Community Brag Posts

Large Banquette Bench with Storage (12’x7’)

Farmhouse table made from distressed (worm hole) maple.

My neighbor was able to get me the 5/4 distressed maple for about $2/bd ft - I ended up buying 100 board feet and had plenty leftover. The finished board feet for this project was about 60 if I remember correctly. So the $200 was the bulk of the expense. The only other costs were sand paper, I bought a Kreg Jig, screws, Minwax Marker, paint, stain and urethane (much of which I already had).

It came out better than I anticipated. The antique white finish was not difficult at all.

Tip - When following the instructions for the finish here, I applied the first coat of urethane with a brush almost immediately after applying the Minwax marker to all of the sanded edges. I did this in haste, but ended up with some unexpected results that really added a nice touch. The stain from the marker incorporated a bit into the urethane as I brushed it giving it an antique, yellow hue. At first I thought I made a big mistake, but it turned out to add a really nice look.

Thank You Dmccoy for the plans used for this project.  Great idea using the 2×6s for strength and stability! I built this Pedestal and placed furniture slides underneath to allow for sliding out for cleaning and access.

I built this to fit inside a closet that I have in my garage to store all my camping stuff. I built it 5 feet long so I only had to buy 2x4s that were 10 feet long. I also built the bottom shelf closer to the ground to allow just a little bit more space between the first and second shelf. All in all it was a very easy and fulfilling project. I was a little worried about how sturdy the shelves would be but they are very solid. Thanks Ana!

We’ve been looking around for some plans for a doggy bunk bed for a while now, but couldn’t find anything that we liked so I decided to build it from scratch. This is a huge bunk bed that was built based on the size of our larger dog’s bed which is 44 x 35. This was pretty simple to build although the stairs we’re quite challenging as I have never done them before so if I can make it, anybody can.

I must stress that before I found Ana’s website about 6 months ago I could barely cut a piece of wood straight. Over this time I have made several things based on the easy to follow plans on this website which ultimately gave me the confidence to go it alone and build this bunk bed. Friends and family are shocked at some of the furniture I’ve made and some don’t even believe I made them and think I’ve bought them from IKEA. My wife has got a list of furniture she wants to make now including a TV console, an armoire and a twin bed for one our daughters. Every spare second I have now is spent is making furniture and I LOVE it.

For anybody who has never built anything and is apprehensive to do so I would just say, do it. Grab what you need and dive right in. You may get frustrated and scream a bit at first, but the reward at the end is well worth it and each project you do will get easier and easier. Be warned though. The better you get, the more people will pester you to make things for them.

Thank you, Ana.

This was made using cheap 1 x 3 and 1 x 4 furring strips for the railings and bed slats, 2 x 4s for the posts and 1 x 10 board for the stairs.

I built matching side tables using Ana's Narrow Cottage End Table plan. I changed the height to suit the arms of my furniture. They fit our tight space and look fantastic with our existing wood pieces. Very easy to build, even the drawers! I used a router to finish the edge on the drawers, to make them stand out a little more. I learned to put my pocket holes on the outside of the drawer, since the back one is in the back, and the front one is covered by the separate drawer front piece. A Kreg jig makes this a very simple project. Also, I sanded my boards before assembly, then did touch-ups before finishing the project.

Modified the cubby plans to just be 5 cubby's wide. My wife wanted white so I dressed it up a bit with the bead board, trim and crown moulding.

We built this console table after the rustic X coffee table and end table. We have learned from previous experience to cut the "X" last, marking them against the frame instead of measuring to cut. This time, my husband made a suggestion to leave the X's out and it was great! The console table still goes very well with the rustic X coffee table and end table, but without the X, it also fits well into other rooms we can use it for. In the end, we are very happy with the result!

I'm happy to share with everyone my IKEA hack 6" tray cabinet.

I found a 24" cabinet box in IKEA's As-Is section and took it home for half price ($23)!  I would have preferred plywood, but my table saw is a little small and cutting large sheets of plywood is a little scary.  When I deconstructed the cabinet, it sustained some damage (as its particleboard), so if you try this at home, be careful!  I ended up changing the depth to 22" in order to cut off the damaged piece, but that shouldnt be noticeable with average trays and cutting boards.  

I used Ana's 6" tray cabinet plan and modified the dimensions a little for my planned space.  It still needs the back, face frame and door (which will be a replacement drawer front from the cabinet manufacturer).  I plan on building the face frame at the time the cabinets are installed, since this will go in between the 36" corner easy-reach and the 36" sink base.  Once its done, I'll post updated pics!