Community Brag Posts

Faux Fireplace

Submitted by Hayley842 on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 19:29

We used pine boards for the carcass, a solid aspen panel 15" deep from lowes that we had lowes cut to fit. The doors are select pine simply because there were no suitable 1x12 boards. Hinges were from Home Depot- the lowes ones didn't come with a template. We tiled the inside with 7 boxes of "aspect" stainless steel self stick tiles from Home Depot.  We drilled a hole in thr back piece (which is MDF, also cut to fit from lowes) to accommodate a cord, and I carved the hole through the tiles with a utility knife. It wasn't ideal, but it's hidden by my lights.  No crown molding, and no trim because 1. We couldn't decide on any and 2. We like it this way for now. We had lowes cut every single board for this so we only had to screw and glue. The hinges were a challenge since we are newbs, but we figured it out in the end. In the future we are going to be more careful to check for square. The plan doesn't include shelves, which we have yet to install and we aren't entirely sure how we will. If you had the Kreg shelf hole driller rig thing that would be ideal..

Crucial detail: we shortened this project by slicing inches off the center section in the plan. Maybe took 5" off total. 

Estimated Cost
$110 for wood alone. We had screws, stain, poly, brushes, glue, etc.
$70 for the tiles. Don't bother with home depot's tile trim- it won't fit, and it's not really suited for this application.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax special walnut and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Twin Farmhouse Bed

I've been looking at this bed plan for several years, wondering if I had sufficient skills to scale up from small items to furniture. I finally did it! It was a family project, with 2 of my 3 kids getting involved. My son has been sleeping on it for several months now, and it's still rock solid. Now to settle on a desk plan for him. Thank you for all the great plans and inspiration!

Finish Used
Varathane weathered gray and worn navy.

Comments

Teen Loft Bed

Submitted by KailuaGirl on Fri, 03/15/2013 - 12:59

Aloha!
I was inspired by what I saw on Ana's website. My daughter was obsessed with the PB Teen version of the loft bed, so I tweaked the plans here to make it more like the $2500 bed from the catalog!!!!! Yikes and don't even get me started on what the shipping to Hawaii would be....It was well worth the effort! My daughter loves her new loft bed...Now if I can just figure out a way to get the dog to love the high bed!!!
Cheers, Tina

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250 because I added a glass top to the desk
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
white glossy paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DawnL

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 02:57

Aloha Tina!

You did a great job! I was wondering, how high is the bed, room and clearance? We also live in Hawaii and my daughter's room is small. Any feedback on what modifications you made would be greatly appreciated! Mahalo!

KailuaGirl

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 13:35

Hi Dawn,
Yes, my daughter's room has low clearance, so I tweaked the loft bed height.
I determined what top clearance I could maximize that would allow my daughter to sit up in bed comfortably, but it will be tight as she grows. She's 5 feet now...
Then I tweaked the desk area height as well to maximize without too much of a struggle to get into the area.. I hope this reply is helpful..
Floor to ceiling height is 96 inches. desk area has clearance of 56 inches and from the top of the mattress to ceiling has a clearance of 28 inches.
Aloha, Tina

hansje01

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 16:06

Im having a problem finding the plans for the teen loft bed shown above. any direction would be appreciated! Thanks!

KailuaGirl

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 16:59

HI! There are no plans for this loft bed.. I used the plans on this site and just literally DIY'ed to fit my needs.. Sorry I know this doesn't help you much…
If you have a specific question, maybe I could help…
Aloha, Tina

Industrial Bookshelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 17:03

My husband made these gorgeous, inexpensive bookshelves for my classroom. We modified the plans to create a couple of different sizes. I love them, and they work perfectly for the classroom library.

https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/30-industrial-bookshelf

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Woodstain- Sunbleached
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Slat Top Outdoor Wood Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 06:31

Love your easy instructions! I used all 2x4's because it was made with left over wood from another project. I burned the top pieces to get the grain to stand out and painted the legs. I think they turned out beautiful. I also used your 2x4 Adirondack Chair Plan to match the bench.
Thanks,
Yvette

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Woven back bench

Submitted by JoshMonroe on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 15:30

I started building a different bench, but I decided halfway through that I didn't like my design. I found this, and loved it, so I modified my partially built bench to incorporate the woven back design. I substituted in a few mortise and tenon joints for strength, and used either kreg or waterproof glue for the non-structural joints. The seat bottom is made from 2x4's I resawed in half. I also rounded over the edges of the 'Y' pieces, which I think makes it look a bit more like they're woven together. Thanks for the plans, this is a great addition to my front porch!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet, will be painted.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 05/01/2013 - 05:35

Beautiful build! I love the details such as the edges of the Y pieces as you said. It definite adds more dimension and the curves on the arms as well!

JoshMonroe

Wed, 05/01/2013 - 11:01

Thanks! I saw a cabinet in a book on wood finishing that had adjoining edges routed like that. It looked so good there, I decided to try it here, and I'm glad I did!

Pallet Shelf!

Submitted by tracysmith on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:30

Ok, so no one is going to get really jazzed about this but me, but hey.. I actually had to cut this, which I did on my own with no help from the hubs and nail in the bottom boards. That was a bit tricky cause I used other pallet wood so I didn't have to rob any of the nice stuff from my scrap pile. :-)

Estimated Cost
FREE
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
We ended up painting these for my Dad and step-Mom, but for my own that I have, we put nothing on them at all.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack Chairs for fire pit

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/06/2021 - 03:51

We have a contemporary house on a lake and the standard Adirondack chairs were not fitting in this setup. However, Anna’s modern Adirondack chair plan was just perfect for what we were looking for. The chairs are comfortable and the result is amazing! Thanks!!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Rustic X Table

Submitted by IceFamily on Thu, 02/20/2020 - 11:05

Enjoyed this project

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Tea, Steel Wool, White Wash, Dark Wax and Clear Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Outdoor Farmhouse Table made of Cedar

Submitted by PattiSca on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 06:55

We used the plans for the Farmhouse Table Knockoff similar to the one from RH, to build this table. We made some changes, and some hints:

1. The table is made of Cedar, as it will be used outside. Pine is just not an outdoor-friendly material, but Cedar is rather insect-proof. This will be used at a beach house.

2. We used 1x, not 2x on the top. The top just seemed to clunky with the 2x size. Plus, it's near impossible to find 2x in cedar.

3. We couldn't find 8x1 or 8x2 for the breadboard, so we used 6x1 (same as the table top).

4. We measured the length of the breadboard before we cut. I"m glad my husband made that suggestion because I found the seven (7) 1x6's totaled 38 3/4, not 38 1/2 as the plans call for. So it really does depend on the wood and humidity and such. So I think it's a wise decision to measure the width of all of the boards before you cut that piece.

5. We did not screw into the table top as recommended by the plans.

Estimated Cost
$250, including screws
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None at this time. My sister wants to age the wood first, and then I'm going to bug her until she puts a marine grade finish on it :)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Bin

Submitted by smurf1018 on Sat, 01/06/2018 - 21:51

I think this turned out pretty good for it only being the second piece of furniture I have ever built.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Premium Latex Paint Hunter Green Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/31/2021 - 07:03

I used some of the measurements that I found on your site and downsized them to fit my needs. The table was a wedding gift for my granddaughter. She and her new husband were very pleased. Thanks for your help.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Easy DIY Garage Workbench with modifications

Submitted by kimsteps on Thu, 01/13/2022 - 14:30

My fabulous husband bought me an awesome new miter saw for Christmas, and it is way too heavy to lug around! So my first project with the new saw was a workbench to mount it on! I added wheels so it can roll anywhere. I'm also very short and wanted to store a very tall shop vac on the lower shelf so I made modifications to accommodate that. I also made it 30" x 36" to make it just the right size for my saw. I will be using this piece as the center of other work tables I will build in the future!

Comments

Daybed with Storage Trundle

Submitted by Crafty-Mom on Sat, 01/27/2018 - 10:38

This was my first project from Ana's website and I'm hooked! I'm a beginner, but thank goodness for my Dad's help because I have a lot of learning to do!

I wanted the drawer to be 1 drawer instead of 3. I feel like it looks cleaner (without having to adjust 3 drawers constantly to make it look good when you push them in). I was thinking the bed could actually be used as a trundle bed in the future too! I use this to store toys right now and it is Awesome!

I increased the bed size to fit a twin mattress and increased the height of the bed slightly so that the drawer would be a little bit deeper. We also added a back to the bed and carried around the trim to make all sides look the same. We added a bumper to the back and sides of the inside of the bed so the drawer is easy to push in and fits in snug. Finally we reinforced the bottom of the drawer with more 1x4 boards so that if a child does sleep in it, it would be more sturdy. I now have kids come over and jump into the drawer (literally) and I'm glad we reinforced it.

The changes we made did add to the cost and our time (as well as being newbies), but I think it's worth it and the bed turned out beautiful!

Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Marquee (I'll have to find the name of the white color we used). We almost went with chalk paint, but after talking to the HD guy, he talked me into this paint and I'm glad we used it! So much cheaper and turned out beautiful.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Nisssc

Mon, 10/12/2020 - 07:51

This looks great! Any suggestion if I want cubbies instead of a trundle? Also, cubbies only on side as bed would be against the wall. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sandy

Rustic Farm Table and Benches

Submitted by verymom on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 17:13

We shortened the table and lengthened the benches - you can see all our details and changes in the blog link.

Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint & Minwax stain (finish took way longer than building!)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Child Size Adirondack Lawn Chair

This was a very simple build, but to do it again I would attach the arms to the arm supports at a 90* angle before attaching them to the chair itself. My kids love this style of chair and are thrilled to have their own nice loungers out in the yard!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10 each ($30 for 3 including paint, wood filler, sandpaper....)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum's American Accents in Colonial Red. I finished each board after cutting but when I build this chair the next time I will paint the board prior to cutting and then just touch-up the cut ends before assembly because it is much faster to paint 3/4 long boards than 25ish small ones!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Patio Stools 35 inches

Submitted by Kcirone on Sun, 08/09/2015 - 17:10

I adjusted from the plan to build the stools to 35 inches and found they remianed very stable! Used Cedar for the seat and aprons, and redwood for the legs and supports. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
25 per stool
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Jacobean stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Custom Retail Counter/Bar

Submitted by ksmith311 on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 18:02

This is our first original design! We had a request for a custom bar/retail counter for my mother in law's children's re-sale store and this is what we came up with! After we found a ridiculously awesome deal on 3/4 inch hardwood plywood (the only down side was that it was already cut into 2ft by 4ft pieces) we quickly got to work. Using our trusty Kreg Jig we turned 4 pieces of plywood into one large piece to create the front of the bar. From there we attached 1x3s and 1x2s to cover any seams that were caused by the different plywood pieces.

The finish was kind of a struggle but I love how it turned out in the end. It looks like the piece was made 100 years ago and definitely has a lot of soul. I started with Early American but it made the wood too red. So from there, I layered on Kona stain, lime wax, and dark wax and this is how it turned out! Which was not exactly what I was going for, but I LOVE it!

We are so happy with how it turned out. It is being picked up by its new owner tonight and I'm soooo sorry to see it go. We're happy that the piece will be functioning beautifully in the store with TONS of storage in the back. We're very proud of this one.

oh and it cost us about $130 for all lumber and finish materials.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Early American then Kona then lime wax and then Dark wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Play fort and Swing Set

Submitted by gsnpbc on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 20:33

I wanted to build a structure for the kids to play in and on. I used the playhouse deck design and made it 8 feet by 8 feet. The "roof" is removable to provide shade when it's sunny. It's just 2x2 and a tarp - pretty simple, but it does the job. I used treated posts, dog eared fence boards andlots of screws. I stained and built the walls in my garage before assembling it. Once all of the wood at been stained, it came together pretty quickly with the grandkids help...Lol

 

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

King Farm House Bed

My husband designed this after the farm house bed. I wanted panels on the head board and foot board to "dress it up a bit" and storage drawers. He did a wonderful job. I don't think I have ever had a more prized piece of furniture. Now to find some tall night stands.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Off white oil based semi gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

vanash2012

Wed, 09/23/2015 - 11:54

Any chance you or your husband would share the adjusted plans to include the storage under mattress?

Thank you so much! love your site and your work!

vanessalust

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 21:52

Hi Ana! 

I was wondering if you had the plans available for this bed with the drawers underneath and the head and foot board ? 

 

:) thank you!

vanessa

nateleejohnson

Fri, 02/10/2017 - 05:27

What a beautiful bed.  Like others I was looking for the plans for the headboard and drawers.  Are they available?

Thanks,

 

Nate

danthony313

Sun, 12/17/2017 - 16:03

the wife loves this design but are there plans for the whole thing yet?

Tacoma9596

Wed, 09/25/2019 - 10:40

Ana,

   Can you provide plans with pics for this bed?   My wife wants it and I got tasked with doing it.

Toy garage

I got inspired by Ana to design my own toy garage - so that there would be somewhere to store all the hot wheels that kept piling up! I have no idea what the angle is for the driveway ramp - it was trial and error with help from my husband, but it's pretty sturdy. Between the mitered cut and the copious amounts of glue, it holds the weight of a 25 lb toddler walking up it (though I try to discourage it!).
I used chalkboard paint and acrylics - so that we can draw parking stalls, lanes, or arrows as desired - my son helped with the painting. So far, the favorite activities are sending the cars down the ramp, one after another...

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