Community Brag Posts

dress up station

Ive made a couple of these dress up stations now, for presents for my daughters friends. I plan to make her one next!
Plenty of room for storing all their fancy dress items :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
wallpaper and paint, rubber lace lining for the shelves, wooden ball feet, decals, mirror, name, hooks
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Small Cedar Fence Picket Storage Shed

Submitted by Pembat on Sun, 10/06/2013 - 20:37

Built this in a weekend, took about 1.5 days. I ended us using 2x4's instead of 2x2's, I think it resulted in a much stronger frame. I also built a base for it to sit on. I got pre-stained cedar fence boards, and overlapped them 1" instead of a 1/2". Pretty easy project, I ended up siding the back on the ground, installing it, and then adding the side walls without the siding (just the framing), and then sided them in place. The doors work perfectly. I took my total inside dimension between walls, made sure the opening was square, and then divided that by two to get the width of each door. I then took another 1/4" off that, so each door had an additional 1/8" gap, it worked perfectly. When I set the doors, I put them on a piece of roofing closed as I screwed in the hinges, and then opened them and removed the roofing. I opted to run the door siding horizontal to use up a bunch of waste wood. I'm happy with the outcome. I also found some 6" self starting lag bolts and lagged through the back of the shed into studs (through the siding) into the garage behind it.

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

Sandbox with built-in seats

I modified this a tad from the original plans to suit my needs. I will eventually be adding a platform with attached slide and swing set.

Plans were easy to follow. My store didn't have 1x8's so I stacked 1x4's and used my Kreg jig to join them together and then I added extra bracing.

I had seen this on Pinterest a couple years ago and thought it was the coolest thing! Io excited I was able to build it myself!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet. I will stain and seal everything when I get the entire play set finished.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cup tree inspired by Anna’s plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/12/2023 - 14:17

Used Anna’s cup tree plans for this project. Thank you Anna!

I’ve also successfully built a few of your beds. Your plans are always straightforward and easy to follow.

What you do is so appreciated!!!

Angel

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Kitchen Island

Submitted by lbrown on Sun, 12/11/2011 - 19:52

I made this kitchen island for my mom last year by repurposing two cabinets and building a bookcase for the back.

For details: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2011/11/28/kitchen-island-for-m…

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used white paint for the finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Floating Shelves Shoe Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/20/2016 - 18:43

I needed a way to get my shoes off of the floor, but wanted to store my shoes in a way that was easy to see and easier to retrive.  As you can see I have VERY limited space.  I found Ana's plans for floating shelves and ran with it, adapting it to fit my need.  After this picture was taken, I have added a piece of lauan to each shelf to complete project.  Hopefully someone can take this idea and adapt it to your needs as well!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Maybe $20 - $30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None - I like how wood looks
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Storage

Submitted by hoffer5353 on Sat, 01/07/2012 - 19:30

After our basement remodel I decided we needed some storage for our growing collection of of toys.
This project went together much more quickly than I expected. I am so happy with the results.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
valspar, interior semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Vmc107

Fri, 07/19/2013 - 07:05

hi! Ive been looking for something like this for toy storage in my living room. Were you able to post the plans to make something like this?

Restoration Hardware inspired Maison bed tutorial and finish. Starting with Ana's platform base.

I have wanted a Restoration Hardware bed for so long. Now I have "one" but for way less and we did it all ourselves. starting with Ana's platform bed plans we build on it and walk through the process and even the custom 3 part finish. for a full tutorial please see my blog. http://imperfectlyimaginable.blogspot.com/2013/11/restoration-hardware-…

would love to hear from you and see any projects that are completed.

Estimated Cost
under 400 I think the lumber cost me 175 or so
Finish Used
custom 3 step finish please see blog for tutorial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pool supplies storage shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/25/2023 - 18:50

I was looking for a shed to keep pool towels and other deck and pool items. This shed hit every feature I was looking
for. My husband loved the plans. He's always saying he can build anything with a measured drawing and a
cut list. The only thing we changed was the roofing material. we were given some metal roofing by a friend.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Downsized Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/11/2019 - 10:25

This table was modified because my dining room is really small. So the table is 71"long x 35" wide. This was actually my second attempt on the table top. The first attempt I only used kreg screws and no glue. To say that it warped is an understatement. This second attempt I used kreg screws and biscuits. For the breadboards I tried something new and used Rocklers Beadlock system. I also used Z- clips to mount it to the base so that as the wood expands and contracts it will hopefully not warp. So far it's remaining pretty flat.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General Finishes Graystone, General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint, General Finishes Flat out Flat Topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Saw Horse Leg Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 16:33

This was a nice easy project that i built for my son for his christmas present! A few pieces of lumber, a blow torch and clear coat.....Done. I recomment this for a starter project!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Vinyl Record Storage Cabinet

My record obsession was growing rapidly so I needed a solution to store my collection and I wanted some room for growth. I wanted a setup where you could flip through the records like at the record shops. It's often difficult to read the artists and album names when you can only see the spines of the album covers. I decided to make a cabinet with 9 drawers which holds approximately 540 records (60 records per drawer). More details and photos on my blog: http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/blog/vinyl-record-storage Cheers, Ian

Estimated Cost
Aprox $400 Canadian
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot Grey Stain, Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Outdoor Furniture Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/04/2023 - 11:32

Loving this furniture! We modified it slightly by raising the height of the couches. Added some height and a slight tilt in the back. The chairs are super comfortable as the plans are done. We used 6” 25x25 cushions. We plan on staining soon.

Jaime Sallis

 

Seasonal And Holiday

Sweet Pea Bunk Bed Plans turned into a dream for our Little Girl

Submitted by ShushiGirl on Thu, 01/30/2014 - 09:01

We loved the Sweet Pea plans so much but we didn't need bunk beds. We turned it into a loft bed with a playhouse underneath. We also inverted the shelves on the stairs to be inside the playhouse due to her room size. Added a second roof and window boxes. This project was fun and took us 10 days to complete. Thank You so very much for sharing these AWESOME plans!!

Estimated Cost
$1100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used Baer Premium Paint sold at Home Depot
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

junior2725

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 22:11

I am looking at making this for my daughter and I also want to do a playhouse on the bottom as she is a single child. Did you just extend the opening to the bottom bunk to the floor and then extend the bottom windows down some to let in more light? Also, I love the idea of switching the storage from the stairs to inside the playhouse. If possible could you elaborate on how you did this. Thank you.

ShushiGirl

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 15:46

We omitted the bottom bunk and took it straight to the floor. We left the side panel clear but the frame until we built the stairs then added trim & side boards around the cubbies.

nadia37

Sat, 05/24/2014 - 07:51

First of all, what an amazing job on your build! I was looking for ideas for a playhouse and I will be modifying the plans for Sweet Pea Bunk beds and your build let's me know how get it can be. But what colors did you use? The look great together!

E81firegirl

Sun, 07/17/2016 - 14:49

I love the changes on this!  I had a question.  What did you use for the roof and is the lower roof section built to the same specifications as the upper roof?

Twin Raised Planter Boxes

Submitted by dave92082 on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 18:46

This is a build of the Raised Planter Box design by Tracy. While it is a fairly simple plan, I would still call it intermediate. One thing to note is that the bottom Cross Supports are listed in her plan as 46" when they need to be 47 1/2 to match the side panels. You can see in the picture above, I laid the incorrectly cut piece on top of the correct one that is screwed in.

Estimated Cost
Around $50 each ( a little less not counting hardware)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Going to prime and paint soon.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

tracysmith

Sun, 04/29/2012 - 20:34

Thanks Dave for posting the pictures.. I see what you did differently from my plans and I think the way you did it was MUCH better. Congrats on the build, they look great!!! I'm going to rearrange my plans to make the changes and post the correct measurements to reflect that.

Upper Cabinet Awesomeness

Submitted by romanweel on Fri, 04/04/2014 - 15:01

This is the sequel to my first kitchen cabinet build, the awesome base unit to the right of the stove. It's another custom design to fit the space (and replace some horribly inefficient metal cabinets that, while cute, really looked like they belonged in a different kitchen). And my first time working with maple and edge banding! Thank you, thank you, no applause please. I'm calling this project "intermediate" skill only because I chose to router the doors and install cup hinges. Otherwise, they're just big boxes on the wall, for real.

The carcasses, shelves, and door panels are all Purebond plywood. The face and door frames are 1x2 and 1x3 maple. The french cleat used to hang the two pieces is also plywood (more on my blog about that). Unfortunately, I don't know enough about wiring to add/move that outlet so that the microwave cord could be hidden...but at least the microwave itself is off the counter! It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

The wineglass storage is a sort-of take-off on a few other plans on here and some pieces I saw down in Amish country. It's a little rough-looking outside of the cabinet into which it is installed because I didn't design that element very elegantly. Plus I kept changing things on myself mid-stream.

The concealed cup hinges...were totally intimidating. And at first I bought into all the hype about "you HAVE to use a drill press or you'll RUIN your doors", but in the end I just eyeballed it with a plain old forstner bit, and all 6 doors turned out fine! Plus, I got to use Blumotion hinges...you physically cannot slam these doors!!

I'm super proud of this project, and my mother-in-law (in whose kitchen they reside) is thrilled. Btw, the crown moulding is not yet installed, which is why the trim pieces up top look so funny.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams ProClassic Interior Acrylic Latex Enamel, plain old white
Polyurethane on the shelves (which in retrospect should have used polycrylic...they turned out a little yellow, which is unfortunate)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Custom Gate

Submitted by zduchene on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 22:41

When we first moved into our new home one of the first things that I built for it was this custom gate that resides at the top of our stairs. We needed this to keep the baby from falling down and keep the dogs out when need be. Overall it was a great way to separate the two areas. It is also inexpensive and easy to build. I used a pneumatic nailer for all of the joinery on this one so it was quick to build as well.

Estimated Cost
75-125
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American Varathane Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Toy Box

Submitted by Abby721 on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 17:58

Super simple build with fabulous results! I have been using as a coffee table and it looks awesome and is functional for lots of toy storage as well. It would also work so great to house extra blankets and throw pillows. I added a lid support so it does not slam shut on little hands. This would also be a perfect addition to any playroom for some nice looking toy storage!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
For the legs I used Rustoleum Canyon Black paint and for the rest I first used Minwax Weathered Oak with Minwax Early American over the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Better Than I Hoped!

Been working from home for the past two months due to the health crisis. To stop from going crazy from being at home with my wife and four kids, I decided up pick up a hobby - here's where my homie Ana enters! I didn't want the sectional for my patio, but certainly the couch, chairs and table. The only mistakes had were my own (using wood putty, not sanding it well), but the plans were spot on. The only real issue I ran into was the cedar wood I used wasn't 1.5 x 3.5, but 1.75 x 3.5. This caused me to make additional cuts were I otherwise would not have needed it. Other than that, just remember to make the longest cuts first... I ended up needing to buy about five additional boards because it.

Estimated Cost
$350 (I used cedar, which is much more expensive)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Spar Urethane, clear
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday
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