Community Brag Posts

Compact Park Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/26/2024 - 13:47

I am new to this. I used your plan but reduced the lenght by 24 to make a 2 seat Garden Bench. I used softwood and painted with this outdoor paint. Thanks for inspiration and plans. I am located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Built from Plan(s)

King Sized Hailey Platform Bed

My husband's grandfather helped us build this bed in his shop. We built it in about 5 hours and I stained and sealed it over the next few evenings. This was one of the most affordable and simple plans I came across to customize for my new chemical-free mattress. It is extremely sturdy and supportive. I really like the blog post Crab and Fish did on the brag for the Hailey Platform they built. You will find it helpful if you are interested in building this bed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Ultimate Stain in Kona with Polyurethane finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Alok (not verified)

Wed, 01/16/2013 - 09:03

Did you use Kreg Jig and screws from inside? If yes, How many for each corner ?
or used screws from outside ( to join the main frame). f yes, then what size?

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by EMiracleKY on Mon, 06/23/2014 - 20:34

This was my first ever project. The table that has a white base is another table I built after the stained one.

The project took several weeks because I only was able to work on it on Saturday mornings. I'm happy with how it turned out and learned a lot from it! I have a new love for woodworking and enjoy the whole process, from design, to completion.

Thanks for checkling it out!

Estimated Cost
125-150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot stain- Lowes doesn't carry Cabot anymore though :/
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Make it bigger

Submitted by Stootz97 on Fri, 09/23/2016 - 23:45

Thanks for the awesome plans. Read a lot of feedback from people saying it was too small. Just make it bigger! Used same plans but 6 1/2 long and 4 inches wider. Added extra support to the table top and used all 2x4s. Lovin it

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

DIY Greenhouse Project -Added elevated raised beds & temp/humidity control

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/05/2020 - 09:09

We loved this greenhouse plan from AnaWhite and wanted to be able to grow in 3 seasons so we modified the design to include humidity & temperature control & 18" deep elevated cedar beds inside with 4x4 posts for support and trellis option. We added electricity in order to have a lighted workspace and the ability to put in a circulating fan to control mold and fungus. We added 2 work tables (2x2') on the inside of the door left and right side door in order to do seed trays & store supplies. This was a wonderful project for my husband and my plants inside are doing incredibly well compared to my outside garden beds here in zone 5. Products used:

Foundation
We had a landscape company come and scape/dig a platform and then fill/compact with crushed rock
My husband then used rebar driven into a 4x4 frame in order to secure the frame to the ground and create a base upon which to build the greenhouse

Active ventilation
AC Infinity Cloudline T8 Inline duct fan
Air king range hood wall cap 8" on the bottom outside of the greenhouse wall for air intake + flex 8" duct to the fan itself
Shelter logic autovent automatic shelter vent kits (1 on each side of the front wall) in order to allow air intake from the bottom back of the greenhouse under the elevated beds to flow to the front of the greenhouse and out
Circulating fan- Hurricane wall mount fan 16" - this fan has 3 speeds with tilt function and small mounting bracket

Soil - sourced 3 yards of 50/50 loam/compost from local landscaping supply
60% loam
30% organic compost
10% organic topsoil + perlite

Soil beds
-cedar frame 2 feet wide along sides, 3 feet wide on the back wall
-galvanized metal roofing with holes drilled into it for drainage
-landscape cloth lined

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

Liberty Wall Art

Submitted by buffy0506 on Thu, 08/30/2012 - 13:45

I thought I'd start building again with some decor that didn't need to be perfect. I needed something to spruce up my garage, something my son couldn't break while shooting baskets - this seemed perfect! I didn't have all of the scraps I needed so I did have to buy a few boards, but my friend wants me to make her one now and she'll supply the pallet. Since I planned to use it outside and wanted it to look weathered, I used semi-transparent deck stain, watered-down flat white paint and hit it with a sanding block, hammer, rasp, bottle caps - anything to scratch it up a bit. Then covered it with satin polycrylic (because that's what I had around the house).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Semi-Transparent Deck Stain in Wedgewood and Barn Red
Clark & Kensington Flat White Interior Paint (mixed 50/50 with water)
Satin Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Bike work bench

Submitted by hjason on Thu, 06/26/2014 - 08:31

My daughter and I made this for a Father's Day gift, along with a bike rack, to get my husband's bike "shop" in better order.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Scrapped the Sliding Barn Doors, Rustic Cabinet Doors Instead

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/26/2016 - 12:15

Changed up the plan a little, shortened the overall length, which changed the size of the door openings, but the biggest change was making four cabinet doors instead of two exposed sections and two sliding barn doors.  Used Lowe's chalk paint products.  Made this a dresser for our cabin in Maine.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American, Lowe's chalk paint and antiquing wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse King Bed with Drawers

Submitted by jpad067 on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 15:55

Inspired by the Queen Size Farmhouse Bed with Drawers, my father-in-law and I converted those plans into a King size. This was quite the project and took us a substantial amount of time to complete. We used a modified French Cleat to make the entire bed modular, so it can be easily (still very heavy) moved. The entire storage capacity is roughly 30 cubic feet, so we will have ample room to store our linens and other items not regularly used. This entire project was modeled from an antique door that my wife found in an antique store. Enjoy!

Estimated Cost
$1300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel (Snowbound)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Modified Camp Loft Bed w/Bottom Bunk

We were looking for a bunk bed system with stairs instead of a ladder. We had previously used a bunk bed on our vacation and our daughter was having trouble going down, she kept missing the ladder rungs. We searched online for beds with stairs but they were all too expensive. Then my husband found this site and we both looked through all the different plans. There are so many great plans for little girls beds, but in the end we decided with this one. It was the easiest for us to alter by adding the bottom bunk. We also liked this bed because we thought it the safest for our youngest who would be trying to climb. This is our first ever project built. We had tons of fun building this together and then letting our 4 yr old help us with the painting. We basically started with nothing in building this bed. We bought all the stuff except for the saw, sander and drill, which we borrowed. To add the bottom bunk, we made the distance at the bottom 6 inches, and then followed the pattern of separation for the railings that was used for the top. But it was only the bottom 2x6 and one round of the 2x4s for the railing. Since it was the bottom it didn't need to go as high as the top, just enough so our youngest won't roll in between the mattress and wall.

Estimated Cost
$200-$250, includes kreg jr, sandpaper, paint, clamps, saw horses, screws
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
paint and primer in one
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Aisha

Mon, 09/03/2012 - 08:29

I love your bed! I'm in the process of doing exactly the same thing with mine! I also found it was the easiest plan to alter in terms of adding a bottom bunk. Good work!

AmandaAK

Fri, 06/21/2013 - 18:20

I love it and would like to know if you changed the overall height of the bed to add the second bed underneth? I hope to make this a bunkbed for my kiddos.
Thanks

"Nook of woe" is now "nook of wow!"

Submitted by OliveJuice on Sun, 06/29/2014 - 11:36

We had a 28 inch nook in the mud room/bathroom that was the collect all for our shoes, hats, boots, scarves, and pup accessories. Had seen shoe cabinets at ikea but with the space being small it needed a "custom" build. Ana had the perfect solution!! We took basic plan and reduced length to 28 inches and top width to 12 inches. I wanted a larger top surface to place baskets. We took the 2 drawer and added a 3rd for increased storage space. Drawers were also made deeper to fit with the wider top piece. Also added a 4 thick chunky legs (4x4) to help support and stabilize dresser. Those were set in a bit to accommodate the molding along baseboard. Added faux drawer fronts using 1/4 inch ply wood. We put the magnets on but made drawers hard to open so we kept magnet but removed the plate. An old leather belt was recycled for the back strips to prevent drawers from flopping down.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60 (we had drawer pulls from other project that we recycled)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Morocco Red with a turquoise under coat. (Used 1 small sample sized jars each from Home Depot) lightly sanded red off edges to let the turquoise show through. Same with the wooded knobs.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Garage Shelving by using 4 by 2s

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/02/2016 - 19:02

Simply inspired by Ana's Garage Shelving project using 2 By 4s. Thank you Ana. Below are my project details.

1. Shelving Height =  8 Ft, Width = 12 Ft, Depth = 13 inches (Each shelve having 3 pieces of 2 by 4s). All 8 Ft and 12 Ft lumber available in this standard size.  Only cutting required (done at Home Depot) was for the 13 inch pieces to build the shelving legs (which in Ana's original plan is 17 inches, and has 4 pieces of 2 by 4s).  Able to carry all lumber (multiple trips) in minivan after folding seats.

 

2. Garage Floor was a bit uneven - so I used Shims (plastic) as suggested by HomeDepot associate.

 

3. To secure the shelves from the top of the wall, I used corner L brackets, 3 inch by 3 inch.  I used 1-1/2 inch screws to mount the bracket on the 2 by 4s, and then to mount the other side of the bracket to wall studs, I used the 2-1/2 inch screws (which I used throughout the project as Ana suggested). I mounted two brackets sideways, and one on the top (because the stud was around the corner).   Used a thin nail to find the stud as studfinder results were not reliable

 

4. After making shelving legs, we made them stand next to the wall, and then mounted the shelves (3 pcs each on each shelve) and then put screws.  My wife, her uncle, aunt, and cousin helped to mount finally, and it was great fun.

Estimated Cost
Approx $150
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Twin loft beds with platform

Found this on Pinterest and FELL IN LOVE! I have 2 kids that are inseperable, ages 3 & 4, a boy & a girl. I had been toying with ideas for them about bunk beds or maybe some PVC forts. But when I found this, it was like everything in one. Let me also start off by saying, although I am artistic I have never used a single tool or built ANYTHING in my life. EVER.

The beds were surprisingly easy to build and are incredibly sturdy & strong. I followed the plan exactly except for the platforms. I made my daughter's huge. (The plan calls for 22", I made hers 50") My son's I made smaller b/c that wall is shorter & there wasn't enough space. So his is only 16" but it's still plenty of room to climb up & get into bed. They use her platform as a stage to perform on or a small play area.

I'm going to glue down padding to cover both platforms and all the stairs b/c my kids are small but rough & tumble and I can already see the hospital bills. But the bed is EXCELLENT! Surprised to see no one else has posted a brag for it!

Make this immediately! The priming, painting & building for each only took one day. ONE DAY! I painted the room, the trim, and made both beds over the holiday weekend (Labor Day, Friday-Monday). My kids are now the envy of every child (and adult) that we know LOL!

Estimated Cost
75.00 for the bed w/the smaller platform, about 150.00 for the bed with the giant platform (I already had the paint & tools)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
First coat- Killz: White oil based primer.
Second coat- Glidden: Pewter, Semi-Gloss finish (same as the trim)
Distressed with medium grit sandpaper all over.
I opted not to go with a third gloss coat. The wood is soft from me sanding it all over and I figured the gloss coat would take away from the distressed look & make it look new which isn't what I was going for. It's beautiful as is.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Nail Polish and Accessories Cabinet

Submitted by vickitee on Wed, 07/02/2014 - 07:39

I made this cabinet for my 9 year old daughter. My daughter enjoyed filling the shelves with her things and the door with her ear rings. The shelves are made from 1x3's. I added 4 small hinges and 1 magnetic closure. The stain used is purple (daughter's choice). This was a fun build that took 2 days start to finish.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
purple stain
Try to stain the cabinet before installing the chicken wire!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Laundry Basket Dresser

Submitted by dkarinen on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 17:54

We modified this just for more stability around little ones. I also torched the Oak top so the grain would be more prominent and routered the edge. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr ultra pure white paint and gunstock stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Headboard

My daughter is thrilled with her Farmhouse headboard. She’s a horse-loving teenager & this fits her bedroom style perfectly. All of the wood I used was pulled from piles at our family farm. This plan has plenty of room for little errors & customization of the finished look. I scarred up the wood with a hammer, big screws & went to town with a Dremel sanding tool to round the edges & make it look very rustic. So much fun to build & see my girl so excited. Thank you for sharing this plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15 screws & wood stain (had free wood)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toddler Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by benabb on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 20:34

I followed the instructions to a T.
This is a very simple build and makes a great bed. My daughter loves it and I love the look.
I didn't screw down the 1x2 supports because I was having trouble with the wood splitting. It's worked out fine this way, I just need to rearrange a little bit when I change the bedding on her mattress.
If you have a kid who likes to climb or jump on their bed a lot, be sure to use a lot of screws to connect the bed frame to the foot board.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat pre-stain.
2 coats Minwax Golden Pecan.
1 coat poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Woven back bench

Really fun project. I plan on making a side table and 2 chairs with this plan as well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cherry gel stain and oil pecan back. Followed with high impact clearcoat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

pde00311

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 10:26

Awesome job. I love the finish. I actually just finished a pair of these (which I have yet to post on the website) that are sitting on my front porch. I was also thinking of making matching side tables, but I cannot decide what would look good with the benches. Are you using Ana's plans to make your side-table, and if so, which plan? Looking forward to seeing what you create.

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