Community Brag Posts

Wardrobe

Submitted by meckylang on Sun, 05/17/2015 - 08:50

I built this wardrobe for my daughter. I wanted cubbies to keep her folded clothes neat and easily accessible, yet giving her two drawers for undergarments and accessories.

Finish Used
Dark cherry stain on main parts. Black paint used on all of the trim.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Our Much Appreciated Mudroom Bench!

Submitted by jkellhofer on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 21:24

I followed Anna's plans pretty closely though deviated somewhat as well. Added additional length and one more seat separators & seat, increased depth by a few inches, changed design of seperators to allow for arm rests, added some additional trim, a second inset shelf w/in the shoe box area (for sandals and whatnot), and then inset wainscoting.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200-$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Golden Pecan 245 Minwax stain (and then a poly clear)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 04:43

Seriously impressive build with awesome mods. Love the pop of color on the wall as well!

Recycling Center from Ana's Book The Hand Built Home

Submitted by lscrandall on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 18:45

Recycle bin from Ana's Book. I mod poge glue on burlap to the top, placed on a piece of Plexiglas so I could wipe down, then stained the whole thing with an antique finish over the crackled paint. I also did an L molding around the Plexiglas to keep in place. Came out lovely! Added baskets for my veggies and done!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Trash can, potatoes and onion bin and grocery bag holder!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Medium Dog Kennel / End Table Combo

Submitted by kmhanrahan on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 11:54

We loved Ana's plans for the large pet kennel / end table combo but we needed a medium-sized one for our Welsh Terrier, Watson. I reduced all the dimensions, ending up with a kennel that's 18"(W) X 24:(H) X 28"(D), perfect for Watson.

To prevent Watson from using the rails as chew toys, I lined the inside of those areas with chicken wire. I also extended the table top an extra 3" to accommodate a swing-arm end table lamp (with the cord outside of the kennel, of course). We painted the kennel black to match our other end table.

This was my first time using the Kreg Jig (80+ times on this project!) and I love it!! In fact, I'm looking for more projects that require the Kreg just so I can play with it some more. :-)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum spray paint and black semi-gloss spray paing
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

kathybusche

Fri, 09/15/2017 - 18:33

I was wondering if you still happen to have the scaled down instructions for this dog kennel and would be willing to share them through email?

 

Kathy

Modified King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Jbland72 on Thu, 07/09/2015 - 21:13

This was my first major project to build. I modified it to resemble Macy's Captiva bedroom set. I finished it with General finishes lamp black paint with some slight distressing.

Estimated Cost
$250-$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General finishes lamp black paint and satin top coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fancy X Desk, Or my Chunky Medieval Desk

Submitted by Labumy on Sun, 03/04/2018 - 14:27

We estimate that the cost of this project was right around $50, but we had a lot of tools and materials already.  This was a fun project and a great piece for the cost. I would suggest staining as much as you can before assembling those legs!  Staining and applying poly was a pain in the butt!  We used a dark mahogany Minwax stain and 2 coats of Minwax poly. It took us a while to do it because we have a 11 month old that keeps us on our toes. 

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Mahogany and Minwax quick dry poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Dianne Kynaston

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 13:34

Looking for plans, but how far forward do the two slanted pieces come under desktop. Can you slide a drawer unit under there?

Great Shelves - made to measure!

Submitted by tailspin10 on Fri, 09/04/2015 - 08:54

Thanks for the plans Ana!

I stuck to the design but changed the dimensions to suit the space and the boxes we intend to store. This made the shelves 7.5 feet high by 8.5 feet wide. The timber was supplied in 17’ lengths so this also meant very little wastage. The frame is composed of 2x4’s, the shelves are 4.5 x 1.5’s  - as I wanted the shelves slightly shallower this meant I could get away with three boards for each shelf instead of 4 as on the plans. 

For the short cross pieces I used woodglue and screws – to attach the long shelf pieces I just used screws. I predrilled holes in the first piece for each of the screws, but I didn’t drill a pilot hole in the next piece, the screws were self-tapping and didn’t need one.

The back wall is concrete block and I screwed each upright to the wall using wall plugs and screws. I’ve 2 young children and as the shelves are quite high I was afraid they might climb on them and tip them over otherwise. The attachment to the wall definitely makes the whole thing feel much sturdier – the structure is completely rigid.

The only real issue I encountered was that some of the boards were slightly twisted or warped – and I had to apply some force to keep everything square when I was gluing up. Overall I’m very happy with the end product, and found it reasonably easy to put together. Now its time to put the shelves to good use and start tidying up the garage!

Estimated Cost
$180 including screws - I'm in Ireland and unfortunately wood seems to be more expensive here :-(
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I gave it a quick wipe of some old danish oil I was going to throw out, I'm not that bothered about finish as the shelves are in the garage.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modge Podge black and white photos onto the headboard

Submitted by TanyaBell on Sat, 08/17/2013 - 06:57

I chose to modify one of your headboards by only doing step 1-4.

We made a queen headboard and I wanted it slightly taller than the plans suggested so I added 12". I used 3/4" MDF as the back cut 60" w x 48" H, 1x4s for the sides and top and a 1x3 for the bottom. I glued and nail gunned each piece to the edge letting the sides extend down for the legs of the headboard.

I filled the nail gun holes with wood filler. The piece was primed, then painted with 2 coats of color, and then the photos were Modge Podged onto the interior of the headboard touching and overlapping. As my daughter gets older we can add more photos or I can make a fabric insert to go over the photos. She loves it and I'm happy we could do something different.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint is Valspar Gypsy Rouge 1010-9 in semi-gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

yurra-bazain

Sat, 08/17/2013 - 16:23

I love how you made your daughter's headboard personalized. No one else in the entire world will have a headboard like hers! :) That's amazing! And the color coordination is great. =D

Small raised planter stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/10/2022 - 17:04

Plan to use as a cooler :) adjusted dimensions to fit a bigger planter box and added some decorative details. It came out great!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Cameron Wall Storage Unit

I used Ana's plans to build a Cameron Wall unit for my new nursery. I used 3/4" MDF and 1 1/4" brad nails with lots of Gorilla Wood Glue to assemble. I also used bead board on the doors. Great storage! You can read more at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/07/furniture-for-the-new-nursery.html

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Valspar Premium satin black paint, 1 coat of Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/24/2022 - 15:25

We built the outdoor sofa from 2x4 collection, me, my dad and my kids. Didn't take too long to put together, maybe 2 and a half hours from start to finish. It's my dad's gift for Father's day and we had a great time doing it together! We used pressure treated wood and sanded at the end. Just needs to be stained and get some throw pillows.

We did use an extra 10x2x4 (cut to fit of course) to box in the cushions. Which were 24x24 inches. Great project. 👍🏻 Thanks!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Toddler version of the platform bed

We reworked the plans for the pottery barn inspired bed into a toddler sized version. Arms were added near the head to prevent our child falling out in the first year. They ended up being something of a hazard in those early days, as our child kept hitting her head. If we were to recreate it, we would make the arms go up higher or without the finished top. The bed also was not lifted off the ground in as great of a proportion to the original.

The pine is left untreated and unfinished. The only glue used was homemade milk glue.

Estimated Cost
<$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Final product with few modifications

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/31/2022 - 08:22

Made few modifications. Added a 9th board to the tabletop to make it larger, horizontal aprons connecting the legs, and seat support. For stain and sealer, I used Olympic semi-transparent redwood. Overall a great project. Thank you, Anna.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

4 ft table from plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/05/2019 - 22:09

Great project and fun to do. I've actually made 6 tables off this same plan, all different sizes,from 4ft. To 8ft.. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut stain, 3 coats of poly, and distressed paint on bottom.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse bed king

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/09/2019 - 18:02

Such a fun project. This is the 5th piece my husband and I have completed by Ana White. This bed is by far my favorite piece of furniture in our home. So sturdy and only took a few hours (not including stain and poly). We have a love for knots, so we chose pieces of wood that had a lot of beautiful imperfections. We went very light on the stain, and it looks weathered with still some of the natural wood color shining through. We got our wood from our local Home Improvement store, and had minimal cutting to do. Neither of us are pro woodworkers by any means, and we completed this with ease.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
One thin coat of Rust-Oleum Weathered Gray then two coats of Minwax clear Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Large Wood Pet Kennel End Table

Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Picture ledge

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/30/2022 - 17:08

I used my router and router Ed the edges. Love this!!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments