Community Brag Posts

Playset Addition

Submitted by Derek S on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 08:27

Decided our old play set needed an addition, landed on these plans of Ana's. Sat on them and mulled them over for months. Once the wife said something about adding on to it I made the purchases needed. Connected the two platforms with a bridge. I used 4"x4"x10' for the runners, same boards as the decking for the platform of the bridge(5/4"x6"), 2x4's and 1x4's for the railing. If you look at the 3rd photo, I had to chisel out the 4x4 post to get the 2"x6"x12" support to fit correctly. This should measure 2"x6"x13". Another change I made was to cut the bottom and top trim pieces longer on the front and back sections so that the trim would cover the framing of the gable end walls (see last photo). my son wanted windows so I faked in some windows with scrap 2x2's. I used 2x6's as supports from the 4x4's to the 2x6 framing (see photo 3) I added the monkey bars about a month before deciding to do the platform/deck and playhouse. The ladder is based loosely off of a couple of plans I found online. I was able to do all of this work myself except for the roof. Need my dads help to lift the plywood, he then helped me with the rest of the roof.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a dark wood stain fore the house, green exterior paint for the trim and white exterior paint for the interior of the house.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Our twin elevated gardens

Here's our planters, and they're our first carpentry projects! We found that there were cost efficiencies when building 2 units. We also opted for nut and bolt attachments for the legs instead of making pocket holes…mainly because I don't have the guides for making pocket holes. Seems to work fine, although I do still need to get a saw that I can cut off the excess bolt length on the inside (see pics). Perhaps next time I should trust my measurements and buy the correct bolt length. Ended up costing about $250. Slightly more than the cost of ready-to-build planters at home depot, but those weren't elevated and not nearly as heavy duty or as large. Well worth the investment of both time and money, and a great starter project for beginners. Good luck to you all! -Don and Staci

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Only a light red stain on the exterior as we didn't want the chemicals to invade our vegetables. Ended up with a very nice orange hue when the red stain combined with the pine's natural yellow coloring.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Seasonal And Holiday

Truss Shelves: Cheap Garage Storage

Made of old fence rail (the dark pieces) and cheap 2x4s and 1x12s .

This is not as stable as I hoped, but for an afternoon's project that got all those tools off the workshop floor, it's not bad. I will add a diagonal brace at the back later. Much later.

NOTE: My engineer friend notes that 2 braces at the rear, below the bottom shelf and below the top shelf, would minimize side-to-side wobbling, and 2 braces front to back, both under the bottom shelf, would minimize the front-to-back wobbling, They could be a scrap of plywood, a 1x6 or wider scrap. Just nail them in two or more places on each of the ladders and they make the structure more rigid. Screw them in if you want a shelf unit you can disassemble.

TIPS:
If you are using pockethole screws, start the screws in all the holes before you put the crosspieces on. Stop when you see the tip of the screw come through the first piece.

Clamp scrap 2x4 to the uprights to hold the crosspieces in place as you drill.

To get the shelves in place, lean the ladders against each other and attach the bottom and top boards on one side. Than pull the other ladder out as far as it needs to go and screw that side of the shelves in place.

Don't try this without clamps.

It could have been cheaper if I had used all reclaimed fence 2x4s, and if my errand runner had bought cheaper 1x12s. He bought top-grade when #2 would have worked for half the price,

Estimated Cost
$ 30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Umbrella Stand (in PVC)

Submitted by lewg on Tue, 06/10/2014 - 18:29

Great plans, Ana! I swapped out the wood for PVC trim, and used stainless steel screws to hopefully make this thing weatherproof.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None. The PVC comes white, and I wanted a white table!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Surfboard bench

Modified the sofa design and created a surfboard bench

Estimated Cost
£30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Oak woodstain

Reclaimed Wood Look Headboard

Submitted by JenMash on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 12:49

My husband and I had been looking for a great headboard for a bed in our guest room. We found ones we really liked but didn't like the price tag of 800-1500 dollars (not even including shipping!) We stumbled on this site and absolutely fell in love with the reclaimed wood style headboard. It was exactly what we were looking for. Building it just took a few hours. After we distressed the wood using a chain I found at the hardware store (only $1.60), a drill, a creme brulee torch and a hammer, we prepped the wood (sanded and primed), stained and clear coated. I highly suggest not only vacuuming off the wood but also using a tack cloth (so cheap but it makes such a difference) to make sure all of the dust was off. We bolted the headboard into the bed frame. It will be heavy but it is really sturdy and looks great! A good tip is to decide early what you want the front to be - you can chose the best sides of the wood that way!

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We prepped the wood using Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner. We then applied Minwax Provincial stain, waited about 10 minutes and wiped it off with a t-shirt. After we let it dry for the allotted time (we rushed it a bit but were so excited about the new headboard) and then put on a clear-coat finisher.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

PATIO TABLE WITH BUILT-IN BEER/WINE COOLERS

Submitted by Joagirard on Fri, 07/04/2014 - 21:05

My sister was in love with my 4x4 truss table i made and needed a patio table so we decided to take one day to make 2 tables, one for each. We convinced both daddys to take care of the kids while we made the table by telling them the tables were gonna have beer coolers inside! Attaching the to of the table was a lot a job. If you plan of doing this you really want to have a kreg jig. It works well, we love it. I made a bench to go with it. I made my how plan for it.

Estimated Cost
200$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sico outside wood stain color oak. 3 coats for the top and 3 coat sico chocolate for the bottom. All applied with a brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Toilet step stool

This was my first project at building some sort of furniture. we wanted a stool that really fits out toilet bowl shape, the height, etc. and 2x6's worked perfectly. I could have bought 2x12's for the sides, but it would have cost significantly more and with the inside support board it is plenty sturdy.

I bought 2# 2"x6"x6 foot coarse pine boards from Home Depot (not the expense Select Pine boards. They cost about $6 each. Then I bought a 100 count package of Kreg 1.25" coarse screws.

Cut lengths
2 @ 15 3/4" for lower sides
2 @ 10 1/4" for upper sides
5 @ 14" for steps and fronts
1 @ 12 1/2" for inside support

I used my Kreg Jig and connected all the pieces along with wood glue. I sanded the whole thing down after and tried to round/smooth the corners.

Estimated Cost
$17
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

pADDY1957

Tue, 03/01/2016 - 10:29

Does anybody have plans for a potty seat. I would like to build a childs chairs that has a ptty

Farmhouse Table - No Pocket Holes Plan

Submitted by mcronin on Sun, 07/19/2020 - 07:48

The published plans for this were great. This was my first attempt at a project like this. I have always liked the idea of dining at a large table outdoors and the farmer's style is appealing to me. I adjusted the length to fit my deck, but also made a few changes for aesthetic purposes. I notched 4x4s rather than join a pair of 2x4s for the legs. Added caps to the screw holes rather than filler and used pegs to secure the top planks in addition to screws from the bottom. The frame and top were stained/sealed with Cabot Australian Timber Oil.

Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot Australian Timber Oil, Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Tall Wedding Planters

Submitted by swhitead on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 10:14

Made the planters to hold flowers for a small garden wedding. Used 3-1/2" wide fence boards as my HD was out of standard 5-1/2" boards. Used 11 boards for finished height of 38" top was 18" wide, bottom 12-1/2" using a 4° angle. Ripped fence boards to size to use in place of 1x2/1x3 boards. Added center trim as on another brag post, as well as, framed the top to finish off the planter.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20 each
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor side table

Keeping budget with wood projects, made side table for outdoor fire pit area.

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Legs and braces=rosewood stain
Top=honey pine
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Outdoor Storage Bin

I used Ana Whites plan and modified to fit my our space and outdoor pillows.

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Gunstock 231
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmtable and Bench

Submitted by purdyc on Wed, 01/04/2017 - 06:37

Ana

This is a farmtable that i made from your plans, along with the bench also made from your plans.  Turned out pretty good, worked on it mostly on the weekends.  Christmas present for my son and daughter-in-law.  Your website is full of great ideas and plans, thank you.

Chuck

Estimated Cost
For bench and table est $300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

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.

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

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

Bathroom Storage Tower

Submitted by Quintin79 on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 08:53

I loved the look of the Craft room Storage tower but modified to suit my wife's bathroom theme/decor. The inside back (MDF beadboard) is painted a milk coffee color to lighten it up. The door inserts are plexiglass, which was more expensive than glass but with 2 boys 6 and 2 it is well spent, and the MDF beadboard. Covered the plexiglass with self-adhesive film for glass on both sides to hide the towels inside. This project took me about 12 hours to complete but over a 3 month period, mostly spent on finishing the project with my boys underfoot or at 12-2am. YIKES!!! If i keep this up she will want to buy instead of letting me build.
Price List:
wood: $100
Stain/Paint: left over from house reno. would have been $15 stain $20 Varnish 30$ quart of paint
Handle: $7
Hinges: $4 basic style
I wanted to use Eurostyle hinges but opted to buy the Kreg system instead of Forstner drill bits.

Will be building another just different dimensions for laundry room makeover.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100$ CDN for lumber everything is more expensive in Canada
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Saman's waterbased stain Chocolate Varnish applied
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Quintin79

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 12:18

Thanks! It was my first furniture building project! I did a huge reno that i did on my house but that is construction and 1/8th in isnt as big of an issue as in furniture.

Sewing Table

Submitted by lexaroo on Sat, 12/19/2020 - 11:08

I used the sewing table plans from Ana's sie to make a sewing table for my mother-in-law's birthday. She loves it. the plans worked great. I did upgrade the legs with some Locking table leg extensions from Amazon. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VTJZHS6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_tit… I also used pocket holes instead of just screws. If I made another one I would use a thicker piece of lumbar for the legs maybe a 2"X 2" instead of the 1"X 3" I'd used.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
General finishes Java Gel or Expresso
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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