Community Brag Posts

rustic x desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 12:28

I liked this project and the desk turned out very well. I am substituting 5/4 lumber for 2/6 as they make a really nice top.

DIY Upholstered Bed

This is my first big build. I did make a small twin sized headboard a few years ago. But this time we built the entire bed frame along with the headboard. It took a loooong time but was totally worth it!

Estimated Cost
$350 - $400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
fabric + batting + foam:)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic farmhouse table

Submitted by AustinM on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 19:03

I built the Rustic Farmhouse table and I only had to make minor changes because I got the wood rough cut milled in my neighbor's backyard. I built the bench with the left over pieces without any plans, just tried to make it match the table. We love it and it is definitely a step up from what we had before! I just have to browse your chair plans now because these chairs in the picture are from our old table.

Estimated Cost
$95
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Used a standard red stain and varnish on the table top/bench top and a semi gloss in the legs/skirting.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

LSU Builder

Wed, 08/13/2014 - 13:07

Are you willing to divulge your exact paint color and stain? Is it white? Looks kind of bluish. Love the contrast. Great job.

Rustic X Sofa Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/03/2016 - 23:07

Slightly Modified from the Console table plan, but 2 toned Rustic X Console or Sofa Table with colored distressed finish

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

X Console Table

Submitted by MichelleC on Thu, 10/04/2012 - 13:53

I built this a couple feet shorter than in the plans because it is for my neighbor's fish tank! It was fun to build and I'm in love with the finished product. She's going to paint or stain it herself. The pics were taken in my messy, projects-everywhere carport right before the neighbor hauled it off! Her son-in-law wants one now, and I will be building one for MYSELF right away as well! Thank you Ana!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rocking moses basket stand

This is the third project I've built from Ana's blog, and my husband and I just LOVE it!!It was very easy to build, even six-months pregnant. I lucked out in that I had everything I needed for this project on hand with the exception of one 1x3 (and the basket, of course), making it a super affordable and much nicer-looking alternative to purchasing a portable bassinet.
I used pine for this build. The only modification I made to Ana's original plan were the rockers. I couldn't find the pattern for her rockers, so I took a rocking chair we had, laid it on it's side and traced its rockers onto a large piece of craft paper. I just used the sander to round off the corners on the top so that the legs would be easy to attach.
I built this in an evening and my husband was able to stain it that night as well. (He's not great with stain, so I had to clean it up a bit after this picture was taken and before the poly was put on.) Had I started earlier in the day, this would have easily been a one-day project including our trip to the store for the 1x3.

Estimated Cost
$7 (Plus $30 for the basket)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain in kona
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Our Beautiful Wall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/07/2016 - 16:29

My husband and I did this as a weekend project. We had been looking for a bench like this for quite some time but they were either cheaply made or way too expensive. My husband went through the plans and decided he could do it. We added a shelf to it and also made it larger to fit the area we were putting it in. The great thing about the plans is that you are able to easily modify them to create what you are looking for.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We did a mix of 1:1 stains that we had on had then used a satin clear finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Live-Edge Cedar Chair

This chair came together beautifully and is really an impressive piece. I managed to finish it in about 8 hours start to finish. I used the "original plans" that are linked in the description in order to avoid pocket holes (which are out of my skill range for now). In step 2, there is an option to place the back support on the inside of the legs instead of the outside for lesser of an incline. I followed this and would strongly recommend it. The chair is sturdy, wide, and comfortable even without a cushion. Thank you for the detailed plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
<$5 - cedar is off-cuts from a mill
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King chestwick headboard and platform bed

After 16 years of marriage our bed literally fell apart. Rather than agreeing to buy a new bedroom set, my husband said I should just build a new bed. It turned out even better than I ever thought it would. I got the platform bed plans from addicted2decorating's blog. Thanks Ana and Shanty sisters for another great plan! I had to modify for the king size and mounted it to the wall because it was HEAVY. I used metal French cleats from HD.

Estimated Cost
$133
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane ultimate stain light walnut and varathane fast drying polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Two toned toddler bed

Submitted by Katurn89 on Sat, 11/12/2016 - 12:50

This was the first building project I have ever done. it was easy and fun. The end product is sturdy and looks stylish. I'm very happy with it. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adjustable pipe stools

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/31/2020 - 14:38

White chair was made first mostly based on the original plans, but my pipe flange broke immediately. So I just bolted the top on and then made red chair with a pipe and harbor freight pipe clamp instead of all-thread and nuts. It allows easy instant adjustment and a better fit with the pipe flange.

The reason I made the change is that pipe threading has a tapered angle, so when used with all-thread which is a strait cylinder, it doesn't make proper thread contact. On top of that, the only all thread I could find had a different threads per in (10 vs 14) than standard pipe and cross threaded my flange, causing it to break on the first use.

I used 3/4ths pipe because I was trying to avoid all possible problems from the first try (which used a 1/2 in pipe flange) and this took too much material out of my cross supports for my comfort. So I added 45 deg right triangle scrap to the corners to beef it up. Probs would be much cheaper and still work fine with 1/2 in pipe.

Finally both chairs have much shorter legs than suggested in the plans because I needed regular chair height stools, not bar stools. And they still get high enough to be usable at counter height (but not ideal).

Estimated Cost
35ish
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of random paint, sanded down a bit to look worn.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Mikia on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 23:43

A 1m version of the farmhouse bench. We needed a shorter one for the hallway and realized that the only way would be if we built it ourselves. My bf and I built this together and it's really sturdy. Some adaption to the plan was made since it's shorter. It's very useful and we all love it. It's used each and every day.

Estimated Cost
200 SEK
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Hallway table

Submitted by Nicto21 on Sat, 08/02/2014 - 16:43

I made this hallway table for my gf's bday. It is really simply apart from taking apart pallets and squaring them off. The project only costs about $40-50, which most of the cost came from the purchasing of the table legs. I angled the pallet boards to be approximately 45 degrees. For this project, I used a table saw to cut, pneumatic brad nailer, tite bond wood glue, kreg jig pocket hole and paint/stain.

Estimated Cost
$40-50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

2x4 shelving unit

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/15/2016 - 12:05

I built your 2x4 shelving to fit a small space in my garage. The unit is really easy to customize and ended up being a perfect fit for my saws. Thanks Ana!

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

Loft Bed

Submitted by BPJacobs on Mon, 08/03/2020 - 11:38

Built my first loft bed using these plans! The plans are comprehensive and easy to follow. Excuse the mess under the bed, but that is why we needed the extra space :-)
We also need to touch-up the paint a bit.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black furniture paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mirror Project from the book!

Submitted by JoanneS on Sun, 10/14/2012 - 05:54

This project is the mirror from page 37 of The Handbuilt Home. I received my copy on Thursday night, built this and painted on Friday, then (impatiently) waited 24 hours for the paint to dry before distressing and hanging it up yesterday afternoon. The mirror was a plain one I found at Lowes for about $20 and attached with mirror clips. I attached to the wall with 2 1/2" screws through the frame into the wall studs. I was going to leave the screw heads exposed for decoration, but now I think I'll add a dab of gray on them to blend them in. This was a super fun project, easy to do. Love the book, and can't wait to build more projects from it! Ana, fab job on the book!!

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat white paint, 1 coat gray paint (greek column by Ace), after 24 hours, sanded with 220 and some 100 grit sandpaper to distress, then added a coat of soft wax to protect the surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

itzann

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 10:19

Very nice! I kind of like the black screw-heads showing!
-Ann

JoanneS

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 14:25

Thanks Ann! This was a fun project. I've been wanting a mirror to match that table since last year, and this one fits just right. My family said they liked the visible screws too, so I'm going to leave them as they are.
:)
Joanne

JoanneS

Thu, 08/29/2013 - 13:57

Ana, Thank you so much! I can't wait to get building on more projects from the book and from here too! You are awesome! :)

YankeeBelle, thank you! How do you make chalk paint? That sounds like a great time saver!
:)
Joanne

Wedding Guest Bench

Submitted by Linda7 on Tue, 08/05/2014 - 16:43

I saw a post some time ago from brookifer86 for a wedding guest bench...I knew I would build one someday. First I'd like to thank Ana for her plans Fancy X Farmhouse Bench, and Whitney at Shanty 2 Chic for the wonderful instructions/pictures for this build. I would also like to thank Brooke at Killer B Design (brookifer86) for the mods to this plan.

This bench had to be able to break into the top and legs as it had to go from Texas to California. That is why I used Whitney's idea for pocket holes to attach the top to the legs. I used 2" screws. Brooke shortened the table with just two legs, and used a project panel for a smoother top for writing. I did, too. She also added a 1" x 2 " board around the edge of the 3/4" panel to beef it up. I used this idea and mitered the corners of the board and filled in the space between the board and the panel to make it very smooth. I sand a lot, and I painted three coats, so this took several days for me to complete.

For signing the top, I purchased fine-tipped oil paint pens. I learned from other brag posts that permanent-type "Sharpie" pens would smear when a finish was applied later. Also, you should use spray poly-acrylic finish to avoid yellowing the white paint.

My dear friend's daughter was thrilled with her surprise, and the guest bench was a hit at the reception. Thanks to all the brag posters - I studied every single one.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 (for project panel and one quart paint - other wood was scrap I had on hand)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar "Bright White" outdoor paint. three coats applied with a foam brush. Spray top with poly-acrylic to protect the signatures.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My first project from scratch-bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/18/2016 - 11:56

My inspiration for this piece was the Grandy Sliding Door Console - I made this piece to fit behind a sofa so adjusted the plans to customize my piece. 

I used plumbers pipe instead of barn door hardware - much more cost effective and still gave me the vintage look I was after.  I stained and distressed the wood and added some hardware! Voila!

I am hooked to your site, stay tuned for more projects! 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Total Cost of lumber - $101.00, Plumbers pipe - $18.00, Handle - $17.00 = $136.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted each board different chalk paint color, white, yellow and blue - added black ring marks and used tools to mark up the top board. Once built sanded piece to desired look and then used antique wax to deepen the colors, finished with furniture polish- minwax!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse bed with drawer storage

Submitted by SE-Mark on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 22:56

I had to come on here to thank you all for inspiring me to build this bed! The thought of building such a big piece of furniture never really occurred to me until I saw the Farmhouse queen plans, which really got the gears turning.

I wanted to add some storage to the bed, though, and so I kept looking at other projects on this site. I don't know which plans are all combined into this one, but you can see the one side table in some of the pictures which is based on a hutch plan here, and the concepts there are used in the drawer fronts on the bed. I still plan to build a matching side table for this side of the bed and also a dresser unit to complete the bedroom set.

This entire project was built on my deck as I don't have a garage. Started at the end of September and working by flood light on nights where I could find the time. It was finally moved inside to paint. The bed is built into four sections for disassembly - headboard, footboard, and a base section that is split in half with knockdown fasteners. The headboard and footboard are also attached with knockdowns, so the entire bed comes apart with an allen key.

The cost was incredibly low. My biggest cringe costs were for the 4x4 posts, which I had to buy in cedar, and the birch 3/4" plywood for the drawers. All in costs are still under $200, though I did own a Kreg system which got used a fair amount.

I did modify the footboard / headboard construction since I had the Kreg system. Rather than using a 1x4 backing board with 1x verticals and a 1x4 front board, I used a Kreg'ed 2x4 as the backing board, flush to the 4x4 post... no 4 1/2" screws required! The 1x verticals were then glued and nailed onto the 2x4s, and the 1x4 front board was glued and nailed to it.

The drawers are huge! 29" wide x 26" deep x 14" tall (more or less). Also, they are positioned so that when a side table is placed beside the bed the drawers can still open. The panel at the head of the bed is a door with a magnetic catch. I think of that area as 'deep storage' as you would have to move a side table to get in there. The door is there to get there if you want to though.

One cost not accounted for... my 'work bench' patio table sustained an injury. I still maintain I did not drop anything onto it. In fact, I was using a tape measure to measure a drawer length when the glass shattered out from under the piece I was measuring. It was cold in the morning, so maybe that had something to do with it. But now I just have to add 'fix patio table' to the project list.

Thanks again!
Mark

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tremclad / Rustoleum semi-gloss white.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

5 tator tots (not verified)

Tue, 10/23/2012 - 19:04

I can't wait until we have time to build a farmhouse storage bed. Yours looks great!.

jaimej

Sun, 01/06/2013 - 19:35

Very smart placement of the drawers - I too am aspiring to build this some day and wondered about a fix on that - do I just store things in that drawer I rarely want to get at? No, I like your idea better. Beautiful job on the bed - it looks nice.

niki

Sun, 11/10/2013 - 17:49

This is exactly what I'm looking for. I love the drawers. Would you be willing to share more on how you did those, vs the plywood boxes in the plans?

SE-Mark

Thu, 03/20/2014 - 11:40

Sorry for taking so long to reply to your question! I missed it.

I don't have any pictures / details on how it was done, but I can explain it. The front face is built as a 2x4 surround with 1x6 inset boards. I then put a dado in the bottom side 1/4" up from the bottom.

I then made a drawer box from 5/8" plywood, kreg jigged to the front face. A 1/4" piece of plywood was used as the drawer bottom, and inset into the front face of the drawer.

This all sounds a bit difficult and confusing, but it isn't. Maybe I should take some pictures. Let me know if you'd like to see them.

briankerr

Wed, 07/30/2014 - 10:55

Great build! I'd love to see some more photos of the drawer surround/frame with the drawers out. Is it all 2x3 stud construction? Any problems with warping or the drawer slides not square/plum?

omegatek

Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:22

Racking my brains out trying to figure out how you laid those slats across the top of the drawers...  If you wouldn't mind posting a few more pics, I would really appreciate it.  My daughter wants this for her birthday. 

Thanks!

Counter Top Make-up Storage

Submitted by efmolly on Thu, 08/07/2014 - 09:54

I needed a way to store and organize my make-up without taking up drawer space. It is built very similar to a small dresser, but with no drawer slides.

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I first stained the frame and drawer boxes with homemade oxidizing solution. Next, I layered gray and white latex paint, then distressed heavily with a belt sander.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner