Community Brag Posts

Argie Bedside Table (Nightstand)

Submitted by thehallway on Sat, 10/27/2012 - 07:56

I built this bed for the guest room at our previous house. The room was small, so I made floating shelves for the nightstands to save space. We have since moved and are now renting, so we didn't want to put holes in the walls to hang the shelves. I took the opportunity to build these nightstands instead. The original design was a little too tall and wide, so I reduced those dimensions by 3". This was my first time building drawers, but they went together surprisingly well. I had used a combination of stain on the bed and was worried about matching it, but 2 coats of Minwax Dark Walnut ended up being a pretty close match.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Minwax Dark Walnut & Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

DIY Wood Christmas Tree

This project was such a fun challenge for me!  I needed a table top version of this great Christmas tree shelf, so I modified the plans just a bit, and created an additional shelf. The little ornament blocks were fun to make too! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$12
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Printer's Console or Sneaky Litterbox Cabinet? Cat Litter Box Cabinet

Submitted by Joni on Sun, 11/25/2012 - 08:12

I had been wanting to build something to hide the litterbox for a long time. When I saw the Printer's Console plan, I knew this was the perfect plan for a cat litter box furniture. I loved that Jen Woodhouse's version was completely modified to her bar plan, so I thought I could modify for my litterbox idea. I modified the plans on size, as I was trying to use a bunch of mis-matched plywood. I also modified it to include a cat door, a cat passageway on interior panel, a vent on the back behind one of the drawers, and the stone top. I built a frame on the back to house the backing as an inset piece, as I didn't want it to be seen at all. I learned a very important lesson during this build. Not all 1x3s are created equal. Once I got my doors assembled, they were too big for the opening. I couldn't shave off the tiny amount needed, and couldn't make anything work short of starting over with 1x4s, sawing off a small amount, and cutting down the # of "drawers" (and handles). I wanted the inside to be fully finished (because cat pee on raw wood would not be good!). I had to finish certain "planes" prior to putting the thing together. I used kitchen and bath paint on the inside floor and sides for easy cleanup. The stone was carryover from construction on our house 12 years ago. The handles were an amazing deal @ $1.81/each .

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Wood Conditioner, followed by a mix of American Walnut & Onyx Minwax water-based Stain. 3 Coats of Old Village Gel Varnish. On inside, I used a kitchen/bath paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

blueskiesinNM

Mon, 06/17/2013 - 12:23

Love your use of the buffet. Our family has discussed making a piece of furniture like this for our smaller dog. Nice to see someone has done it! Our big dog has scheduled feedings but our little dog would prefer to be a free feeder. Poor thing chokes down his food in our pantry listening to our big dog breathing under the door waiting for him to finish. When he is done we open the door and the Big, greedy dog bolts in looking for left overs. A family member has to wait patiently for the little dog to finish so he can escape the pantry. I really don't want a doggy door in my pretty swinging bi-fold doors to my pantry which is also access to our kitchen.That would be a pain to have to keep closed all day. But this buffet idea is super cute! Thanks for the inspiration.

wayneled

Fri, 01/09/2015 - 22:01

I know this is an old post, but I'll ask anyway

I love this piece and am in the planning stages for ours. Thank you for sharing!

I am Wondering how you went about the table top. Did you install a 3/4 ply on top but not flush, allowing room for mortar and tile? If so how much room did you allow for the tile/mortar? 1/2 inch? How did you keep the surface of the tile level and uniform? Lastly, did you seal the tile with anything when you finished?

Aesthetically, the tile top really sets this piece off and I really want to make my own.

Thanks

Seasonal And Holiday

buffet/sideboard with expanded metal

Submitted by lworthy on Tue, 02/21/2017 - 14:40

I really loved this plan of Ana's so I decided to build it for myself. I love the stain color on the one Mid Atlantic Rustic built and they were so kind to tell me the color and it turned out perfect! I will say if I ever built another I will make some adjustments with the doors and drawers and have them sitting on the outside of the facing. Those things were the devil for me!! I have only been building on my own for 6 months, so it was tricky for me. THE PIECE IS HUGE!!! I also added 2  2x4 supports under the bottom,

Happy Building

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain 2 step process
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Laundry Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 10:03
We followed these plans, but instead of building two cabinets, we combined them with one side in the middle. We also used pine planks on top. The sides are painted with chalk paint, and the top is finished in dark wax. 
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Front porch planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/07/2021 - 20:21

Followed your plan but added extra 1 x 2 trim to the sides, feet made from 1 × 3 and 1x 3 trim around the top

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 per planter
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Naturaltone Behr Waterproofing Wood Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Toy Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/19/2017 - 14:32

I had a wonderful time making this toy box and learning new techniques. Having access to a table saw really made this project turn out awesome. I was able to get 1/4" shims made that allowed for easy, precise offsets. The family just loved it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
ProClassic white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Under stair storage seat

Submitted by AndyB on Thu, 01/01/2015 - 02:41

 

We are in the unique position of having stairs in our bedroom and they take up quite a lot of room. We considered putting a chair and set of drawers under the stairs but they would have looked cramped.

Having done some research we found some photos where people had built benches under the stairs.  It was around this time that we found Ana White's plan for framing up a mud room bench in a nook (which for some reason I can't add to the 'built from' section). We had to adapt it as the original plan was framed by 3 walls and due to the angle of the stairs we could only use 2 and added legs. We also had to add triangular panels to give it that built-in look.

We were able to complete the build for relatively cheap as we kept a ton of 2x2 from when we removed a 60s built in wardrobe and was able to rebuild it. If you look behind the drawers you can even see that the wood is notched from the wardrobe hinges but in a nice way it keeps the old owners work in the house.

Estimated Cost
£40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and water based satinwood
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by kabbey1901 on Sat, 01/24/2015 - 17:29

This was my first project and I had a ton of fun working on it. My grandpa has a professional wood shop, but as he has gotten older it hasn't been used as frequently. Most of my time was spent fixing broken equipment. I made a couple wrong cuts and had to go back to the store. All in all I love my new bed, I spent quality time with my grandpa, and it is a solid piece of furniture built for a fraction of what a bed should cost.

Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White latex Paint base, Walnut Stain. I painted the base on and then sanded the base paint a little bit, then put the stain on and wiped as much as I could off.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

NEW Balustrade Coffee Table

Submitted by jhavinga on Wed, 02/25/2015 - 22:21

Here is the latest Table I have made. I cant get enough of this table design, the rustic bold feel blending with curved lines is awesome.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
With reclaimed wood it was more than basic SPF at HD.
legs were $200 shipped to my door in Canada.
Wood was $125. Found from a local torn down barn! Very cool wood.
Stain/screws/glue $30.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
My favourite combo! played with different levels of Weathered Oak and Special Walnut for each piece of wood so the whole table would flow together.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Triple Bunk Beds

Submitted by hughes3627 on Tue, 03/03/2015 - 07:22

We needed a space saving alternative to individual twin beds...these were very simple to make. Our boys love them! We kept the same deminsions as the original plans and ended up having a little extra room on each bed for storage as well as toy storage under the second bed. Worked out very nicely and left space for the next project...a study station :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $230
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Tall Corner entertainment Unit

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/01/2017 - 13:06

Loving this tall entertainment center to fit under my wall-mounted television!

The dogs cant knock over my photos anymore!!!!

Added some fancy trim pieces in the middle to match the trim on the bottom.  So sturdy and hides all my junk!

http://www.ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/tall-corner-media-console

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
fruitwood minsax stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sandbox with lid

This was my first EVER wood working project.

With that being said, it took me more than just an afternoon.
I used cedar, and all the materials on the cut list had to be sanded , since I didn't like the roughness of the cedar.
I also made the box 4x8. I didn't take into account that that would require a minimum of 48 inches for the top planks. So, some of my top planks are shorter.

I also wished I had a little more instruction from which side to screw the screws in. May sound a little needy for some of you, but I never did anything with wood before. The instructions simply read attach top planks to arm rests (or something int that manner) and I wish it would have told me from which side to screw in (or give me a picture). Looking at some of the brag posts helped a lot.

Because its larger size, I decided to make the seats 3 top planks wide (and also the back rest) and made another middle cover piece to bridge the additional gap when both seats are folded down.

Also, the cedar was VERY expensive, and all the screws, hinges, and handles almost cost me as much as the wood.

The sand to fill the box ran us another $80 (for good plays and), but that was because we made it so big.

All in all, a rather pricey sandbox, but worth it because of the large custom sizes, and the cute little seats.

Pictures show the sandbox without sand, and with some of the handles still missing. I also still need to fill the holes.

Will add a picture of finished box filled with sand when it is available.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Counter Height Table and Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 12:31

My husband and I made the table and chairs for our screened porch. We really like how the project turned out. Many more Ana White projects on the our list!

Comments

Mega work bench with miter station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 16:51

When I was 8 months pregnant and going through my “nesting phase” I knew I needed to get my garage organized. Prior to building this, my tools were all over the place. To try to get it done before the baby came, I called my dad to help me out, and we built it together in just a couple days. It was a weekend I will never forget and I smile every time I walk into my shop knowing we did it together.

Comments

Storage Daybed

Submitted by ferbit on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 08:15

Ana White storage daybed with baskets! Of all the projects I've done based on Ana's plans, this is my favorite. It was my first staining project EVER so I was terrified. I am so in love with how this turned out. The boxes were made using birch plywood and the trim was all pine. Lots of gorilla wood glue (I think it's the least drippy) and a mix of nails (using our new nail gun) and countersunk screws. I used screws for the plywood and nails for the trim. After sanding... and sanding... and sanding... :) Finish is two coats of Minwax Red Mahogony stain (conditioned it first) and then three coats of Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane in semi-gloss. Did I mention how much I love this color????? I did my best to get all of the glue sanded out, but I did miss in a few spots (end of this cubby...) But I am still thrilled because you can hardly notice. I've used a miter saw before, but never MITERED corners like this and I am so proud of my self with how they came out! :) I used longer, narrow felt pads along the bottom of each bench (for on each). On the bed is the Katy 5-Piece Daybed Set from Amazon. I got the sweater-like throw on Overstock.com. Baskets from World Market! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I did two very dark coats of Minwax Red Mahogany stain. Meaning, I glopped it on with a disposable staining pad pretty heavy and then let it sit on the wood for a full 15 minutes before wiping it off. :) I did this for both coats.

For ME, prepping it with the wood conditioner first made all the difference in the world! It really evened out the wood grain variations and gave it a beautiful store-bought look.

I did a test on some scrap without conditioner and the wood grain was too prominent for me (and a lot of people like that look). I love the more muted grain look.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Chair Build with Loveseat Modification

Submitted by Joshh81 on Sat, 09/02/2017 - 12:26

Built the 2 chairs according to the plans, and then modified it for a bench that's 48" (our cushions are 23.5 x 23.5). Worked really well!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/07/2021 - 03:47

I used the plans from the site and it came out perfectly! Didn’t even make a wrong cut-pretty good for a super beginner.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Farmhouse Coffee Table and end tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/08/2021 - 06:58

My dad and I built these amazing coffee and end tables during a Christmas last year. We modified the ends to for a “M” instead of the traditional farmhouse “X”. Our last name is Mayberry-so the M was fitting. Sadly, my father lost his battle to cancer and this was the last project we did-one that will forever hold precious memories! Thank you for the fabulous plans!

Comments