Community Brag Posts

Balustrade Coffe Table in Driftwood Gray

Restoration Hardware inspired balustrade coffee table.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Driftwood gray (weathered gray, whitewash, ebony)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Ana White Admin

Wilsonorahem

Mon, 01/02/2017 - 15:31

Thanks!  I've made a dozen of these over the last few years for friends and paying customers.  One major modification that I've made is to use tongue and groove instead of pocket holes.  I also use a sliding breadboard end to allow for wood movement.  If not, you get cracking and separation during the various seasons.  I can try to take photos to include in the plans during my next build if you're interested.   

j9keller

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 15:52

I love the stain. Could you give details on how you got the looK? Thanks!

In reply to by j9keller

Wilsonorahem

Mon, 01/02/2017 - 15:33

Sorry for the delay.  I never got notifications for these comments.   I use minwax gray first.  Then I whitewash using whatever white paint I have laying around mixed with water.  Finally, I dry brush with minwax ebony here and there to add depth. 

melissafontes

Thu, 09/15/2016 - 11:42

Could you please tell us how you did your stain?  I have a table ready to stain and would love to achieve this color.

Our new Christmas Tree

Submitted by skyzen on Sat, 12/08/2018 - 10:42

Thanks for the Tree Shaped Wall Shelf plans. I modified the dimensions to match my space on the wall and used 1x2 to make the frame. This replaced our traditional Christmas Tree this year and looks great on the wall. Thanks a lot.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Work bench made from old junk

I built this work table from some old junk that was going to be thrown away - a church pew, a wooden box light fixture and some plywood that was in my parents' garage. I didn't follow any specific plan, I just had an idea of what it needed to look like from some work bench plans I saw on Ana-White.com. It cost me nothing to build it. I even re-used the old steel screws from the church pew. It's not very pretty to look at, but it is sturdy and it will be a great space for me to store my tools and work on future projects. Thanks Ana White for your awesome website and for inspiring me! I never would have thought I could take some old junk and figure out how to built something like this. It's an awesome feeling!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Braden Entry Way Drawer Bench Hutch Remix

Submitted by Nomareel on Thu, 10/29/2015 - 07:21

I took the plans and modified it for my family needs.  We have bigger items such as instruments and such so we took out the divider.  My wife really wanted doors, so we watched a few youtube videos on how to make shaker style doors.  Took me a little over 2 months to finish the whole thing. 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Gel Java Wood Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shim Queen and Side Tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 19:07

I used a six inch reveal of the shims on the head and foot board.  I used a nail on the hidden shim end and glued the thick or visible end to avoid having holes.  It was completed a year ago and is holding up very well.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax PolyShades Antique Walnut topped with three coats of Minwax Polyurethane Clear Satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mid century modern coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/03/2022 - 15:01

Mid-century modern alder and wenge wood coffee table. Dove tail corners, router grooved drawer.

Comments

Family Computer Station

Submitted by kdins31 on Sat, 08/13/2011 - 13:39

It was an unused corner of the playroom and I decided to put it to use with a computer station with an area for the kids. The desk top is stain grain ply, stained a satin dark walnut. Body is paint grade ply, painted white. On the walls I used whiteboard/dry-erase paint over a magnetic base so the kids can draw on the walls and hang pics with magnets, and added a cork board to the right. Built the cabinet for the computer and printer using same wood with a sliding shelf. This turned out to be one of the best things I've done in the house, the kids do their homework here and we use the desk all day long! A really cheap project that has very few parts. With paint, wood, stain and hardware its a $150 weekend project. I didn't use any plan here from this site but I've taken a lot of inspiration and tips!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100-150 and two walls of your house!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain, satin white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

BethG (not verified)

Sat, 09/10/2011 - 17:57

Great use of space & I like that you used painted and stained wood together. It looks very professional.

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 19:47

Could you mind providing the dimensions of your desk? It looks like the perfect size to fit our needs!

Quintin79

Thu, 01/31/2013 - 05:41

Looks great, you can paint and stain prior to putting together saves on taping everything off and possibility of bleedthru of tape. Amazing job and design.

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks wall

The Hot Wheels Wall Tracks are designed to stick to your wall, but ours kept falling off. My husband hates putting extra holes in the wall, so what to do? Build your own wall!
I just used 2x2s as side supports, kreg jigged 3 leftover 1x16 pieces of plywood from another project (if I were to do it over again, I would use one piece of plywood to make a smoother surface) as the wall, and screwed the 2x2s onto scrap 2x4s as the base. I added some 'L' angle pieces as supports at the bottom where the 2x2 join the 2x4s to ensure that that the sides would not start to lean over time... The overall size is about 5 feet across and about 4.5 feet high - I wanted something big enough to fit our wall track pieces on, but not too big...
We painted the wall with chalkboard paint, so we can draw on the background as desired, then mounted the various wall track components on using screws. Voila - wall tracks without messing up your wall. And, the wall is easily movable too.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
chalkboard paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Air Plant Holder

Submitted by mtairymd on Sat, 12/29/2018 - 16:27

My daughter recently started collecting succulents and Tillandsias (air plants). Honestly, I had never heard of air plants but as the name implies, they grow without the need for soil. They can be purchased at your local nursery or garden center and online.

Anyway, she wanted a way to display them. Online, you will find various options for containers with the most common selection being glass terrariums. I wanted to make something a little different. Also, it's an excuse to use my scrap wood.

More Info/Build Instructions: https://www.instructables.com/id/Air-Plant-Holders/

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Numbered Cubbies on the Wall

This is not my first Ana project, but it is my very first brag post! :) I am thrilled with the way this turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I used black satin spray paint for the first coat and then brushed on two coats of satin China White. After the paint was dry I traced on the numbers, filled them in with a black satin paint pen and sanded with 150 paper to show wear.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mirror Jewelry Armoire

My bedroom was missing a mirror so I decided to make this jewelry armoire with a mirror front.

I followed the plans very closely, but had to adjust the measurements to accommodate my mirror. I used a piece of screen for the earring holder and rolled up pieces of felt that I covered with fabric on the ring holder. I decided against using a handle since the cabinet is so long.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Industrial closet.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/01/2019 - 08:50

I really had a great time building this closet. It was my first time building anything. I had to use one 36 inch pipe and one 30 to make it fit my wall the way I wanted. Thanks for posting the plans online!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Indoor firwood console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/25/2022 - 07:23

This was fun and easy to make. I made a few changes: it's only 4 ft wide and logs are 15 inches. Separate section for kindling and paper. Vinyl plank, matching our floor, for bottom and back. Added some hooks left and right for woodstove tools. I used the Kreg tool (new to me, love it). It was great to attach the top. I guess I didn't need to use it for the other parts, because the 1 by 4s would have covered the screws, but ... it was good practice with a new tool and the logs cover up the holes. Thanks Ana for all your great plans. I'm feeling encouraged to create some more stuff. Stay tuned.

Built from Plan(s)

Floating Shelves

Submitted by brguad on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 10:46

I thought I'd try out floating shelves and it worked out pretty well. Easy to follow plans as long as I took my time. These shelves add so much to this wall it's unbelievable. My wife and I are very grateful! Afternoon project for 2 - 48" shelves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
120 grit sand paper, wood filler, 2 coats of primer, 1 coat semi-gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My coat rack

Submitted by atenney446 on Wed, 09/11/2013 - 17:41

Thank you for such a simple set of plans for such a useful and practical piece of furniture. I enjoyed making this.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi gloss enamel paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/04/2019 - 15:34

I absolutely love how this turned out! Thank you for plans! I was able to use aquired tools and wood from each of my grandparents Who have passed which makes it that Much more special to me

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique white chalk paint and Kona stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Entry way console table

Submitted by MatiaP on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 22:42

This was my second project. My eleven year old son and I had great fun building it together.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it lightly with milk paint in antique white so the grain of the wood was still visible. Then I sanded down the edges to reveal some wood tones and give a rustic look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Media console

This is a tv stand I built for my mom, she had to get a new tv because her tube tv finally broke. Her old stand was a big particle board cabinet that wouldn't fit a new flat screen. I seen this plan on here and thought it would make a great stand for her she absolutely loves it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax dark walnut stain and minwax satin polyurethane spray.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/08/2019 - 06:59

Built this for my son so he would have a fun play area in his room. 

Estimated Cost
Since I needed certain tools, the cost was under $200!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Just a dark/red stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Bedside Table from Scraps!

I spent about $9 and my scrap pile to build Ana's Farmhouse Bedside Table. I used scrap MDF and furring strips. I got it finished during a nap time... Easy peasy!

You can see more at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/08/farmhouse-side-table.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$9 and scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Olympic Off White in satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner