Community Brag Posts
17” square, 2x4 side tables / stools
Well my wife bought 2 x 17” square seat cushions the problem was we didn’t have any stools to put them on so decided to enhance our front seating patio area with 2 solid 2x4 side tables that would double up as stools.
I based the design on Ana’s table design but decided to counter sink all the screws & cut plugs to suit so no screw heads could be seen, they turned out perfect & very robust, perfect for the U.K. weather, my wife finished them in grey outdoor paint to match the furniture, all in all they took only around 6hrs to make & paint.
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Cedar Planter - Mother's Day Gift
We made this for my husband's Granny who has a bright green thumb, campared to my slightly black one. It turned out great.
This is also the project I learned how to use a Kreg Jig. Amazing. My husband is hooked.
Benchmark Storage or Media Tower
I built this Benchmark Storage or Media Tower as I was looking for some thing to put beside our fire place. I wanted to build some thing that would be about the same height as our fire place so it stands 40 1/4" tall. Also, this month was a the contest to build things from scrap lumber so I took 2 x's that I had laying aorund and cut them down to 1 1/4", then glued together and planed down to make butcher block for the door and top. The sides were actually built from 1 x 6. I also ended up purchasing a Kreg shelving jig so that I could change the shelving. A tool that I highly recommend if you are going to build alot of these projects with shelving. One down and one to go!
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Mon, 03/30/2015 - 20:45
Thanks Ana....fun looking at
Thanks Ana....fun looking at your website and have built many things the last two years from this...and finally signed up w a profile! Thanks again!
Farmhouse bed
This was a fairly easy build following the plans. We changed the headboard slightly though.
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Dress Up Center (from recycled Baby Dresser)
I used by kids baby armoire that was headed to the trash, and turned it into a dress-up center for my 3-year olds birthday gift. The best part is it was virtually free! The only thing I purchased was the pole. It was a lot of hit and miss, measuring, re-measuring, pulling nails out – but – it worked!! And it is awesome – and it only cost me a few bucks!!! As you can tell from the last pictures I took a lot of time getting it ready – and you can tell from the last picture it didn’t take them long to mess it up.
The best part was that the girls were so excited. Hayden – the birthday girl – looked at it with her eye’s wide open – walked slowly too it – looked at me and said “Mommy – It’s beautiful!” It was the sweetest most heart warming thing! I love that now my kids look at something and either ask me to make it – or did I make it.
Love for you to see all the before and after pictures over at my blog: http://mycreativeescapes.blogspot.com/2011/02/dress-up-center.html
Farm House Dining Room Table (Modified with Breadboard Extensions)
This is a modified plan for Ana White's Farm House Table.
I shortened the table to about 72 inches with breadboards on the ends and added removable breadboard extensions for a total of about 100 inches of table for a 12x11 room. I also built the Farm House bench but shortened it to 48 inches.
The wood is white pine and Douglas Fir 4x4 legs. The total cost was $198 for the wood/screws and about $30 for the stain and sand paper. I bought an additional set of countersink bits for holes.
I used the following tools:
- Hand Saw
- Table Saw
- Compound Miter Saw
- Hand Drill with various bits and countersinks
- Square, pencil and straight edges
- Tape measure
- Clamps
- Wood Chisel Set
- Sharpening Stone
- Level
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It took about 35 hours of work.
The stain is English Chestnut and we pretreated the wood to accept the stain by using wood conditioner. This made a dramatic difference in leveling out the stain between the white pine and Douglas Fir. I used 3 coats of clear polyurethane and 2 coats of satin on the top with gentle sanding in between coats.
Cabin Bunk System
I made this bed for my son. I was a beginner with little to no experience before I started this project. I learned a LOT along the way and now I'm addicted to building things. It wouldn't have taken me so long if I had a little more experience. Staining was difficult, especially when you have two kids wanting to help. My drawers slides were absolutely impossible! Next time I will use a different method for the drawers. I still need to make the ladder. I haven't come across any plans for that so I'm going to wing it. The bed is not perfect by any means but my son doesn't care.
2x4s on the ends and 1x4s in the middle.
I made the ends with 2x4s and the middle with 1x4s. The most expensive thing was the seat cushions.
Modern Outdoor Chairs!
We love the new chairs on the front patio! My daughter and son in law's FIRST project! They completed both chairs in 1 day. We did add an additional 4x4 on the bottom to raise them as my son in law is tall. They sanded and stained them black to go with the gray brick and black door of their home. We picked up the cushions at "At Home" on clearance. Just need a new carpet and we're all set! On to our next project!
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Craft Closet
When I was given a stack of MDF sheets from a friend, I knew this was the desk I wanted to build with it first! We recently moved into my husband's grandmother's house, and have been making some improvements. We took out the dark old built in, and I replaced it with three 4' long gallery shelves, and the Parson's Desk modified to 4' long. It fits perfectly in my space, and looks so chic and modern against our teal walls. It's the perfect craft nook and workspace! I added a mason jar pendant light I DIY'd from the IKEA bulb kit, and also sewed a reversible runner to match my handmade duvet cover. The fabric is Deer Valley, from Free Spirit. I also had the glass top from the original desk cut down at Lowe's for free, and it's a perfect fit.
Magnetic White Board Organizer Wall
Easy project that has helped us stay more organized. We use Cozi to maintain the calendar, but this allows us to highlight things that the kiddos need to know during the week. We keep the chore schedule, laundry schedule, meal plan, and out of routine activities on the week calendar so the kids can tell what is going on at a glance. The allowance is also hanging up at the top as an incentive to get their respective jobs done for the week. I used galvanized sheet metal glued onto a 1/4 inch plywood base and coated it with whiteboard paint. This allows it to be magnetic and easily written on. Love the letter holder for homework and important paperwork.
Things we have used it for so far:
Activity schedule (swimming lessons, soccer practice, etc.)
Meal plan
Unusual activities (parties, movie night, etc.)
School stuff (project due, spirit week, etc.)
Chore schedule
Laundry Schedule
Room of the week: what part of the house gets a deep clean this week.
Servant of the week: which kid is the designated helper for non-chore activities when an extra hand is needed.
We are still figuring out all the ways to use this to good effect, but the kids really like being able to see what is coming up in the schedule for the week.
Minwax Walnut Stain
Spray Acrylic to whiteboard marker proof the wooden parts.
farmhouse table
I made this table in a weekend, the plans made it so easy to do, thanks Ana for giving me the courage to take this on! I love building stuff!
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Chevron Coffee Table
Based off of Ana Whi'te Benchright Coffee Table with a chevron/herringbone table top
Modified Adirondack Chairs and Coffee Table
I had some Kebony deck boards left over from another project and thought they would work well. I think they did! Kebony is pine that is soaked in an alcohol and then heated up. It has a 30 year warranty and requires no care. I used a Penofin oil on the 2x4s and Cutek oil on the Kebony
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Farmhouse Dining Table & Rustic Bench
With a couple of projects under our belts, my husband and I decided to tackle the Farmhouse Table. We shortened it to 6' to better fit our dining room, and also chose 1x6's instead of 2x6's to give it a lighter look. We also nixed the stretcher, and opted for 3x3 poplar table legs, that made the overall cost jump quite a bit. I absolutely love how it turned out, and the bench really fits well. It's stained and painted to match.
Corner Shelf for Nursery
Super Easy.. I like it better without the doors. Recommend getting a KREG Jig. I have the Jr and it was perfect for this project.
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Corner x console
Adapted to fit in a corner
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Kentwood bookshelf
Together with my wife, we decided to start making our own furniture and it was our first project. It took us a week to complete it (it took us longer than most people as we had to learn from scratch how to use the tools for each of the steps such as the circular saw, sander, pocket holes, etc.). We also learned the hard way how critical it is to use straight boards and how difficult it is to find straight 2x2. Overall we loved the process and are very excited by the final result!