Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Play Kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/15/2024 - 10:05

I built this using Ana's plans for her outdoor play kitchen. I live in North Carolina and took it to my grandchildren in Ohio. They love it! I used an inexpensive beverage dispenser installed into a trashcan and connected a small aquarium pump to recirculate the water from the sink to the water tank. I'm super pleased with how it turned out!

Nancye Butterworth

Built from Plan(s)

Fancy Jewelry Box

Submitted by Matt L on Mon, 06/29/2020 - 19:52

Great plans and a fun build. I made some modifications. My drawers are 1.5” high and 10” long. It allowed for 6 drawers. Overall height is 13.75” and length is 17.5”.

I used rabbits and dados rather than butt joints. There is flocking in the drawers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Garnet Shellac at a 2# cut. Wiped on. I used 4 coats sanding with 400 grit after coats 2 and 3. I used 0000 steel wool after coat 4. Then I applied Paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Aquaponics Garden

Submitted by Chris 1975 on Sun, 06/29/2014 - 08:11

The better way to garden! I built the original, and then the fish got too big for the 55gal tanks below. Had to upgrade to 2 300gal IBC containers. Now I have 50 tilapia that are ready to eat, adn enough vegatables to feed us for the year.... awesome!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
thompsons sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Basement Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/27/2016 - 11:44

Thanks for the instructions! Here's my version. I haven't built much of anything before, but I needed it in my basement to handle kids' stuff. My version is 18 feet long. I combined a 12-foot and 6-foot 2x4 to get that length, which meant less cutting, which I had done at Lowe's (for free). I used the 6-foot 2x4s throughout the shelf to ensure it was strong (in other words, I didn't want a 12-foot "section" and a weaker 6-foot "section" added on).

 

I was able to get everything in my car but the ride home was slow. I also had to use my egress window to get the 12-foot boards in the basement.

 

Total cost for me was about $170 including a couple boxes of screws and wood glue. I could've easily spent double the cost on store-bought shelving. Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$170
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Lovely Outdoor Dinner Table and Benches

Submitted by kristyzed on Tue, 09/23/2014 - 12:15

I fell in love with this set from the moment I saw it on Shanty-2-Chic's website.  I knew I had to have it for the deck I just built in my backyard.  It's pretty straightforward, the only difficulty I ran into was assembling the legs.  I copied the angles provided in the instructions to a "T" but there are still some gaps where the angled pieces join.  After spray painting it they are not very noticeable.  It is a heavy beast of a table and took everything in me to help my husband heave it up on to the deck, but it's absolutely lovely.  It is so large we can easily have people over for a BBQ and everyone fits around the table.  I'm so thrilled with the results.  Thanks, Ana!

Estimated Cost
$120 for the lumber (in southern Ontario)
$30 for spray paint and I already had stain on hand
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Rustoleum Black in a Semi-gloss finish spray paint for the legs and Minwax Early Emerican for the table and bench tops. Two coats of an outdoor Polyurethane was used to finish with a light sanding after the first coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

kristyzed

Tue, 06/13/2017 - 15:41

So sorry, I just saw this question now!  Wish I had received an email to let me know you asked a question.  You need to use a hole saw bit.  It's just a bit that you can use with any drill.  You need to determine the diameter of the umbrella pole first and then use the appropriate bit.  Hope this helps. :)

American Girl Doll Beds

I made these two American Girl doll beds for my nieces. For one bed, I followed Ana's plans exactly. For the other, I used plywood and cove molding in place of the 1x3 slats.

You can find more details about the build and finish I used on my blog.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Zinsser primer and Rustoleum spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

storage bed toychest conversion

Submitted by hkingman on Fri, 01/20/2017 - 19:24

A few years back, I built a twin version of Ana's Farmhouse Storage Bed for my step-daughter. After she moved out, I converted it to a huge toychest for my three-year-old.

I would have left it as a bed, but with a quality mattress it was so high I was afraid he could get hurt if he fell out.

The conversion is simple. Remove 24 screws, reconfigure, add back the screws in different places. The support blocks become feet for the chest, and the slats become spacers under the top part. 

He loves being able to get his toys out himself, and I love that he can put them away by himself. A big upgrade over plastic storage boxes on high clost shelves!

Once he's a bit older, I'll probably turn it into a bad again. 

Estimated Cost
Zero!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Linen white
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Park Bench

Submitted by Storm on Tue, 11/04/2014 - 20:20

I made this bench just as instructed except I made the back legs taller (after the fact) for more back support.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Approx $70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
WoodRx Semi-Transparent
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tapered Crate

Submitted by dmcarwin on Sat, 02/16/2013 - 08:06

I was so excited when I saw the plan for this! I love making crates out of wood. It was quick and easy and I already had a cedar fence post! It was less than 30 minutes start to finish! For more pictures check out my blog post. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
Free!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
It was naturally finished for me!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

sarahwilley2

Sat, 02/16/2013 - 10:45

Great job! This looks awesome. I can't wait to make some of these babies!

DIY Board Game Cabinet

We tweaked the Ana White Barn Door bookcase plan for a bathroom linen closet, made it a hair too wide (it was soooo close), and decided to use this for board games instead. It's PERFECT for storing long games like Monopoly, as well as puzzles, cards, and more. I decorated it with vinyl cut with my Cricut to give it that "game night" feel.

The project ended up being fairly time consuming because painting the shelf took a lot of time... if I did it again, I'd probably use a paint sprayer. I just don't have a great space for spraying furniture builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Comments

Outdoor Sofa and Table

Submitted by Don Ellery on Wed, 07/19/2017 - 11:42

I enjoyed making this outdoor sofa and table combo from Ana's Ryobi series.  An inexpensive and easy project that we just love!  All construction grade 2x4.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr premium exterior "Slate"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Seesaw

Submitted by KimmoPT on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 02:38

Greetings from Finland. I made teeter-totter from excellent plans Ana has donatet for all of us. I used treated wood, so I didn't need to paint the project (and never will :-) Handles and seats are made from raw wood. Gives also nice twin color look. To add some extra support I embed the beams at foot.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
37€
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

2x4 Garden Beds

Submitted by binah06 on Wed, 05/18/2011 - 09:37

My husband and I were inspired by Ana's plans, but needed to use up some wood we had laying around the garage because it was starting to bend and warp. We made the large box 2x6 ft and the smaller one is made from scrap and is about 15in x 2.5 ft.

Estimated Cost
free
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Makings of an Herb Garden

I followed Ana's Raised Planter Box plan exactly. We did purchase a Kreg Jig Jr. recently, which came in handy on this project for sure. It is a very sturdy piece and it only took a couple of hours to assemble.

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Deckscapes in Flagstone with Minwax Whitewash pickling over the stain. Poly over the whitewash
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modular office small desktop/Narrow file drawer base unit

Submitted by gmamurphy on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 14:00

Combined the modular office small desktop with the Narrow file drawer base unit to suit my needs/space requirements. Used the legs from the narrow farmhouse table because I just loved them! Added beadboard for the drawer faces because it matches the rest of our house.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
painters touch and minwax polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bundaboy

Mon, 04/28/2014 - 22:18

I am about to start on a very similar 4 draw version of this, do you have any more information? In particular I was wondering how the drawer slides were fitted - are the side or bottom fitting? Cheers and well done!

Bathroom Vanity - This one's Josephine!

Submitted by JoanneS on Sun, 07/28/2013 - 09:08

Converted an ordinary bathroom vanity into a Napoleon sink console/vanity. This is the second one I’ve completed, the first was in the hall bathroom which Hubby calls “his” bathroom. Since this one for the master bath is more feminine, I’m calling her Josephine! This was approximately a day and a half project, but spread out over several weekends. I had originally planned to put a faux drawer in front of the sink, and had the drawer front made, but then decided I’d like to try to make some custom drawers in front of the sink to utilize that space. I ended up doing the center drawer fronts twice – on the first try the space in the center was a little too narrow for the knob once the trim was in place. Since the vanity is in a corner, the sink doesn’t fall exactly in the center of the vanity cabinet, leaving it left of center by about an inch. This required different middle drawer sizes with interesting shapes.

The drawers are made from a combination of 3/8” craft boards and 3/8” plywood, ½” craft board, and some ¼” plywood for the bottoms (all of them except the one right of center – that has ¾” plywood for the bottom). The 2 outer drawers also have ¾” S4S as guides.

The doors and drawer fronts are ¼” birch plywood cut to size, with ½” x 1 ½” craft boards glued to the fronts for rails and stiles (I added a few pin nails from the back side also). Inside these, mitered pieces of mini-stop moulding were glued in place. The whole thing received some putty on the edges and joints, and thorough sanding with 80-grit, then 220-grit.

The inside frames are made from S4S, 1x2, and some scraps of 1x4 cut to size. If I were doing this in a newly constructed vanity without the sink already in place, the setup for the drawers would have been much simpler. But, we weren’t ready to buy new yet, so necessity was the mother of invention and we have this. I re-used the hinges and 2 of the knobs from the original, and I bought 4 more and the hardware for the drawers.

The pull-outs in the bottom are made from plywood scraps, thoroughly sanded and painted. These are based on Ana’s wood pull out cabinet drawer organizer, with added supports across the bottom to make the drawer clear the lip of the face frame, keeping them the correct distance apart, and giving something to attach to the cabinet floor.

For the inside floor of the cabinet, I got this Idea from Yvonne at Sunnyside Up-Stairs in this post:
http://sunnysideup-stairs.blogspot.com/2013/06/progress-installed-dishw…
Left over flooring was placed on the cabinet floor to give it a fresh new look and protect the cabinet bottom. Our house is 21 years old, so you can imagine the floor of the vanity cabinet had seen some wear and tear. Now it looks new!

Estimated Cost
$45 (hardware, craft boards, trim, already had the finishing materials and the rest was scrap on hand)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
This was my first try at home made chalk paint (2 coats). I got a free quart of Clark & Kensington flat paint at Ace, and had them tint it to Benjamin Moore’s Blue Echo color. I made the chalk paint by mixing the paint with some water and plaster of paris. I love how it dries so quickly and covers well, but I missed the sheen of a satin or semi gloss. The glaze is some Minwax Express Color in Walnut. Once everything was dry, it received a top coat of Minwax water based poly. I ran out of that right as I was doing the center drawers, so those have some Oil-modified water based poly. Pull-out drawers are some left over cream paint, and the frames are Ace Royal semigloss in Wishbone. Overall I’m very happy with the finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

yurra-bazain

Sun, 07/28/2013 - 12:25

I love your vanity. Something about it helps me imagine a British nobleman's home, or since she is Josephine, I suppose it would be in the home of a French duchess. =D I really do like the idea of having that pull out drawer on the bottom of the vanity.

I am definitely going to give glazing and distressing a try sometime. I just have to find the right project for the look. Lest I forget, thank you for sharing the link to my site. :)

JoanneS

Sun, 07/28/2013 - 15:57

Thank you so much for the nice comments! I love the idea of a Duchess, I think I'll nickname this finish Duchess Blue! :) I was happy to share your blog link, the idea about the vinyl flooring in the vanity worked like a charm, I'm going to do that in my kitchen and the other bathrooms too.

Coop Update

Submitted by vendo on Mon, 06/20/2022 - 15:37

I had to move our original coop to another property, so decided to do a little upgrade. We used Ana's Chicken Run plan for both of the large sections and just added a roof. We attached the run to a small red coop that we purchased. Ana's plans are great for modifying for any size, as you can see the main tall portion is from her run plan just built taller and we added a door to the front.

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Finally Built a Platform Bed!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/25/2022 - 10:39

I've been wanting to build this bed for awhile and finally got around to it. I made a few small changes to the plans:

-I used 2x8's instead of 2x6s, so it wouldn't be so low to the ground.
-I ripped 3/8" off of the 2x8 supports in the middle so the mattress would nest inside the frame and not slide around
-I didn't add the headboard because it seemed a bit chunky/rustic for my taste. I will come back and do something else for the headboard. Maybe a cool paneled wall with built in sconces? We'll see!

Love these plans though, appreciate it!

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

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