Community Brag Posts

Another cube bookcase

When I find clothes I like, I buy more of the same. Apparently this habit applies to furniture, too. This fall I built two cube bookcases for my 8 year old's bedroom. Last weekend, I built another, this time for my 6 year old. What can I say? The first two worked out so well I needed another!

For this bookcase, I had the lumber (at least the big boards, not the 1x2s) cut at Lowe's. The cuts were precise and square -- everything I want in a cut!

Just as I did with the first two bookcases, I used the Kreg Jig to put this one together and then I topped it with 1/4" MDF, attaching mitered cove molding underneath. At some point this winter I realized that my miter saw was out of square. I'm not good at fixing mechanical things, so my husband did me the favor of squaring the saw for me. Wow, what a difference! My cuts are so much more precise now that the saw is square again. Whew!

One change I made from the first two cube bookcases I built was in the finish. Instead of building and then finishing, I painted the surfaces that would end up on the inside of the bookcase before assembling the whole thing. Last time it was a bit of a nightmare getting into all the corners and inside tops of each cube. Painting the inside ahead of time was much simpler. Once the unit was put together, I sanded and painted the outside, touched up the inside, and then added two coats of poly to both the inside and the outside.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ralph Lauren "Aged Mint" paint in a flat finish followed by two coats of satin polyurethane. I sanded lightly in between all coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Farm Table at cabin

Submitted by jehenslee on Mon, 05/04/2015 - 10:38

I pretty much just followed the plan. It did not take long to build, but I spent quite a bit of time on the finish. I sanded and sanded and sanded. I was going for a restoration Hardware type finish and got pretty close. This was the first piece of furniture I built. Recently moved to a farm so have been building farm needs projects and finally had time to build some furniture.  I purchased the bench cushions. 

Thanks for the awesome plans, information and site Ana! I love it!

 

Janice

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the colors and process from this post:
http://ana-white.com/2013/08/rustic-yet-refined-wood-finish
I wanted my table darker though so I used more of the darker stain. Started with the gray, then dark, then a mixture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner desk with dragons!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/11/2021 - 19:54

I used the Office corner desk plans to create this stunning desk. Most of the work was done at my local makerspace white the construction took place in my home. I laser cut the dragons into the drawers to match my overall Aesthetic.

Comments

Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand

Submitted by mbaylis on Mon, 10/18/2021 - 14:05

So nice and tidy in the garage now!

Comments

Rustic Wood Cooler Box made from Pallets!

Watch the video on how I did this project here: http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

For this week's woodworking project I'm building a Rustic Cooler Box from used Pallets. The project was a lot of fun to do and pretty simple! By just using some old Pallets that were free I was able to build something that will get a lot of use. Plus, by using the Pallets I think it turned out really cool looking!

How to video http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 for cooler and accessories. Pallet wood was FREE.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor Polyurethane. Wood was left natural.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wounded Marine

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 05:14

That is way to cool. I love your idea for the sides. It adds a lot of texture and cleans up the look of it. I enjoyed watching your videos. You have a lot of talent and I like your work man.

Stevens

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 04:02

Awesome way of doing a pallet cooler. Keeping the cost minimal your way of finishing it was really good. Personalizing such coolers would be interesting!

tedgray86

Fri, 10/17/2014 - 10:30

Cooler looks amazing!!  Well done!  What is the black ring inbetween the hose bib and the cooler?  I am looking for something similar to hide the PVC coupling as its white and my cooler is stained.

 

Thanks

bookcase headboard

Submitted by bdp514 on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 09:20

I made this bookcase headboard to go with the haley bed I made from Ana's plans.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
stain with Early American and Kona wood stain. Topped with sprayed lacquer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy Jewelry Box

Submitted by JoanneS on Thu, 06/04/2015 - 14:35

One of my friends at work is going to a new job, and this build is her going away gift. It is a variation of the Fancy Jewelry Box, with the following modifications:

Made from select pine, no plywood is visible on the outside on this build.
Slightly smaller, the box is made from 1x6, the back is a ½” x 5 ½” craft board, and the door outsides are 3/8” x 5 ½” craft boards.
The drawer boxes are ¼” thick craft board and the doors and overlay drawer faces are 3/8” thick craft board.
Overall dimensions are 13” wide, 5 ½” deep, and 14 ¼” tall.
The select pine worked very well for the luxe stained finish I was trying to achieve.
Used fancy knobs instead of wood knobs (also swapped out the included screws for shorter ones).

I really took my time on this to get everything just so. The project took about 15 hours in total, including the build, finishing, and decorations - - a bit at a time, spread out over the last couple of weeks.

I'm very happy to say the gift was a big hit!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finish: 2 coats of Varathane Stain + Poly in Early American, with a top coat of Minwax Polycrylic in Gloss. The drawers and doors are lined with embossed felt, and the box bottom and drawer bottoms are covered with sticky-back felt. The ring holder is a scrap of high density foam covered with sticky-back felt. The knobs are acrylic crystal and the back has flat hinges in antique brass (swapped out the included screws for shorter ones on the hinges and knobs). The hooks are ¾” brass shoulder hooks.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by laaushop on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 19:10

My version of Modern Farmhouse Bed. Let me know if you have any questions.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Alkyd paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fireman's Dog Bed

Submitted by FireWolf13 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:06

I needed a heavy duty dog bed for my puppy after he destroyed two regular dog beds. I used 4x4s, 2x4s and fire hose. He has not been able to destroy this one and he loves it.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

SoCaliforniaMel

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 15:48

I have a pit bull. Shes the sweetest thing but loves to chew up her own beds. She wont chew the shihtzus bed or the cats beds just her own. I'd like to see her try this one out.
;) Now if I could figure out a way to get my dad to give up one of his fire hoses. hehe
Great job, great idea
~Melody

dr2112

Sun, 02/01/2015 - 10:41

How would I go about getting a copy of the plans for this?

Modern Outdoor Chairs (2x4s & 2x6s) w / Matching Tables

My mother had a cheap particle board sofa style table on her back porch that was coming apart. She said she'd like to replace it, so I told her I would her one.

I decided to make her a few end style tables to go with it as well.

Finally, I had seen these chairs and decided to make her a few of these also. I liked the Ana White plan, but I didn't like the idea of seeing all the screw holes, so I developed my own method using Kreg and my own assembly method that allowed me to make them strong, without seeing all the screws.

I (and my mother) were very pleased with the final project.

Estimated Cost
~$200 (Cushions cost me ~$80)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympic Stain (1 coat white), slight sanding, wiped down with Minwax Dark Walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TerDickison2

Mon, 06/10/2019 - 18:49

Thank you for posting this! I built the chair as is from the plans but I realized it really needed a backrest. I like how you added one and if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to “borrow” your idea. I lucked out on the cushions-I got mine from Home Goods for $40. I don’t think everyone has a Home Goods near them though. Love the tables too!

First time project

Submitted by keahunter on Sat, 07/04/2015 - 03:17

This was my first attempt at making anything. Thank you to Ana for providing such easy plans and the encouragement to try something. I think I'm hooked!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Toy zoo

Submitted by Oksana on Sat, 01/20/2018 - 17:45

My son has a very specific color scheme in his room (Go Pokes!), and finding something to keep his toys in, that looks like it belongs, is simply impossible. I chose to do it cheap and quick way, but it came out exactly like I hoped it would. I really liked the eyelets idea, and since I wanted the zoo to be movable and able to serve as a shelf, I just screwed them in directly into the top and bottom

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Wood Closet Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/13/2022 - 09:01

My closet system is four separate units that I butted up together and attached to the wall with a "decorative" 2x4 railing around the entirety of the closet. The main unit looks the closest to the real design but is 8 feet long and 8 feet tall to avoid extra cutting of boards. The smaller unit only has one area for hanging up clothes and is around 5 feet long which is just the length of the wall. I also built a unit for holding sheets and towels and another for my wife's shoes.

The plans are really easy to follow but I would suggest a few things:
-Do stain and boards before cutting; this would have been a nightmare otherwise.
-If you use the metal clothing rods (if I could go back in time I would have used wooden dowels) make sure that you put those in before you attach any boards between the support structures. I ended up having a 35 inch gap instead of a 36 inch gap and it killed my momentum.
-I made mine 8 feet tall because it was less to cut and then re-stain; time wise it probably was a scratch cause I had to build it in place and at the end it was very tight to work in the space.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Workshop Now in Session!

Submitted by Ahlinn3 on Thu, 01/25/2018 - 18:46

Easy instructions and simple design. One cart houses table saw, and the other I plan to make a router table. I did make a slight modification in design by adding T-nuts and 5/16” bolts for feet. (My shop floor is crowned). I also used 3/4” melamine white panels for table tops. Difficult to work with but cheaper and has a smooth surface. (Be careful using for structural parts due to glue not impregnating through melamine) 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Shaker Style Cabinet Redo for Laundry Room Renovation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/28/2022 - 19:02

This was my first time being involved in a renovation. At our last house, my husband (who works in trim carpentry) did all the work to my decor instructions. This time I wanted to be involved and do the work alongside him. Using Ana White's instructions we were able to reface our laundry room cabinet to be the shaker style cabinet that I love. Keeping with a modern theme, we painted it black. I've included the before and after photos of the cabinet as well as the cabinet in context to the entire laundry room that was renovated. It came out awesome. Thankful for all of her helpful posts.

Comments

Murphy Bed

Submitted by Newfey on Fri, 07/19/2013 - 14:59

This is a Murphy Bed that I made for my daughter Alicia for their getaway home at Canadian Lakes, MI. Due to limited space i had to make it horizontal instead of the normal way of being vertical. It really comes in handy and takes up very little space.

Finish Used
Red paint mixed with Baking Soda
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 07/19/2013 - 15:17

Looks great! Love the color and the trims you used. Where did you find your hinge hardware? PS- How did you like the baking soda paint? I've tried ASCP which was good but very pricey, and last time made my own with some plaster of paris. Your finish is lovely.

Newfey

Sat, 07/20/2013 - 18:47

I bought the spring hardware on line. I can't take the credit for the paint as my daughter did that part. She loves the way that the baking soda and paint covers everything and it is a whole lot less expensive than buying the commercial stuff.

Bar cabinet

Submitted by kgclark31 on Thu, 04/21/2022 - 17:53

My wife wanted a eat at bar/cabinet for the basement family room. So after several design ideas this is what we come up with. It was a pretty simply build, built the frame using Kreg pocket holes to attach everything together. Love the Kreg pocket hole. Then cut the1/4” panels and attached them to the inside with brad nails. The top is a 1 x 24 glue board from Menards. Then some paint, stain and poly , attach the top and its ready to go. I used a water base poly for the top, it is great if you want to apply several layers quickly. Sand the poly after a couple layers with an 800 grit, then apply a couple more then repeat until you are happy with the finish.

Comments

Convertable Picnic Table

Submitted by docfin02 on Fri, 06/17/2011 - 09:59

I love these benches/table. They were easy to make and are comfortable to sit in.

Estimated Cost
$60 for wood and hardware, $60 for stain and stain supplies
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

docfin02

Fri, 09/09/2011 - 10:04

There should be a link at the top of this page. Under "About This Project" it says "From Plan: Picnic Table that Converts to Benches" and the "Picnic Table that Converts to Benches" is the link.

Pantry Spice Rack

Submitted by SaraLodise on Tue, 08/06/2013 - 13:35

Love this simple plan! I took down a wall in my kitchen and, when cleaning out the cabinets, I found crazy amounts of spices. With this it's so easy to see all of them and find the one you want.

I did shift the shelves to make two 3 1/2" shelves and this made the bottom shelf 9" for some taller things. I found that I could not fit my shorter spice containers in the very top shelf due to the hanging board in the back of it. The hanging board may have been thicker than used in other's builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer & some left over interior paint from previous house owners.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

OptimusGoof

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 12:55

I love how you shifted things around to accommodate for the bottom taller items. I need something exactly like this so I can tame the wild animal that is my pantry. Thank you for the inspiration. Great build!

RandyW

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 14:46

Is that a solid door? If not, how did you anchor it?

Class/School Auction Projects

Submitted by jendon on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 15:32

This year my 2nd-3rd class built the Modern Park bench for the school auction. They sanded, stained, and set the screw for the seat and back.
I also made two Adirondack chairs with matching stain.
Both projects had two coats of poly and really shined. They were a hit at the auction and the kids and families really appreciated the experience and final products.
Thank you Ana for making plans simple to follow and new skills learned each time.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Comments

jendon

Mon, 05/16/2022 - 18:33

My students really enjoyed it and many picked up a tool for the first time. I like planting seeds in their heart and mind for the future!! Blessings, Jennifer

jendon

Mon, 05/16/2022 - 18:33

My students really enjoyed it and many picked up a tool for the first time. I like planting seeds in their heart and mind for the future!! Blessings, Jennifer

Monika

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 14:30

I've been helping with our class auction project, and it's been a fun experience. But balancing schoolwork and project deadlines can be tough. That's why I found this article finance.yahoo.com/news/pay-essay-top-5-safe-105019899.html on safe essay services helpful. It saved me time and stress, allowing me to focus on both my studies and the auction project.