Community Brag Posts

Rekourt Dining Table and Benches to Match

I used the Rekourt plans for the most part, but I did change it a bit. I needed a smaller table, so I adjusted the plans to accommodate this. The table is 5 feet long with matching benches that are 4 feet. I eliminated the 2nd cut on the 2x4s used to construct the table base to simplify the look. I also made custom benches to match, as I could not find any plans that were an exact match on the site. This is the first time I've built anything, and it took some trial and error and a lot of muscle. It was well worth it though!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Glidden High Endurance in Black Onyx Eggshell
Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut
Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dresser with Removable Changing Station Topper

Submitted by BKiel29 on Sat, 03/18/2017 - 07:35

My wife and I loved the look of the Rolling rustic wood dresser.  We didn't care for the wheels so instead I opted for legs, 2.5" long.  I simply made a couple of tweaks to the frames (the bottom 2x2 was shortened to 59.5" and the side 2x2's were extended to 34").  I then built a really simple topper that fits a changing pad and a couple of baskets my wife bought for miscellaneous supplies. The topper is removable so when my son is no longer in diapers, we can simply take the topper off and he can have a flat surface on top of his dresser.  All-in-all, we are all really happy with the end product! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
We used Oak plywood and boards so about $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kitchen Island

Submitted by loritabor on Wed, 01/20/2021 - 11:48

I used and modified the easy kitchen island plans. I put a back on it and extended the top to accommodate bar stools.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden oak stain with a polyurethane finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Writers Desk

Made this for my wife who is an English teacher. I renovated a spare room into her an office space. She loves the desk.

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut stain
Helmsman spar urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Family Project & Entertainment Center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/08/2021 - 16:30

My son and daughter in law had an unpurposed room in their home and wanted to turn it into a play area for their three kids. She came to me with an idea and it turned into their Christmas present. 8' tall and 140" wide. Now the kids don't want to come out of the room. Papa and Mimi helping them make memories

Comments

My take on "Lady Goats" cedar shed

Submitted by donbay91 on Sun, 03/14/2021 - 19:02

I absolutely loved these plans for this shed. I'm new to the site but I've been using your plans for things here at home... love it. I went with just one door to give me more places for shelves and I also went with a clear corrugated roof since it's shaded on that side of our house.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300ish
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish yet. I haven't made up my mind
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic Console - My 1st Project

This was my first project, and although large, probably the easiest I have built since. It was really simple, although I do know some things I will do differently next time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wool dissolved in vinegar with pre-tea stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen pantry cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/13/2017 - 18:28

Some added storage for small kitchen appliances

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted antique white with a reddish undercoat peeking through distressed areas
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sawhorse Desk

I added my own unique twist to this desk by building it from reclaimed pallets. I made a frame to support the desk top pieces, then sized the pallet pieces to fit on top. I also used pallets for the shelves. Full details at the blog in the link.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut and Minwax Natural, finished with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

pipe/wood bookcase

Submitted by ltodd on Thu, 04/11/2013 - 18:26

1/2 ' x 18" black pipe was used along with 1/2 ' flanges. The wood was re-purposed 2x6' pine lumber that had been used for pallets, that would have been thrown away. The boards were joined with a Kreg Jig, It will house my stereo components.

Estimated Cost
$150 pipe/flange costs
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

French County Wardrobe

This is probably one of my favorite pieces I have built.  Challenging but fun.  I built it as two separate sections, an upper and lower cabinet to make it easier to carry indoors.  I added a full-extension drawer below for storage. The two-toned paint combination did take a lot of extra time. Because I used an airless spraying to paint I had to tape and cover each section separately. 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Venus teal and creme brulee by Behr. Dark walnut stain for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wood Chuck

Fri, 03/06/2015 - 10:43

WOW it looks awesome the extra time spent on the painting was more than worth it looks spectacular. I bet you also could make a great profit selling this Wardrobe either on line or in a consignment shop, if I had the need for one and the money I would defiantly buy one!!

MrCoffee

Fri, 03/06/2015 - 13:54

I love the way the paint job came out on this and I really dig the having the molding on the top stained.

Calmly

Sun, 03/08/2015 - 07:36

This looks awesome! I love the the paint finish and it your profession work

TwoCuteKids

Mon, 03/09/2015 - 17:30

I agree this is your best so far...which is hard to say b/c all your projects are amazing! I love the style, the paint colors, the stained top, and the hardware!

whopua

Tue, 11/10/2015 - 11:13

Are there any available plans? I'd love to make this for my wife!

Anela

Sat, 03/19/2016 - 15:06

It looks really great! 

I have fallen in love with it the second I saw it and somehow I am now convinced that I need a new wardrobe ;) 

I guess you don't have plans for the wardrobe laying around - but would you mind doing a fast sketch (just a simple one on paper) with all the measurements noted? I would be thrilled to try building it myself in the summer. 

Greetings from Germany!

Anela

Sat, 03/19/2016 - 15:07

It looks really great! 

I have fallen in love with it the second I saw it and somehow I am now convinced that I need a new wardrobe ;) 

I guess you don't have plans for the wardrobe laying around - but would you mind doing a fast sketch (just a simple one on paper) with all the measurements noted? I would be thrilled to try building it myself in the summer. 

Greetings from Germany!

petemoore

Mon, 08/22/2016 - 07:32

its very nice but there are no plans

can you put up the plans or email me them please

many thanks

leftysgirl

Tue, 07/18/2017 - 05:43

Are there plans used for this beautiful piece? I do not see any links. Help please!! I absolutely need to make this armoire :) :) 

Bunk Beds {land of nod inspired}

We built these bunks for our boys, ages 4+6. The plans were super simple to follow.  The frame was built out of scrap 2x6's and 2x4's. We did have to make a modificatioon on the ladder- it came up just short for some reason, so we added a 2x4 to the bottom.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
we only had to purchase nuts and bolts, so this didn't cost much. If you were to build from scratch I think it would be between $100-$200 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex Paint in Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Laundry Basket Sorter

I built this project totally from pallet wood and leftover 2x4's. I already had the paint and stain from other projects, so the only cost was for the baskets, which were $6 a piece at Ikea. This project turned out even better than I expected and I couldn't be happier.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/13/2017 - 06:11

I used the x-back bench plans to build this bench, but trimmed the length down to 4 feet to fit the space.  It's constructed with cedar and is so beefy and sturdy. It has stood it's own against several storms already and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Thanks Ana for all the free plans and tutorials! 

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompson water seal in clear
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Benches

My version of the kitchen benches.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
-Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Provincial Semi-Transparent Interior Stain
-White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Worm Composter Bins with Cabinet

I made the worm composter from Ana's plan and built a cabinet out of old pallets. The stack of worm composters drawers slide in and out of the cabinet on a heavy duty drawer glide set. I used cedar fence board. For 3 bucks a board, it was worth the work to rip them down and sand them. The bottom drawer has a tray built out of old flashing and slopes towards a hose bib in order to collect the worm tea. I designed the drawer insert out of cardboard and cut it out of flashing, using a pop rivet gun to put it together, sealing the seams with flashing caulking. The drawer has a sheet of aluminum window screen under the top square of cedar.

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Some free varnish from the County Drop and Swap recycle center
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bird Feeder on a pole!

Submitted by Sue Hill on Fri, 08/11/2017 - 15:34

What a great little feeder! I didn't put mine in the window yet, because the screens are on for the summer. I screwed a metal flange into the bottom of the bird feed then screwed a metal pipe into the flange. Then put it in the ground under the window.  I'll add the suction cups and put it in the window in the fall.  I love watching the birds!

Estimated Cost
It didn't cost me anything since I used scrap wood from other projects. I also had the metal flange & pole in my basement. The 1/2" pipe flange is about $5, the metal pipe can run $12-$15 or more depending on how tall you want it. I used some exterior paint that I also had from another project.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Aqua Spa Bench for Entry

My husband modified the plans to make the bench longer to sit in our entry as a place to take off shoes.  Painted, distressed sanded, then stained with minwax ebony.  Finished off with polyurethane.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
around $35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
satin latex paint, minwax ebony stain, satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Playhouse - Drew Gaffke

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 14:46

I combined a couple of playhouse plans for this one. The framing is 2x2 treated pine. The front is real stone. I tried to match our home the best that I could. The floor is made out of composite decking.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Bar Stool DIY

Submitted by Knathu121 on Fri, 01/05/2018 - 20:31

I used 2x4’s to make these bar stools and used Valspar weathered gray stain. I found the plans online by searching “chunky barstool”. It cost me around $85 to make all 4 of them.

Estimated Cost
$85.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar weathered gray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Coffee Station Cubbies

Submitted by scokenour on Sun, 06/30/2013 - 19:29

I wanted to make something to organize the coffee supplies in my office breakroom, so I made these cubbies using the same basic concept as the Vegetable Bins. I used 1 - 8' 1x4, scraps for the angled pieces and 1/4 plywood for the back and front of cubbies. I was able to construct primarily with glue and nail gun. I chose "intermediate" level because you may need to make tricky cuts using your miter saw that beginner may not be comfortable with.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
vinegar/steel wool stain, paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments