Community Brag Posts

Pantry Door Spice Rack

Submitted by HR Dad on Wed, 09/02/2020 - 18:11

First I had to flip the pantry door from opening into my small pantry to opening out. Doing this allowed me to utilize back of the door for this spice rack. Frees up quite a bit of space in our cabinets, drawers and pantry for other items. Substituted braided picture frame wire for the wood dowels; still keeps all items secure on the shelves but also allows for more flexibility when dealing with canister sizes that are very close to the amount of space in between shelves. Already had the paint from doing some baseboards as well as quarter inch ply. So, final cost was for 1x4's and 1x6's coming out to about $30

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30.00.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Equal parts Behr Premium Plus Semi-gloss interior and Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Master Bath Barn Door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 16:34

Created this door with pine wood tongue and groove lumber and pine wood planks. Purchase barn door hardware / track from Jet.com and door handles from Hobby Lobby. 

 

This replaced my Master bath door and I think came out pretty good. Thank you for the ideas!!!  Jeff M.   Brownstown, Mi

Estimated Cost
Wood 55.00
Handles 2 for 8.00
Stain ( left overs)
Barn door track 54.00

Total $117.00 and 10 % Military discount at lowes
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax. Mix of Kona and Driftwood Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Rustic Outdoor Sofa Inspired by RH Merida

Submitted by susanshamp on Sun, 04/01/2018 - 14:19

I was in love with the RH Merida set because of its clean lines and modern style. Also, the plan seemed simple enough that I could re-create it without a pattern. The only thing that I did not like about it is the lack of arms. I really like to have a place to put my arm or my beverage :) - so I added arms to the design.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bogle

Wed, 05/20/2020 - 10:45

This is Awesome. I'm halfway in the middle as i thought I could complete without plans. Do you have any plans could share. Please....

DIY twin bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 01:04

Fun and easy. Bed is extremely sturdy. I used pocket screws for all four corner connections.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125ish.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathame early American stain, with clear satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Just a beginner! Second Project

Submitted by Rifka on Tue, 06/21/2016 - 18:35

Great first project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan chalk paint with clear wax.
Works great for outside too.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

2x4 sectional outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 08:10

My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!

Estimated Cost
building materials for sofa $250. Custom Sunbrella Fabric cushiosn $2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Carrington Minwax and sealed with spray Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Big Boy Toddler Loft Bed!

You can see the final project here: http://crabandfish.blogspot.com/2012/10/lil-archers-bed-its-done-its-do…

It was time for our son to move to a big-boy bed! We looked at tons of plans, but none were quite what I wanted. In the end, fish modified plans for Ana White's Camp Loft Bed with Stair. We wanted to make it a bit shorter because we only have 8' ceilings and there is a ceiling fan in the room. We spent about $80 for the lumber and invested in a kreg jig as well. The bed is stained with Minwax Golden Oak. We bought a 10" deep twin-sized foam mattress for the bed - if you are adding a coil mattress and boxspring, the bedside rails would definitely need to be higher.

Our son LOVES it! He is almost three and is easily able to navigate the stairs, which I don't believe will become too "baby-ish" as he grows older. If they do, the steps can easily be removed from the frame without losing structural integrity.

The underbed area has a great "cool" factor - we hang blankets to create forts, and it has become a place our son gravitates to for reading, playing, anything!

Estimated Cost
$100 for lumber and stain. Also invested in kreg jig.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Closet shelving for sloped ceiling.

Submitted by kellystern on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 16:22

I used Ana’s Shelf Help Configurator to build these shelves for a deeply sloped ceiling. None of those well known Closet Organizer Companies could come up with a decent plan for this closet and they charge a small fortune.

Comments

Sandbox with Benches

Submitted by cscottrun on Mon, 04/13/2015 - 10:33

We altered the original plan by enlarging the sandbox (approx 5' x 6') which made for wider benches that can comfortably seat an adult.  The benches and back rests are three boards deep instead of two.  We added 2x12 supports under the benches for additional support, as well as another 2x4 support in the middle of the backrest.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Garden Bench!!

Submitted by Nathan1342 on Mon, 08/06/2012 - 12:09

I built this for my wife for an anniversary present. She had wanted a garden bench for some time but the ones that she wanted were between $500-$700 which is ridiculous for this type of bench. So, I did a search on here for garden benches but there weren't really any plans for them and the few brag plans were not really the type of bench I was looking for. I printed off a few pictures of benches that I liked and got to work. The front and back legs a 2x6 and a 1x6 glued together and then cut to be straight. I wanted something thicker then just a plain old 2x6. If I had to do this again though, I would have just glued 3 1X6's together. The reason being, is that 1x6's usually do not have a rounded edge and a 2X6 does. So needless to say when you glue them together you have a nice little gap on either side. Without a table saw to take this off, its pretty difficult to get a straight cut. But I ended up getting it right after sweating for a few hours in the garage. The bench stands 36 inches high, 48inches wide and about 18 inches deep. The seat height is right at 18in also.

In the unfinished pictures I actually had the depth being 24 inches. After sitting on it though it was just way to deep. So I pulled it apart, made the adjustments and its now much more comfortable to sit in.

If anyone has any questions or wants more details feel free to drop me a line!

Thanks!

Estimated Cost
85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil based acrylic paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Torwart13

Tue, 06/16/2015 - 11:25

So legs are about 2 1/4" square? Are the seat supports 2x4's? Back cross pieces 2x4? Slats 1x4"?

smz1919

Wed, 06/17/2015 - 12:39

how did you get the curve on the back legs?

In reply to by smz1919

Nathan1342

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 13:34

I glued a 2x6 and a 1x6 together to get the thickness. Now that i have a table saw and a jointer this entire process would have been much easier but after getting it to look like one solid piece i just outlined the slant i wanted and cut it using a jig saw.

smz1919

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 20:17

So the back slats are just glued in place right? I wonder if it would be easier to use a biscuit joiner or not

Mikeyw221

Sun, 10/23/2016 - 17:46

on the back legs how high up did you go before you started cutting the angle? and was it around 15 degrees fromt he edge?

SawdustMaker21

Wed, 05/26/2021 - 08:32

Hi Nathan
Love the look of the bench. Would you have a list of material requirements. I intend to make a bench like this and would like to know the measurements of the top back spar (the shaped one).
Here in the Uk our timber yards do not always supply the same cuts as the US so I need to have some idea of the pieces I need
Many thanks

Great Plan for Garage Shelf!

Submitted by edapina on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 07:35

This was an easy project to complete in an afternoon that does not require any advance woodworking skills

Estimated Cost
About a $120 bucks considering that I had to buy all the wood and a box of 2 1/2 In screws!
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish used.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

edapina

Wed, 12/10/2014 - 09:41

This is my second completed project with plans and ideas from your website. Thanks for your good work!

Modern Outdoor Chair - High Back Adirondack

Modified with a high back and modern adirondack arms.

The base of the chair is built exactly to the plan except that the arms are done in a modern adirondack style.

The back was made independently to fit inside the base and then attached to the plan base.

Very comfortable but very heavy chair even without the modified back.

Not stained yet obviously.

Cushions are hard to find I think I would make it slightly smaller next time and maybe even find the cushions first and alter the plan to fit.

Estimated Cost
$45 Can
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse King Bed- Beetle Kill Pine

This was our first build and it was quite a big project to take on to start with. We had so much fun and learned so much along the way. 

Our biggest lessons were to hand pick our wood and make sure we get the straightest pieces possible. We had to wrestle some wood to make this bed work!  Clamp everything especially when using large bolts as the pieces would pull apart from each other. We even used a ratchet strap at one point becuase our small clamps weren't cutting it. I'm sure there's a better way and we'd love to hear about it but we made what we had work. We also had to figure out how to attach the side rails and at what height. We ended up using 3 4-inch screws on each end to screw them into the posts.  

We love this bed not only because it was a labor of love but because its such a solid beautiful piece. 

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Polycrylic Water based - 4 coats, sanded using a 220 grit sanding block in-between each coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Huffaker6971

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 13:47

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Are there plans for this build?

sxewhodey

Sun, 03/01/2020 - 11:29

Very nice! I love the lighter wood too, but my wife likes the darker stain, so we compromised in the middle for the finish. Why  arethe post always so red? I can appreciate the natural tendency of nature to add color, but the 4*4's are always red-er in color. Do they always use a different pine or certain part of the tree for those?

Paper Roll Dispenser

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 11/17/2021 - 10:44

This took me about 20 minutes! I love the look of it and that it can just be left out when the kids aren't doing art. A great little item to add to keep the kids busy and inspired. I made a couple of mods from the plan. I used glue and nails instead of pocket holes and I did that bottom board flat instead of on it's side. I also used a little bigger dowel, and bought two rolls of paper on Amazon for $14.I'm giving this to my daughter for her birthday with some fun art supplies, so I think it's a great gift idea for any occasion for those crafty people out there!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Monika

Tue, 04/02/2024 - 06:09

Sometimes, when working with papers, you might need to convert file formats, right? So, I recently came across this website https://pdfflex.com/webp-to-png It's super handy for converting. It's been a real time-saver for me, especially when I need to tweak documents for printing or sharing. I'd desided to share in case it helps someone else out there too!

My First Project

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/24/2023 - 05:04

My very first woodworking project and could not have done it without you!!

Mistakes were made and lots was learned but pretty happy with how it turned out in the end.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Playset Addition

Submitted by Derek S on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 08:27

Decided our old play set needed an addition, landed on these plans of Ana's. Sat on them and mulled them over for months. Once the wife said something about adding on to it I made the purchases needed. Connected the two platforms with a bridge. I used 4"x4"x10' for the runners, same boards as the decking for the platform of the bridge(5/4"x6"), 2x4's and 1x4's for the railing. If you look at the 3rd photo, I had to chisel out the 4x4 post to get the 2"x6"x12" support to fit correctly. This should measure 2"x6"x13". Another change I made was to cut the bottom and top trim pieces longer on the front and back sections so that the trim would cover the framing of the gable end walls (see last photo). my son wanted windows so I faked in some windows with scrap 2x2's. I used 2x6's as supports from the 4x4's to the 2x6 framing (see photo 3) I added the monkey bars about a month before deciding to do the platform/deck and playhouse. The ladder is based loosely off of a couple of plans I found online. I was able to do all of this work myself except for the roof. Need my dads help to lift the plywood, he then helped me with the rest of the roof.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a dark wood stain fore the house, green exterior paint for the trim and white exterior paint for the interior of the house.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday
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