Community Brag Posts

Faux Fireplace With Electric Insert

This was a fantastic project and I love the way it turned out. You can check out my blog post for more details how it all came together.

Mostly Aunt Dottie - Faux Fireplace Blog Post

Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My First Build - $40 Coffee Table

Submitted by b25pilot on Wed, 06/24/2020 - 14:35

Started down this road on May 30th 2020. First it was the $40 Coffee Table (Which cost me $47 in wood from Lowes) Highly recommend a Miter-saw with a long enough fence to make identical cuts, I learned my lesson. Cut and built the table over the weekend. Had some trouble with the X's on each end, do not use the dimensions in the plans for the X's they were 3 inches to small. (Watch the video and follow Ana's technique.) Sanded all the wood stained with Jacobean 2750 tint Minwax and sealed with Satin Polycrylic. After it was finished my wife asked for the matching side tables see the other Brag Post. See Photos for Details.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Penetrating Stain Jacobean 2750, Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tall Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/09/2024 - 07:27

My husband, Daughter and I built this loft bunkbed for our seven-year-old granddaughter‘s birthday. It turned out wonderful and she squealed when she saw it! Thanks so much for your online plans.

Jan Ott

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by jwerne2 on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 09:37

We decided to build the Farmhouse Table after our 30 year old dining table began to crack and just wasn't working so well for our family of 5. This was our first project, so we made a lot of mistakes but also learned a lot. One of the hardest things was finding decent lumber that wasn't warped or split. We also made two Farmhouse Benches but they aren't included in this photo.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wood Working Apron

Thank you soo much for the apron plans. I've used a sewing machine about 5 times in my life, and I didn't know what "stitch in the ditch" or bias tape or trim was, but with the plans and some web searching, I was actually able to sew this apron. It took me considerably longer than others, especially because I don't have an iron, pins, or a seam ripper (ripping a seam took me over an hour). Again, thank you sooo much! I hope to never lose my pen and tape measure at the lumber yard again with this handy creation :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $6
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Big Fancy X Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/13/2016 - 07:59

Needed a big desk. Made mine at 8' long. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

swt101

Tue, 10/04/2016 - 05:47

The desk came out great. I made the same desk, I went with the 2x12x6 dual board top.  I like the  look of the solid piece on top...will have to try it on the next one.

Modern Adirondack and 2x4 Sofas

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/28/2020 - 09:07

Thanks Ana for your great plans... Unfortunately it hasn't stopped raining since we finished the armchairs! All we need now is the sun :)

We used 4x1 for the seats to match the outdoor sofas.

Estimated Cost
€200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Garden Woodstain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy Mug Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/15/2024 - 10:40

Love making these. Dressed it up a bit using an ogee router bit to give the bases and top a different look.

Built from Plan(s)

Wall Jewelry Cabinet

Submitted by jlabis on Sat, 08/25/2012 - 08:57

I used the wall jewelry cabinet plan and modified it a bit to fit the materials that I already had in the garage. The whole project was built using salvaged barn wood and siding that was built in the 1800's. It took a little longer to square up the boards and sand them to a friendly feel but I had little to no finishing time in the end. The plans were so spot on that used them almost exactly.! I just added another cross support to the door and used old barn wood tongue and groove for the back. I also fastened a little piece of wood at the top of the door with one brad nail. I did this to keep the door shut in a more attractive way then a clasp or hasp. The little piece swings out of the way with ease. I bought the knob at hobby lobby for 2 dollars and the hinges were less than 2 dollars. The hardware cloth came in a roll that was 24 inches by 25 feet long for 10 dollars. Basic wood working knowledge and tools are super helpful with this project and as is stated in the original plans... a kreg jig makes it so much faster and easier.! Thanks so much for sharing!!

Estimated Cost
about 14 dollars including the hardware cloth.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Just cleaned the wood with compressed air and sanded to a friendly feel being carful not to kill the old look. Thats the only advantage to using old wood... the finish time is short but the prep time is a little more involved.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Lydia Daybed

Made by my husband for our 3 year old daughter's first "big girl" bed. We love this bed!

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wall Art

Submitted by Mike F on Sun, 09/18/2016 - 06:02

I saw a post on Fixthisbuildthat.com about making wall art.  It looked super cool so I thought i would give it a shot.  My wife loved the first one so I made two more per her request.  These are pretty easy to do if you have a table saw and a miter saw.

Estimated Cost
I spent 34 dollars on wood shorts at my local hardwood store. I have read that you can get hardwood scraps form cabinet builders and lumber yards if you have any close by. May be worth a shot maybe you could do these for free. I had walnut from a previous project so I did not buy the walnut or it may have been a little more.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used mineral oil to give the wood a nice pop.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Sized Headboard

Submitted by ecsorah on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 11:35

I did not edit this project, except the original project plan called for the bed to be turned sideways, I made this with the bed facing the right original way. The longest part of this project was waiting for the stain. It is not included in the estimated build time.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Loving my new patio thanks to this bench!

Submitted by DogDoc25 on Sat, 06/21/2014 - 17:53

My patio was bare. (see boring before picture). So, I made this bench and wiped out a garden sale at Joann's, and now I'm SUPER excited about how it turned out! Really simple and straight-forward build, but this one was pretty hard to make by myself because it is super heavy! Nonetheless, I managed on my own, and I'm not the strongest person around, so that goes to show you that you can do it as a 1(wo)man show. Love this bench! Thanks Ana!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Concrete top variation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/21/2016 - 11:58

I used the plans to build my island, but I'm using it more like an extra counter. I reduced the depth by about 4 inches so it would fit in the space better. I did all my cuts with a circular saw, and I can recommend using a table saw and/or chop saw to get straighter cuts. The gem of the island is the concrete countertop. I poured 2 bags of concrete reinforced by rebar, darkened with a charcoal colorant. This was an experiment to see if concrete countertops would work for our whole kitchen. Success! 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white chalky paint, 2 coats of wood stain on legs + 2 coats of clear coat poly, 3 coats of sealer for concrete + wax layer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White

Wed, 09/21/2016 - 14:54

This is awesome!  The concrete countertop is amazing - I'm going to have to try it myself!  Yours looks perfect, love the color.

40 Farmhouse table and "20" dollar farmhluse side tables

Submitted by eslicke21 on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 17:56

Built this awsome 40 dollar farmhouse table and matching set of side tables. Original plane was 20 per table but I went with oak plywood so more luke 40. All in all nice little table once thwy were all finished.

Estimated Cost
80-100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Farmhouse Table (Rustic Table)

Submitted by tmunds on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 21:57

My mom has been addicted to Pinterest for a while now, so eventually she was led to this site. To make a long story short, she asked me to build her a dining room table similar to the Rustic Table design, but just a bit beefier, and with custom dimensions to fit the family's needs. I used 2x8's (8 feet long) for the table top, 2x4's for the apron/skirt, and 4x4's for the legs. This thing is a monster. I'm assuming it weighs close to 200 lbs. I beat the legs up with an old golf club, and scratched them up pretty good with screws.

This was my first time attempting something of this caliber, and I am really pleased with the results. The best part is that my mother LOVES it, and I now look like the greatest son in the world to all of her friends on Facebook!

Estimated Cost
$160
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sanded: 120 grit then 220 grit
Stain: Minwax Special Walnut (Brushed)
Finisher: Minwax Paste Finishing Wax (Rubbed in with a rag, then buffed off 20 minutes later).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JenniferCarter

Mon, 02/09/2015 - 07:17

Hi there! Your dining table came out beautiful! Do you happen to know where those chairs are from? I have a client that is in love with them so wanted to see if you know where they are from! Thanks so much!

Garage Workbench

Submitted by jbonham on Sat, 09/24/2016 - 12:35

Altered the original plan only enough to accommodate the materials I had lying around without going to buy more lumber. The workbench I built is not as wide being only 48" instead of the 55" noted in the plans. For the top of the workbench and the lower shelf I used 1x4 furring boards again, because it is what I had for material at the time of building.

Once I made the basic frame, I squared it and then installed the supports for the table top and the lower shelf. Once the supports were in I cut the 1x4's to the appropriate length. As I laid each respective board, I also laid a good dose of wood glue down and then clamped them in place. I let those boards set with glue for about 5 minutes before going back and using a 2" brad nailer to finish them off. Once the nailing was done, I removed the clamps and moved to the next series of boards. Because I had several clamps I was able to lay about three boards at a time and let the glue set for another 10-15 minutes. Working slowly and methodically got the whole job done in a couple of days of a few hours a piece before completion.

Easy project and something that will last a long time when done correctly.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Two passes of 80 and 120 grit sandpaper respectively.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farmhouse Potting Bench

Submitted by vegeta692k on Sun, 07/05/2020 - 12:29

Saw this video and shared it with my fiancé. She loves plants and really wanted something like this. It took me a couple of hour to build. I stained it and sealed it over two days to be nice and weather resistant. She loved it. I added some suppor on the top because she wanted the shelve a bit higher on the top. I made a little change to it. This is my first Ana white project and i look forward to doing some more.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
60.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathen special walnut and a clear waterproofing sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My Julia Nightstand

This summer my wife and I remodeled our oldest's bedroom. I found this nightstand on Ana's website, and my wife fell in love with it. I had to make it! I noticed there were no brag posts for the Julia, so I felt that I had to contribute as a thank you for finding these plans. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Cream colored Paint, and Lime colored paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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