Community Brag Posts

Alden's Computer desk

Submitted by veiglcc on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 08:20

Small computer desk built for mom. Was not built from a plan.

Estimated Cost
Estimated cost $60.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Bombay Mahogany stain (gloss).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

High School Student Projects

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:47

We are a title one school located in Colorado springs C.O.. We have been using your plans for the past six years and find them accurate and affordable to build . The pictures are Jrs and Srs projects . Woodshop would not be a woodshop with out your generous helping plans . THANK YOU.

Atlas preparatory High School H.S. woodshop

Rustic X Bench

Submitted by Aisha on Mon, 07/23/2012 - 10:11

Created the small easy rustic x bench, it was super easy to build even with all the small angles. Very good plans, the video was also nice to watch before getting started especially since I made mine 36" long and the handy tip on how to cut the cross braces helped. I also decided to use a 2x12 for the bench top as opposed to the 1x12 because it felt even more rustic to me.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Varathane's Red Mahogany and two coats of Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table

This was my first woodworking project. Thank you Ana for providing the plan and making it easier for me.

Estimated Cost
60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax oak and fast drying poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Small Table Plant Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/23/2024 - 10:19

This is a revised kids table plan. I needed a plant stand. It is 36 inches tall and the top is made from 1 × 4's. The top is about 11 x 14. What did I learn from this?. The top is so small it was hard getting the kreg dill bit in to screw in the Kreg screws. I should have thought of that. Also learned that you dont get a tight fit if you have to take out the screws. 2nd time they dont grab and hold as tight. Overall I'm happy the way it turned out. But lots of room to improve.

Barb Runquist

Modern Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by jtcalypso on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 10:02

Loved doing this as my first ever building project. Ana's plans made it easy and I found a tutorial for making the cushions at Sew Mama Sew. It's not perfect but we love it because it seats so many people comfortably and is exactly the right size for our patio. (All of our friends have complimented it like crazy, too!)

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Opaque stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 07/25/2012 - 10:34

You did a great job and those cushions are fab. I am a sewing novice and was too afraid to take them on.

JoanneS

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 16:32

You did such an awesome job on this. And it's your first project -- wow, it looks like it came right out of a furniture store and cost thousands! The piping on your cushions is a wonderful touch and it looks so flawless. Just beautiful!

Michelle212 (not verified)

Mon, 10/22/2012 - 08:15

Wow, this is really great. I love that color - How did you do the stain/paint? Is it meant for outdoor use?

Husky Farmhouse Dining Table

I love building my own wood furniture so that I can have beautiful pieces of furniture in my home while saving money! And while this project definitely cost more than the others I have done, I am so glad I splurged on the table legs. They ran me about $260 after tax and shipping costs, but I really think they give the table that extra OOMF! So a total of about $300 is nothing compared to a price tag at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware!

I chose this stain because I really wanted something to contrast with our dark leather couch and white dining chairs and this stain was even more perfect than what I expected it to be.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Early American with Helmsman protective coating
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pallet outdoor sectional!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/19/2016 - 17:49

I made the sectional from pallet wood

Needed extra wood for legs to be stable. I made these under the house, and unfortunately had to take apart to get out! luckily  i used screws.

I made to measure after getting the outdoor cushions first.

Taught me heaps

Estimated Cost
Cost of cushions $60nzd and paint $25nzd
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Oversized Outdoor Chair

Submitted by zpbrown84 on Tue, 06/02/2020 - 10:41

I made one of these chairs the the back hit me to low and was uncomfortable so this one I the legs 5 1/2” longer. This is my second project and took half a day but I am very happy with the outcome and started a second chair to match.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Transparent Redwood and I used a 1/4 Roman Ogee router bit on the arms and legs
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Wood Island

Submitted by Putterer1 on Mon, 02/26/2024 - 10:43

Hello - I am new to your projects post. I really like the projects that you post. I had been looking to make a "grill storage/prep" cart and came across your plans for the Rustic X Kitchen Island with drawers. I also saw a picture of another table and decided to merge the two. Attached are pictures of the finished project. I modified some of the dimensions to accommodate what I was trying to achieve. I used a half-lap on the X's on the sides. I also used center drawer slides so they would not be seen on my version. I would be happy to provide additional pictures, dimensions or project tips. Thanks for posting your projects. Keep 'em coming. I don't have a blog, Insta.

Tom Riley

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Modified Trestle Table

Submitted by Ryan on Fri, 07/27/2012 - 06:24

This is the kitchen table that I made when my wife said I "wasn't handy", I'm pretty sure she meant she wanted me to replace the ceiling in the dining room...

I took the Farmhouse Table plans and changed them a bit to create a true trestle table. I'm pretty happy with the results.

Unfortunately there isn't anywhere to put the Google SketchUp of this project.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a cherry gel stain and a jacobean traditional stain, finished with poly. Two coats of cherry followed by the jacobean and three coats of the poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ryan

Wed, 09/05/2012 - 11:57

Basically I combined the farmhouse and trestle table plans that Ana has up here... I didn't want to use a metal bar to fasten the legs, so I used a wood cross brace. Though honestly with the large box legs, the table is very sturdy even without a cross brace. I have a Google SketchUp of this project if you want it.

MaryMurray

Sun, 12/01/2013 - 20:05

I love the color of the finish. I am just about ready to start building my farmhouse table and was looking for a nice color for the finish. Thanks for sharing!

Emily's playroom chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 08/22/2016 - 12:20

So we had our grandchild Emily needing a play table and chairs, a limited budget, an old play table but no chairs! Ana White to the rescue! We made 4 chairs and painted them and the table to match. As you can see Emily has made lots of new friends over tea! 

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Enamel paint and clearcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Adirondacks UK

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 11:16

Hi Ana

Just wanted to say thanks for the plans. Here's how ours came out!

Ben.

Estimated Cost
£50
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Tanalised pressure treated timber.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wood Window Treatment

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/02/2024 - 11:24

My has been wanting me to make some window treatments to replace aging Roman curtains on our bay windows. It was a challenge never made these before and she is well pleased with the results. The center window is 62 inches wide while the two side windows are 32 inches wide each. Each window treatment is 14 high.

Raymond Spears

workbench

Submitted by vic b on Mon, 07/30/2012 - 13:43

kids workbench

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
clear finsih
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

School Library Cart

Submitted by dmfinet on Sun, 05/25/2014 - 19:11

My 11 year old son made this library cart for our homeschool books. He followed Ana's plans with a few changes on dimensions. I love how it turned out, and it is a perfect addition to our school room. We kept the cost low by using some wood and paint that we already had.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$23.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Shared room

Submitted by kile529 on Fri, 08/26/2016 - 05:38

We have 3 (almost) teenage boys and needed the storage of the Brookstone bed for their sport gear, etc. I built 2 of them and my 15 year old built his. I can't get over how easy they were to build! This was the first building project I ever made and they turned out beautifully! The headboard took about 2 hours to build and the bed about 5 hours. I was pretty slow though, checking and double checking measurements, glueing and clamping like crazy, being careful not to rush. Still, 7 hours to make the bed and a couple hours to paint, not a bad days work! The lumber cost $144/each so we were happy with the cost of the beds. I would highly recommend furniture movers underneath them. I used 4 huge ones under the ends of the 2x2 supports and small squares under the legs/headboard. They move so easily with them! Thanks, Ana, for a great plan!! We are so thankful and love our new beds!!

Estimated Cost
$144 for lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Grey paint. Wanted a grayish stain but couldn't get the pine to take it the way I wanted it to.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

anita1977

Tue, 12/06/2016 - 07:56

I have 4 boys, but 3 are married and gone now and I bought my youngest a new bed last year, but I would have loved to have been able to make these for the older ones when they were growing up!  Great job to you and your son!

Toy Box

Submitted by Sgeisinger on Sun, 06/07/2020 - 08:16

This design turned out to be perfect! It was super simple and easy to build! Easy to follow plans! Great beginner project!

Estimated Cost
Around $40 in lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Premium Wood Stain in Red Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bed for Small Room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:17

In my new house we have a small room that can fit a full but also have a tall family, so when I found out that there is a Full XL, I went on the hunt for bed frames and not many choices, so I turned to Ana's site and found/used the essential bed frame for all sizes plan and adjusted it for a FullXL. Our house theme is black and white so we painted it with Ink Black by Behr. Whole frame built for $50 as I already had the paint. My wife loves the frame.

New Bed for my 3 year old!

Submitted by red98dawg on Thu, 08/02/2012 - 13:49

I had been on a search for a while for new furniture for my son’s new big boy bed room but couldn’t justify the money for new furniture and couldn’t find anything remotely nice on craigslist. I ran across this plan on Ana’s site and just had to have it so it became my first large furniture project.
It was fun to build and very rewarding when my son told me he loved his new bed!

I did have some issues with using the kreg jig on the platform so I did use wood screws on the outside frame. I had better success with the kreg jig on the headboard, guess I just needed practice.

There were a few things I did to make it easier to move the bed if needed:
I did not attach the slats but I did lay them on a non skid grip (like you put under rugs on wood floors).
I attached the headboard to the platform using carriage bolts so it could be taken apart easily.

The plans were really easy to follow.

Estimated Cost
$170
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Jacobean, 1 coat
Minwax - Fast-Drying Polyurethane, 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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