Community Brag Posts

West Elm Knock Off TV Stand

Submitted by Mike F on Sun, 09/18/2016 - 06:50

I did not have any plans for this.  I had the dimensions from the West Elm Website so I did my best to match that.  My sister asked me if I could build this for her and I saw it as an awesome challange.  I used euro style hinges for the doors and the left side shelf is sitting on wood strips nailed in the sides.  There is also a shelf inside the cabinet.  I built the stand and she stained it.  

This was my second time welding.  I used a Mig Welder that my buddy had.  It was a little intimidating at the very beginning but Mig welding is super easy.  You can grind the welds down fairly easy too.  I sray painted it all with a flat black spray paint.  I think it turned out really well.  I had a steel shop her in town cut all the steel to the sizes I needed.  All I had to do was weld and paint.

Estimated Cost
$150-$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
She used a mixture of a few stains.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Modified Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table

Submitted by dbcottam on Mon, 10/03/2016 - 13:02

I modified this plan by removing 1/3 of the table so it would fit our dining room. I used the farmhouse bench plans and "upholstered" them. This is the result. I used construction grade pine. Some of the table was altered by mistake, other bits on purpose. This project took me 40+ hours to complete. Weekends, a afterwork. 

Estimated Cost
$350 including tools
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used Minwax Wood Conditioner, Dark Walnut Stain, Clear Semi-gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Master Closet For My Wife

Submitted by Indy69 on Mon, 10/17/2016 - 17:10

I expanded on the plans I found at Ana White and made this closet.  They are 8' high, and made from Birch plywood and 1x2's from my local Home Depot.  I ended up using 12 sheets of plywood and 18 1x2's.  Sanded and stained with Minwax Jacobean and Satin clear on the unit and semi-gloss on the drawers.  I intalled soft-close drawer slides that I found on Amazon for $120 for 15 pairs which included the rear mounting brackets, which I highly recommend using as they save you a ton of labor and make it much easier to install the slides. 

 

What I like most about my work, is that I found regular hanging rods that were too expensive or just plain did not fit the end sockets.  I used galvanized fence rod typically used for the top of chain link fences, and simply brushed them with 0000 steel wool and then polished them on my buffing wheel.  If you want the brushed look, simply don't buff them.  What was best about using fencing rods, was that it cost about a dollar a foot and was much stronger than buying the actual chrome rods which were over three times more money.

 

For the corners, you will see that they are three angled rods, which you can not buy anywhere.  So, I purchased 1" galvanized electrical conduit. and bent it with a tubing bender.  I simply measured what I needed, and put two 45 degree bends in the rod, installed 1" sockets on each end, and a center rod support for the middle.  These two were polished with 0000 steel wool and then polished to a chrome finish.  They look amazing, and the best part is that it cost $6 for a ten foot piece, which was more than enough to do both corners.  You cannot beat the cost of using fence rods and electrical conduit for closet rods. 

 

I plan to install a small drawer island in the middle later as I require a need for more drawere space. 

 

Thanks to Ana White for the help.  I already have a few more next projects lined up using her ideas here.

Estimated Cost
Under $1000 for everything
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean with satin and semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Easy DIY Workbench on Wheels

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:26

I needed a workbench and Ana's easy plans were perfect for what I needed. I have a small one-car garage that I do my projects out of. The garage also provides storage for bikes, kayaks, gardening tools, etc. I customized the dimensions a little, making the bench only 30" deep to better fit the space available, and to add wheels to be able to roll the bench out into the driveway if needed. The lower shelf provides some good storage for me as well.

Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Potting bench 2.0

Submitted by Claudiagay on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 14:38

Made it a bit wider, added a shelf and wheels.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint over stain for distressed look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

fire pit bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/26/2017 - 18:34

fire pit bench

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

60 year old Barnwood Table

The wood came from a 60-70 year old barn that was torn down out on a friends property. The wood was fee and materials cost around $175. Took a couple weekends to build. 

Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Gmiller1966

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 19:56

My wife wanted a large table to entertain. She mostly wanted to be able to decorate the center and not have to move it during dinner. The table measures 10' x 4'8" and is 29" high.

Laundry Basket Organizer

Submitted by mseely02 on Thu, 01/10/2013 - 09:02

We have a laundry problem in our house. It piles up in un-organized piles and takes days to sort through and actually get in the washer. Honestly, we could do laundry every single day of the week and still fall behind. I guess that comes with the territory when you have 3 small boys in the house.

This organinzer is going to be great. We currently use it for whites, colors and "grown-up clothes". This keeps us from accidentally washing some of Mommy's more delicate items in the general colors wash which saves me money when we don't ruin her clothes.

The plans call for the 1 x 16's, but I had extra 2 x 4's laying around so I just built a frame using my kreg jig. The most expensive part was the beadboard for the sides and I used some S4S 1 x 4's for the top. Overall the project tooks me months, but that was more a product of my "shop" time coming after 8 pm and general apathy.

I definitely have the bug and have already starting a new project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi Gloss Interior White, Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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.

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

My wooden magazine files

Submitted by NeoMoses on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 20:17

These are my wooden magazine files made after looking at Ana's plans. I chose to paint these to match my bathroom.

See more of my build process at http://www.bryanpryor.com/2013/01/26/magazine-holders/

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-Gloss Latex Interior Paint (ColorPlace) brushed on by hand. Two coats of paint for full coverage.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

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

A lot of work but worth it!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/10/2017 - 18:09

A few things that would be helpful - power tools! Nail gun, drill and table/miter saw would all be helpful. I also would stain the pieces beforehand and touch up after. But overall, SO pleased with the final result.

Estimated Cost
$100 for 2 single loungers.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Deck stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mudroom Bench

Submitted by hmctagg on Fri, 08/04/2017 - 20:03

We combined several ideas to create this built in mud room bench.  I searched high and low for the design I wanted and loved Ana's hidden storage.  It's perfect for off season stuff that would otherwise take up space in a closet.  It's such a pretty, functional space that gets so much use.  

Estimated Cost
We paid $1200 to have the entire structure built by a carpenter. It definitely could be done for less, but with two toddlers we just didn't have the time.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
White trim paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Master Walk In Closet with Bookshelf Door

Submitted by valpal5 on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 20:26

We used an unfinished attic space above our garage that was connected to our bedroom to make a walk-in closet with great shelving.  This project took a lot of time but we are so happy with the results!  There is a side for my husband and a side for me.  Although it is hard to see we also incorporated a small door/bookshelf into the room to allow us access to attic storage space.

closet shelving
 

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White painted finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Raised Garden Beds

Submitted by kari on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 09:54

I made these last summer for my sister. And she didn't even use them yet! Very easy to make. She did want them taller, so that is the only modifacation I made. We're hoping the bunnies won't notice all the yummy veggies up this high :) I know, probably wishful thinking. Makes a great kid corral too.

Estimated Cost
it's been a while
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Seasonal And Holiday

My first project

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

Comments

Laundry Basket Rack

This was a great last minute Christmas gift. Took me a little over two hours. Made completely out if pallet wood.

Comments