Community Brag Posts

Rustic X Farmhouse Coffee Table with Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/05/2023 - 08:54

This project was made from reclaimed wood from my office where they had built a temporary safety railing out of 2x4s and 2x6s. I added a compartment for storage. The top is stained in a classic grey. I painted the body in black followed by white. I then sanded the body to allow the black to bleed through for a distressed look.

Comments

small closet renovation

Our back door entrance closet was cluttered with shoes, boots, pet food and more. Strategically scattered at the bottom.

Originally the closet had a flat panel door with a poorly patched hole from a neighboring door, unpainted interior, one shelf with a hockey stick closet bar. A complete eye sore.

Solution:

Constructed a 5 shelf "simple closet organizer" with dimensions of 72"H x 13"W x 16"D. The material was four 72" x 16" particle board shelves purchased from HD for $10 each and a 100 particle board screws with painted white heads. I already had the closet rod with the hardware ($5 each) to hang the rods.

The new closet has a six panel door (used the door jig purchased for the doggy door) updated hinges and knob ($25) to match the rest of the house.

We painted the interior of the closet with left over wall paint.

Problem solved.

I like many on here, I hate particle board but the better half didn't want to paint the shelves, so the compromise was reached and we got the particle board haha. Nice on the pocket book and didn't pay extra for the crappy ready to go stuff plus I got to play with my tools.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 simple closet organizer + $50 door & know = $90
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
factory :(
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Queen Sized Wall Bed

Submitted by ldo2626 on Wed, 06/25/2014 - 09:09

Expecting our second child, my wife and I decided to do away with our guest bedroom and combine it with our office. The only problem was our queen bed took up way too much space and it didn't get enough use to justify the sacrifice. We looked at the wall bed options available for purchase and decided they were way too blah and very expensive. I then found the "A MURPHY BED YOU CAN BUILD, AND AFFORD TO BUILD" post on Ana's website (thanks for the inspiration)! 

 Using cheap pine boards, plywood, door hinges, vinyl upholstery and stain I constructed the wall bed you see here. It really wasn't that difficult but facing it took the most time. To give the boards a more rustic look I used a utility knife to shave off the edges/corners and stained them with the Minwax American Walnut water based stain and the Minwax White Wash Pickling. When this started we thought we were going to have to settle for something unattractive and less than desirable. Seeing it in our office now, we love our new bed and actually think it makes the room look much better!  I didn't keep track of costs, but it couldn't have been more than $150.

 

Estimated Cost
I didn't keep track of costs, but it couldn't have been more than $150.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax American Walnut water based stain and Minwax White Wash Pickling
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jwm816

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 08:08

Looks great! May I ask what the final outside dimensions were? Curious to see if this would work for me.

Thanks!

ldo2626

Wed, 08/06/2014 - 09:23

I would have to measure it when I get home... at work currently. Looking back, I think the best approach is to take the measurements from the plan, find the difference between standard mattress and queen mattress dimensions (check wikipedia for standard sizes), then add that difference back to the plan. I cut it real close on mine and could use a little more space. It would be nice to make it a bit deeper and with some head room to store comforters and pillows.

lopixy

Sun, 11/30/2014 - 18:10

I love this!  Could you give more details about how you did the facing?  Are the pine boards just nailed onto the plywood? 

chefrgk

Sun, 12/28/2014 - 12:59

I am dying to get started on this wall bed project. I keep getting this message when trying to open the Plans.

The page you are looking for is temporarily unavailable.
Please try again later.
can someone help me find them.

chefrgk

Sun, 12/28/2014 - 12:59

I am dying to get started on this wall bed project. I keep getting this message when trying to open the Plans.

The page you are looking for is temporarily unavailable.
Please try again later.
can someone help me find them.

nicolanala

Tue, 08/09/2016 - 15:24

Hi. I would love to try this. Looking to build in the next month before parents in law come over. Is there any working links to the plans??

josheli

Thu, 01/25/2018 - 13:06

click on the bed picture above and it will take you to the plans

 

First Project

Submitted by Mightyd40 on Tue, 07/30/2013 - 07:08

After a couple years out of bodybuilding because of a bad injury, I decided I really needed a new hobby. I've always been impressed with woodwork but it just seemed out of my reach. I wanted a porch swing and saw these plans and though, "even if I mess up it'll only cost me a couple hundred dollars". I bought the kreg jig kit and some lumber and thankfully have all the other tools I need. This only took me a few hours to build and it was so easy and a really good time. I watched a few you tube videos with both ana and Jeff devlin from Kreg Tools and it really prepared me. The job was fun and I plan on going back to the lumber store this week just to build more stuff I probably don't need lol.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250 for lumber/ kreg jig and a few other reusable initial purchases
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Bombay Mahogany stain and Poly mix
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Snowboard Display Rack

Submitted by LampAtFeet on Sun, 12/15/2019 - 13:49

My son wanted a way to display his snowboard, so I modified the pallet display rack plans to fit his snowboard. It's constructed with 2x4s for the sides and 1x4s and a 1x2 for everything else. The 2x4s have an angled notch cut out so the snowboard can slide in and out. I built a top and bottom shelf to display pictures, as well as provide storage. The hooks are great for hanging boots, gloves, etc.  He loves the way it came out.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut stain followed by a coat of wipe on polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cedar Street Number Planter

I was looking for a way to give our house some better curb appeal and decided our stree numbers could use a facelift.  The majority of money spent on this project was for the numbers since I had enough spare cedar laying around.

house number planter

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Sedona Red
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Vinyl Record Storage

I've made another record cabinet, this time with a nice dark walnut stain.  To see more details and plans visit my blog.

http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/

 

Cheers,

Ian

Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

wooden cooler stand

Submitted by stealth517 on Sat, 04/18/2015 - 20:48

This is the cooler stand presented by Jenny from Birdsandsaoap. Very easy to build and always ends up with someone asking to buy it or have you make them one.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Red, White, and Blue Coop

We built this A-frame chicken coop using the plans from Ana White. We modified them a bit to include a front door, a solid front wall, and 8-foot untreated cedar fence boards (cut in half) for the loft floor instead of plywood. We also used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire since racoons are a problem where we live, and they have been known to reach through chicken wire to grab at hens. Instead of being able to open both sides of the top of the coop, we only put doors on one side just to make the building process a little simpler. The hardest part of building the whole coop was cutting the 60* angles on the 2"x4" trusses. Our cuts are not exactly perfect, so the nodes (meeting points of the 60* angle cuts) are a little rough, but we plan on covering this with a roof cap eventually. More photos and details are on my blog: http://littlefarmbigcity.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/red-white-and-blue-co… -kate

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$175 with hardware cloth, paint, front door, and solid front wall
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint (only on the exterior of the coop and coop ramp)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

yurra-bazain

Thu, 07/04/2013 - 02:51

I love this! Makes me want to build one for my neighbor's hens with your touches in mind; perhaps in the near future. :)

Seasonal And Holiday

Whitney's Turned Leg Farmhouse Table

I worked up the plans in my head for about a year before my mother finally got around to having me build her 10 foot farmhouse table. That's right, this bad boy is TEN FEET LONG! And it was one of the simplest things to construct!. I used 8 foot 1x8's for the length of the table (used 4, making the table 29" wide) and 1x12's for the breadboard ends. We also splurged and purchased turned legs for $15 a piece at Blue. It really made the table extra special. Totally cost, with finishing supplies came in under $150.

Things I would change if/when I do a table of this size again:
1) I would never make a BB end so large again. I would stick to a 1x6 or smaller. With such a large size we worry about children putting too much pressure on the ends.
2) I will make the legs removable. It was a bear trying to get this table into the house. Thankfully the width was just narrow enough!
3) I won't tackle this in the winter months! Construction of the table took only a few hours but finishing in freezing temps took weeks waiting for warm-ish temperatures.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sand, sand, then sand some more! 2 coats of Minwax Mahogany Gel Stain. 2 coats of poly on legs/base. 4 coats of poly on table top with 0000 steel wool sanding between coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Easy to Build Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/06/2023 - 09:09

I was wanting a work bench for my outside shed to work on occasionally and help keep organized. This is the first piece of furniture I have built totally on my own! The plan was easy. I sized it down a little with no problem. I'm a little off on a couple of the cuts but will practice more! Overall, thrilled and extremely proud of it!

Lori B

Drop down murphy bar

Submitted by nick_h on Tue, 12/06/2016 - 10:54

My attempt at the murphy bar featured on this site. Still have to add the sash locks. Added pallet crossmembers at the back, an x in the leg, and a french cleat to mount to the wall. 

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut Minwax on the bar top and shelves, crisp linen matte latex and dry brushed casual gray for accents/aging. 2 coats of polycrylic for protection. If built again would pre stain and base coat all the wood before build time, then assemble, add accent brushing and spray the polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

zannej

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 11:49

This looks awesome! I want to help my friend build this for his kitchen. I've looked at the plans in the link & I'm wondering what modifications you made for the X pattern-- how much did it alter the material & cut list?

Would you please share your material & cut list for this?

Fireplace Wall Remodel

I needed a solution to my shelving problem. I wanted something clean looking, modern, and white to flank both sides of my fireplace. Count on Ana White to come up with a plan. Within seconds of sitting down to surf her site, I found that perfect plan to build four floating shelves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cedar Garden Shed

We needed a way to get all of the lawn & garden stuff out of our garage and organized. I found Ana's plans for the Small Cedar Shed & adjusted them to fit our space. We used 2x4s as our studs & added front walls on the sides. Our shed measures 9.5'x30". We had a concrete slab poured for our foundation. We are experienced DIYer's but had never taken on a project of this scale from scratch. This project was much easier than I was anticipating, and we were able to complete it in one weekend! Similar shed kits were way more expensive and not the size that we were looking for. Thank you so much for the inspiration!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Craftsman Style Playhouse

Submitted by aerialc on Fri, 10/02/2015 - 11:57

I mainly followed ana's plans for this playhouse. Instead of a plywood roof I used cedar shingles. I also added plexiglass to the windows.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$450, including deck.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ready Seal - Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

2x4 outdoor cedar couch with ottoman

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/04/2023 - 11:51

I used pocket holes to hide the screws. I made an ottoman out of the outdoor coffee table plans to my dimensions that can be used as a coffee table when we need it.

Comments

Mission Style Side Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/29/2024 - 09:36

Red oak mission-style side table with deer footprint inlays, golden oak stain.

Bob Zink

Custom Modern Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/30/2023 - 08:49

I made this coop twice as wide like Ana suggested since I have 4 chickens and wanted to make sure there was some extra wiggle room in case “chicken math” got the best of us. I made a nesting box to mount on the outside. I also used plywood for the sides like Ana did in the video. I installed a Run Chicken automatic door that opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. I added some hasps and clasps to make sure all my doors would close tightly. I put hardware cloth across the top before installing the roof panels. I stapled and buried hardware cloth around the perimeter for predator protection. I also spray painted the hardware cloth flat black so that it would be easier for us to see inside the coop. I stained the rest of the wood with Varathane Semi-Transparent stain, color “Carbon Gray.” I also added some roosts and cedar shingle siding for some extra protection during our New England winters at to match our house. Working 2-4 hours a day, off and on, with a bum shoulder and weak hands, this took me about a week! Thanks for the great plan, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Fire Pit Swings

My wife saw something like this on Pinterest and desperately wanted one. The one she saw was hexagonal in shape. We didn't need as many swings so we went with just a plain square shape. We used 6x6s for the legs and posts across the top and used 4x4s for the angled support pieces. We built the swings using the plan from this website. All the materials can be picked up at the blue and orange stores. However when it came to the springs for the swings, the blue store was 1/3 of the price of HD. The legs are 12' long and buried 4' under the ground and cemented in for strength. Luckily I am retired military and was able to rent an auger for 1/2 the price of HD or the blue store. You could do it by hand but it saved us hours and lots of back pain. We found our dimensions for the size we wanted and spray painted dots on the ground where the posts were going to go. We dug the holes and stuffed the 6x6s in them. Using a post level we made sure they were plum. We braced them and added the quickrete and left them to setup over night. The next day we had to make sure all the tops were level with each other. This is where having some knowledge of physics paid off. I took clear tubing and screwed it above the height that I wanted on one post and then screwed the other end to another post. Fill it with water until the water level on the first post is where I wanted it (8 feet high) and it will automatically fill it level on the other end. There is a picture of this above. Water will always level itself out. I had to do this because my yard is at a slight down hill grade. We marked it and cut the tops off to make it level. After attaching the 6x6s on the top with 8" lag bolts it was time to paint. After painting was done we built 3 swings from Ana's plans. We shortened them by 6" to give room to walk between the legs and the swings. All in all it was a great project that only took two dedicated weekends. My wife still has to paint the swings though.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600ish
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used an oil base Black Barn Paint from the blue store.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

jkread

Wed, 05/27/2015 - 22:38

It sounds and looks like the top 6x6s are mitered and sit on top of the end of the vertical posts. I'd say at least one lag bolt each way to hold the mitered corner together and then at least one in each piece down into the vertical to hold it in place.

carewarner

Mon, 04/27/2020 - 10:24

WOW, LOVE!!! This is simply gorgeous! What a warm and welcoming addition to your yard. And thanks for sharing your method of finding level for your posts on your sloped yard. I absolutely love it!

Seasonal And Holiday
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