Community Brag Posts

It’s not done yet, but I wanted to share my coffee table with y’all. I made it with the same proportions as Ana’s fancy x kitchen table just 3ft wide and 16 inches high. It’s going to be the same finish as Ana’s too. Dark walnut with satin polyurethane.

After searching and searching for a decently priced bed for our two year old and failing to find anything that I liked under $400, I decided to do a google search and came across the directions for the Emme twin bed. I loved the design and the color of the stain in the instructions but had to go with white as everything in our toddlers room is white. My husband said the instructions were simple to follow. I think he did a wonderful job for his first time ever building anything. Not to mention my little girl loves the bed. Thank you Ana!

Clearly, not done with my project yet (sanding, priming/painting) but I was so excited I wanted to share right away. I've been checking Ana's site for about a year now and never had the courage to build anything... until today - I am thrilled I did. I had some cheap 2x4's studs at home so if I failed, no big waste of money. To my surprise... this was incredibly easy to build and that seat is sturdy. I modified the plan and intend to build 1 more chair and 1 sofa that accommodates 2 people. Thank you Ana! Amazing site and now I am so much more confident on my ability to build beautiful projects myself :)!

Built this for our 6yr old. She has decided she wants it to be pink so we picked out a beautiful Aubrey Hepburn worthy shade and will update our photo. 

Due to rain (and horrible ability) this project has been taking a LONG time it seems. =) We had one of those "cheap" playsets from one of the warehouse clubs that would scare me to death anytime my girls got to swinging on it. So... we knocked it down and I took some liberty with the details from Ana's playset plans.

Bristol chairs with an attached side table. I added a planter box under one of the boards to fill with ice and beverages.

I wanted a Tiki Bar for my deck big enough to store bottles and trinkets, and put a spread on to eat outside. The simple potting bench was my base plans and i just expanded from there. I increased the depth by 4 inches and the width to 46 inches. I increase the height to 7 1/2 feet at its highest point. I used treated 4x4s for my legs and to provide the upright height. I used 2 (8 inch) Lag bolts where the roping is to keep it sturdy on top. All additional parts were bought at Lowes.

This ended up being about $200.00 but will last for a long time.

Trundle bed and desk addition.

We cut this plan down by 8" in length to fit in a nook behind our front door. The opening was 44.5" and we cut our longest piece to 42" to make sure we had clearance for baseboards and door trim. We finished both items in an afternoon, even with adjusting measurements and having kids ages 5 and 2 "helping".

Ana thank you for the wonderful plans. It was my first major project, and it will not be the last. I purchased your book this weekend and love it!!! Thank you for all you post to your site.

Built these for my boys room- these headboards are for highrisers so I did not use legs- they end at the bottom of the slats.  I used 1x3 furring strips for the slats to keep the costs down, I believe I used 10 slats. In order to mount the headboards, they are completely mounted on the wall and not attached to the bed at all. I used 3-2'' Z clips,  at the top, tried to get them drilled into wall studs. To keep the headboards even more secure, I used corner braces on the bottom- 2'' braces, drilled into the wall with anchorless screws and then drilled into the bottom of the headboard frame. 

I also did not cut the wood at the hardware store- I purchased a circular saw and was very happy with the decision. Was MUCH better to cut as I built. 

We needed an outdoor table for our patio, and this one fit the bill!

I loved the photos that others have put out of their own tables, but I was concerned about eating off of a table that was stained and varnished with petrochemicals. In order to avoid the toxic finish, I built the top and stretchers out of cedar wood, which I sanded down to 220 grit, and gave a light coat of tung oil finish. The legs are untreated 2x4s that I sanded down and gave a heavy coat of tung (e.g. seven applications.)

To ensure the legs remain in good condition, I intend to foot them with sheet metal casings when I remove them at the end of the season.

I also took Ana's advice, and attached the legs using bolts, so that I can disassemble the table and throw it in the garage over the winter. There's a close-up of how I inset the bolt-heads with a spade-bit below.

It was time for potty training and when it came time to wash her hands her arms were a little too short. So I threw this step stool together over a few hours and with the little one being a Minnie Mouse fan I had to add the Mickey head. Great project for those wanting something easy and quick.

I created this sofa from 2x6s that were left over from a pergola we built. I got the cushions at Lowes for $57 per set (3 sets). This is the first thing I ever built and I did it all by myself including cutting the boards to length. In total it took about 4 hours. I am so proud!!! Thank you Ana White for giving me the confidence to build this furniture. I will never, ever, ever pay outrageous retail prices for wood furniture again.

I needed a project to keep me together during 2017, as I took maternity leave after the birth of my second son. I wanted something that both boys could grow into, and enjoy, for many years to come. I also wanted to challenge myself to go big.

Our garden is tiny, so I was really attracted to the idea of raising a playhouse up and gaining the space underneath too. This corner was taken up by a big wooden raised pond, which wasn't wildlife friendly because of the high sides - and that meant you couldn't see the water unless you walked right up to it, either, so it seemed like a bit of a waste of space.

First of all I took out the old pond, and dug up tons of invasive bamboo that was growing around it. Then I lifted and relaid the concrete paving slabs underneath, leaving a smaller pit for a sandpit in the middle. With that all in place, I was ready to start building.

Wood tends to be expensive in the UK, and given the amount of rain we get I wanted to get the roof thoroughly waterproof and the windows covered. I also included a layer of polystyrene insulation behind a additional plywood inner walls, and I painted the whole thing in rot-proof garden paint. Everything added up, and the materials cost was probably £1k or more.

If I'd been able to work continuously, I reckon I would have completed the whole project in a week or so. However, I was mostly only able to get out in the garden when both my sons were napping (about 2 hours a day) or at the weekends when my husband could watch them. Given the time constraints, I was expecting this to be a long project. I started in April 2017 and completed the build late in October.

The deck was finished in June, and the sandpit in the shady space underneath was a great resource on the hotter days of summer.

The old garden shed we inherited when we moved in here is rotting away, but it had power and lighting which the electrician told us was sound. I transferred the circuit into the playhouse, securing it behind the inner wall and installing a plug socket and a ceiling light. Having the power socket means that we can take a little electrical heater out there, and (under supervision) the three year old has been able to play in his little house throughout the winter.

One issue has been that water tends to pool on the deck in front of the house, and then seep under and into the house. When a big furry throw got left out there for a couple of weeks it acted as a wick and sucked the water up and into some of the plywood at the back, making it a bit manky and mouldy. We've learned our lesson and I've now run a bead of general purpose sealant along the front of the house, preventing water running in. The decking boards came with grooves for added grip, which helped channel the water along, and this was worse by the doors because I kept the doors a centimetre or so above the floor, leaving a gap. I've added a thin strip of wood for a lintel and sealed that too.

Now that we're on top of the damp issue I'm planning to paint the interior, add some old water-resistant flooring boards that I found in the shed when we moved into the house, and generally spruce things up. I hope this will be a comfortable den for the boys for years to come.

Thanks, Ana!