Community Brag Posts

Elise's Daybed

Submitted by GQuick0330 on Sun, 03/09/2014 - 22:07

We needed to convert our exercise room to a bedroom for our granddaughter visiting from England.

I added additional support inside the legs as I wasn't keen on supporting the rails simply with glue/ screws. This allowed the weight to transfer to the floor directly from the rails. Of course, it was all glued and screwed or nailed. Otherwise I followed the plans found here.

The fenial‎ treatments are antique "looking" door knobs from a national hobby store. To secure them to the uprights, I drilled a whole that was just under the width of threaded rod couplers which were the thread size for bolt from the knob. I tapped with a hammer so the coupler would wedge into and down the whole. The couplers were purchase from a hardware store.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint from Big Box store. Color names: Quart of White Primer, Quart of Bicycle Yellow, Quart of Bright White, and Sample size of Tutti Fruiti for the pink accent on the moulding feature.

The moulding I used was PVC composite, which I did not prime as I wanted it white anyway and any excess pink highlight would wipe easily. As I applied the pink accents, I had a damp cloth ready to wipe away any excess, drips or smudges on the moulding in areas I did not want. The paint comes off easily if wiped immediately.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Easy DIY Work Bench

This was an after work project. (2.5 hours) Easy build. This bench is exactly to spec of the plans. This is a great little work bench already planning to build a couple more.

Estimated Cost
$65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sofa Storage Tables

Submitted by advanlente on Sat, 03/28/2020 - 11:44

Our living room has no closets or storage. As a family we love to play board games and we love to cuddle on the couch with blankets. So, I was trying to come up with a sofa table for our large couch that also had a ton of storage. I looked all over the internet and could not come up with a solution. So, I decided to try here on Ana White and I found plans for a bookshelf. I adjusted the height to be just below the back cushions and went for it. I am not going to lie, it was not easy for me to adjust these plans and I DID make several small mistakes, but I am so glad I made this. We use it daily and it makes life so much easier. The only add I will do in the future is to add stoppers so when you raise the lid, it doesn't fall on your head. It makes life interesting though at the Van Lente household lol 

Comments

GadgetGrrl

Tue, 02/09/2021 - 22:53

I love this idea! Just curious - did you keep the bottom shelf of the bookshelves, or did you leave that off since it's not accessible behind your sectional?

Loft bed for Wyatt

Submitted by Quartney on Thu, 06/20/2019 - 11:47

I did this project 99.97% alone (if you call "alone" with a 1-year old and 3-year old nearby). This was a challenging project that took longer than expected (one full week, working well into the night after the kids went to sleep). I used furring strips for the 1x3s and 1x4s. They cost about $2 less per board! Total cost of this project includes paint, screws, etc.

Estimated Cost
$240.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Zinsser BIN primer, followed by Sherwin Williams semi-gloss enamel paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

John Hopkins (not verified)

Mon, 10/22/2012 - 20:40

I have been looking for something similar to this but with a futon in the bottom. Anyone seen plans for such a critter?

Media Console

Submitted by KWTookey on Fri, 03/14/2014 - 14:37

My first furniture Build. My wife wanted rid of our old bookshelf turned TV console. I saw this online and went for it. Finished it with a serious splash of color. We love it so much we decided to go with teal as our primary livingroom accent color. Pretty proud of this little guy. Thanks for the great design!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
2 coats of Behr Eggshell latex in "Lagoon"
Sanded down corners, edges,
Then Minwax "English Chestnut" for highlights.
Finished with 2 coats of Polycrylic topcoat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Rustic Console

I had a friend make a request for a console table.  We came up with this design to fit her space and needs.  It was a pretty easy build.

Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
ECOS Paints Woodshield - Pine Needles
ECOS Paints Woodshield - Satin Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Walk-in Pantry Shelving

Submitted by Greystone1 on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:39

Built new shelving in our 6' x 6' pantry using red oak plywood shelving and 2" x 2" red oak corner shelf supports and red oak 1" x 2" trim. Used plans modified from Ana White site.

Pat Edwards, Ashland City, TN 

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Little e's Garden Bench

Submitted by jaime19861 on Mon, 03/17/2014 - 09:28

I made this garden bench for my niece's 3rd Birthday. She loved it!

I was able to use wood that had been leftover from past projects. I only had to buy a few boards. The paint was largest expense.

The most difficult part was the arch. I did that by bending my ruler along some finishing nails.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used DutchBoy MaxBond semi-gloss exterior paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shelves for a Shed

Submitted by mtairymd on Sat, 06/18/2016 - 13:30

Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Shelves-for-a-Shed/

I looked at purchasing brackets but I couldn’t get the exact size and the price seemed high for something so simple – plus I had a few excess 2×4s from the last job. Mainly, I wanted to utilize the area in the upper portion of the shed while keeping the floor clear for yard/garden equipment. There are multiple variations of this style bracket online. I took a little different approach by utilizing the existing part of the shed (top plate) for support. I don’t know the load capacity but I’m quite sure it will handle any of the items (tarps, paint cans, etc.) I plan to place on the shelf.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Desk For Home Music Studio

This is only my second ever furniture project. I modified the height to give me extra clearance for a full sized synthesizer underneath. I spray painted the base matte black, stained the top with Minwax Puritan Pine, and sealed it with Varathane Triple Thick Water Based Polyurethane.

I attached the top with heavy corner brackets and 1" hex head lag screws to add a bit of an industrial look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used a single coat of Minwax Puritan Pine for the top, and a single coat of black matte spray paint with primer for the base.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My Rustic X-Side Kitchen Island

Submitted by cassiet717 on Sat, 03/22/2014 - 05:53

I’ve been hoarding my scraps for the past six months or so hoping to build this as soon as possible. I paid roughly $34 for it!
Everything but the 1”x8” drawer face and the project panel top came from my scrap pile. My aunt and uncle’s renovation dumpster provided the missing 2”x4”s. There are nail holes, dings, and some general bruising, but who says that’s a bad thing?
I omitted the piece of trim beneath the drawer to allow more room for storage on my shelf. I absolutely love my island, and as usual Ana's plans were flawless!
You can see details on how I built and finished on my blog here: http://lovelyweeds.blogspot.com/2014/02/island-paradise.htmlit
Thanks for taking a look!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympia latex paint, Minwax Special Walnut stain, Minwax Finish Wax (body), Polyurethane (project panel top)
You can see tips for recreating my finish here: http://www.lovelyweeds.com/2014/03/island-paradise-part-2.html
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Thank you for making my first furniture DIY project so easy!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/22/2016 - 10:07

I've been looking for a way to hide my ugly garbage can in my kitchen for a while now.  I figured it would cost way too much to buy something like this and was so excited to find Ana's plans online.  This was my first furniture attempt ever.  The plans provided made the entire process so easy.  I used some leftover beadboard for the door and some odds and ends we had laying around for the hardware to keep the costs down.  

Estimated Cost
about $30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
The cabinet was first painted with Americana Decor chalk paint in Vintage then topped with Americana Decor chalk paint in Everlasting and distressed with my random orbit sander. The bead board in the door was painted with some leftover Annie Sloan Chateau Grey. To protect the finish I topped it with Annie Sloan clear wax (3 coats on the top).
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Changing table

Submitted by Aerohawk on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 20:25

This was my first project so I stuck mostly to the original plan. The only change I made was to make the width 16 1/2 instead of 15 1/2 to fit the pad. I was going for a driftwood finish to match the crib we got.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Very light gray minwax stain followed by two coats of satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wainscoated Hallway Upgrade

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2023 - 08:41

We moved into our new home. The hallway looked dark and gloomy. I decided wainscot the hallway. I brought 2x6 and 2x8 for hallway. Started installing on the wall and framed out the wall after completing the wainscot still didn’t look to my satisfaction. I then changed the carpet and installed laminate flooring. Everyone who comes to our home loves the look.

 

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