat.com. I made a slight variation of his hanging tool cabinet to store my nail guns. More details at my website: http://www.lanebroswoodshop.com/2015/03/nail-gun-cabinet.html

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUHnkjojlWc

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wipe on Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sandbox with Built-In Seats

Submitted by Loral on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 15:32

This is a fun project even for beginners. If you have an interest in building a sandbox, and have some tools, I'm sure you can make this easy enough!

I used 2" X 10" wood for my sides instead of the 1" as the plans call for. This gives extra strength and more depth. When you use 2" wood, you will have to turn your 1 X 4's the other way to match the 47½" width, because with the added width of the 2 side boards, your new width is now 49¼". It's not difficult, you just have to match your 1 X 4 X 47½ boards to the proper width. It will turn out fine, they just won't match the plans or pics of those using 1 X 8's for sides.

Sorry, I'm delivering this to my grandson's house for his birthday present, so no sand, but use landscaping cloth under this sandbox, then fill with sand.

One other thing, I'm toying with the idea of matching the angle the backrest is at and re-cut new pieces of 7½" arm rests. I think that may look a little better than the rectangle blocks.

My added pics are as follows:
1. The side boards all cut, and sizing up the frame.
2. All other boards are cut; I laid them out for fit before screwing the pieces together.
3. Using a square will help you keep everything at the correct angles. Also note in this picture and the next where I used two ½" pieces of wood I ripped to keep the ½" spacing uniform. Just rip any wood to the ½" width, make 2 pieces and butt against the next board on both sides, then screw them down. Makes it VERY easy to keep a uniform gap.
4. This picture shows me using the same "spacer" when putting the hinges in place. The red arrow points to the wood spacer.
5. The first bench is complete, and working fine!!

With the wood I used in my project, I used 2½" self tapping deck screws for the frame and attaching the 1X4's to the frame; I used 2" galvanized for attaching the 1X4's to any 2X4's; and for the hinges, I used ¾" wood screws. Using these sizes prevented the screws from coming through the other side.

I bought everything needed in this project at Lowe's and it was under $90 in costs; this is all the lumber (upgrading to 2 X 10's), hinges, screws, and handles.

Estimated Cost
$90 - Everything purchased new at Lowe's
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
This is a gift, so I'll leave it to my daughter and son-in-law to use fence or deck stain to match their house. All pics are un-toned raw pressure treated lumber.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Lady Goats

Wed, 05/09/2012 - 16:25

I was just going to tell you how to add a brag blog when I saw that you'd already done so! YAY! Your sandbox looks awesome! You guys are all making me wish I had a tolerable yard to put a full-sized box in!!!

Loral

Thu, 05/10/2012 - 13:49

Yeah, you made the plans easy to follow. It was a lot of fun. I spanned it over 2 days, but still was only around 4 hours of work.

I'm considering cutting the "arm rests" at an angle to match the slope of the back rest. I may play with that this weekend.

Thanks for all the help!

Also, what did you use to make the sketch type pics for the plans? I know you mentioned something about not knowing how to put the hindges on them. If I can help, I can probably do it for you in PhotoShop.... Just let me know.

Thanks again!
Loral

Adirondack chairs

I built two of these for my front porch. Love them!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I stained them red oak, then sealed them with 5 coats of spar varnish so they would be protected outdoors.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

tevenden

Mon, 04/20/2020 - 10:03

On your chairs you made, the link is for an Adirondack but the picture has more flat seat than the plans. Please advise.

Adirondack Chairs with Foot Rest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/30/2023 - 14:45

Great set of outdoor chairs with foot rest!

 

RG Design & Build

Comments

Sandbox with built-in seats in our playhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 09/10/2020 - 10:55

The base of our playhouse felt like the perfect spot to use the sandbox plan with built-in seats. The bench seats actually fold flat to create a lid for the sandbox when it’s not in use. I followed Ana’s plans exactly and used the list of materials she provided. The only modification I made was eliminating the back supports. It was not necessary for me to add the back supports since we have the playhouse posts to support the back of the bench.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Mudroom Closet Makeover

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 07:10

The concept of hidden boot storage at the back is genius!!! I knew as soon as I saw your plan that I needed that in this space! Thank you so much for what you do!

Finish Used
Bench seat was wood conditioner, minwax early American, minwax weathered oak. Then finished with shellac. The coat hooks are from Amazon. The ring pull is from Lee Valley.

Comments

Pallirondack Laundry Basket Dresser

I showed my wife the Laundry Dresser featured on Ana White's website and she asked if I could make one for her, but not quite so tall. I also turned the orientation to fit our laundry room space. I used primarily oak from recycled pallets to build the Laundry Basket Dresser. She wanted a work space on top, so folded laundry, empty baskets, etc. all have a temporary resting place depending on the day. From start to finish, it took me about 6 hours. She plans to stain the piece at some point, but its already in use, so I'm not 100% sure that will ever happen until we move or something. ;-) Great idea and laundry room organization!

Estimated Cost
Half a box of screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kathy in Pittsburgh (not verified)

Mon, 09/10/2012 - 10:22

I love the open sides, plus it makes it much more feasible to build with scraps repurposed wood, which I love. Thanks for the inspriation

payne.kj

Mon, 04/08/2013 - 08:48

Hi, do you have any kind of plans for how you did this or atleast dimensions? I think this one fits more of what my wife needs, but I'm pretty new to making anything.

nicholas_ftm

Sun, 06/14/2015 - 20:16

Soooo I made this according to the measurements and no laundry basket I find fit. Kind of dissapointed in the fact that this cool thing I just built doesn't have any baskets that will fit it. Any advice on finding a basket that fits?

jkread

Fri, 07/10/2015 - 20:56

I think the idea is to build it to fit the baskets you have or buy some and build around them.

Pie Safe

Submitted by Duckhook18 on Wed, 10/28/2015 - 18:56

This is my first, of hopefully many projects to come. I modified Patrick's Jelly Cupboard plans to be 40" tall and added the tins to the doors. I used spruce and pine board from a local lumber yard. The finish is Miss Mustard Seed milk paint inside and out. With kids in the house I didn't want to use stain with the heavy chemical smell so I mixed the milk paint with a lot of water to look like a stain. That product is so easy to use and looks great. Needless to say my wife loves her pie safe. Thanks Ana for this site and the inspiration to give this a try. I'm hooked!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$140 including the tins, paint and lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint - Shutter Gray (exterior), Curio (interior mixed 1 part paint to 3 parts water)
Topcoat - 2 coats of hemp oil
Painted entire piece in Curio first to get the layered look on the distressed finish. 2 coats of Shutter Gray over the Curio.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Joni

Sat, 10/31/2015 - 09:36

This is really beautiful!  Might I ask where you got your tin inserts?  Thanks!

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/28/2023 - 05:24

This was my seventh outdoor couch but my first sectional. My very first couches were all inspired by Ana White's plans and I have gotten so much better with my skills that I building other things as well. Thanks Ana for all your inspiration!

Comments

Backyard Potting Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:34

I had built your Farmhouse Potting Bench as a gift for my parents and they just recently finished it with a stain that coordinated with their deck and painting it with a pop of color that worked with some of their outdoor furniture.

Matt Janke

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Screen door with built in dog door

Our old screen door wasn't cutting it anymore, so I built a new one, and to kill two birds with one stone, I included a built-in dog door. Now I just need to find the motivation to close off the old dog door.

I have the plans to build this screen door with a built-in dog door posted via the blog link below for anyone interested.

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
white exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shoe Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/01/2017 - 08:26

We used the shoe dresser instructions with some modifications to make it longer

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Stain, polyerthane, chalk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Doggy loft bed!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/03/2017 - 17:31

My dog loves to people watch all day while I'm at work and she needed a new bed so I took the plans for the lower platform and modified them so it would stand alone. Took the platform and put it on the bottom so that her bed would sit inside instead of on top where she could more easily fall off.

I tried building without PH screws at first and all I ended up with was a lot of cracked and wasted lumber. Got the PH jig and finished the whole build myself in 2 hours. Sanding, staining, and sealing tomorrow but I'm just so excited about it I had to post now!

Estimated Cost
With the two sets of lumber, having to buy the jig, hardware, stain, and electric sander it cost me about $130
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

2x4 sectional outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 08:10

My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!

Estimated Cost
building materials for sofa $250. Custom Sunbrella Fabric cushiosn $2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Carrington Minwax and sealed with spray Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cedar Outdoor Side Table First Project

Submitted by Amy.Mapes on Sat, 05/04/2019 - 09:35

This was my first attempt at making anything out of wood.  I was thankful for guidance from my husband but I did it myself!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Colonial Maple Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Folding Workbench

Submitted by MrsCordz on Fri, 10/11/2019 - 07:47

We chose this project because we have a small garage and space is at a premium.  The dimensions of this build fit well in our limited space and allowed us to organize items such as paint, stain, screws and nails into one central location. I chose 2x4's on the sides to give it a more stable feel. Our garage and parking lot are all sloped and with the 2x4's this prevented the twisting. It feels solid and the wheels are smooth. We picked everything up at Home Depot. The screws that came with the hinges are to long and my husband used the Dremel to grind them down. You could just buy shorter screws.  This is one of my firsts builds and I've definitely learned a lot of lessons along the way. Measure, measure, then measure again before you cut a piece and use a level surface to make level pieces. Overall, everyone in my family played a part in helping me build this piece and so I love it and will cherish this piece and the memories always. Thanks Ana for all your fun videos, sharing your life with your family, and providing resources like this plan to us for free. I'm thankful for my son who bought me a compound miter saw for Mother's Day and other family for buying me a Ryobi circular saw. I'm truly blessed and loved. Thanks

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I'm leaving it in the raw due to the nature of the piece. I may put a clear coat on it later.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor bar table

Submitted by hueybp on Tue, 07/21/2020 - 20:06

Not quite finished but love the table already. Trying to decide how to stain/paint it. The Kreg jig was a must for this project. It was my first of hopefully many! I used cedar for the 4x4s and 2x6 top pieces. The 2x4s are treated lumber (only because there were no more cedar ones....apparently lumber is getting hard to get lately!!!). Anyway....thanks for the great plans and motivation for this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Lumber was about $150 bucks (I bought mitre saw and kreg jig, too)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will probably use semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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