Community Brag Posts

Toy Chest!

Submitted by Dunnski on Wed, 12/26/2012 - 06:54

I made this for my 5 year old niece for Christmas...she loved it! Got a big hug without her parents saying a word.

Considering it's only my third woodworking project I was pleased with the results. Her Mom has requested one for London's baby brother; if I learn from my mistakes that one should be even better.

I painted all of the pieces separately before assembly, so the project was spread out over several days. If you're good enough to paint it all at once it's a weekend project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $75, much less if you have paint on hand
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

End table with drawer.

Submitted by dtmagnet on Mon, 10/06/2014 - 17:24

Used the plans for the Rustic X End Table on this site, modified them a bit to fit the space I wanted to fill. Also changed the design a bit to incorporate a drawer. I wire brushed each piece with a wire wheel brush drill bit to give it texture and make the grain come to life, then after assembly I went over the whole thing with a blow torch to add some nice colour and make the grain further stand out. Finally finished it off with minwax classic grey stain. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wire brushed and burnt with a blow torch, then stained with minwax classic grey.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wifey

Sun, 11/02/2014 - 20:57

Looks nice. Any notes as to how you incorporated the drawer?

Pull-out Shelves

Stationary shelves are such a hassle, especially in a deep pantry cabinet! Now I can actually SEE the contents of my pantry cabinet. Thanks for the inspiration and tutorial to get it done!

Estimated Cost
$50 for 5 shelves & framing, new hinges.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Comments

Loft bed

We recently moved to Texas from Virginia and downsized in living space. Our 3 1/2 year old son had his own playroom so unfortunately we don't have an extra room for that any longer. My solution to that problem was building this loft bed. We altered the plans to fit our measurements (smaller bedroom). We also made it taller so we could use it longer. Also we didn't have a keg jig so we invested in that within that $200 cost. My husband and I built this in one evening from start to finish. 6pm to 2 am! This was also our first wood project. Not bad I say!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Whale cottage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/22/2017 - 09:46

 Thanks! I was able to use your plans for all the cabinets. Real easy to follow! 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modified Rustic X Tables

Submitted by SuperTim69 on Fri, 10/09/2020 - 11:24

Used the Rustic X templates. Just modified a little. Thanks Ana White

Comments

Farmhouse Table

My husband and I love entertaining, but our small kitchen table was just not cutting it for both our space and our hosting abilities. We decided that instead of searching for the perfect table and spending a ton of money, we would just build our own table. We found that Ana's Rustic Table plans best matched what we were looking for, but my husband being the detailed person that he is didn’t just want to take her measurements and run with them. So we taped off the floor around our old table to decide how large we wanted our own table to be.

We basically followed Ana White’s plans to a T. Until it got to the legs. Ana White used 2×4′s for her legs, but we decided we liked the look of chunkier 4×4 legs instead. We also did things in a different order, like attaching the legs to the apron before attaching the table top. This did make everything way easier when it came to painting, no tape needed. We also stained the bottoms and sides of the tabletop boards before attaching them to the apron. After the top was attached I stained the top side and applied about 3-4 coats of Matte polyurethane. I like the matte finish because it doesn’t add any sheen and makes things look even more rustic; however, we’ll have to add a regular coat of poly as well because the matte is too soft for something that will see such rough use over the years. And now for what you’re all wondering about, how much did this project cost us?

  • Wood – $86
  • Stain (Dark Walnut) – $7.77
  • Paint (Olympic Snow Storm) – $11.97
  • Polyurethane (Rustoleum Matte finish) – $11.93
  • If that is all we needed to buy then our total would have been: $117.67.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mistyclinton

Mon, 12/31/2012 - 09:43

Your table is gorgeous! You did an amazing job.

I am getting ready to attempt my first two projects, bookshelves and a buffet table. I had a couple of questions about how you got such a consistent stain.

1) The Stain - What kind of stain did you use? How many coats did it take? Did you use a conditioner first?

2) Wood filler - How did you get the wood filler to match the stained areas so well? What kind did you use?

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking I would have to paint the buffet but after seeing your table I think I may actually attempt the stain.

European farmhouse table

Submitted by jenzopr on Tue, 10/14/2014 - 06:04

When I first saw the original plan on ana-white.com, I knew that this table and the bench would fit perfectly into my place. Since in europe we measure mostly in meters, I adapted the plan to a table top of 1,0 x 2,10 meters (or for 8 persons) and made the bench fit between the table legs. Luckily, a friend (he is a carpenter) could get me solid beech wood and helped me to get it into the right size (it took a weekend, since we started from raw tree trunks). Assembly was done in two days and I stained it twice afterwards (3 days, with rest ;) ).

Estimated Cost
400 Euros (~500 dollars)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Surface was just sanded, treated with hard oil and sanded again on the next day. You should repeat this procedure at least once a year.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Our.family.morgans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/24/2017 - 07:18

Thanks ANA for the plans!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Primer & paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X coffee table

Submitted by Hartke22 on Mon, 10/12/2020 - 22:40

Rustic X coffee tables, sofa and end tables. All Ana White plans!!

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Minwax Clear Gloss Polly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Reading Nook

Submitted by bjhoove on Tue, 01/01/2013 - 10:17

From Closet to Reading Nook ... it took me a month from start to finish to complete and worth every minute spent on it! Come by to see the full story ...

http://www.joy2journey.com/2013/01/01/reading-nook-before-and-after/

No plan was needed for this project, just imagination :)

Hugs and Happy 2013!
Bj
http://www.joy2journey.com

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Jacobean Stain, Calypso Berry 35A-6 paint, and White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mini Wine bar

Submitted by ericaf on Sat, 10/18/2014 - 10:41

Be aware: some of the measurements and materials needed in the plan are off. For example, you need 1/8" hardboard for the bottom of the drawer but earlier in the plans it shows 1/4". Also, if you have larger wine glasses, you'll want to plane down your stemware holders so the distance between them is 3 1/8" instead of 3". It would have also been a good idea to pre-stain those before adding them in. Regarding stain, it would also look really good with a light stain. Another really nice thing about this project is that people are really impressed with it though it is fairly straightforward. :)

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ericaf

Fri, 06/10/2016 - 07:09

Thank you. :) I don't remember exactly, I believe it was regular Minwax wood stain, walnut and/or red mahogany. I will try to find what I actually used.

In love with this!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/26/2017 - 15:12

This is one of my favorite projects I've done! Very easy and fun! 

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique white paint and semigloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Bathroom Cabinet with Epoxy Vanity Top

Submitted by thediyplan on Sat, 10/17/2020 - 17:16

When you remodel your bathroom, you are breathing fresh life into your home. There are plenty of ways you can remodel your bathroom. Recently the vanity and cabinets are fast becoming the highlight of bathroom renovations. In this tutorial, I will show you how to make your own DIY Bathroom Cabinet with Epoxy Vanity Top. Check out my website for more details and photos TheDIYPlan

Also, See my other recent projects

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Buffet for my wife

Submitted by SDPerkins on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 11:58

After building the Cabin Bunk system for my 5yo son, my wife wanted a buffet for our foyer. It took ma a Saturday to build and about $150 in materials.

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
This was all sanded and I applied Stain/Sealer. I did not use any varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft Bed Tweak

 I added 6 inches to the height to be able to add a twin bed underneath. I also made the platform narrower to fit our room better. Love it. Cant wait to build more.

Estimated Cost
100$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fathers Day Gift

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2017 - 06:46

Weekend project for a friend. We built this for her husband for a Fathers day gift.. He is a fire fighter so we decided to paint it fire engine red.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$ 75-100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My First ever creation

This was the first thing i have ever built. I enjoyed it so much and can't wit to start my next project. The plans were easy to follow even with me changing the dimensions slightly as i was using reclaimed wood, so had to go with the sizes i had already.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a beach hut blue to paint the seat and shed stain for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Extra Long Bed

Submitted by Lumi on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 16:36

My hubby is 6'5'' tall. Since most matresses are 80 inches long, he mostly ends up with his feet hanging out of the bed (since you don't lay your head down at the very beginning of the mattress, right?). So I tried to solve this problem by making the bed 4'' longer than the plans suggested. I added 2'' of foam on each end of the bed, so now its 84'' long and my hubby fits perfectly!

Thanks for the great plans, I had a blast building my own bed!

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

X console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/01/2017 - 19:37

X console 

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner