Community Brag Posts

Sturdy workbench with sturdy top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/26/2016 - 08:34

This version is five feet long. The sturdy top was made from scaffold boards. I nailed four stout 3" oval nails into the joining edges of two planks, then cut the projecting heads off at angle. Putting plenty of glue along the nail-free face I sash cramped the whole lot together overnight. Once screwed down I filled holes and cracks with epoxy woodfiller, gave it a though sanding and splashed on a generous amount of Danish Oil just to seal it from spilled coffee etc. Now all I have to do is line the shed...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Wood Patio Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/15/2023 - 08:46

We were in need of a nice patio set and just couldn’t find the right fit until we came across some 2x4 plans and thought “that seems simple enough”. Took some planning for the right dimensions but I swear my husband can build anything. It turned out beautifully. He made a table, a sofa and a chair….burned them with a torch is certain areas then put polyurethane on them. Thanks for looking.

Lanette

Debbie's Nightstand

Submitted by Debbie440 on Sat, 02/01/2014 - 07:33

This stain color photographs blotchy looking. It does not look that way in person........

I used beadboard for the sides because I had some left over. I'm glad I did. I really like the way it looks. I also used trim on the outside of all the drawers. It really gives it a polished look. You could also use it if you have uneven gaps where the drawer slides in.

One other thing I did was use a solid piece for the top. I wanted it to be a smooth surface. I then trimmed the top piece with trim that I used on the Fancy Farmhouse Bed I made. I wanted to tie the two pieces together.

I've never made anything with drawers before. It is a bit more challenging, but not that bad if you are careful. However, I am not looking to build anything with drawers again for awhile :>}

Estimated Cost
approx. $75 (drawer slides were $6 each, handles were $3.50 each, trim pieces are what really added to my costs)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Bombay Mahogany Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

alpinecwt

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 09:56

Pretty cheap and all wood. When we bought my daughter's bedroom set,her nightstand cost us an extra $160,and its cheap mdf with an extremely thin wood laminate over it. Wish I had found Ana's site before we purchased it,could have saved a ton and built a bedroom set out of real wood.

Superb job on the nightstand,really like the way the trim u added came out!!

Wood Handrail Banister

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/29/2016 - 12:09

Naturally we based our plans on the space and the railing we needed.  But it was easy to  do once we had the vision and the supply list Ana White provides.

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Room Divider Wall with Built-in Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/18/2023 - 15:23

Modified the wall divider closet plan into a wall to serve as an extra bedroom in my basement. The inner wall was subsequently painted.

Grace LeBlanc

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Benchmark Media Console

This was my first project, I love the look of the benchwright collection, so I changed the plans a little so it will look like the benchwright console and coffee table.(Farmhouse look) On the top I used 2-1x5's and 2-1x6's with 1x6 breadboard ends instead of the plywood with 1x2's and 1x3's. I can't wait to start on the benchwright coffee table and the console table for the entry way.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About 200. That includes everything from the wood to the finishes, handles, screws, ect..
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut (1 coat) and Gloss Polyurethane (2 coats). I also used a wood conditioner to keep to color from being too blotchy. I love all the different colors that the cheaper pine wood has when stained.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

little stuf

Wed, 08/01/2012 - 08:22

That's beautiful! My husband and I just built a den onto my Mom and Dad's old farmhouse. She is begging me for the entire Benchwright collection to go in her new room. I will be building this piece soon, I'm sure ;) Thanks for sharing all the great photos!

jrankintamu

Thu, 10/25/2012 - 18:58

The only sanding I did was to smooth out the bumps. I didn't do any hard sanding. The glass is attached with mirror clips from the backside.

Console Table

One of my best friends got married a while back and for their wedding gift, I wanted to build them a piece of furniture. I had purchased a piece of 1x12 from Lowe's a couple of years ago because I thought it looked cool and finally found the right project for it.

Estimated Cost
30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Swing Bench

Submitted by Katpiter on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 18:43

Perfect plan Ana , very easy to make. Swing hung on the  A frame bulid with 4X4

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
swing $60
A frame $120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/29/2020 - 09:54

So thankful for the blueprints I found on this website. Table turned out amazing!!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Black Cherry Stain
And Antique Aqua paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Outdoor Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 07:46

Great Project. We are very happy with the chair. It is modern. Amazing. Ana thanks!! The drawings are great.

Jhrios2003

Comments

Elementary Trestle Table Inspired by Land of Nod

Such a cute, functional table that was easy to build!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Mission Oak Satin for table top
October Red (a quart of pain mixed at Walmart years ago) for table itself
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Princess butterfly bed

Submitted by kgbarone on Fri, 02/07/2014 - 19:51

I love the toddler upholstered bed plans, but my daughter rolls all over the place while she's sleeping. So I added sides and put cut out butterflies on ladder hooks in front. She named it her Princess Butterfly Bed because everything is princess.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 12/02/2014 - 19:01

This is just darling - so cute for your little princess!  Love how you upholstered the sides along with the back. 

Little Helper Learning Tower

This is a slightly modified version of the little helper tower, very sturdy design, i weigh 184lbs and use it to climb up to high places as if it were scaffolding. The modifications include making the sides the ladder and the ladder the sides, this allows for smaller hands to grip easier when climbing. It helps to mimic more a ladder design than climbing up the side. It also made for easier install of rungs for ladder. Screws go through the wood face into tge end of the rungs, then pocket homes were used for side supports which were larger woods pieces than the rungs  and pocket screws went from face of supports to the edge of the legs therefore no split out when doing pocket screws! All made from recycled wood from crates, dried and seasoned of course, if you use recycled wood it must be fully cured or it will warp and split over time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
The wood was free from crates that were going to the dumpster from my job. About $25.00 for screws glue and dowels, we used deck-mate #8x2,1/2 screws to assure safety of the rungs because they had the highest shear strength. We used minwax golden oak from the local hazardous waste collection site and the same with the poly, so the finish was free!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax golden oak on the lighter one and semi gloss poly brush on, others are special walnut with spray minwax poly semi gloss. I personally like the brush on poly for the finish on this type of project. It is tougher and hold out longer, but it is a pain to apply when it is all together. The stain was applied before the pieces were put together. Touched up stain after all was together and sanded off high spots then applied poly after all was finished, bottom of tower first then to front and sides.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Poplar Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/03/2020 - 07:18

Poplar Dresser using pocket hole joinery

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished as of now
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Anna's Table

Submitted by tglife on Thu, 04/26/2012 - 18:41

The 'Clara table' was my hubbies first true build. He built this table for our daughter last summer. She loves it and it gets used on the daily. :) We went with a solid top instead of separate boards. It might have added a little extra cost but not much.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20 - $30ish
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut (I think) ... it's been almost a year so that's iffy on whether that's right or not.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kentwood Bookshelf - modified taller

I loved the rustic look of this plan but decided to use prime pine and sanded it smooth. I also used tongue & grove 6" cedar for the backing running horizontal instead of vertical to not make the shelf unit look tall and skinny. I covered over the 2 side edges of the tongue & grove cedar with a pine strip 5/8" wide all the way from the top to the floor. I also increased the height to add an additional shelf. I definitely suggest using a Kreg tool. I also recommend not plugging the Kreg pocket holes. They look terrific just stained. I also recommend not bothering to screw the top slates together. Just glue them using clamps.

Here are the plan modifications I made for the extra height & shelf:
- sides 76 1/2"
- legs 78 1/2"

My next project is to make another shelf just the same except to make the shelves 31 1/2" wide. This time I will use 1"x4" backing vertically.

The end product looks spectacular. You couldn't' buy a bookshelf like this anywhere.

Estimated Cost
$100 plus $100 for the Kreg tool
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Used Old Masters Dark Walnut penetrating stain #41004. Applied with the expensive Bounty paper towels. Used a 1" foam brush to stain inside the pocket holes. Don't bother trying to plug the pocket holes. They look better stained. Also applied BRIWAX light brown wax polish applied with a plastic scruff pad after the stain dried. Warning, stain the whole project at the same time. If you let parts dry and stain over them, it will show up differently.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My Pallet barn door TV Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/09/2016 - 09:46

Mini sliding barn doors. Made this piece out of pallet wood and used red oak for the top. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Honey and Pine Stain. Semi-Gloss on top and Satin on the rest
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

King Size Bed From Ana White's plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/10/2020 - 12:19

Decided to try out my new tools on making a bed frame. Please note, I have NEVER made anything before, this was my very first project (go big or go home, right?). After a bit of research, I found Ana White's site, and am so thankful. I took the basic plans for a king size bed, but modified them to fit the look I wanted. I found old flooring at Habitat for Humanity and sanded/ stained/ sanded/ stained. I used four different stain colors, but really tried to mix everything up with the colors. The bed frame turned out amazing!

Estimated Cost
$105.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I sanded everything then used 4 different stains. some pieces I used multiple different colors of stains, other pieces I stained then sanded. The darker parts of the frame are grey and black stains.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Custom Entertainment Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/02/2023 - 11:08

5ft Barn Door TV Stand.
I used the Grandy Barn Door Console as inspiration. I made it as 3 separate units and screwed them together. The shelves are adjustable, the bead board back was done on the table saw, the doors are maple with a hickory diagonal centre panel! This is my largest project so far and I have have to thank Ana White for the beautiful plans that you produce. Without you I’m not sure I would have attempted this. I am one proud lady 🥰

Debbie P

Built from Plan(s)
Back