Community Brag Posts

Modern Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/31/2019 - 13:11

Made my table 4 feet on accident (forgot to cut the 1x10 boards down to 36" before attaching everything) but I kinda like the extra length. I also ended up making the matching side table.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Briarsmoke
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mrs.Green

Fri, 04/10/2020 - 21:07

If I wanted to make this taller like 3×6ft what size wood would do I need? I want to make this stand for my daughters urn area. She passed away last month and I'm trying to make this perfect. The sooner the better.. Thanks! Love all your work..

Wooden patio Cooler by DIY Pete

This was my very first project I did. Very proud of how this turned out. Now my sister has one and I am building another one with Mickey Mouse on it for my other sister. I build it in a day with lots of breaks due to 4 teenagers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Brew Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/30/2023 - 14:38

I used your workbench plan to build my Brew Bench. I changed the measurements to fit my space and used a butcher block for the countertop. Very sturdy and pretty easy project. Took one day to build.

Scott R

Comments

Simplest Armoire

Submitted by carongirls on Sat, 01/11/2014 - 16:20

We needed something to put clothes in. A dresser wouldn't of been big enough, so I decided on the armoire. I shortened the height so I'd only had to buy 2 1x12's. Everything else is the same. The 1x12's were so warped I had a heck of time with the doors.
I'm not digging the distressing. I tried the Vaseline thing. Never again it was a mess. I'll just stick to sanding it down from now on.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Easy to Build Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/17/2023 - 13:40

Easy to build workbench. I added an extra 2 1/2 inches (width) to the top plywood cut. This gave me a 1 1/4" lip to the front and back sides. I wanted to be able to clamp on all sides of the bench. Also added casters since I wanted to use this as an outdoor table for entertaining if needed and to simply have mobility with the bench. So far I love it!

Book Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/22/2016 - 11:08

I built this book rack using scrap wood and modified plans from the Full Length Plate Rack. It was a really straightforward build, and functions very well as vertical storage that takes up little space. I predrilled, screwed and glued all of the joints, vs. stapling.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of "Simplicity" country chic chalk paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Motorcycle Jacket and Helmet Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/19/2016 - 10:52

Built from left over Rough Cut Maple.  Jaket, Helmet and Key Rack

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain and Polyurithane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Sofa - Storage Sectional

Submitted by LittleG on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 15:38

Basically I took Ana's plan and tweaked it to create a diy sofa, a love seat, and a corner piece to make a sectional. All 3 pieces have the same basic design and function (they all have a storage compartment), although the corner piece, because of its placement and the thickness of the seating cushions, doesn't open unless the couch is opened first. We purchased custom cut, 6" thick foam cushions for the seats (we bought the XL-38 foam from https://www.buyfoam.com/, but if we had to do it again, we'd go with the XL-28 as the 38 is VERY firm). We also used upholstery fabric instead of a paint drop-cloth to cover the couches. The foam and upholstery fabric upped the overall cost significantly. Other changes from Ana's plan, I used 15/32" OSB because the 1/4" plywood just felt too flimsy (I'm a large guy). I also added I bolts to the underside of the seat before the foam and upholstery so I could add a stress relief rope to prevent the kids from opening the top and dropping it and ripping out the hinges. I used piano hinges as they seemed to me to provide the most support. Finally, I ended up using 1x2s for the base trim since I couldn't find any 2x2s that were straight and finish-ready, then I added router detailing to provide some visual interest. I used 3" pieces of 4x6 for the feet and added matching router detail. Additionally, I used T-Nuts and bolts to make the feet and base trim completely removable.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$1300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax PolyShades Espresso
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

masmith38

Fri, 10/23/2015 - 11:11

Love this!  Totally want to think hard about doing this instead of buying when time for a new couch comes. Job well done, and the storage is a total plus.  

Chased

Sun, 05/15/2016 - 21:15

Where can I find the plans to this or the cut list

mikeyb

Mon, 10/03/2016 - 18:11

Awsome job!!! question? is that a typo on the cost to build??

mikeyb

Mon, 10/03/2016 - 18:12

Awsome job!!! question? is that a typo on the cost to build??

albertmick30

Mon, 08/17/2020 - 07:46

It is superb blog and i really appreciate your blog. It is because i always like the informative blogs. You did a great job and thanks for sharing.I am impressed by your post. It contains very informative data and i gain a lot information from it. It is very useful for me. Thanks for sharing and keep on sharing that type of posts.The Mobile App Developer Dubai provides good service you visit here site https://www.mistersaad.com/

Outdoor rolling bar top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/08/2020 - 19:43

We had some leftover granite from an outdoor kitchen build and wanted to maximize the use of it. We loved the look of a rustic table from Pottery Barn and set out to find something that was asking the same aesthetic. I came across the Jilly and Mia workbench console and thought it would work great with some minor modifications. I shortened the overall length and height, went with some heavy duty casters to support the weight of the granite, and reinforced the cross beams that would support the 3/4" plywood sheet and granite. I went with cedar for this build since it was outdoors and I'll finish it with a clear sealant.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor patio furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/24/2020 - 12:19

Thanks Ana, for the great plans and inspiration!

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain & polyurethane ( Bombay Mahogany)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adirondack Minnie Mouse

Submitted by vangy04 on Fri, 11/14/2014 - 08:29

My daughter is into everything Minnie Mouse right now so I figured, why not!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used stickers for the white details, but my daughter promptly peeled them all off. I suggest paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

pr22joyce

Thu, 09/08/2016 - 12:08

I have looked, clicked all over this site to download the plans for the Minnie Mouse Adirondack chair.  Can someone please help?

KelHad

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 13:28

Has anyone been able to locate the plans for the Minnie Mouse chair yet?

I still can't find them.

Outdoor bar grill surround with 2 post pergola

I wanted to build an L shaped outdoor bar with a 2 post pergola over the grill.  I couldn't find any plans online that would fit the space I had, so I decided to build it myself with custom dimensions.  The top bar is approx. 7'3" across, and 15" wide, while the distance from the right edge (next to the house) to the end of the bar is approx. 9'1".  

I framed it with PT lumber and the 2 pergola posts are sitting on top of the pavers and supported internally within some of the framing studs.  Since the pavers sit on top of concrete, I didn't feel the need to dig up the existing pavers and achor them in the ground.  

I used hardiboard for the exterior and tiled the lower section of the bar.

For the actual high bar top, I wanted to do something unique, and found a 900 year old scrap slab of Cypress at a local lumber yard.  One side was smooth, but underneath was gouged out from different saw cuts and very uneven.  I screwed a piece of 3/4" PT plywood underneath and trimmed it with 1-1/2" Cypress.  I stained the whole thing with a dark honey colored stain and put a generous amount of poly on it once it was dry.  There are a few cracks and nicks on it, but once it was stained, it looked awesome.  

Estimated Cost
I lost track after a while, but I would say $600-700.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax honey colored stain for the bar top. Minwax provincial stain for the pergola and minwax dark walnut stain for the oak trim.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Shoes? What Shoes? (Ana's shoe cabinet)

We have two young kids who don't want to take their shoes and put them away (as well as two adults who are the same way) so I asked my hubby to make Ana's shoe dresser. He did a great job and we were so excited with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We primed it and then painted it gray.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmstyle Table based on Ana's plans

Submitted by NaasMarais on Tue, 09/12/2017 - 02:03

This table is made out of Solid Oak and took me +- 6 weeks to complete.

Thanks to Ana White for the plans as I followed them to the "t" with some minor changes in the size

Final size is 10ft long x 47 1/4 inch wide and 29 9/64 inches high

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rubio Monocoat Oil 2C - Natural Color
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bookshelf Hidden Doors Over Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/23/2017 - 10:13

Hidden door bookshelves hide a furnace closet.  Built by Kraig Faulkner

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

charkue

Thu, 09/17/2020 - 08:01

I'm currently working on a basement renovation project. I'm probably going to incorporate a feature like this for my mechanicals, too.

One important safety note for anyone who wants to do this: It's recommended that your furnace be a minimum of 30" away from any combustible materials. That includes walls and partitions. The image of this project displayed is right next to the furnace, which is not a good idea.

Farmhouse Table

Inspiration for this project came from the original Restoration Hardware table's price, which was way out of our budget. We found the plans on this site, and then the brag post from http://tommyandellie.com/?p=2582, which convinced me to give it a try when we moved to our new house.
I pulled some ideas and techniques from a couple of different areas - one was the idea from American Woodworker to use a straight-edge and a router to joint the edges of adjacent boards so they match perfectly, or as close to perfect as possible (see one of the pictures). After a few false starts it worked out very well.
One other big change was to use 4x4 pieces for the legs and cross-braces - especially on the long cross-brace. With two kids (6 and 3) and a third on the way, I knew they would want to crawl under the table to play, and sit on the beams - and I was afraid a 2x4 wouldn't hold up to their weights. I've VERY happy with the result - that base is not moving or flexing at all.
Finally, I learned a TON about what NOT to do! Apparently after doing the dry fit and having everything fit well, you should not sand the parts of the boards that fit together or suddenly they will be loose! Also, wiping off the stain after the suggested amount of time IS a good idea, after all! Finally, we ended up using pine boards with fir 4x4's, and I wish we had used all fir as I think the grain pattern was nicer.
All in all, though, it was a great experience and I can't wait to tackle another project!

Estimated Cost
$200-$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax wood conditioner followed by 2 coats of Minwax Walnut stain, sanding lightly between coats at 240 grit. After stain dries, one coat of Varathane sanding sealer, sanding again at 240 grit. Then, Varathane water-based poly, 2 or three coats followed by light sanding at 400 grit (or between individual coats if it was past 12 hours from the last application) - followed by one final coat of poly. If I had known then what I know now, I would have used oil-based poly - I didn't realize there was a difference when I purchased the items. I also used foam brushes for each step.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rob Dunham

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 07:13

Excellent work. I am purchasing lumber today to build a table for my family as well. Thanks for the tip of routing the joint edges, I will give that a go for sure.
Cheers!

Fred KLauke

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 14:52

Thanks Rob, good luck! Below is the link to the original source for the technique I used (#8 in the list). Just be VERY sure you have the boards (and the straightedge) clamped tightly so there's no wiggling. The first time I did it I didn't have the straightedge tight enough and it wiggled loose at one end, so the router started biting into one board more than the other, making a curve. Once I got the layout figured out, however, it worked very well and I was very pleased with it - I even did it again with the ends of the long boards (after they were glued/screwed together) and the inside edge of the breadboards before attaching them.

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/techniques/archive/2009/08/26/10-tr…

AKite

Thu, 08/15/2013 - 19:38

Did you use a planer on your Fir 2x's?
I'm thinking I need a planer to level out some of the 2x10's and 2x12's at my lumber store.

In reply to by AKite

Nathan1342

Fri, 08/16/2013 - 08:05

If your using a hand planer your going to get more of a worn uneven look, it's nearly impossible to get a perfect straight board after using a hand planer. IF you run it through a floor standing planer whatever bend in the board will still be there since it follows the contour of the board. If you want a straight board regardless of size you need to straighten it with a tablesaw. I am sure you can find a million how to's by just googling "how to straighten a board with a tablesaw". When your using building lumber you will always have an issue with things not being straight and looking "rough". It may be easier to just goto a actual lumber store and buy something that isn't Pine. Pine is a soft wood which is likely to dent easily after being used. But regardless, if you want a straight board use a tablesaw. I bought a bosch table saw at lowes and its awesome. folds up against my wall and is probably the best tool i have bought. Decent ones run about 400 bucks but its well worth it with what it allows you to do.

Fred KLauke

Fri, 08/16/2013 - 07:53

Not beforehand... (just to be clear, my 2x's were all white pine, only the 4x4's were Fir - unfortunately, the local Menards only had pine 2x's and fir 4x's) - I spent a lot of time at the store picking out the straightest, least cupped/curved boards I could find, and then spent more time at home arranging them to make sure the boards with the longest straightness (is that a term?) were used for the long pieces. Once the top was put together, I used a straightedge to find the humps and valleys in the top and used a hand plane to level them out a bit (see the background of the picture with the completed base, you can see the shavings on the top). I would suggest, if you do the hand plane route and aren't familiar with the tool or don't own one, to either borrow a well-tuned one from someone who would show you how to use it, or prepare to spend money to get a good one. You probably don't want to do what I did, which was buy a cheapo Stanley from Menards and then spend probably 8-10 hours over the course of a week or so trying to get it setup properly. I finally got it useable, but it was a very frustrating process and it didn't take long before the newly-sharpened edge was dull again. I did finally get it smooth enough so that it was easy to slide a plate or dish from one side of the table to the other without it rocking or hitting an edge/bump, but if I had it to do over again I would have saved the time and spent the money on a good older Stanley or a newer Lie-Nielsen or Lee Valley, etc., and then spent a lot less time getting the plane ready to go.
One thing that helped my mind-set as I went through the process was to remember that the beauty of this style is that it is not supposed to be perfect - a farmhouse table is supposed to look a little rough and worn, and the little defects are part of it's charm. It's an important point to remember especially if you are a bit of a perfectionist as I am!

Buffet, serving table

I made this buffet, serving table to go with a large gathering farmhouse table I made. I loosely used the farmhouse table plans but did some designing of my own based on a picture my friends had of what she wanted.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane - Kona stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

A successful build!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 14:52

I decided to make beds for my kids after looking at ones to purchase that all had bad reviews about the sturdiness.
Thank you for providing such comprehensive plans here. I have never built anything from scratch before, and this project was a lot of fun. I'll be starting a second one this week.

Comments

Full Length Mirror

Submitted by AndyH on Wed, 03/09/2016 - 10:27

Full length mirror made from a cheap $10 unframed mirror from IKEA. Trimmed out with some 1 by 3, 1 by 4 and 1 by 2. Stained black and then painted white. sanded between coats of white to show some of black through and give antique worn look.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained black and then painted white. sanded between coats of white to show some of black through and give antique worn look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Front Door Storage Bench

My bench sits outside my front door to welcome visitors and provide a place to set your packages while unlocking the door! I made it two years ago, and it's weathered three Baltimore winters with out repainting. I'll probably sand t and repaint it this spring. Folks are always asking where I bought it, and I give all the credit to Ana White, your site and your wonderful furniture ideas!

Jim Dupree

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday
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