Community Brag Posts

Simple toy box

Submitted by Rcbaker on Tue, 07/29/2014 - 08:11

I followed the directions other than the hinges in the plans. Those hinges where $25 a piece so I went with a basic hinge and added the soft close attachment. Works just a as well! This was a mother day present and it turned out so nice I hated to give it up.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a dark stain and sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper to smooth it out
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kulichka

Fri, 10/17/2014 - 08:38

Hi, can you give me the specific hinges and soft close attachment that you used? I'd love to make the box but can't spend the $50 on the hinges.

Looks great, by the way.

Thanks!

DIY Hall Tree Brag Post

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/09/2016 - 19:14

 First project so I followed I plans pretty close. I took the Cut list to Menards  lumber yard  they  got the wood together for me for around a hundred bucks .

I used a Minwax orange stain brushed on polyurethane.

The 1x4's are used for the back had very rough saw marks my sanded everything before I stainded it after I stand it I sanded it lightly to expose some wood and then I brushed on Minwax polyurethane I am happy with the results bright color yet you can still see the wood grain

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 for wood $20 for finishing supplies $10 for brushes and sandpaper
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polyurethane and Minwax stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack Chairs and Table- thanks Ana! (With crate & barrel pillows)

This was my first project! I took my time, learning many lessons as I went and borrowing tools from friends. Although there are some flaws, I am so proud of these chairs. They look awesome on our front porch and are the perfect spot to relax after work and watch the sun set with a glass of wine. After building the first chair which fit my husband (6'3" tall), I decided to slightly change the angle of the second chair such that the depth better suited me (5'4" tall and short legged). Thanks for the inspiration Ana, I can't wait to start my next project!

Estimated Cost
$50 (2 chairs and table- wood, screws, stain)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chocolate Behr Stain- two thin coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Fancy Doll Bed

Submitted by Linda7 on Fri, 10/12/2012 - 14:04

I made this set for my granddaughter using the Fancy Doll Crib plans. On this build I enlarged the size of the Fancy doll crib to be closer to the Olivia crib. For anyone interested: ends-13 5/8”; bottom-21¾”; side rails 21”; legs-20”; 12- 3/8” dowels @ 8¼”. I thought the scale of the finials from Lowe’s were too large, so I found some I liked better at Hobby Lobby: 3 pcs per pack @ $1.47, item #165274. Since I got 6 altogether, I put two on the high chair. Love the look. I also changed the shape of the curve of the ends and replicated that on the highchair back. The shape of the highchair tray is also curved and slightly cantilevered over the side ends; the tray is 4¾” x 13” to allow for the curve, cut from a 6” wide length of scrap. The vintage lamb theme that I used with my great-nieces is carried out with this set, too. I found the water-slip decals at www.decalcottage.com.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Not including the bedding, between $20-25
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I primed using Kilz, then I used left-over Olympia bright white interior paint which I sprayed on. I mistakenly used a water-based brush-on acrylic urethane which yellowed. So I will sand and repaint the one piece.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

tracysmith

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 18:53

This looks great! I wouldnt have immediately thought of finials on these... fantastic look!!

Pallet Wood Chalk Board, Shower Wall and Shower Mat

Submitted by kdins31 on Tue, 08/05/2014 - 06:13

As part of my backyard overhaul I've added an outdoor shower and chalkboard against the wall of the house. There's also a small sand pit and deck area, so the shower comes in handy to wash the dirty feet. I had a few pallets sitting under the deck for years and finally put them to use. Some cuts here and there and some sanding and they look great. For the floor mat I just cut the pallet piece you can see in one of the photos in half and framed it with treated 2x4". The chalkboard is a plain sheet of 2x4' project board primed and painted several coats with flat black exterior paint. I used this over the 'chalkboard' paint because it's exterior grade. It works great, even better than chalkboard paint imo. The frame is made of the cut slats of the pallet, just glued and nailed on. The fence also is a cut pallet. I just made random cuts about half way through on varying angles which resulted in two mirrored halves of the pallet. They fit the space perfectly. I love the random look of it and may give it some paint eventually.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used flat black exterior paint for chalkboard, over several coats of primer to protect the wood in the elements.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mini farmhouse bedside table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/17/2016 - 19:35

Built this from the mini farmhouse bedside table plans, but decided to use the lathe on the legs (which also added a lot of time). This was one of the first furniture projects I've done and it was pretty easy to follow the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic Reclaimed & Scrap Wood End Table

Submitted by AnnieO on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 09:22

I needed an end table that was a little bigger than the average end table - I had a space to fill in a corner between a couch and chair and was tired of the blank space being used as a dumping ground for...things my kids didn't want to put away or throw away. :) So I pulled ideas from a couple projects here and came up this. The cost was free since I just used the leftover wood from other projects we'd done and paint we already had lying around.

Estimated Cost
Free to Me
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint & Clear Poly - The paint for the top was a watered down brown. I used that instead of stain for 3 reasons - 1. So I could get the right shade of brown - I couldn't find a stain color I really liked, 2. I didn't want to wait for the stain to soak in anyway and set, 3. I wanted to be able to easily change it if I didn't the colors. The bottom part of the table is a bright green with a brown (the same as the top) wash over it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

vintage bar stool

I modified the legs to fit a counter height table
I made the seat 25in tall to fit a 36in table...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
dark walnut
satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by JScherer on Sun, 11/20/2016 - 18:09

Changed the top a bit, but otherwise matches the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50-100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut & semi gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Garden table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/08/2020 - 21:44

This was an amazing first project for us. Thank you for the plans and the step by step instructions

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Burnt Pine Bed Frame

This is a king sized bed frame. The beams interlock. They were burnt with a torch, stained and clear coated. The headboard was my first attempt at upholstery.

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean, Rockhard Table Top Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Aj (not verified)

Mon, 10/22/2012 - 18:54

Oh my gosh, this bed is absolutely gorgeous! Did you use or modify one of Ana's plans, draw it up yourself? Would absolutely love the plans to build one for myself if its okay :)

johnny_paints

Sun, 10/28/2012 - 07:31

Thanks! I don't really have any plans for it. I got the idea from searching screwless bedframe. Found one one instructables site:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Nail-less-glue-less-almost-screw-less-f…

I wanted one that could be built with no screws (the headboard does have some screws though). My plan is to raise the frame on posts also so I could get rid of the box spring.

The hardest part is making the wedge cutout. I used a miter saw first and finished the cut on the scroll saw to get straight clean cutout. (step 3 from the website posted shows a good picture)

The headboard is basically a smaller version of the bed frame. Then I stapled the fabric on, then stuffed it with quilting baton.

Hope that helps. Check out the link, it will help more.

Farmhouse Table and Matching Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/24/2016 - 06:35

So we finished construction on a new house in September and my wife wanted to buy a $3000 table for our keeping/breakfast room. I bet her a new TV that I could do it for 10% of that. 

It's not perfect... there are some gaps between the boards and especially between the breadboard and those perpendicular to them... but it still looks amazing. And. Ow I have a new TV. 

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The table was built using pressure treated 2x8s (that's all that was available), and one 2x10 that wasn't pressure treated. (Again, that's all that was available, but it actually gave it a unique look with the lighter center board) so that's just Minwax Early American for the top and Satin White chalk paint for the legs. The bench was stud grade 2 and 1 Xs, so I used 2 coats of early American and then to try to match the darkness of the table I added 1 coat of Minwax Gel Hickory. The bench color turned out much better than I expected.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Just built your Adirondak Chair

Submitted by Harleyhank on Thu, 08/13/2020 - 16:33

Great plans and cut list, I found the total cost to be closer to $60. per chair just for wood, glue and screws. Very sturdy and comfortable chairs, easy to follow instructions.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
60. each
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer andOil Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple and Elegant Side Tablel

Submitted by Jake on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 12:58

This small but elegant side table was made based upon a plan from The Design Confidential. A friend of mine gave me a lot of 3/4" solid oak flooring that her deceased husband (11 years ago) had stored in a shed. It is beautiful. So I made this little table using the wood for the top. I made the top by putting Tightbond III glue in the flooring grooves and then clamping the pieces together. Then after the glue dried I used my flooring saw to rip the tongues and grooves so I have one solid piece of flooring/top. I also did not glue the top to the base but just used pocket hole screws from the underside to hold it on the base. The reason was in case the top or base became damaged it would be easily removable for repair.

Estimated Cost
Wood free so screws and glue maybe $5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
For the top I used two coats of Minwax Golden Oak. The base of the table is three coats of Rustoleum Satin White Enamel.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kentwood Nightstands

My wife and I made his and hers nightstands based on the Kentwood Nightstand plans. Pretty easy. This was our first project and all I can say is that we've learned alot from the builds. The kreg jig, which we purchased at Lowes, is amazing. We live in Southern California and wood seems to be pretty pricey here. Still with wood being expensive I find piece of mind knowing that the furniture is solid and custom. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weathered Grey stain with 3 coats of Rustoleum Polyurethane Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cabin Daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/28/2016 - 10:59

I'd never done hinges before, and decided to go with surface-mounted hinges because I was pretty sure I could get those right. I wanted to leave the wood its natural color, both because I thought it would look good in this room, and because I think it makes the hardware pop. Accordingly, I used iron-on edge banding on the plywood so the edges don't show.

 

I used a simple, homemade finish of mineral oil and beeswax, and the hardware is just from Home Depot. I'm not positive how much time it took -- I did it in bits and pieces over several weeks. In any case, I'm really happy with how it turned out! The new owner of the bed likes it immensely, too.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Homemade mineral oil and beeswax melted together, using this recipe: http://www.instructables.com/id/Simply-Gorgeous-and-Food-Safe-Beeswax-Wood-Finish/
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Comfort Sofa and Chairs - Modified Design

Submitted by BRK on Sun, 08/16/2020 - 16:51

I spent a lot more time on this than I was planning, but wanted to make a couple of enhancements and one thing led to another. I added curves to many of the pieces and there are some mortise and tenons here and there. Note the perpendicular arrangement between the front and the back legs. The front supports the wide arms, while the backs have let ins to support the main weight. All the 2x wood from Lowes was planed down a tad to clean up the faces and sharpen up the corners. We are thrilled with the result!

Estimated Cost
$160 for Wood and Screws—-$$$$ For The Sunbrella Cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
WATCO Danish Oil - Minwax Spar Urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

BRK

Mon, 08/17/2020 - 06:46

Thank you for the kind words.

I actually did my own design using Solidworks. In the shop, I read the measurements I need directly off the model using the e-drawings viewer, so I don't really have "plans" in the traditional sense.

sampatpatil@ho…

Mon, 09/14/2020 - 10:33

Great Job with the outcome. We are first timers and have built just 1 chair based on Ana White’s original plan. Lot of decisions with cushions & stain type etc but fun & satisfying though.

Fancy Doll Crib, Modified

Submitted by Linda7 on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 12:46

This doll crib is for another grandniece who loves both her baby boy and girl dolls, hence the Jack and Jill decal. This bed is modified from the Fancy Doll Crib plans using 1 x 2 for the side rails instead of dowels, and also a flat top. It is also larger than the plans: 21" long and 20" legs. My sister found a vintage J & J fabric piece which we plan to use as the mattress cover.

I said this is a day project but it takes me several days in between other activities, and I am very slow and methodical. (I also make sure to fill in all of the pocket holes with wood filler, usually two "coats" to get them perfectly level with the surrounding wood. After painting, it's very hard to tell where the fasteners are unless you know where to look.) It would take most people much less time than I. This is my 5th doll bed, and I have at least one more to go.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around $25.00 including the paint
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar glossy white spray paint over Kilz primer; protected the decal with several thin coats of Modge Podge.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Industrial Adjustable Work Stand

$120 for 2 bases, one top ... less if you have scrap lumber and pipe

The hard part of some woodworking is what to do with the stuff BEFORE and AFTER it goes through the tools.

We need an infeed and outfeed table for routers, drill press, and saws but have no room to install a permanent workbench with an adjustable tool lifter.

We saw the coffee table to desk height adjustment mechanism and lightbulbs went off! This adjusts! We can take the top off! It stores!

The first photo shows it adjusted to align with the miter saw's cutting area.

As built, there are a couple of changes:

1 - It's taller. Lowest table height is about 30" ... add 8 inches to each leg.

2 - We only used 1 leg brace, about half way down the leg. Cut it to fit after you get the legs screwed to the top.

3 - the wobble of the adjustable bar on the threaded rod is not good for precision woodworking ... the second picture shows the guide pipe that keeps the threaded rod straight up and down.

4 - No pocketholes (sorry Anna) because this is a workbench, not fine furniture.

5 - The tops are cut from one sheet of 4x8 3/4 in melamine coated MDF ... 2 are 2x6 and one is 2x4.

This could also make an adjustable craft table. Raise or lower it to handle fabric for your sewing machine.

Estimated Cost
$120 for 2 bases, one top ... less if you have scrap lumber and pipe
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments