Community Brag Posts

Traditional Toddler Bed with a few changes

Submitted by GhostLake on Mon, 07/22/2013 - 10:26

This was basically my first ever wood working project. It didn't turn out perfect but I had fun doing it and my daughter likes it too! It isn't done yet, still need to figure out the color of paint I'm going to use.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~35 for lumber, Kreg jig, screws, paint additional
Finish Used
Not finished yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Batmobile full Bed

Submitted by bbcarey on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 10:12

My son had a 'lightning Mcqueen' toddler bed- but we needed to get him into a little bigger bed.  We had a spare full bed, and Batman is his current favorite... Since there aren't Batman full race car beds- time to start planning and building from sketchup!  Took me about 2 weeks of evenings (after the kids go to bed) and about $110 in materials.  The model is available in the sketchup warehouse at:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u6b750a53-37a4-4d52-9d31…

 

For the wheel covers I ordered online at Amazon for $25 for a set of 4.

For the Wheels both HD and Menards make a 18" wood table top for ~$7 that I just cut the middle out  with my router to fit the wheel covers.

The slats to hold the bed (made to fit both box spring and mattress) were just 1x4 pine boards from menards.

The body was made from 3/4 MDF, though you could of course use plywood. 

I used a projector to project the image from sketchup onto the board to get it transferred- else it would have been 50+ pages if printing..

For the logos I just used a minila folder as my stencil and cut out the logo.  Needed to touch up the 'tabs' to hold the logo in the circle after pulling off the stencil.

Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High gloss Latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Ana White Admin

bbcarey

Fri, 01/29/2016 - 21:18

I give you credit when people ask how I got started in woodworking because until I found your site and my first project (library cart) then 2 helper stands for my kids and other friends kids and it just went on from there. The skils taken from this site and learning Sketchup have brought a lot of nice furniture to our home as well as a sense of confidence to me!! Thank you!

MoxieMan13

Sat, 09/12/2015 - 19:10

My son really wants this and I promised him that I would make it.  Do you have a PDF or anything of the outline of the batmobile?  Thanks! 

Woodlandfox

Sun, 02/21/2016 - 14:29

Thank you so much for the greatest idea ever!  We stumbled on this and believe it will be the perfect next bed for our son, however, we cannot download any of the files.  Do you have a PDF of the measurements or any other form you can upload so we can make this bed?  Thanks in advance!  Great work!

SDonahue9807

Tue, 12/06/2016 - 07:23

I apologize if I am just missing this, but... do you have step by step instructions on building this bed? I see the pictures of each part and its corresponding dimensions, but I cannot located instructions on assembling the bed. 

 

Thanks!

Mud kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/12/2022 - 13:29

My niece requested this for her fourth birthday. Hoping this earns me the best Aunt award! Had some 6x6 cedar scraps from a project, cut them down, and voila!

Comments

Claire's Loft Bed

Submitted by hook Fam on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 10:00

A few months back a friend of my Sister asked if I would build a bed for her 10 year old daughter. I was excited to do it! So I finished up the projects I had already started and then went to work. I had never built bookshelves before. I wanted it clean and "hole-less" on the outside, so we found a Kreg Jig and I started learning. SUPER easy!! I believe it has been painted white. I can't wait to go see it!!
I followed Ana's plans except I used 2*2s for slats and used 16" wide boards for one of the bookshelves and the desk top. I want them to be able to use this for years to come and not out-grow it too quickly.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 11:08

This turned out fantastic! You did a wonderful job.

judee (not verified)

Sat, 02/25/2012 - 05:56

hello just a quick question about the railing. Is it screwed on or is it just sitting over the wood? Very nice bed.

WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 13:35

How many 2x2s did you use? I think I am going to do the same to make sure that I do not outgrow the bed. Also did you have to change the size of the little bookshelves when you changed the desk to 16" instead of 12" ? I'm trying to build the whole set on my own (im 14)

In reply to by WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

hook Fam

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 15:09

I think I used around 20 2x2's, and did use a center beam to add strength. I only changed the one bookshelf to a 16" (the one under the desk). The other one I left as a 12". Good luck building your bed!

WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 18:29

Thank you sooo much. I have left questions in the comments sections and you are the only one who has answered. I greatly appreciate it.

jvanhorn

Sun, 05/12/2013 - 19:37

Hook fam, Thanks so much for your work and for the pictures. I really like how you left the lower back side of the big book shelf off and still included the desk behind. Love the 16" too and I think I will go with that for the desktop but leave the 12" for the shelves. Thanks again! This is now my next project!!!

Kids Play Table and Stackable Chairs

I used Ana's plan for the Clara table and the $4 stackable chairs for this project. I spent a total of $30. I used furring strips to save money. My kiddos love it! You can see more details at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/08/table-and-chairs-for-the-playroom… !!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-Oleum Colonial Red Spray Paint and Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/28/2022 - 18:35

My wife wanted a coffee bar and I wanted a fridge for wine and beer. So we compromised on this.

Comments

Garage shelving unit

We made this peace 12 feet long, the hardest part was to find straight boards at home depot and adjust the feet because of an uneven garage floor. It was my first big project and hubby helped so I can't take all the credits :)

Estimated Cost
$126
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Island

Submitted by lbrown on Sun, 12/11/2011 - 19:52

I made this kitchen island for my mom last year by repurposing two cabinets and building a bookcase for the back.

For details: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2011/11/28/kitchen-island-for-m…

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used white paint for the finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Luggage Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 12:20

Turned out great! Problem with the plans: written instructions for legs say 35 degree angle but the diagram shows 40 degree angle. Which one should it be?

Finish Used
Used a white stain on legs and brown stain with dry brushed gray stain on top. Sealed with poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mudroom Bench with Easy Drawers

Submitted by GeekAthair on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 20:12

We've been desperate for more storage in our little house and this build really helped. The whole bench is 103“ wide and each drawer gives us 24"x17" of usable space. We had to do some custom shaping for the benchtop (two joined fir 2x12's) fit as the walls are not square but in the end we were really pleased.

The hardest part of the project was getting all of this built and in place while working around a busy family as this is our only meal space and the majority of cutting/forming was done either on the weekends or after bedtimes. If I were to do this again I'd prioritize sending the kids to grandparents for the weekend and know king everything except for paint out in one go. 

We could have spent less time with the benchtop by using plywood like in the plans but we wanted the look of a separate benchtop. We may replace the fir with stained oak down the line but this should be plenty sturdy for the next several years. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar paint, minwax clear poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Butcher Block Kitchen Island

I built this piece from ana white's plans. I modified the shelf design and also the dimensions to meet my needs. Instead of using 2x6 douglas fir for the top, I built the top out of hard maple. The top is built by ripping down several strips of hard maple 1.75 inches wide, turn the strips on there edge and gluing all the strip together. This is what is known as a edge grain cutting board. I finished the top with mineral oil and bees wax. The top is food safe and knife friendly. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. - Brad

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cream brulee paint by behr
early american stain by minwax
mineral oil and bees wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

romanweel

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 18:42

Did you use a planer to level your top and bottom surfaces here, or just lots of sanding? I've been told not to attempt butcher block construction without a planer...but I'm thinking of maybe going for it!

timberandsoul

Fri, 01/31/2014 - 23:01

I did use a planer for this top. But because my planer is only 12 inches wide I had to glue three individual boards together leaving two seams that I could not plane but instead had to sand out. Just sanding those two seams took a long time, I cannot imagine sanding 20 seams. I would not suggest attempting without a planer.

Calmly

Mon, 04/10/2017 - 18:45

is it possible for you to share your measurements.  I need a smaller island. Thank you.

Biff Loman

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 17:25

I'm curious how you joined the stretchers to the legs. The construction appears different from the plans. Did you use pocket screws or something more advanced like mortise and tenon?

timberandsoul

Fri, 02/07/2014 - 16:58

I am not sure exactly what you mean by stretchers. If you are referring to the shelf frame, yes it is different than the plans, I modified it. I felt the shelf design on the plans was not enough for the weigh that was going to be place on top. I used simple pocket holes to joint the frame to the legs. Hope this helps, have a great day.

voorheisb

Fri, 08/12/2016 - 10:41

Thank you Brad.  This is a really nice piece.  I recently picked up an old table from a college.  I discarded the base and plan to use the heavy butcher-block-style top to build something similar to this.  Do you have plans you could share?   Thanks again, Brian

Rustic bookcase

Submitted by kschuck on Sun, 02/02/2014 - 15:41

This was the first project my husband and I built from scratch. We experimented with our brand new Kregg Jig for a little while until we felt comfortable with it, and then nervously got started. Surprisingly, the only mishap we had was that we (ok, I) accidentally bought 1X10's instead of the 1X12's. Nothing a quick trip to Home Depot won't fix! We followed Ana's directions exactly, and definitely recommend the Kreg Jig! Our neighbor is a contract worker, and he was pretty impressed at how sturdy the bookcase was. The only part that gave us a little trouble was that our planking on the back (from Lowes), was a little too wide, so we had to trim it down a bit. This was also my first time staining, but thankfully I was going for the rustic look, so I just sanded off the corners and any weird spots.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Rustoleum Dark Walnut and finished with Minwax finishing paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Trash Pull Out Cabinet

Submitted by JoanneS on Sat, 05/26/2012 - 08:29

Plan was super easy to follow. Built a drawer type pull out so I could fit in odd sized trash cans. Made the pull-out part like an open sided drawer box, out of lightweight wood, and attached the door to it - used 75-lb euro drawer slides. Construction took a couple of afternoons, and finishing took a couple of afternoons. The finishing materials were all left over from other projects, and the plywood for the cabinet sides was left over from our kitchen island build. Topped with a leftover piece of countertop. The contractor who installed our new countertops said I did a good job on the cabinet build. I was very flattered! Ana, thank you for your wonderful plans!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats Benjamin Moore Aura paint in Spanish Brown (sanded between coats). Brushed on glaze (mixed 2 oz clear glaze + 1 TB flat black paint - lots left over), 2 coats of water based poly (satin) top coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 15:16

Thank you Gina! Yep, I built the door too! :) This one is made from an edge glued Aspen wood panel (available from Lowes, ripped to size with the table saw), and then I added the wood mini-stop moulding 2" in from the edges (did these measurements and attached the trim before sanding). I did the glaze pattern over the paint so it looked like a frame and panel door when it was all done. This door is the same style we did for our pantry and island. I'm planning to do all the rest of my cabinet doors over (one at a time - ;0) to match this one. PS - I used the edge glued panel instead of plywood for the door so the edges wouldn't need any extra covering up, and also they are nice and flat and super smooth so they don't need much sanding. Aspen wood took the paint beautifully, and the grain doesn't even show through once it's painted. I had used stain grade pine panels for the pantry and island, but I think I'll stick with the Aspen for the rest of them, to save myself some sanding. ;)

Flower Planters

Submitted by mags247 on Sun, 06/10/2012 - 08:07

My co-worker and I built these planters from pallets that we had lying around at work. The only expense we had was the Kreg Jig I purchased (and love). It took us about 5 hours to put them together, including the time it took to cut the lumber to size. Then we used Thompson's water seal and stapled commercial grade landscaping cloth inside the planter. We made them for work and hope they will just naturally age. This was an easy project and we will definitely make more of these.

We had leftover screws, landscaping fabric and water seal from other projects.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We just used Thompson's water seal to let the wood age naturally.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tall Tommy Bookcase

I got a request to build a taller version of the Tommy Bookcase. The only changes I made to the plans were switching the sides to 60" tall and adding two additional 40" shelves. To save on the cost of buying several 1x12's, I used a sheet of PureBond birch plywood. I didn't want to mess with the Kreg plugs or seeing the holes, so I countersunk screws into the sides and used 3/8" plugs to hide them. For the bottom, I trimmed down a 1x4 to the right width then added 1/2" moulding to the top of it. At the last minute she decided to add beadboard, and I found two quarter sheets at Lowe's on clearance for less than $8. I finished all the rough edges with edge banding. I really like how it turned out! It's a very solid, sturdy bookcase, and for $80 it's a fraction of the cost of the half sized PB one!

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat Rustoleum's Ultimate Stain in Golden Oak, three coats of spray poly then a rub-on finishing wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Inquisitive

Wed, 03/13/2019 - 06:41

What size screws did you use and how many on each shelf?  If I use this to make a pantry that backs up to the wall and is fastened to the wall, do I need luan in the back for the strength of the shelves?  Could I put in cleats instead?

 

Mario Bunk bed Castle

Submitted by tdee on Wed, 05/28/2014 - 16:31

My son is a big Mario nut. And when it came down thinking about a new bed for him we sat down online and started searching for ideas. When we found this bed we both loved it right away. And when i found it was made from plans on Ana- white i was so excited as i have made a few projects already. My son was so happy the whole time this was being made. He was going to have his own castle. Once we finished the build he decided that he had to have a door so i made some curtains and embroidered Mario characters on each one. I let him decorate the inside with Mario stickers and he loves being able to have a Mario level right where he sleeps.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint in various colours to replicate a Mario castle.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Practice

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 10:25

I had been wanting to get into woodworking for awhile and after searching the web I came across Ana’s site. The plans for this table were right near the top of the page and seemed like a realistic goal for me to practice with. I followed her plans and video and everything came together nicely. My wife loves the table so we decided to keep it even though we didn’t need it.

Estimated Cost
$40-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax English chestnut and polycrylic for the table top.

Standard interior white paint for the legs and shelf.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My work table

Submitted by ewebrat on Fri, 07/24/2020 - 13:19

Started to renovate hubby’s bathroom, got annoyed with lack of space on his work bench, built my own. Since this pic, I’ve added locking casters, a power bar up one leg, and a plain metal tool holder on one side. Still have some thoughts rattling around in my head about various other upgrades. Super plans, easy one-woman job.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish. I want to add a 1/4 or 1/2 MDD top, but that’s the only not-naked original wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Complete Diningroom Set

I have lived in my house for over 9 years and have never done anything to it until recently. I have made the commitment to move away from plain white walls and boring "plug-n-play" furniture. I discovered Ana's site a few months ago and have been a daily visitor. I made this dining room set with the confidence Ana's instructions gave me and I am forever grateful.

I made a few adjustments to the Parson Chair, making it longer in the back and used 5 degree angle instead of 15 and made the seat wider for our hefty hips and I used all 2x3s for the "chair bones".

Estimated Cost
A little over $350 for everything including fabric
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona, Olympic Milk Paint White, Satin Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ralphyo

Sun, 04/03/2016 - 17:33

I really like the matching bench.  I am going to make this table for my daughter and she wants a bench with it.  I am wondering where you found matching legs short enough for the bench?  I have been looking but what I find are legs for end tables but they are too long.  Seems the bench-top height should be a standard 18 inches.  Thanks for any help.

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