Community Brag Posts

I wanted to make something using the plethora of scraps in my garage. I ended up making this shelf that calls for 1x6 pieces with 1x8's and I didn't even have enough for that so I cut down some 1x12 pieces and used those too. The long part of the shelf is actually two pieces screwed together using pocket holes. Check out my blog for more on this project!

It took me a long time to finish the chairs, although the table was a snap. The time consuming thing was my desire for two paint colors. Painting is not my strong suit. But I got it done, just in time for our annual Labor Day house party.
I cut the lumber using our radial arm saw. I sanded with an random orbital sander, and used really great cordless drill and driver. My husband likes to buy good tools, but hardly ever uses them.
I had never used pocket screws before: I love them and found it very necessary to use the face clamp and right angle clamp Kreg sells to prevent splitting. My assortment of speedclamps were not getting the job done.
For the table, I tried masking off the white when I painted the red on the legs, which did not go so well as there was annoying paint-creep under the tape. I also decided that the red paint needed two coats to look good (it actually seemed to do better on bare wood then on primed wood.) So that took more time.
I finally bought a really good paint brush and that made a huge and positive difference.
I had intended to paint the chairs' slats red, but the back frame white, and the side supports red. To do this I intended to paint individual pieces and assemble the painted pieces, but the splitting (before I invested in the specialized clamps) was heartbreaking after all the sanding and painting. So I took a month off from the project, ordered clamps, recut a few pieces, and simplified my paint scheme. Much better!
I'm looking forward to starting my next project (NO paint!)

I needed some quick and easy toy storage for the living room to catch the toys that inevitably end up there.  I had a basket in the corner, but then the toys made marks on the wall.  This cubby storage keeps them away from the wall and adds some more veritical space.  I made this project quick and easy with just my nailer (I didn't use pocket holes) and a simple stain finish.  I shortened the width to fit the space between my fireplace and the door, and as a result I did 2 cubbies instead of 3.

Made for a friend's son

Really simple and quick plan, great for a first timer. I oughta know. This was the first piece of wooden furniture I've ever built. Thank you so much Ana!

I made a version of this crate for the top of my family's refrigerator. I didn't have enough scrap 1x3s, so I used 1x2s as well. Instead of using chalkboard paint, I stained the 1/4" front and painted "nourish" with white paint. I also used old drawer pulls I saved instead of cutting out handles.

First time using your plans and I`m very happy with the result. I modified slightly to make a smaller unit and used a combination of jointing methods such as biscuits and mortise and tenon. I also used Scots Pine and a pine furniture board to make this and the worktop is oak. Hopefully hold me in good stead as I continue to fit out my entire kitchen. Next project is to loosely use these plans (no better alternative found anywhere) to make a unit for my belfast sink with a washing machine cupboard.

My family is doing a home made Christmas this year.  I fell in love with this plan the first time I saw it.  While out shopping, I happened upon this trash can on sale which reminded me of a basketball net and knew I had to build this project.  We used leftover plywood which necessitated using paint to hide blemishes.  The size was modified a bit to fit this trash can.  I think it is really cute!

This was an extremely quick and easy project to complete. I really love how the ledges tie my dining room together and display all the great pictures of our family. Now I just need to get some more pictures and frames...

I started the project on a Monday and moved the table into the house on Thursday afternoon. All wood used was reclaimed. I shortened the length of the table by 9 inches due to the length of the reclaimed boards. The dimensions are 87 x 38.5 x 30. I used a colonial maple stain brushed on then rubbed in with a cloth. Then I applied several coats of Polycrylic clear satin. The stain was $1.50 from the Habitat store and the poly was found in the house we recently moved into. I spent about $15 on wood screws.

This was my take on Ana’s great idea and plans. My wife and I were in need of closet space in our small master bedroom and this worked out perfectly, plus it looks great! To gain some additional storage (and because I thought it would look cool) I decided to build the unit around our wall mounted tv and added 3 additional shelves. Sanding and staining all the board was by far the most time consuming. Assembly was a breeze. For anyone looking to build a large unit like this I recommend having a decent sized working area in order to stain all the boards and set them out properly to dry. Thanks Ana for the awesome design!

Another perfect shelf to decorate my little basement bathroom. Plans were so easy to follow! A little help from my hubby with this one... We had to drill into concrete to hang it. I love the end result!

I bought two pre-cut 1/4 inch panels and adjusted the dimensions of the trim to fit the panels, using 1x2's and 1x3's. I painted before I assembled, which was where the most time was spent. Thanks Ana for another great project!

Dued to my small kitchen, I used 3x4's instead of 4x4's for the legs. I did away with the drawers, and went with two shelves instead. I lower the first shelf to fit my microwave. This freed up my counter space, which was nice. I stopped by a local stone yard, and picked up a thickest piece of granite they had, and had them cut it 36" x 24". I used Minwax Polyshade White Oak for the stain, and picked up some cast iron hooks from Amazon. All together it came out fairly nice. The only regrets is the wood filler I used wasn't so great, and it didn't stain well.

Our boys share a room and needed new beds. We wanted to keep as much floor open as possible, so these 2 plans came together perfectly!! They have large drawers that store all of their clothes so theres no need for dressers. We put a surge protector inside the hutch so they can easily plug up and charge their electronics. Best beds ever!!!

This narrow cube bookshelf is a very handy addition to my kitchen! I use this shelf to store cookbooks, our iPod speakers, and some other utilitarian odds and ends. I'm particularly a fan of how to facing on the front and back acts as a stopper to keep your items in the bookshelf. It did not specify in the plans but we chose to align the back facing piece flush with the bottom of the shelf and the front facing piece flush with the top of the shelf. You can see what I'm describing in the pictures.

This piece was fast and easy. I think there is a time when finish work is faster to be done once a piece is finished but this not one of those projects. This shelf would benefit from finish before assembly.

Finally, a place to corral all of the stuff on the patio!

What we really needed was a wood rack and buffet/usable surface for the patio, but this potting bench fit the bill perfectly because:
1. It's sturdy enough to hold all that firewood
2. I had all of the supplies already (2x4 scraps, leftover paint, screws, etc)

Free and easy? Yes, please!

Only real change is that I added an apron to the front of the top shelf, and used well-sanded fence slats for the top shelf instead of a regular 1x6 (it's what was in the garage already).

The towel bar is from Ikea. That was also an extra that was already on hand.