Community Brag Posts

Nightstand 3 different ways

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 15:38

We took this plan and modified it a bit. The first photo is as a nightstand. We resized the red cabinet, made it deeper and a little wider, gave it a contrasting finish of chestnut stain on the drawer fronts and barn red on the body to make my sewing storage/desk (2 cabinets with a hollow core door on top). The green cabinet is higher and wider, with a cabinet at the bottom. This is used in our stained glass shop at a Renaissance Festival in a remote area, which is powered by hidden solar. The drawers house my paperwork and sales tools and a solar inverter in the open back cabinet at the bottom.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Weatherly Pergola with Hammocks

Submitted by jacquiejn on Mon, 04/27/2020 - 08:22

I've wanted a place to hang our hammocks for a few years now. We have some really nice hammocks from a local artisan. This past weekend, we built the framing with intentions of making it a pergola at a later time. With encouragement of my son & boyfriend, we decided to add the pergola on Sunday. I liked this plan because it wasn't as complicated or expensive as a lot of other plans out there that use 2x6s instead of 2x4s. Adding the angle brackets really solidified the whole structure. I'm so thrilled with this project! Unfortunately, today (Monday), it's raining, so I can't go hang out there.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We will allow the wood to dry most of the summer before finishing.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

2 x 4 Garage Shelves Built into Basement Storage!

Hello Everyone! This is my FIRST brag post here on Ana-White.com - but not the first project that we've built from her awesome plans. :) 

We have an unfinished basement that desperately needed some shelving because 1. It's our workshop in the Winter and 2. We don't have an official 'storage' room in the basement of our split level home. When I saw these plans I immediately thought they could be modified to fit our space and get my stuff off the floor! 

I modified the plans just enough to fit our space. After reading through them completely, I realized for an 8 ft wide space (beside the stairs) I only needed three supports for the shelves. Easy! The only trick was fitting the shelf into the space AFTER installing the shelves. Because I had walls on two sides (unlike the tutorial) I couldn't do the shelves as the last step. 

I LOVE how these turned out! They are a strong as a ladder (we tested them... :)) and they hold everything I need them to, and a little bit more. It's a definite improvement on my previously messy, cluttered, saw-dust covered space ... :) 

Estimated Cost
Our space was 8ft tall by 8ft wide, so we ended up purchasing about $60 worth of 2x4s to complete the project. We also used 2.5" screws, which are around $4 per box of 75.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None - we left the wood bare and natural because it's just for storage - not for looks. :)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Outdoor Chair with a twist

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/05/2017 - 16:05

Taken from the Modern Outdoor chair project and added a back. Then decided that I love the andorak style chair arms and thus the Andrmodern chair was born.. 

Estimated Cost
$35.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will use the Behr two in one
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jkess44

Tue, 06/09/2020 - 13:36

Wow! I really like this look, Im sure its very comfortable. Do you have plans to share? I am very much a beginner and need guidance, lol.

Treehouse/Playhouse

Submitted by Bigbill99 on Sun, 01/10/2016 - 00:07

Thank you! You've helped me look like a true carpenter who knows what he's doing! My whole family is impressed with my woodwork lately, and now I'm addicted. I've done your seesaw, bar table and stools plus the treehouse in 2 weeks. Thank you for sharing your plans!

Estimated Cost
$500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Spar urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outside table with built in cooler

I made this table for a friend of mine. I'm a Realtor and he used me to help purchase his home. Instead of a boring house warming gift, I made him this table instead! 

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Colonial maple stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

2x4 sectional outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 08:10

My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!

Estimated Cost
building materials for sofa $250. Custom Sunbrella Fabric cushiosn $2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Carrington Minwax and sealed with spray Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Greenhouse Project -Added elevated raised beds & temp/humidity control

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/05/2020 - 09:09

We loved this greenhouse plan from AnaWhite and wanted to be able to grow in 3 seasons so we modified the design to include humidity & temperature control & 18" deep elevated cedar beds inside with 4x4 posts for support and trellis option. We added electricity in order to have a lighted workspace and the ability to put in a circulating fan to control mold and fungus. We added 2 work tables (2x2') on the inside of the door left and right side door in order to do seed trays & store supplies. This was a wonderful project for my husband and my plants inside are doing incredibly well compared to my outside garden beds here in zone 5. Products used:

Foundation
We had a landscape company come and scape/dig a platform and then fill/compact with crushed rock
My husband then used rebar driven into a 4x4 frame in order to secure the frame to the ground and create a base upon which to build the greenhouse

Active ventilation
AC Infinity Cloudline T8 Inline duct fan
Air king range hood wall cap 8" on the bottom outside of the greenhouse wall for air intake + flex 8" duct to the fan itself
Shelter logic autovent automatic shelter vent kits (1 on each side of the front wall) in order to allow air intake from the bottom back of the greenhouse under the elevated beds to flow to the front of the greenhouse and out
Circulating fan- Hurricane wall mount fan 16" - this fan has 3 speeds with tilt function and small mounting bracket

Soil - sourced 3 yards of 50/50 loam/compost from local landscaping supply
60% loam
30% organic compost
10% organic topsoil + perlite

Soil beds
-cedar frame 2 feet wide along sides, 3 feet wide on the back wall
-galvanized metal roofing with holes drilled into it for drainage
-landscape cloth lined

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

Outdoor bar table

Submitted by hueybp on Tue, 07/21/2020 - 20:06

Not quite finished but love the table already. Trying to decide how to stain/paint it. The Kreg jig was a must for this project. It was my first of hopefully many! I used cedar for the 4x4s and 2x6 top pieces. The 2x4s are treated lumber (only because there were no more cedar ones....apparently lumber is getting hard to get lately!!!). Anyway....thanks for the great plans and motivation for this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Lumber was about $150 bucks (I bought mitre saw and kreg jig, too)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will probably use semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Storage Bed With Hidden Drawer

Submitted by Beekeeper on Wed, 12/10/2014 - 17:35

Ana, thanks for these plans! They inspired me to make my first bed build. I also want to thank all of you that added brag posts! They gave me ideas for some of the modifications that I made. I did this build by mixing your Queen Farmhouse and Queen Farmhouse Storage bed plans. I also added a number of modifications to suit my own preferences. The drawer boxes I changed by building a faceplate (I didn't want the plywood ends exposed), and by increasing in depth to maximize some additional storage. Since I increased the drawer sizes, I went with the euro roller bearing slides. I increased the foot-board height to be slightly higher than the mattress. I also designed the footboard to have a removable inner section with hidden latches on the inside. I did this because I wanted to make use of the "dead space" between the drawer boxes. I then used this space to house a hidden drawer, that is approx six feet deep (I couldn't help myself-I love hidden drawers wink). Because I added the hidden drawer, I changed the opptional center support to 4X4 blockes that were pocket screwed under the center of the boxes. I ended up using birch plywood and fir for this build. For my first bed build I'm fairly happy with how it came out. Thanks again!

Estimated Cost
I didn't keep exact track of the cost of this bed, but I think it was about $800.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I haven't got there yet, but I am planning on putting a mahogany stain and then a polyurethane. All
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 12/11/2014 - 07:41

This is your first build and you did all of those awesome modifications?! Really impressive and it looks perfect! Congrats and welcome to the community!

In reply to by spiceylg

Beekeeper

Sun, 12/14/2014 - 06:03

Thanks for the compliments! It was a fun learning experience. Making all the modifications definitely slowed down the build, but also made it more rewarding!

beckbg

Fri, 12/12/2014 - 13:18

I just started my bed (mostly out of Baltic Birch) and am wondering where you were able to find such nice 4x4s. Your bed is gorgeous! No luck here. I bought redwood, but really wanted fir for the sharper edges. It's my first project, too. I also bought same drawer slides, but the soft close. Didn't want the slam. I figure building it will be the easy part compared to procuring nice 4x4s! Hope you can help!

In reply to by beckbg

Beekeeper

Sun, 12/14/2014 - 06:01

Thanks! The 4x4s I found at a place called Better Living Building Supply. They had a pretty nice assortment of fir, including the 4x4s, so that is why I chose it for the build. Finding the 4x4s slowed down my start on the build. Our local Lowes only had them in treated pine.

athingvall

Sat, 09/05/2015 - 20:47

Thank you for the pictures, the bed turned out Awesome.  I was wondering about the latching system for the foot of the bed.  Do you think a piano hinge on the lower would work too?  Also on the center drawer did you use rollers or is it just friction?  Can't wait to start the build.

Thanks

Codding58

Mon, 02/15/2016 - 14:11

This is excellent!!!   I really like this, so much in fact that the wife is going to have to get used to it too. lol   But really, GREAT work!    Any chance you could post a pic and or comment about how you attached that removeable end?    i think this is the best part!    Cheers!

Kmaynard19

Tue, 12/10/2019 - 08:42

Beekeeper,  Awesome build!!!  Have you posted your altered plans anywhere?  I'm very interested in your build, I was wondering about some aspects of it and how you approached it.  Plans would clear it up instead of bothering you with all my questions.

NinjaPinky

Sat, 06/20/2020 - 09:06

I, like many others, have been wondering if you'd share your plans for this modification. It just looks so great!

tammis50401

Mon, 11/16/2020 - 15:42

Bed turned out awesome. I was wondering if you have the plans for the bed with a list of supplies it took to make this bed. I so want this bed it's just what we are needing

Great job

Rustic Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/09/2021 - 14:53

This rustic bench is perfect for our remodeled bathroom. It is made from post oak lumber harvested from my property and milled myself using a friend’s sawmill. No stain, just polyurethane.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My corner desk

Submitted by chach2667 on Wed, 11/03/2021 - 04:02

I wanted to convert my craft shed to my office after I accepted a new job and would be working from home full time. My shed is only 10x8, so I needed something smallish and functional. I modified the plans slightly and I did make a few mistakes. In the end, I think it turned out great for a 50 something grandma who likes to work with her hands!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Reclaimed Wood Night Stand

Love these night stands! I spent $40 on lumber for two night stands and $30 on the hardware! You can see more pics of my finished night stands at www.shanty-2-chic.com

Estimated Cost
$50 - $70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut Stain and Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

acgosiger

Mon, 08/29/2011 - 09:56

I am going to be making these for our master bedroom (hubby and I currently do not have matching night stands). NOw that i see them finished i am even more excited! You did a fantastic job on them!

takahler (not verified)

Mon, 08/29/2011 - 20:10

We made two of these same night stands earlier this month. I haven't taken a good enough picture to post on here. I need to do that. Great job!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 09/28/2011 - 22:17

This is wonderful. I'm looking for something similar to build in the next couple weeks. Could you share the plans for it please?

Toni (not verified)

Mon, 05/28/2012 - 06:25

My hubby made these for my daughter and they turned out awesome.So now I have to have them too. He is working on them now, but we are making them out of some oak we already had. Can't wait. Now I need a matching headboard!! Looking for plans...

Chunky leg bedframe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/12/2019 - 17:43

I got tired of sleeping on the floor like college kids, but I didn’t want to buy a junky particle board bedframe. My husband and I are novice woodworkers. Even still, we bought the lumber around noon and managed to finish the whole project in about 5-6 hours! We used a Kreg jig for the first time and it was pretty simple. I am really pleased with how this turned out, and I can’t wait to try more of Ana’s plans in the future.

Estimated Cost
$100 including the cost of pockethole screws and finishing nails.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table - Thanks Ana!!

I tackled the Farmhouse Table over a long weekend while my boyfriend was away - he was surprised needless to say!
I have not attempted any woodwork projects since grade 8, but this was alot of fun - I did not find it very difficult and loove using power tools :)
I made the matching bench, however I guess I did not stir the bottom of the can well enough and my bench is now red :/ soo I am going to either stain it dark or paint it white and use it as a mudroom seat!

*I also made mine shorter - 7ft long to fit in our dining room and adjusted the bench to fit.

Estimated Cost
$160 for table & bench inc. wood, screws, stain, sand paper
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded it until I was pretty sure the risk of splinters was eliminated. After pre-stain conditioner, it got a coat of Minwax 'Ipswitch Pine'. The result was perfect on the table (two coats), however I must not have stirred the can well enough as my bench turned out dark red :/ I wanted it to look like it's 100 years old.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Maggie Jaye

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 17:15

Thank you so much Ana! We are in the process of renovating our house and your website has inspired me to take on so many more projects now!! :)

Margaret Kubiszyn (not verified)

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 19:46

I love your choice of stain - it is beautiful!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/02/2011 - 04:52

I built a similar table and I am having problems with my kids getting food in between the pieces of wood. Do you have this same problem, is anyone having this same problem? Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to fix it, how to keep food and other particles from getting trapped between the cracks? Thanks! You did a great job!!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:00

I am building this table as we speak. The thought occurred to me as well concerning the cracks attracting crumbs. I believe using clamps to make the fit as tight as possible will help. Also some poly finishes may be appropriate with children which may even seal the cracks... if sanded and clamped well.

Maggie Jaye

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:11

I did try my best to clamp the wood together as tight as possible - due to the pieces of wood not being completely straight, they are there.

I haven't had this problem yet. I do use place mats when eating at the table, that generally stops any crumbs etc.That's probably the easiest way to avoid it :)

Thank you for your comments!

Square Farmhouse Table

Submitted by eddingsr on Sun, 01/08/2017 - 13:17

I built this table for a friend who wanted a rustic, plank-top kitchen table. She wanted a square table with 4x4 legs. Since I don't have clamps, I used pocket holes and wood glue for the table top. Also, I only have a 7&1/4" miter saw, which means the 4x4s were too thick to cut. So I made one cut in the legs, then flipped them and made another. It worked! :) I sanded down the sides of the table top with 80 grit. They needed to be evened up since some of the planks were a little longer than others. I back braced underneathe the top with (3) 1x3s. Then, I sanded all over with 120, vacuumed, then wiped it down with a damp towel. Fun build!! 

Estimated Cost
~$100 for lumber, screws, wood glue, sandpaper, and finishing products.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
For the finish I used Minwax wood conditioner, then a coat of Minwax stain in Provincial. I went back and put a second coat of stain on a few of the premium pine pieces, because they soaked up the first coat really well, and I wanted some darker pieces on top. I let those soak for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I did 2 coats of Polycrylic all over, then a third coat for the top only. I dry sanded between coats with 600 grit sandpaper.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Night Stands custom sized and finished

Submitted by pondrider on Thu, 01/15/2015 - 07:50

Night Stands custom sized and finished per customer building new home based Ana White's Farm House collection  #‎anawhite‬  

Intentional distressing per customer request with guidance from Ana White plans.   Finish contains a mix of paint, removing of paint, staining and restraining.   Now to move to a purposeful Mud Room Locker for a new home suited for family. 

http://ana-white.com/users/pondrider/
#anawhite   #Stain   #CustomFurniture   #Paint 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finish contains a mix of paint, removing of paint, staining and restraining.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Play Structure & Swing Set

Submitted by Colby032 on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 11:52

My second building project... this one took quite a while, building in the evenings after the kids went to bed.

The playhouse is based off of Ana's Playhouse Building series, with some modifications to fit the space in my backyard and accommodate climbing wall, monkey bars, and slide.

To put the main deck structure into the ground for sturdiness while protecting from moisture, I dug out 5 holes to fit single hole cinder blocks (4 corners plus an extra 4x4 for the monkey bars; you can see an leftover block on the ground in one of the pictures). I placed some brick in the holes, then the cinder blocks on top. I then partially filled the cinder blocks with sand, put the pre-built deck in the cinder block holes (with help - it's heavy!), and then filled the rest of the cinder block holes with sand. It's worked remarkably well - the deck has been up for about a year now. I also sprayed some clear waterproof sealant on the bottom part of each beam near the ground for extra protection (deck, monkey bars, climbing walls, and swingset A-frame). This has allowed me to still run sprinklers near/around the playset and even grow grass underneath the swings!

Materials used:
* Playhouse: pine, plywood, Suntuf solar grey polycarbonate corrugated roofing panels (I live in Arizona, so little rain to worry about but lots of heat - the sheeting lets light in but blocks most of the UV rays, corrugated shape also provides venting at top when placed sideways)

* Deck/Swingset/Monkey bars: treated lumber, composite decking, pine for railings, monkey bars purchased from Amazon

* Climbing wall: pine, treated lumber, handholds/railing bought off ebay/Amazon

* Swings/slide/bongos/wheel, telescope: purchased from Amazon

Modifications:
* Turned playhouse 90 degrees to be in back of the deck, with swingset coming off the side. This meant the support beam for the swingset had to pass through the playhouse - modified the frame for that wall slightly and created a notch for the beam to pass through.

* Slide comes out one end of playhouse - made the "window" on that end larger than the plans called for in order to give room for the slide.

* Monkey bars come off one side of the deck - used extra 4x4 here to create support for the bars, and used extra bars to make a ladder on this side

* Climbing wall instead of ladder for main entrance

* Put large window in back wall of the playhouse

* Added cross bracing to side of decking on swingset end to make it more solid/cut down on sway when swinging

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint on playhouse, water seal on railings
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

yubbie2

Tue, 04/29/2014 - 20:41

This is phenomenal - just the plan & design we've been looking for. Can you upload a few more pictures? Any sketches you can provide? Shopping list? Really great job - I hope your kids love it. It looks awesome.

JeremyFox

Wed, 04/30/2014 - 04:53

Love it! I like the way it sits right next to a tree - I thought it was a tree house at first.

Colby032

Wed, 09/10/2014 - 14:03

Thanks! It's certainly nestled in right behind that tree - I originally was going to place it in between that tree and another one but then decided to just place it behind them in order to take better advantage of shade (critical in AZ) and fit in everything I wanted to put on it (monkey bars, swings, slide, climbing wall)

masons_momma2015

Mon, 07/08/2019 - 00:48

We've  been looking at these type of players for our son, and good grief! Prices are astronomical for playsets that are NOTHING like this. This absolutely an amazing  place for those boys to make memories. You're  amazing!  Do you mind if I ask what it cost once it was finished? I never imagined  that it would cause a tic in my eye to look at the kids from Lowe's or anywhere else for that matter.

Colby032

Tue, 08/20/2019 - 10:14

I don't remember how much it cost in the end... but probably around $900?  That may include getting some tools that I needed but didn't have at the time.  The slide was the most expensive single piece I bought - I think I got it from Amazon.

When it was all done, I remember thinking that what I got for my money was *way* beyond what I would have gotten by purchasing a kit or a pre-built play structure.  Plus, by going my own way, I was able to build it to fit my space and the needs/abilities of my kids.

While the whole thing is big and looks like an intimidating build, it really isn't bad - the platform is a fairly blank base to design everything else off of, and is incredibly sturdy.  Everything else is a discrete part that branches off of the platform and can be planned out as you need.  Adding the monkey bars required putting in a 5th upright (the first 4 are the corners), but that was an easy modification since I knew I wanted it before building the platform.  The playhouse just sat on top of the platform (screwed down, of course).

 

patelscope

Sat, 08/01/2020 - 20:40

Hello. This is pretty cool, probably the best modification that I am looking for from Ana's default plans. Could you please add some more detail on the right side wall, and how you incorporated the support beam through the playhouse? (with maybe a picture from inside of that wall). And secondly, if you can add the dimensions for the monkey bar setup on the left side of the deck? Thanks, much appreciated

Ana's ultimate workbench (Ryobi)

Submitted by CABANE on Fri, 01/12/2018 - 13:38

This is the perfect workbench for my needs.

I upgraded the casters to bigger ones as my shop's floor is in rough shape.

I also added storage under the two work surface next to the miter saw. This was just a matter of closing under the 2X4 frame and making the two sections on casters a little shorter. The only downside for that mod is that the plywood can bend a bit since it is not screwed to the frame. I don't mind since it falls flat as soon as there is weight on it. Also, this mod makes it hard to include fence system (it would need to be removable, like fixed with dowels only, no glue) and almost impossible to include a precise fence system since it would need to be removable. In my case, I do rough, non-repetitive cuts, so there is no need. 

TIP : Pay a little extra for smooth plywood. I lost a lot of time sanding mine :(

Estimated Cost
$150 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Linseed oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

groche

Tue, 02/04/2020 - 08:21

Awesome! Do you have pictures/info for the cart that has the Dewalt table saw? I have the same one and would love to build the cart for it.