Community Brag Posts

West Elm Knockoff Chevron Queen Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/13/2017 - 21:07

This was my first build and I am so happy with how it turned out! The plans from Jen Woodhouse were extremely easy to follow and I would definitely recommend this project to others!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/16/2017 - 04:56

I had so much trouble deciding what to do with this HUGE closet in my breezeway.  Previously it had just one bar across the top and ugly sliding doors.  I loved Ana's design, but made several changes.  Since my closet was super deep (32") I extended the depth of her design to about 25".  I also staggered the rods for longer coats, and one that my 8 year old can actually reach to hang her stuff up!  I changed the shelf design up a little bit too!  Her instructions are super easy to change to your specifications.  I did end up spending about $350 on this project, but keep in mind I was using 3 - 1x8's for each shelf instead of 1x4s.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

100 Sq. Ft. Gable Shabin with Loft

Submitted by Emillie on Thu, 10/01/2020 - 11:45

We built a bunkie-style shabin for our off-grid vacation home. We wanted to keep it under 100 sq ft so we wouldn't have to worry about planning permission. This tiny shabin is 8ft x 12 ft with an 8ft x 7ft loft. It's perfect for our family of 4!

The whole thing (roof and all) cost around $6000 to build and we finished it in about 2 weeks. Phew! It was the perfect project for the summer.

Estimated Cost
6000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sleeping bunkie for a family of four.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Christmas Tree Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/21/2020 - 08:50

This is my first time using some of the power tools that this required, however, it came out SO CUTE! I put one together and someone bought it raw. I put one together as the video showed, and then did one out of old fence pickets that were cleaned up and planed by a neighbor. They both came out beautiful. We used knobs that we had in the shop and offset them a little to be whimsical.
Vasiliki

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8-12
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Entry way to home, by the front door.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Fancy + Mimi's Hall Trees

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/05/2017 - 13:28

Took the fancy hall tree bottom and added Mimi's hutch to the top. Added a little bead board to the bench and top edges to cover up the plywood, and voila! My wife's Christmas gift. 

Estimated Cost
$250-300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White paint and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Laundry Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/07/2020 - 10:17

My first project, something I took on with my kids. Lots of fun, errors, and lessons learned. Used an hvlp for stain and poly, so much faster and easier than brush or rag staining.

Thanks for the inspiration and instructions.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Console as microwave cart

Added a shelf and made the console a microwave cart for my mom.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Min wax poly stain and baldpate paint in Spanish Tile.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Adirondack Minnie Mouse

Submitted by vangy04 on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 08:29

My daughter is into everything Minnie Mouse right now so I figured, why not!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used stickers for the white details, but my daughter promptly peeled them all off. I suggest paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

pr22joyce

Thu, 09/08/2016 - 12:08

I have looked, clicked all over this site to download the plans for the Minnie Mouse Adirondack chair.  Can someone please help?

KelHad

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 13:28

Has anyone been able to locate the plans for the Minnie Mouse chair yet?

I still can't find them.

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

Outdoor bar grill surround with 2 post pergola

I wanted to build an L shaped outdoor bar with a 2 post pergola over the grill.  I couldn't find any plans online that would fit the space I had, so I decided to build it myself with custom dimensions.  The top bar is approx. 7'3" across, and 15" wide, while the distance from the right edge (next to the house) to the end of the bar is approx. 9'1".  

I framed it with PT lumber and the 2 pergola posts are sitting on top of the pavers and supported internally within some of the framing studs.  Since the pavers sit on top of concrete, I didn't feel the need to dig up the existing pavers and achor them in the ground.  

I used hardiboard for the exterior and tiled the lower section of the bar.

For the actual high bar top, I wanted to do something unique, and found a 900 year old scrap slab of Cypress at a local lumber yard.  One side was smooth, but underneath was gouged out from different saw cuts and very uneven.  I screwed a piece of 3/4" PT plywood underneath and trimmed it with 1-1/2" Cypress.  I stained the whole thing with a dark honey colored stain and put a generous amount of poly on it once it was dry.  There are a few cracks and nicks on it, but once it was stained, it looked awesome.  

Estimated Cost
I lost track after a while, but I would say $600-700.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax honey colored stain for the bar top. Minwax provincial stain for the pergola and minwax dark walnut stain for the oak trim.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Hall Tree x2 with Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/18/2021 - 10:08

My kids outgrew the original locker I built for them. Plus we have adopted 2 kids through foster care. So my wife asked for a new locker. I found this design on the website and determined we needed 2. Then to make it better we wanted a bench to connect the 2. So I built a 3rd bottom of the locker and adjusted the measurements for the space we had. Turned out amazing.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by heidy1971 on Fri, 02/12/2021 - 14:23

Super fun project for a beginner. I almost want to do it over now that I have a pocket hole jig. Love Ana White plans, easy to follow.

Comments

Full size Daybed (Hailey hybrid)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/02/2017 - 08:44

 This is a hybrid between the Hailey daybed and the Hailey platform bed. My son is in love with this bed! Used aluminum diamond plate for the headboard. 

Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum primer, black paint (3 coats) and clear finish. Aluminum diamond plate headboard. Lots of sanding. Used sponge roller for smooth finish. Cut diamond plate into three sections because I found a 2'x4' piece on Amazon for $22. One that spanned the length of the headboard (73") was $100!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modified for double hanging

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2017 - 14:50

I used 8 ft precut boards for shelves and modified the design so there was enough room for two racks on each side. In addition I screwed 1x4 to the studs to secure the shelving to the wall.  I have a 5 year old climber so it was best to be proactive and secure it. It was easy project took about 4 hours to complete.  I plan to paint the vertical boards a medium gray and stain the shelves a dark coffee color. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pottery barn benchright end tables

Submitted by Lilbitmojo on Fri, 03/19/2021 - 05:45

My daughter and son in law needed a small table for the babies room and this ended up being the perfect solution!! Absolutely love it!!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Mr and Mrs wedding presents!

Submitted by emilacious on Wed, 03/31/2021 - 12:59

My friends were getting married so I chose these as their wedding presents due to them having fold out chairs for their new home. Wood burned the mr and Mrs. Used wood conditioning and stained with the rust oleum Kona. Then used the rust oleum glossy polyurethane x3 coats.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Clear Gloss Polyeurethane over Rustoleum Kona Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Monika

Thu, 03/28/2024 - 08:43

Our friends are tying the knot soon! It's such an exciting time for them, and I've gained a newfound respect for platforms like https://myeden.me/ They've met each other there. Now, my husband and I are brainstorming the perfect wedding gift. We want something unique, something that truly reflects their love story and will be cherished for years to come. Any ideas for Mr and Mrs wedding presents that will make a lasting impression? We will be glad to have a good recommendation.

Cali King Modified Head/Foot Boards

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/01/2017 - 09:20

After showing my wife the plans, she did not like that flat top so I did some drawings until she liked what I had. I Modified the plans so that we could get what we liked. I used all 2" lumber instead of 1" because I wanted it to be nice and heavy. Raised the base of the side rails by 3" so that there would be more ground clearance, and used plywood under the slats so that we didnt need to use a box spring. I think it came out well.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 Coat of Minwax Provincial Stain
1 Coat of Spar Varnish Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cubby Bookshelf - Large

My wife is a crafter, and her room is chockful of material for projects planned and projects waiting to be inspired. Our house is not a large house, and I had this desire to give her some organization. She already had a cubby bookshelf similar to this one, but that was store bought. I have only recently begun building things in my retirement, and I wanted to give her something that was me. It turned out nice, if a little wobbly, but I fixed that with a couple diagonal cross pieces across the back. It fit the space we had perfectly. The important thing is she loves it, and has (obviously) filled it up nicely.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint - two coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Homeschool Bookcase with Barn Door

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this homeschool bookshelf my husband made from your plans! THANK YOU! We homeschool three children and the clutter was overwhelming! This bookshelf provides storage and a beautiful accessibility to supplies without the clutter! THANK YOU!

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Homeschool Bookshelf

Comments