Community Brag Posts

Raised Cedar Bed

Submitted by NitePagan on Sun, 06/30/2013 - 08:27

I built cedar raised beds out of cedar decking, 3 pieces 5/4" x 6" x 8', actual dimensions were 1" x 5.5" x 8', plus 1 - 2 x 4 cedar. I made 48" x 96" boxes. I cut 1 of the cedar deck pieces into 2 - 48" long pieces. For the corners, I cut the 2 x 4 into 8 - 5.5" long pieces. I then screwed 2 of the 2 x 4 pieces together to form a 4 x 4 block. I used these as the inside corner to screw the decking to. The total cost was $60 to build 2 cedar beds. The other option would have been to make them double height, by cutting the 2 x 4's 11 inches long. This is more expensive then the boxes Ana did, but I could not find cedar fence slats, they appeared to be Northern White Pine which would have deteriorated quickly. I obtained the lumber from Lowes.

Estimated Cost
$60.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
No Finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Twin - Kentwood Headboard ONLY

Submitted by Shellz on Mon, 06/22/2015 - 00:43

I omitted some of what was called for in the original plans at ana-white.com. I wanted only a headboard. I then opted to go without the plywood backing when I found out that my local Home Depot's cutting area was not cutting due to the machines needing to be repaired. I added an extra piece of wood to the legs to accommodate attaching the bed frame. The finish is Varthane Red Oak and sealed with Minwax Polycrylic in Satin.

My mom is very happy to be getting these two headboards for her spare room. (The other one is still on my work table in the garage awaiting assembly and final finish!) Thanks for great plans to work from Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45 each headboard
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Varthane: Red Oak stain
Minwax: Polycrylic in Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sliding barn door buffet/console

Submitted by Fatkatone on Sun, 01/07/2018 - 11:20

I used my CNC machine do add custom details to this build , this thing is huge ! The hardware was a bit tricky to track down the parts but not hard to assemble at all. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350$-450$ I used project panels for doors and 2x6” top boards, cost a bit extra.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Faux finish rustic, walnut stain

Satin finish latex top coat
Flat black spray paint base coat
Stain and linseed oil over top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

ALEXIA BENCH

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/27/2021 - 09:28

At the beginning I was not sure to succeed in the drawers so I did no regret it .
I decided to doing another one .
My brother was happy to take my fist one.

Thank Ana White

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Step Stool

I love this step stool!! My daughter uses it EVERYDAY! This was the first thing I built and I think it turned out pretty good. I did a different design on the bottom sides to make it a little girly since I was painting it blue (girls can have blue stuff too!)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I dont know what color of blue this was because it was a "mis-tint" that I got for $3, then I sanded to distress it.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Patriotic Silverware and Napkin Caddy

This fun patriotic caddy was created with some small modifications to the plans that inspired this project : Ana White's Soda Caddy . I added a space for napkins to my version.

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

Comments

Our mantle moulding headboard

Submitted by ehrobson13 on Thu, 01/11/2018 - 11:20

We went with the mission style headboard and used 1x2 posts instead of a solid or upholstered backboard.  We also converted the designs to accomodate our California king mattress.  

 

The designs on the site are for a queen sized bed, which is 60"X80".  The "H" frame of the headboard is 66" wide (two vertical 2x6's and a 54" horizontal piece).  Our California king mattress is 72"x84".  So that's 12 inches wider than a queen.  As such, we simply adjusted everything up by 12".  So, insead of a 66" wide H frame, we made it a 78" H frame and so on.

 

It took just one day to build.  But we used an entire container of woodfiller to conceal the joins, nail/screw holes and knots, lol. Then we used 2 coats of primer and sanded between coats.  Then used 3 coats of latex semi-gloss paint, sanding in between each coat.  The wood filler, paint, sanding and drying time is what caused the project to be more than just a weekend thing.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We did 2 coats of primer and sanded between coats. Then did 3 coats of latex semi-gloss, sanding in between each coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Narrow Console Table - Modern Farmhouse Collection

Submitted by DPM on Tue, 12/28/2021 - 10:34

Hi Ana,

I live in the UK and really enjoy the range of projets you show on your website. Only been doing DIY woodworking for about a year and you have helped enormously.

I built this console table in time for Xmas and really pleased with the result. The plans you provide are perfect, simple, easy to follow and give just the right amount of detail. It means only wood needed for the project is bought and little is wasted. The videos you produce to accompany the plans are exactly what is needed. It is so helpful to see the suggested order of building the project and also as a check to see what each stage should look like.

Thanks again for all your efforts, they really are appreciated and best if luck for the new year and hopefully, many more projects.

Comments

Reclaimed Wood Desk Caddy

Submitted by melaniesue on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 12:11

I wanted to build something fun and challenging for me. I was inspired to do more caddy things because of Anas fun plans for her Soda Caddy. I often try to design my own plans, (the old fashioned way, because skechup hates me!). I LOVE to look at pictures online, and just see if I can replicate it somewhat. So this Desk Caddy is what I came up with. I used all old wood that I had in the shed, and was begging to be made into something fun! I think this would be cute for so many different areas. Outside, you could organize your gardening items, seed packets, shovels and pots. It could be an awesome message center, mail area. Whatever!

If the dimensions are with the image, it's much easier for me to figure out, this one had dimensions, so I just went with my gut and I think it turned out ok. It sold in my booth, at our local antique mall in 2 days.

Without the Kreg Jig, I would not have had the confidence to build this, and sell it. I love the Kreg Jig!

Clearly I need to get a new camera, and need to take better pictures, SOON!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wool/vinegar mixture, slight dry brush in an oops white I had on hand, 2 coats of satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse King Bed (Modified)

This is my first Ana-White project (first furniture project, for that matter). I used the Farmhouse Bed as inspiration and modified the headboard / footboard to be a little taller. Other differences are that I used larger side railings (2x10) and left off the decorative tops of the headboard / footboard. Pocket holes hide all of the attachments, and I found some amaing bed rail hangers so the bed can easily be disassembled in case we move. It's super sturdy and my wife is happy (the most important part)!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weathered Wood Accelerator + left over flat white paint + Polycrylic
The stain was a product of error (the lighting makes it appear off color, it's really a faded grey / white). I started with Rustoleum's Weathered Wood Accelerator and really didn't like the uniformity, or lack there of, even after 2 coats (probably more because I wasn't super picky with my lumber and had various colors). I used a flat white paint I had to try to cover it - didn't love that and tried to wipe it off... when I wiped I ended up with the perfect finish (means I then had to stain the rest of the bed, paint and wipe to match). I then finished it with 3 coats of water-based matte finish Polycrylic (didn't need to sand in between applications and was told b/c it's water-based the finish won't yellow).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Leaning Bookshelves

Built this over a relatively warm Saturday in January. Like most projects, the building wasn't bad but the finishing took forever :)

Estimated Cost
Built it so long ago I don't remember for certain, but less than $100 I'm sure
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mascarpone paint in Semi-Gloss; Benjamin Moore
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Changing Table

My wife liked the PB Larking High/Low table, but I didn't like the price. Took about 3 weeks of evenings and weekends.

Used 3/4" MDF Panels for sides, bottom, and top
used 3/4" select Pine for face frame
used 3/4" smooth plywood for drawer faces.
cut additional pine strips at 15/16" and then routed one edge for trim work around drawer face.
same process for right side door, but added 1 1/2" pine to trim along sides and bottom
Attached 2x4's to bottom of table and then covered with MDF panel for skirt.
Skirt is an 1/8" raised from floor to give space for carpet and not cause stress on skirt
used a jig saw on front of skirt for cutout
used decorative molding for under the table top lip, you'll need to figure out your overhang for whatever molding you use.
Used MDF for the changing pad holder. about 3 inches tall and then cut to dimensions of pad.
Topper on the right is just a miniature of the full table, from a contraction perspective.

My dimensions are slightly customized from the below.

Changing Table
Overall: 55" wide x 21" deep x 44" high
Dresser Cabinet: 15" wide x 19" deep x 23" high
Dresser Drawer (3): 31" wide x 18" deep x 7" high
Small Top Drawer (1): 11.5" wide x 15" deep x 5" high

Topper
Overall: 34" wide x 17.5" deep x 3" high
Topper drawer inside small cabinet: 16.5" wide x 11.5" deep x 5" high

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
sprayed Sherwin Williams Extra White Pro Classic.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

bluesboy5

Tue, 07/09/2013 - 20:15

if you have a plan or at least dimensions and material list for this project, i believe many people including myself would love to try this one. My wife is due in Oct and would love me to build this for out nursery.

Thanks and great job

numba1vennda

Fri, 07/12/2013 - 14:40

Glad she likes it. I have a ton of pics, but only able to post a few here. I tried to add some more detail on my post as well. Basically I looked at the Pottery Barn Kids Larkin High/low Table. When to the store and took some pics, then sat down, drew it out and started building it. I wish I would have done the skirt out of a solid piece of wood instead of MDF, because I'm pretty sure it's gonna get banged around and not hold up as well.

Babylove

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 15:57

OMG! Amazing! I've been looking at this changing table the last 2 months at pottery barn but so expensive.

Would you be kind enough and email me the plan? My husband said if I can get the plan for him he will make it for me!

Thank you! ❤

theblade88

Mon, 01/20/2014 - 08:25

Awesome job!!! My wife is in love with this changing table and we just found out PBkids is discontinuing this line of furniture. She's due in August so this may be a good project for me between now and then. If you have plans or more pics I'd absolutely love it if you'd share them

Thanks

rdsport

Thu, 01/30/2014 - 21:26

If possible please email me the plans for your version of the Larkin PB hi low dressing table. My wife loves it but I don't want to spend that much money. Any help you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks!!

Woven Back Bench in White

Submitted by phantom1 on Tue, 06/30/2015 - 19:53

Great outdoor project.... Kids loved helping too....

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Farmhouse Style Bar Table - San Diego

My husband modified these plans by making it a 42" tall bar high table. He built it and I stained it with Dark Walnut Danish oil and it came out better than we imagined. Thank you for these awesomely cool DIY plans.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TV Stand

My wife wanted a new TV stand. I found some plans online but ended up using the basic plan then added my own ideas to it. Used all pine boards. Then finished with Minwax Simply White.

Comments

Beach Cottage Dresser

Again I'm sorry I have no plans, but what I do have is a great instructional video. Drawer slides are such a pain to install without the right tools. I'm sure you can find great dresser plans but the kicker is how you install the drawers. These inexpensive drawer slide mounting tools might save you from going insane. Check them out. http://youtu.be/vI3jgkhxxPE

Estimated Cost
$100-140
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Martha Stewart Interior Semi Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

10.5' Farmhouse Dining Table

Submitted by ehays216 on Mon, 07/06/2015 - 06:20

I built this 10.5' farmhouse table for my aunt and uncle's dining room. I modified the plans slightly to try and look more like the Restoration Hardware version, using 4x4's for the beams and side supports and rounding the sides of the side supports. I also modified the top by adding an extra sideways board in the middle. The rationale for this was that I was worried about finding boards at the length I wanted that were perfectly straight from end to end, so by adding the center sideways board I only had to find boards that were perfectly straight for about half the full length. Also, we liked the look of the extra board in the middle. My little cousins had fun helping me distress the wood with hammers and other tools laying around. We love the way it came out, thank you Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300-350 including staining materials and hardware. I bought twice the wood for the table top boards due to the modified tabletop/ and length.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut with Minwax red mahogany on top of that. On the 2x8 boards, the dark walnut made a lot of contrast with the grain of the wood, and I was trying for a more evened-out color. The dark spots were almost black after one coat. Additional coats and the red mahogany helped even out the contrast and added color. We ended up really liking the final result, but in the future I think I will go back to using the black tea/ steel wool and vinegar method which is what I had been using in the past.

I used polywhey on top and applied several coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Stuffed Animal Storage - The Zoo

With a third baby on the way, they may not be enough room in this one for much longer, never realized how many they had till be put them all together.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

My second project

This is the second project I've completed and I'm very proud of it. The design was changed just by adding four legs instead of three. It took me awhile to get the color even. Sanding between coats of the clear coat semi-gloss finish would leave white marks/residue that was difficult to clean away. I would have to restain those sections with a swift wipe on/wipe off action. This made the color deeper but also richer. During the summer months, the bench will be outside but will serve as indoor seating in the winter.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$34 for wood
Finish Used
Miniwax water based stain in toffee. Two coats on the seat. More coats added to the legs (as needed) to match color. Three coats of mini-waxed water based semi-gloss clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner