Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/12/2017 - 09:04

These were a fun build and pretty easy to put together.  Certainly need to pre-drill pilot holes or risk splitting your boards.

I contemplated putting a back rest on the chairs but didn't end up needing them due to close proximity to the walls.  Having the cut-list on hand was super handy as I just set a stop on my miter saw and was able to cruise through the cuts quickly.  

Estimated Cost
60 dollars for materials, not counting cushions and pillows.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympic Deck Stain (709 in color) semi-transparent. Likely will seal with a clear coat later.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pallet Shelves

I love pallet shelves! Here I have three different sizes with three different finishes. It is amazing what 10 minutes, a jig saw, and a piece of sandpaper can do!

Estimated Cost
$0-$10 depending on finishing
Finish Used
Finish varies between heavily sanded to no sanding at all.
You can apply a stain and/or top coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Twin captain bed

Submitted by meckylang on Sun, 05/17/2015 - 09:02

This bed was built custom for the girl who ordered it. She wanted both a bookcase headboard on the long side and a traditional headboard. The bookcase headboard could not block the window and needed to have access to the outlet behind the bed. The bed was designed to match a dresser that had already been purchased. The drawers below give additional storage.

Estimated Cost
$550
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Primed and painted with 2 coats of flat latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

kevin2117

Mon, 02/13/2017 - 10:23

Hi there - you don't happen to have plans you can share for this bed, do you?

Thanks! ~ Kevin

My first project

Loved how these plans were so easy to follow and certainly appreciate the accompanying video.

Comments

Resized modern chairs with table

Submitted by CarolinaL on Thu, 12/28/2017 - 16:27

I needed chairs that would fit on my narrow front porch. This plan was great because I was able to resize it to 20x20. I used 1x4s that I already had and some wood glue. They turned out solid. I made the tryde table with left over wood. That one is 17.5x17.5. Super happy with the results. We are doing the garage shelves right now. I have a list of other things I want to make thanks to Ana's wonderful website. 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Exterior Valspar with a paint sprayer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bathroom Wall Crates

Submitted by eralben on Mon, 06/08/2015 - 05:36

Ana's little crates go perfect in our beach themed bathroom. I altered Ana's plans a little. I changed the dimensions to 12 x 11 1/4, and I did not use lath sticks for the crate slates because I wanted something sturdier. I had some left over 2×12 wood from a previous project, so I cut off 3/4 in wide pieces to make the crate slates. The wood grain gives character to the crates and makes it look more weathered.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Reclaimed Wood Night Stand

Submitted by bRick on Thu, 06/11/2015 - 21:48

These (matching set) were a pretty straightforward build based on the Reclaimed Wood Night Stands. http://ana-white.com/2011/08/reclaimed-wood-night-stand. The hardware I used was designed to match the Printer's Console that I built previously. I cheaped out on the drawer slides, which I wouldn't recommend doing because it gives the drawers a cheap feel to them. Plus, there's not that much of a price difference.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum American Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

blue72vette

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 13:54

Hello, your project looks nice. Did you use regular #2 lumber from Home Depot or Lowes? If so how are they holding up?

bRick

Wed, 10/05/2016 - 16:59

But yes the lumber was straight outta Home Depot. I would say its doing pretty good at this point. It sees pretty light duty (e.g. alarm clock, books and glasses of water), but no water rings. I did throw a number of coats on the top of it though. It's soft wood, so if you wanted to you could engrave your name with your thumbnail. You just have to resist the urge.

Pottery Barn Benches with X Table...Modified

Submitted by AJW on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 13:18

Pottery Barn Bench: Length Modified and utilized 2-1x6s for seat. X Table: Length Modified, utilized a 6x6 for the stretcher and drilled a hole through both the 1 top material and 6x6 stretcher beam. Holds the Pottery Barn umbrella real well. All made of Cedar and painted for good measure. Everything counter sunk and plugged, sanded to high heavy and ready to last.

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil based primer with 2 coats of acrylic over top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kitchen Tower Cabinet

This is our first Ana White project and we're pretty happy with the results. We modified the plans a bit to use 1/4" plywood for the sides instead of the heavy 3/4" ply. Specifically built for our kitchen since we couldn't find one that we really liked or could afford. Pottery Barn seriously sells this for $1200?!?! Score!

Estimated Cost
$70 + finishing
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
DIY chalk paint and wax - distressed.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Red sideboard

I modified the plan for the planked wood sideboard so it wasn't so large. I also took out the middle door and made an open area with shelves and a stemware rack.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a sanding sealer, then painted dark red. I topped it off with two coats of matte poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Garden/Storage Shed

Submitted by Smokeydog on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 06:48

Building a storage shed was quite a jump for me but because of the confidence and experience I gained from Ana's  site I decided to give it a shot.  I acquired the plans online. It has 8 foot high walls and 3 feet of "attic space".  The shed is 8'x12'.  I used cement board lap siding.  It took about seven weeks to finish working a few hours here and there.  I really like it.  Even has a little window flower box.

Estimated Cost
2100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Expanded Cube Shelf

Submitted by ehansen25 on Fri, 07/26/2013 - 08:32

My husband and I needed more room and storage in our small one bedroom apartment. In order to get both we needed to get rid of our big hutch, desk and tv stand. So when I saw these cubes shelves I thought they would be perfect, then I saw TRACYSMITH's brag post a decided that was perfect! I painted it and did some organizing and it was probably the best decision we have ever made!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a 2 coats of paint and primer in one, in a really, really light grey color (sorry I don't have the exact color). I just use a regular paint brush to apply.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kentwood Bookshelf

Submitted by worrow on Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:33

I loved this from Ana's site so much we tacked one. Please note I glued, screwed and dowel ed the holes. I hate kreg jigs. We also made ours taller to add an extra shelf.

Estimated Cost
$90.

Provincial stain and triple coat poly
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
3m triple coat in 1 semi gloss not pictured. My image is stain at this point
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Patchwork Reclaimed Wood Headboard

I used the Reclaimed Wood Look Headboard plans to make a headboard out of found, discarded wood. The only new wood is the vertical 1x3s and 1x2s that form the sides of the headboard. The bed is also made of reclaimed wood, using a modified version of the Hailey Platform Bed plans.

The plans are modified to create a patchwork look using scraps of wood in different sizes and thicknesses. The wood scraps were cut so that when put together they make up the total length and width of the horizontal planks in the plans. I glued and nailed all the patchwork pieces to a piece of MDF board I found, and added a vertical 1x2 for added support down the middle of the back.

The top 2x4 is made up of two pieces glued end-to-end with dowels in between, because I didn't find any long 2x4s I could reclaim. I didn't put the top and bottom trim on the back side, because it was already quite heavy and sturdy.

Estimated Cost
30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The original finishes have been sanded off and the wood sanded to 240 grit before assembly. The finish is two coats of Cabot's water-based stain and varnish in Sutherland Teak, applied with a varnish brush and then re-brushed with a dry brush to remove the excess.

The sanding took a long time - it would have been a shorter project if I left the original finishes.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Sliding Barn Door Loft Bed

Hi friends!

Jen Woodhouse here, super excited to share our latest DIY project with you - a Sliding Barn Door Loft Bed! We built this full-size loft bed for our 7-year-old daughter because we wanted to make the most of her small bedroom. And as an Army family, we move around every two years or so, so I drew up the plans so that the bed can be easily disassembled. We all love it so much and hope you do too! I'd love to see you build one for your kiddos (or yourself - no judgement!). Be sure to tag me @jenwoodhouse if you share photos of your build on social media!

And because some people have asked:

  • Our ceilings are 9 feet high.
  • Plans are for a full-size mattress, but I'll be drawing up plans for a twin size shortly.
  • Changing the sheets and making the bed is super easy because we use Beddy's (affiliate link) - Beddy's is an all-in-one fitted/flat sheet/blanket/comforter bedding set that zips up. It really is a game-changer!

Get all the details and the plans on JenWoodhouse.com!

Estimated Cost
$550
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore's Simply White latex paint, Varathane's Golden Oak wood stain, General Finishes Arm-R-Seal
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sofa next to the fire

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/22/2022 - 00:53

My husband loves seating on this sofa while reading his scriptures or sometimes to take a nap. I got the cushions and pillows from Ikea. I can't wait to build another one or two, possibly with my sister-in-law. Thank you for the tutorial :-)

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Ten Dollar Ledges Fancied Up

Submitted by ipassat100 on Fri, 07/29/2011 - 22:55

I added crown molding to the bottom of my ten dollar ledges to add a little fancier look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ramie (not verified)

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 14:38

I have two that are ready to hang, but need to paint the wall first. Might add to them before I do.......thanks for sharing!

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 16:00

so cute!! I want to make these!

loniwolfe

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 19:54

This looks great! What a wonderful idea! I have a question, Other than the moulding on the bottom, did you follow the plans exactly (Like used the same dimensional boards Ana said to use)? Just asking because yours came out looking so much better than mine (which very well could be the paint job and moulding fooling my eyes into thinking the other boards look smaller, lol)

Great job and thank you for sharing!

Becky Darrington (not verified)

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 10:16

I did use the same size boards that Anna said they just might be a different length.

Merbear (not verified)

Fri, 01/13/2012 - 12:15

I love the finished look! So classy!
Is there an added piece on the bottom of the moulding?

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 01/26/2012 - 20:02

wow that's amazing. I so need those. LOL everything you post is very stylish and functional. You know I work at a high school. I could see getting the art class (which makes projects like these) to do these for my classroom :)

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 08:50

Where are the instructions posted?

mparks100 (not verified)

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:23

This is great as I am a photographer and love to switch up my photos often. Saves the walls from holes and is just a great idea! I also did not see all the instructions but will have my husband duplicate.

Charmaine (not verified)

Wed, 04/11/2012 - 15:07

This is great. I made the ledge and plan on adding the crown molding. How exactly did you hang them?

Gradyne (not verified)

Tue, 07/17/2012 - 13:11

I have high ceilings. I have been trying to figure out what to put at some of the windows to dress them up a bit. I think I may add them to the den area. Photos would be out of the reach of all the grandchildren, but photographs could been seen without cluttering tables.

sdaguinsin

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 09:00

Has anyone tried using a 1x3 for the back instead of a 1x4? Can anyone think of any reason it would not work?
Also thinking of making it deeper since the crown molding will provide extra support. I want to add more depth so that I can install a power strip under shelf, behind molding so that I can turn it into a charging station. Any thoughts on this? Would love to hear other opinions on this before I start building and then realize the problems that may exist in my plans.

Emmy Soren

Thu, 09/15/2016 - 18:54

I feel so stupid... I have never used any sort of molding before. How do you use it? I went to lowes tonight and I don't know where you get the edge piece. My husband (who doesn't build things except for computers) says he thinks you just use part of the long strip and cut at a 45° angle. Is that how?

then what do you use for the bottom portion to cover the gap?

sandy.p56

Sat, 08/12/2017 - 10:50

I found Ana's site a few years ago and have been dreaming about things I want to build for just as long.  I'm finally ready to get started, and I thought these ledges would be a great way to start.  I love the moulding on the bottom, but I have no idea what combination of pieces to use to get this look or what sizes of moulding to use with the 1x4 and 1x2 boards.  Can somebody help me?

Tsu Dho Nimh

Tue, 08/15/2017 - 13:21

Sandy - take the picture to any lumber molding department ad start trying combinations.

 

The original pic was using some crown molding, but a fancy baseboard or other molding would look good too.

Work Area

I finally got the chance to share my first couple of projects.

For the work bench I made organizers for tools and screws. I made them with 1x3's and made simple boxes out of them. One longer one at 36" and a couple smaller ones at 6" for easier access to nails. I painted everything with granny smith green and fuchsia pink.

I had originally planned on just making a couple of storage benches to hide my husband's video games in the house, but decided one would be perfect to hold my circular saw, drill, and other power tools while adding a comfortable place to sit. I had ordered the fabric a few months ago and didn't realize that it matched the fuschia pink paint I had bought at orange for my work bench, and I am glad it did.

Though they are in my garage, being a wife to a Staff Sergeant in the Army, we entertain a lot so having something that is useful and looks great is a wonderful thing indeed.

Since I've started building, I've been browsing Ana White's project plans for anything else that could be useful in our house... I can't wait until we move so we can choose a larger house to make way for more projects!

Thank you Ana!!! You've given purpose to my usually uneventful days while the hubs is in Iraq for the third time!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Granny Smith Green and Fuchsia Pink from Orange. :)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MissSea

Sun, 09/18/2011 - 14:27

I have to say I love that even though this is a workbench, it's still so personal and girlie! And what a great idea for the storage unit having seating! So many times I end up sitting in the garage, sorting God-knows-what, and I really need a seat! :)