Community Brag Posts
Easy DIY Garage Workbench with modifications
My fabulous husband bought me an awesome new miter saw for Christmas, and it is way too heavy to lug around! So my first project with the new saw was a workbench to mount it on! I added wheels so it can roll anywhere. I'm also very short and wanted to store a very tall shop vac on the lower shelf so I made modifications to accommodate that. I also made it 30" x 36" to make it just the right size for my saw. I will be using this piece as the center of other work tables I will build in the future!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Jewelry/Makeup Storage Cabinet
Thank you Anna for providing the template plans for this project. My wife had a mirror leaning on the wall in our bedroom that rarely got used and jewelry all over the dresser. So thanks to you I was able to turn this cheap mirror into useful storage and organize her jewelry. Thanks!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glossy spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Wed, 10/07/2015 - 10:18
Beautiful Mirror Cabinet!
Thank you for building!!! Your post just made my day, I'm so happy to see your build! I love the customization with the jewerly holders too! Thank you so much for sharing!
Sun, 09/17/2017 - 20:49
attaching rails
How did you attach rails? I still cannot figure out the best way to do it...
Thank you!
Garden Bench
Combined several different plans from several different sites, but my mother in law is a master gardener who loves birds and wanted a new bench for her garden. I used 1x4's on the seat slats (instead of 2x4's- added an extra support in frame), made the seat a bit deeper, and I modified the arms to allow somewhere to rest a glass of her southern sweet tea. :) All made from box store non PT lumber and sealed for outdoors. The ideas for the "pickets" on the back and birdhouse came from "MyOutdoorPlans.com"- want to give credit where credit is due.
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
High chair
Thanks so much for the plans. Built it for my visiting nephew. Had a hard time with wood splitting, definitely predrill once you have the pocket holes lined up. I finished with food grade mineral oil, may go over it with beeswax.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Mineral oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Dining Room Buffet Cabinet
I scoured the web unsuccessfully for months trying to find a cabinet big enough to store everything we needed to store. I wanted something huge and bright and simple, and so I decided to just build away. It's 8'4" long, 18" deep and 36" tall. Topped with a slab of Giallo Napoleon granite and painted a nice plain white. Took me only a few nights to build and paint, thanks to my power nailer and power paint sprayer. Thanks to a great deal on a remnant granite slab, this was just about $400 total start to finish. I winged the entire plan and didn't really use any plans in particular, though I have gathered many great ideas and tips from this site.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$450-500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Satin white, nothing special!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Sat, 08/13/2011 - 14:51
Beautiful!
Wow - looks great! You would think it was done by a pro! You should be very proud of your finished product.
Tue, 12/04/2018 - 06:43
Where did you find these cabinets ?
Trying to find cabinets like this. Did you buy them or build them?
Shiplap Fireplace Surround with Low Mantle
Outstanding Shiplap Fireplace surround with low mantle by Cruz on IG
Including more photos of the build process
Built from Plan(s)
Shiplap Fireplace
We did the Easiest Shiplap Fireplace in a weekend, thanks to Ana’s plans. I convinced my husband to help me build this by upgrading to a 65” tv and adjusting the dimensions. We also built a shelf behind the tv to hold our receiver and Xbox that is hidden when the tv is in place. Ana’s tutorial was amazingly and gave us the confidence to finally build something that’s been on our list for 2 years!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Brannum's Indoor Basement Playground with Monkey Bars
Modified to fit a smaller space by Tracy Brannum. Took 2-1/2 days to build, the kids love it! Shared on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207847978933419&set=o.1921239…
Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Rustic X Farmhouse Coffee Table with Storage
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.
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Farmhouse Toy Box
Picture of my own version of the Ana White Design linked here
http://www.ana-white.com/2017/01/DIY_furniture/farmhouse-style-toy-box-…
Added Gas Shocks from Amazon 100N/18lbs.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Paint
Minwax Espresso
Minwax Red Mahogany
Minwax Espresso
Minwax Red Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Laundry Sorter
My laudry never looked so good! I love these plans from shanty2chic and anawhite. I spent a few days in the garage building, and now, my laundry can be hidden away in any room of my house.
Thanks shanty2chic and anawhite for your excellent plans.
http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2014/08/diy-laundry-basket-dresser.html
http://www.ana-white.com/2011/04/wood-tilt-out-trash-or-recycling-cabin…
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mix of paint and stain to create whitewashed look.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Patio couches
This project was fun to build with hubby said the shopping list and the cut list was perfect! Love all your designs! King bed is next!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Fri, 04/28/2023 - 09:15
So Pretty!
Very well done, thank you for sharing your beautiful space and build!
Small Cedar Shed with Living Roof
I built the shed during the summer of 2018, following Ana's plans but with the addition of a green roof. After almost a year the vegetation -- a variety of native plants from the upper Midwest -- has started to fill in pretty well. My carpentry skills are rudimentary so the project took a long time but was worth the effort.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Wolman™ F&P Cedar Finish and Preservative, if I remember correctly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Thu, 09/02/2021 - 19:03
Small generator enclosure
Absolutely love this. Are plans available so I can make this as a generator enclosure???
Mailbox
My grandmother has been in terrible need of a new mailbox. The one she had was original to the house, 1972, I believe. Needless to say it was falling apart.
My stepdad and I built this for her, and my sister painted on the name adn address.
All better now!
PS, I chose Grace's Mailbox plan because you have to choose a plan when posting a brag blog and we didn't use one, we just kind of winged it.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20-$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear wood sealer, spray can
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Full size loft
Built a full size loft bed for my kids but wanted something safer than having them climb up and down a ladder so used the Camp Loft Bed plans to add the platform and stairs. It is much easier for the kids. Going to finish by covering the platform and stairs with carpet.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
180
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Comments
Wed, 10/02/2019 - 09:51
I really like how the…
I really like how the platform is only half way so the stairs are inset, this is very smart and good use of space.
Bar buffet
We needed a unique bar for our home, and loved the sliding bar doors on this one! It fits our house, and we get so many compliments!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded everything, applied Kona stain, finished with a poly top!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Comments
Potting Bench
Your potting table is/was a hit and is used weekly with great love.
Darren S.
Built from Plan(s)
Ana White Inspired Farmhouse Table - "The Gathering Place"
This my first-ever custom, DIY farmhouse dining table that I built for my amazing in-laws! They just moved into a beautiful new home with a large, open dining area, and they've been looking for a large table that our growing family can gather around. This table seats up to 12 people at one time, and it 2.5' tall, 3.4' wide, and 10' long (with the extensions out.)
I've repurposed many tables and/or wood projects before, but this is my first table made completely from scratch. It took me approximately 2 weeks to fully complete, and cost less than $300, (including "investment tools" such as large wood clamps, electric sander, etc.)
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used an Espresso-color stain for the coloring of the table, and a water-based satin ____ sealer to protect the wood while giving it as natural a feel as possible. (I chose water-base so that the sealer would be clear and not affect the Espresso color.)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday
Fire-pit Life
Fortunate enough to live on a beautiful river, my wife and I decided we were done bringing the folding chairs out for each weekly bon fire. Our three girls love s’mores and we wanted a great atmosphere with a place to easily grab wood and snacks in the dark while we enjoyed the outdoors. The combination of plans took us about a week to finish. The kids were away for the weekend and we rented an auger to drill the post holes. This proved to be the most difficult part of the project. It took nearly the whole weekend to dig out the unexpected granite and all the patience that we had in reserves. Once the posts were set, it was only a slightly uphill battle.
My wife made the bench in the time it took to return the auger and come home. The fire pit benches were also a pleasure to assemble and the most functional part of the project. I suspect the whole thing would have been faster if the large posts were easier to cut through. That treated lumber can eat saw blades! When setting the top posts it was also a two ladder and two person job. They were quite heavy and a little nerve wracking to set if you don’t love heights and a heavy load. We would do this project again in a heartbeat as it is a feature in our yard and makes for many enjoyable family and friend gatherings. The fire pit bench top is also great for hosting the entire bbq meal assortments to select from.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None, treated lumber, 3 years later and still looks brand new!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Family stocking stand
We have a vent-less gas wall heater, but had no mantel for hanging stockings. Thanks to the new plan, we have the perfect solution! We already had the 2X4s left over from the simple panel bed project, so we only purchased hooks and stains for this.
We shortened the width to accommodate 4 stockings instead of 5 (we cut the 2 cross pieces 9 inches shorter). We also decided to add a large 2X6 cap to mimic a mantel, which really seems to tie it all together much better. We love this and have ideas now on how to make slight changes so it will more easily slide "over"/around the wall heater
(yes, we are not keeping it that close while stockings are hung, so as to not risk catching fire)
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $20 (if you need to purchase wood/stain, we did this for under $10)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum: Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Comments
Ana White Admin
Mon, 12/27/2021 - 11:54
Nice!
That is gorgeous, she will treasure it for years to come!