Community Brag Posts

Seesaw

Submitted by KimmoPT on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 02:38

Greetings from Finland. I made teeter-totter from excellent plans Ana has donatet for all of us. I used treated wood, so I didn't need to paint the project (and never will :-) Handles and seats are made from raw wood. Gives also nice twin color look. To add some extra support I embed the beams at foot.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
37€
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Kids Adirondack chairs

Submitted by redhead_61 on Fri, 04/08/2011 - 13:39

This was admittedly a little harder than I thought.  The first one turned out short of perfection trying to get things looking great.  The second one was better using a level and being more careful.  However, the fact that my nail gun totally went out halfway through made the project a long one.  But my kids LOVE them and they look so cute and luxurious out in my grass.  I love it. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
off white paint and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 garage shelving

Submitted by mjberger85 on Sat, 05/23/2015 - 15:07

I built this to fit inside a closet that I have in my garage to store all my camping stuff. I built it 5 feet long so I only had to buy 2x4s that were 10 feet long. I also built the bottom shelf closer to the ground to allow just a little bit more space between the first and second shelf. All in all it was a very easy and fulfilling project. I was a little worried about how sturdy the shelves would be but they are very solid. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Faux fireplace with hidden storage

Submitted by Amymesser on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 05:59

I saw this project on the Ana-white website DIY. Luckily I have a friend that has all the tools so we used the cut list & built this faux media cabinet fireplace. I wanted it to store all my media stuff & have my TV set on top instead of the boring & expensive hanging the tv on the wall route not to mention the damage to my rented apt wall. We made a few modifications we extended the top & moved the center hidden shelf up. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted white
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Side Table with Pallet Top

I wanted to make a custom sized side table to fit just right between our two recliners. And I really wanted to make use of some pallet scraps. So I built this frame the same as Ana's plan (adjusting for my size), and then came up with a layout for the top to make use of my small 15 inch pieces of pallet wood.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I screwed the top on, filled the holes, sanded like a mad woman, and stained with a gel stain. I then applied two coats of shellac. It accidentally purchased the shellac but I really like the way that it turned out and it has held up quite well so far!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My new yellow cubby shelf

Submitted by kylihoot on Sun, 05/01/2011 - 11:59

Totally lovin' my new cubby shelf. I painted it bright yellow, but I may paint it a more nuetral color after noticing it does not math anything haha! This is a super sturdy shelf...LOVE IT! Thanks ANA!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and Satin Paint. I sanded it with 120 grit, then primed and painted with two coats each.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Treehouse Bunk Bed

Submitted by Maymer on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 12:18

My kids are very into the "Magic Treehouse" books so my version of the Sweet Pea Bunk Beds is called The Treehouse Bunk Beds!
I made a few modifications, mostly for ease of access and airflow. I added windows for each bunk on the non-stair side of the bed because my kids room tends to be really hot so I thought they would appreciate more cross ventilation.
I made the side panel on the upper bunk removable (so that I would have access to put the fitted sheet on that end) by using pocket hole screws to hold the boards together, which make it one solid panel then I put 1x2s behind where the panel would go so it wouldn't fall in and used 4 slide bolts to hold it in place so it wont fall out. Also I made the two front panels on the lower bunk hinged doors so I could just lean in to change the sheets. The method for these was basically identical to what I described above but I attached them with non-mortised hinges.
I'd love to get the storage boxes made on of these days. Maybe after they start kindergarten!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used primer and two coats of low-voc interior paint on the light brown and dark brown areas. The green trim and stairs I decided to experiment and I really liked the results. I just put one very thin (practically dry-brushed) coat of paint and it came out really interesting. You can still the grain of the wood so it almost looks like colored stain. For the stairs, I was worried about durability so I put 3 coats of clear satin polyurethane on top and it seems like it will hold up just fine,
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

An 'On Steroids' version of your idea

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/24/2022 - 17:19

6 years into a complete rebuild of a neglected old farm house built in just 1948. Your website was found after looking for 'Modern Farmhouse' stair rails. The look plays off the original brick chimney stack & the Woodstove it serves. It has turned out to be quite the focal point, which was never it's purpose. Thanks for the inspiration!

Comments

Dog Kennell / End Table

Submitted by Lilo7 on Wed, 07/17/2013 - 15:30

This projected turned out great! I admit, it was a bit of a stretch for me. This was the first project where I had to use the Kreg jig. Yikes! That takes some time getting used to! I chose to stain my Kennell/End Table with Minwax Red Elm. And that took the longest! Everyone always makes it look easy to stain something, I still haven't gotten the complete hang of it after project 50, and the waiting between coats is for the birds. But, I am happy with the overall end product! Thanks Mrs. Ana White!

Estimated Cost
I used premium wood, so about $125
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Elm, two really thick coats!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

YankeeBelle

Wed, 07/17/2013 - 17:26

It looks so professional and so much nicer than the fatally versions! Great job!! BTW what plan did you use?

Lilo7

Thu, 07/18/2013 - 08:48

Hi YankeeBelle,

I used the plans for the "Large Wood Pet Kennel End Table." If you chose to do this project, beware that the cut sheet does not include all of the plywood cuts. There should be two identical for the sides, and one additional one for the back.

Thanks again!

Adirondack Love Seat

Submitted by burgan on Tue, 07/23/2013 - 15:06

Modified from Ana's Home Depot DIY, using all pine lumber w/1x6 for the arms.

Estimated Cost
$55
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Left natural...for now.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Custom Reclaimed Barn Wood Dog Crate

Here is a custom rustic barn wood dog crate we built for our friends – with the majority of the barn wood reclaimed from their own barn.  The piece is approximately 36″ high, 60″ wide, and 29″ deep; with interior dimensions of 30″ x 56″ x 26″ – plenty of room for a large dog to move around and stretch out.  Of course, it is on locking casters too so it can be easily moved around.

The frame of this piece is made from the reclaimed barn wood, which was 2 x 6 stock resawn down to 2 x 3.  The sliding barn door also started as 2 x 6 material which we cut down to 1 x 2 stock.  The barn door was the only piece of this where we used a Kreg jig and pocket hole screws.  The rest of this custom rustic barn wood dog crate used miter joints for the front corner, while the back and bottom were attached in rabbets we cut in the outer frame.

The spindles are standard 1/2″ rebar, cut to the appropriate length and painted with a hammered black spray paint.  They are are recessed about 1″ into the wooden frame to ensure the dog can’t push them out or crack the wood while leaning on them.

This custom rustic barn wood dog crate also includes custom, hand made barn door hardware we made ourselves.  Yes, we do some metal work too!  We made this barn door hardware from standard flat bar steel and pulley wheels.  We even made custom clevis pins from 5/8″ steel rod to hold the wheels in place.  

There are more pictures here.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
none. it's all natural
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Harriet Outdoor Dining Chair with Cedar Slats

Submitted by kmatt55 on Sun, 06/26/2011 - 16:49

This chair was pretty easy to make with Ana's plans. I plan on making four more just like it (updated: completed). The only modification I made was adding another slat to the back of the chair. I used a miter saw for all cuts which really helped with the speed of the project. The 2x2's are treated pine and the 1x3 slats are cedar that I got from the "orange box store" for about four bucks a stick. I also primed and painted the 2x2's (legs) before I assembled. I could not imagine trying to paint the legs white and not getting at least some on that beautiful cedar. The contrast really pops in person. Thanks ana-white.com! $20 per chair.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss exterior white, outdoor seal.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

sgilly

Thu, 07/14/2011 - 10:35

Love the chairs! and like the painted body with the natural pine slats.

CreativeBaggage

Wed, 08/03/2011 - 08:03

I love that you added the extra slat on the back. Such a simple change that made a big impact. The contrast is also very clever! They look great :)

kmatt55

Wed, 08/03/2011 - 11:29

Thanks CreativeBaggage! I finished the dining table yesterday, I'll have to post that soon. As a couponer myself, I really like the standing can rack you made on your blog. Brilliant!

DIY Oversized Pegboard Shelves

Hi Friends!

Jen Woodhouse from The House of Wood here. 

I'm going to share with you how to create these Oversized Pegboard Shelves.  If you’re short on cabinet or drawer space in your kitchen, this wall-mounted oversized pegboard shelf is a clever and stylish solution. It’s renter-friendly too! What more could you need?

Be sure to tag me @jenwoodhouse if you share photos of your build on social media. I'd love to see it!

You can get all the details for this build on my website jenwoodhouse.com 

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Nicole’s Garden

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/07/2022 - 14:27

A vegetable garden with an outside ring to plant marigolds to keep deer away.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

My version of "Outhouse Plan for Cabin"

Submitted by johnseigle on Mon, 06/06/2022 - 15:00

Hi Ana and Family,

I mostly followed your plans for my remote Alaska property outhouse build, with slight modifications. Our property is 7 miles from any road (and 2.5 hr drive from Anchorage) and I typically go there in the winter via snowmobile (December-April). I built this on my back deck in Anchorage and then took it apart and transported it in sections (back wall, 2x sidewalls, floor parts, door, roof parts, seat parts). It took me 5 trips to get it all up to my property from the truck at the trailhead via snowmobile!

The hardest part was digging the hole under 5 ft of snow! I cut several dead spruce trees in the area I planned to situate the outhouse and started a big fire (really big). We kept that going until we had melted out about a 15ft wide area down to bare soil. The next morning, while the ground was still warm from the previous evening's fire, we dug the hole (only about 3.5x3.5ft). Then I cribbed in the hole with old cedar fence slats to help prevent the inevitable ground cave-in that we often see with soil melt and rains in Alaska. Then, I pieced the outhouse together, with the frame sitting on small pavers.

I used a combo of T&G pine and cedar for the walls. I used metal for the roof. As I built this in January and February over several weekends (in Alaska), it was very cold and I would take the pieces inside and paint/stain them. As such, this basically took me all winter from start to finish. It doesn't take that long if you build it on site in warm weather. Once transported to the cabin site, it took parts of 3 weekends to get it in place and useable, including site prep. I've still got a little touch-up work to do (e.g., window for light in winter and bird block to keep the spring and summer nesters out). I put some anti-slip tape on the frame so that I don't slip on the frame base.

There is some waste wood if you follow the plans directly (especially 2x6), but I am using that to build a small firewood cover at home. This was not an inexpensive outhouse even without pandemic prices (I could have chosen a less expensive siding), but I wanted a nice outhouse and I'm very pleased with the outcome, so it was money well spent. Great plans! Thanks.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Adirondack side table ~ using recycled pallet wood

Submitted by Sharon L. on Sun, 07/24/2011 - 06:37

This was a very fun and one of the easiest projects I have made from Ana's plans! This makes me want to see if I can make matching chairs as well!

If you have seen my other projects, you know that I try to keep the lumber cost of my projects as close to free as possible. Living on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, pallets are not free, so I did have to pay $2 for each pallet, being VERY choosy about the slats being all the same size and straight. The hardest part of the project was taking the pallets apart! Check the blog link for more details.

I used 1 1/2 pallets for this project, and the following tools:

Jigsaw (to cut the ends off the pallet)

Pry-bar (to loosen the slats from the center of the pallet)

Miter saw

Drill

Table Saw (ripping the 2x4 sections of the pallet, to make the legs and spacers of the table)

Palm sander

Estimated Cost
less that $20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Gripper Grey primer by Glidden (leftover from other projects)

Brilliant Red Acrylic by Benjamin Moore (also leftover)

I use the Gripper Grey primer/sealer on most outdoor projects because it is a nice one-coat sealer and great for underneath darker colors.

The Brilliant Red is an off-the-shelf color.

I would recommend removing and priming/painting the tabletop pieces separately(after assembly)so that you can assure great coverage between the slats, being careful to remember where each piece belongs.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My Ikea Lack Inspired Bookshelf

This was my third project, but it is my favorite to date!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Benjamin Moore Natura paint in Banana Yellow
2 Coats of poly acrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

joyreneeb (not verified)

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 12:16

Can you give a price estimate on your project? Looks great, btw!

In reply to by joyreneeb (not verified)

CapriciousElle

Fri, 09/30/2011 - 21:21

The lumber was about $25 and the paint I ordered online with a few other colors, but it is listed at $21.99. I only ordered a quart. Everything else I already had around the house. I hope that helps!

Finally Built a Platform Bed!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/25/2022 - 10:39

I've been wanting to build this bed for awhile and finally got around to it. I made a few small changes to the plans:

-I used 2x8's instead of 2x6s, so it wouldn't be so low to the ground.
-I ripped 3/8" off of the 2x8 supports in the middle so the mattress would nest inside the frame and not slide around
-I didn't add the headboard because it seemed a bit chunky/rustic for my taste. I will come back and do something else for the headboard. Maybe a cool paneled wall with built in sconces? We'll see!

Love these plans though, appreciate it!

Comments

Fancy Farmhouse Bed to attach to existing frame

Submitted by Kboshers on Wed, 11/07/2018 - 10:00

This was a fun and quick build!  Because I had an existing bed frame (and didn't want to headboard to stick out past the mattresses) I narrowed this by eliminating (1) tongue and groove board and changing the "legs" to 2 x 6 boards instead of the 2 x 4's in the plan -- overall width ended up at 76-1/2".  Before framing out the tongue and groove, I cut the exposed tongue off of the last board so the frame would attach better. After getting it all together, I wished I had used a 1 x 4 (or perhaps even a 2x4) as the very top piece so it hung over the moulding more.  I painted it with Old-Fashioned Milk Paint in Tavern Green and sealed that with Howard's Citrus Shield.  The wax turned it a little too John Deere green so I'm thinking I'll go back with a Burnt Umber Wax to darken the color a little.  Overall this was a great project that got me back in Dad's wood shop and refueled my love of building things.  I'm searching out my next project now.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Boards were just about $40 but mouldings almost doubled that price to just around $75 total (I had all the needed fasteners). There were much cheaper moulding available in narrower widths, but I wanted them to be more substantial.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Milk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My wife's new Craft table

Submitted by MattB on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 23:29

This is actually my third project from your site Ana.

I acctually decided to make this table ten inch wider since my wife has a loooooooot of crafts :)

This project took a little longer then I thought.
It was my own fault!!! I thought I would safe some time and get some of the wood cut buy the clerk at Home Depot. That turned out to be a really bad idea. Most of my cuts were uneven and even after I gave the clerk the exact measurements, a few of the boards were up to 2 inches too long. At the end I had to buy two more boards because I had to cut peaces away to have straight edges.
Lesson learned!!!

I love building wood furniture. And I already got my next plan from your site that I'm going to build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$160
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar-Dove tail white(Eggshell)
Behr- Surfer(eggshell)
2 coats of clear Polyurethane Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 04:18

awesome job! im in the middle of making one of these at the moment. but just to be a tad different i have put a small cutout hole on the top, theres a little bin that sits on the shelf under it, so all i have to do when ive finished with all my paper cuts is swipe it down the hole! hehe how nifty. oh and where did your wife get the black cricut machine?? lol

clubhouse loft

Submitted by oterojaime on Mon, 10/26/2015 - 05:26

This is just a loft I made for my kids. I didn't want to spend over $1500 at PBK for a twin bed size bunk bed. the size is 4x8 enough for them to have fun.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate