Community Brag Posts
She's only been asking for 3 years (Doll House)
My Daughter has only been asking for a Doll House for like 3 years. This Christmas her uncle is giving her her very first American Girl Doll, so I figured it was about time to get on that doll house. I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. Such a great plan and easy to follow. Thank you so much.
Kitty Tree Condo
I adapted the simple Kitty Tree plan to make an outdoor sunroom for my cats. They are locked inside when I'm away, so this was a way for them to get some fresh air. They can access it via a tunnel, visible on the side as a grey box that butts up against the panel for the cat flap.
It's 36"X30" and 68" high.
The walls are made of plexiglas and I made the interior ramps by cutting up a set of wooden shelves.Plexiglas is expensive, but I salvaged some that was slightly scratched and going to the landfill. Otherwise, it would have cost me well over $100.
The frame was built using a Kreg jig, which is now my new favourite tool. I also added some casters so it can be rolled away from the wall for cleaning.
I found the Kitty Tree plan to be easy and versatile.
Comments
Wed, 11/14/2012 - 07:39
Very innovative. How did you
Very innovative. How did you ventilate it for them to breathe?
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 06:42
The plexiglas is not quite
The plexiglas is not quite large enough to cover the space between the posts so there is a 1/8" inch gap around many of the edges.
Also the back is open. When it's away from the wall, I can lean in to clean it. So, it's not at all airtight.
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 06:45
One could use a wire mesh
One could use a wire mesh instead of plexiglas to save money. It would look okay, especially if painted, but I splurged on the plexiglas because it does look nicer than wire. I wanted to prevent complaints from our immediate neighbours if they thought a wire cage was an eyesore.
Mon, 11/19/2012 - 07:04
Fun!
Your cats are going to love this. Once the birds (thinking about swallows) figure out they can swoop by quickly without harm, the birds are going to love it too. You could even put a bird feeder nearby to make it more interesting for the cats to look at.
Fri, 11/23/2012 - 20:41
I Love the idea of the bird
I Love the idea of the bird feeder! It would be like watching Tom and Jerry cartoons! Lol
Simple 2x4 Bench
I made this in an afternoon. Loved this project. It is made with 2x4's using a Kregs Jig and mitre saw (plus additional tools like a drill and square). This was my frist time using the Kregs Jig and I am sold!!
The free plans were taken from another website. They are very detailed and there is even a video (I recommend it as he gives a great tip for making sure the back stays equal/level to each other before putting the back on). Even though you can build this by yourself, I did have help for the heavier sides once they were assembled. I plan to build the additional side table soon and finish them both with sanding and staining when the weather seems less iffy for rain.
If you are looking for a good beginner project that doesn't take forever or have complicated steps, this is your project.
Farmhouse Style Toy Box / Blanket Chest
I built this for my daughter after Christmas sinse she had the living room covered in toys. The dimensions are 37" x 18" x 20"
Comments
Tue, 01/09/2018 - 05:51
More details!
HI Anna,
Can you provide more pictures or instructions on how you assembled this toy box? i want to make one just like it!
Thanks!
Wed, 03/10/2021 - 16:31
Pronounced panel edges
Looking at the wall panels they look like the long edge of each panel has a small bevel cut on it. This gives each panel edge a more pronounced or well-defined edge? Is this true? Was it done with a router?
Living Room Set RusticX
RusticX living room set with a tea/steel wool-vinegar treatment and a paste wax finish.
Farmhouse entry table - 4' by Dennis Larson
Fun weekend project for an entry redo. Adjusted plan to 4' length to fit the space.
Henry bookshelf - modified
I loved the look of the Henry bookshelf, but I was looking for a longer, shorter bookshelf — so I modified the plans and created this version. It stands a little over 3ft tall and is 6ft long. I chose tongue and groove bead board for the backing and mixed two different stains to achieve the hint of gray. Finished it off with a satin poly.
-Whitney R. , Houston, TX
Comments
Closet Shelves
So I was complaining to my wife that our one closet in our bedroom was becoming too cluttered. She asked me to build her one. I told her that if she found the one she wanted me to build, then I would build it. She found this one and so I built it for her. Let me just say that she is very happy with it and it came out very great. I did find a couple of shower curtain rods that were brown to used instead of the iron pipe. It made the whole project cost around $80.
Comments
Sat, 11/07/2020 - 11:42
Excellent!
So happy that worked out for you and your wife, thanks for sharing:)
Farmhouse Table Set
Finally finished this table, chairs and benches. Benches don’t slide under the table so I’m going to build another modified set and use these for outdoor sitting or something similar. Turned out great and love the look.
Comments
Large Wood Pet Kennel End Table
I used the plans provided. I made a small change to the windows and made the bigger.
Modern Farm Table
This was my third project. The building is now getting very easy, it's the finishing that's the hard part. For some reason the wood wasn't taking in the stain very well even though I followed the right steps. Condition, sand, and then stain. In the end after many applications I was or I should say my sister who I was making it for was happy. I had to modify the size to make it fit in her space.
Headboard
My parents just moved into an apartment and needed a headboard. I had some time off work so I made them one. I'm still a beginner (and probably always will be); this project was perfect for me. I used new wood, miter saw, hammer and nails. Took me about three hours total. Epresso stain. My parents love it! Thank you so much for the plans Rob
Comments
Camp Loft Bed for the Little Lady
I came across the Camp Loft Bed on Pinterest a couple of months ago. My daughter was still sleeping in a crib, but I knew that she would need a big girl bed by summer. Since her room is small (inside walls measure just under 9'x9'), i thought a loft bed would be ideal.
I have NEVER done a DIY. I don't even own tools. But my step-dad is very handy, so I asked him to be my consultant and helper to tell me if I was doing things the wrong way! Fortunately, he was able to lend me a miter saw, some aluminum saw horses, and the odd screw (when I seemed to run out).
From start to finish, this was a 7 day project. I used construction grade spruce for my lumber, which cost me just shy of $100. I also went back the next day and bought a couple more 2x4s to make two shelves under the platform, which was another $30. I then pre-drilled with my new favourite tool the Kreg, and proceeded to sand, prime, and paint all of the pieces before assembly. With assembly being in my daughter's room, and having nice fresh paint on her walls and carpeted floors, I did NOT want to be finishing the bed in there, but there was no way I could move it into her room completely assembled. I did all the finishing BEFORE assembly.
Sand, prime, sand, paint, paint, paint. That process took three days, obviously not the entire day. Painting goes relatively quickly, but with boards, you paint one side, let dry, roate 90 degrees, paint, let dry, etc. I also had to work a couple of days in between as well. I went with Benjamin Moore Aura paint and that required three coats. I used to some leftover pink and yellow for the platform and shelves, but if I consider the cost, the paint set me back another $100.
I also had to order in the proper screws and I bought some of the white Kreg plugs to cover the exposed holes. Hurray for amazon! Even selecting the free shipping, the screws arrived within 4 days.
Assembly day:
My step-dad and I worked from 10:30-1:30. By this time, the bed and platform were completely assembled and in place. My daughter, however, needed to nap, so I put her down in her brother's bed, and we took a couple of hours off for lunch!
We then worked from 5-8:45 pm building the stairs, cleaning the room, measuring and screwing down the slats for the mattress, then making the bed and getting it ready for sleep. It seemed like a much longer day because in between, I had to run out and pick up a twin mattress, some extra screws, help my son play his new Skylander game, and deal with three kids trying to "help" with construction!
All in all, I am very pleased with the bed, with the plans, and with my first DIY. My kids are all in love with the bed and we spent a lot of time shooing them out of the room while we tried to assemble it.
Tips:
If I were to make this bed again (if my sons have their way, their beds are next!) I would not paint the wood, opting instead for a stained more natural look. I love the colours for my daughter, but what a pain all that painting and rotating the boards was. Paint was also a more expensive option for finishing.
That being said, if I do paint, I will NOT paint the ends of the boards that will be joined via pocket holes. In some cases, the boards were just a smidge too long to fit and we had to take the back to the saw and shave off the layer of paint in order for the board to fit.
I also opted to buy firm twin mattress as opposed to the plush ones. The plush mattresses add a lot of height and I was worried about my daughter having a bit too much fun up there and possibly tipping out from a high mattress. Stick to thinner mattresses on loft or bunk beds!
colours: white, glamour pink and cornsilk (for the two shelves)
Vegetable storage with slide out trays
Been wanting to build this for awhile. Now I know why the plan pics are all unfinished! I modified the plans slightly to allow for 2 slightly larger trays on the bottom and allow for robotic vacuum to clean underneath.
Farmhouse Patio Table
I liked the plans, and the table came out beautiful. Only issue is that there isn't much support for the bread board ends. Don't try to move the table by lifting up on the ends. May need additional bracing in the future. Was able to make a side table with the leftover pieces and an extra 2x4. Love it.
Wide Short Pine 1x12 Bookshelf
This was my first project ever, and while there are a few things I could have done better (don't judge the imperfections!) the shelves still came out beautifully. I followed Ana's plan exactly, painting the backboard a charcoal grey before attaching, and the shelves themselves white with light lemon yellow on the inside-sides. If I were to make these again, I would want to sand the shelves down more and use a higher gloss paint or sealer. The matte finish is more difficult to clean when it gets dusty, which happens pretty quickly!
Hall Tree Combo
I started with the Fancy Hall tree plan, but decided to add cubbies to the top. This is the first "real" thing I have ever made. I could only work on it every other week, so it took longer than expected. Thanks for the plans!!
Amazing Farm Table and Benches
Built this deck dining table and benches from Lowes cedar, and the results way exceeded my expectations! The plans were so well written, it was easy to slightly modify (made both table and benches wider and longer) and the build was very simple. The clear directions helped give me the confidence to do this and we have got so many nice compliments. There was nothing this sturdy and simple even available to buy. I even built a coffee table and bar table after modifying the plans a bit. Thank you Ana!
Comments
Kids Country Bench
Hi! I made the Kid's Country Bench for my first ever woodworking project. Making this bench was the first time I've used a jigsaw (purchased for this project) and the first time drilling a pilot hole. My husband answered a couple of questions along the way, but I did all the work myself and am so proud. I did change some dimensions to accommodate pretty baskets I wanted to use. This is going to be very helpful for corralling two little boys' shoes in my entry.
Rustic X Table
Enjoyed this project
Comments
Mon, 05/04/2015 - 10:16
Love this build and sign!
Thanks for sharing, great job on the decor and finish!