Community Brag Posts

I used the armless chair plan, and altered the one armed plans to make two chaises. Then I increased the size slightly to accommodate the 25x25 pillows I bought. This took about 12 hours with one person working. I am super proud of it! Finished today, and will eventually stain after the wood has dried out a little. Thank you, Ana, for making straightforward plans that gave me the confidence to do my first woodworking project!

Andrea in Michigan

My grandson wanted a set of peg dolls and a house to play with them in.  I wanted to build something that was gender-neutral - so many doll houses are pink and feminine!  This doll house is sized just right for his peg dolls and playmobil people.  It's made from 1/2" poplar, although it could also be cut from a sheet of 1/2" plywood.

This was my first project form this website and it was a great experience.  I used the storage daybed plans and modified them slightly so I could attach the Minnie Mouse headboard for my daughter.

Only difference form the plans is that i did not put the trim on the back of the boxes and instead build a craddle about 2 inches deep to hold the bulk of the head board.  I used 1/2 sanded plywood to create that and the bow. the mouse head is just pained black where as the bow I got a little more creative with.  I cut out the design topped it with furniture foam then fabric backing to hold it in place and create a smooth look.  After that I streched the pink fabric over it and stapled it in place on the back before attaching it to the head.  I also used some 1 x 2 pieces to run along the back to create feet for the headboard to add stability. 

All in all this project was alot of fun and my daughter loved it.

I followed the plan but made the sofa longer, the cushions were on clearance from Pottery Barn for $160 and the cushions are about 96 inches wide.
I used weather treated wood and did not want to spend more since its my first project. I used Behr exterior weatherproof transparent stain. I attached the seats back piece using a 2x2 attached on the bottom with screws and pocket hole screws are used to attach the 2x2 to both sides of the arm frame.
I love how it turned out. I was not expecting for it to come out this nice but I am really impressed.
I hope you guys like it too!

Total cost is around $240 including paint, wood, screws and the cushions.

I used these plans and modified the height to create functional countertop and shelving in my garage. I added a little face framing too. Thank you for the inspiration Ana!

This build was our first one. I completed all the cutting and putt together while my better half completed all the staining and weather treating.

I loved the plan of the cooler table, while looking at that one i saw a modified version that was longer and had 4x4 for legs...

i choose that design due to the weight of the table and figured 2x4s just wouldn't be sturdy enough for the extra length my girl friend wanted.

This project took a week to build.  Working during my boys' nap time and late nights, I was able to complete everything in about 7 days.  I used cedar, and sealed with Cabots Bleaching Oil.  The cost of wood for the beds and stairs and drawers came to about $700.  The extra cost came from the additional side rails on the top bunk and the stairs and drawers.  Still comes in about $500 less than if bought commercially.  The famiy loves the bed and as my kids are 2 and 3, I expect to get many years out of the bunk bed.  Side note:  I had to add quite a few brackets and angle joists to secure and minimize wobble due to the additional weight of the top bunk.  (2 2x4s from the 4x4 to the side of the cleat and side rail of the bottom bunk, on the back side only, made a world of difference)

This is my first, of hopefully many projects to come. I modified Patrick's Jelly Cupboard plans to be 40" tall and added the tins to the doors. I used spruce and pine board from a local lumber yard. The finish is Miss Mustard Seed milk paint inside and out. With kids in the house I didn't want to use stain with the heavy chemical smell so I mixed the milk paint with a lot of water to look like a stain. That product is so easy to use and looks great. Needless to say my wife loves her pie safe. Thanks Ana for this site and the inspiration to give this a try. I'm hooked!

This was my first build and I learned A LOT and watched A LOT of youtube diy videos. The main take-away from this project is not to build in the freezing cold if the finished project is for inside. I finished this project in below freezing temperatures and I noticed that the wood expanded (increasing slightly the gap between the finished boards on the top) when it was brought inside.

I built this from the original farmhouse table plans with no kreg jig although I did buy and use a pocket kreg jig to make the extensions. The main modifications were using 4x4s such as were used in the Country Living magazine spread that inspired this build and also making modifications to allow the addition of 15" extensions at each end of the table's bread boards.

My first challenge was figuring out how to build with the 4x4 legs instead of the 2 2x4s screwed together. In order to accomplish this i had to use a chisel to create the corner lip that the table top frame would sit on. I added photos of this so I hope it will help someone. Chiseling these 4 corners (one on each post) only took an hour or two and was so worth it for the look of the 4x4s. Just measure carefully and work carefully with a sharp chisel. I actually removed half the wood by sawing off the corner at a 45 degree angle. Remember when cutting your boards for the table ends that a 4x4 has different dimensions than 2 2x4s screwed together. Compensate for this in your cuts.

Another challenge was hiding the screws on the table legs and table top. I was leaving the finish natural so didn't want to use wood fill. I accomplished this by getting a countersink bit and then buying wooden dowels the same diameter. For these screw holes, after finishing screwing, I put a dab of wood glue in the countersink hole, inserted the dowel as far as it would go, used a fine hand saw to cut off the dowel flush with the table and then used a hammer to make sure the dowel was in tight and flush.

I had trouble figuring out how to attach the table top frame to the table legs with the long screws from the plans so I included a picture of this step. Its really easy but I was not able to use three screws as the plan calls for. I used two instead and it has been very solid. I used the long screws as proscribed.

Finally, I wanted to build extensions (2 2x8 boards kreg jigged together) so I could increase seating up to a max. of 12 persons, so I needed to cut out 2x2 gaps on the table ends. I also included a picture of these in place. To make room for the 2 2x2s that extend under the bread boards and table top to brace the extensions, I left out one of the 2x2 cross beams at each end of the underside of the table (the boards that the table top boards screw into).

I hope this is helpful to you!

I have been wanting a bench for my counter for sooooo long! I loved the Big Ur bench and finally got up the nerve to adjust the plan to be a counter height bench.

Since I am so cheap, I like to collect wood from the free section on craigslist. And that is how this bench came about! I had these 4x4's (well actually they were a little small and had to adjust for that as well) And these great top boards, which were a little warped, I think it just adds a little character to the bench to not be totally perfect, like me! :) (that was a joke, I am FAR from perfect!)

I made it like the plan, and as you can see from the unfinished picture my little ones needed a stool to climb up on the bench. So I added some 1x2's to give them a ladder for climbing. I love how it turned out and the best part is that it fits at my table as well!

Now my husband thinks I should build a smaller one for the short side of the island. We have six kids and this bench only fits four....we'll see.....

Great fun Easy Project! I am in absolute love with this table and give it the rustic feel and look that we were going for. We tried to get the knottiest pine that we could find with also the different colors. We love that look of pine!