Community Brag Posts

Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/05/2021 - 08:08

We made some modifications to the greenhouse to include a bench with three levels, a working bench and a square foot garden. We also put it on concrete to keep all the weeds out from the bottom as well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
2500.00
Finish Used
We start our own seeds and plan to grow 15 different varieties of vegetables inside this greenhouse all year long.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Patio Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 14:18

The Anna White patio set (2 chairs & love seat combo).
I added seat backs for comfort, painted them white and distressed the edges…
They are perfect for lake front-windy areas… They are heavy duty and will never blow away!

Comments

mh6558

Thu, 02/29/2024 - 07:29

I absolutely love the curved backs! I live in a semi-windy area and really like this look and the idea of more durability. Did you just add three vertical 1x6's and use a jigsaw to round them? Please advise as I would love to use this technique.

Drop-Down Door Hutch Desk

Submitted by danicarby on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 13:47

I designed this desk from another desk I built. With this one, I wanted the overall foot-print smaller but still something that was able to organize all our office stuff and be able to close everything to keep it clutter-free. We have a small apartment, and although this desk is about the size of an up-right piano, it works perfectly into our living space!

I made it out of raw hardwood (Ash) and because I knew just the wood alone would make this desk heavy/bulky to move I made the top hutch removable. It's held in place by wood pegs (dominos). All the shelves are adjustable and the drawers are full-extension (something I've never had - wahoo)! The drop-down door is help up by 2 pull-out boards on each side (my first desk had chains). I spend a lot of money on this desk because I knew it was a chance in a lifetime to make and wanted it to be perfect and something that would last generations.

I built the main carcass off of plans/measurements I designed, but then all the insides, drawers, shelves, doors, etc where made as I built (because just a millimeter difference in building changes everything)!

If you want more pictures/descriptions of the building process I wrote about it in a 4-part series on my blog.

Estimated Cost
$1,000 for all wood & supplies
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
To achieve the ash gray color I used "General Finishes" brand water-based stains (equal mixtures of Walnut, Antique Oak & Whitewash) with 1/2 ratio of Pre-Stain Conditioner (bought from Woodcraft). I did 2-3 coats stain, lightly sanded and sprayed 2 coats of Ceramithane clearcoat using HVLP sprayer (sanding with 550 grit paper in between).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Hanging Plant Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/08/2023 - 09:51

I made this for a friend. The hardest part of the build was finding the correct font.

Allyn

DIY Grow Light for Starting Seeds

Submitted by lbrown on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 08:31

I wanted to start some seeds indoors this year but I couldn't find a reasonably priced grow light that I liked so I decided to make one myself. With some wood scraps and a 48" fluorescent work light I came up with an easy design that was inexpensive, too. For details: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/4/15/diy-grow-light-for-st…

Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray paint primer followed by a few coats of white spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Baby Ray's New Closet!

Submitted by Katurn89 on Wed, 11/14/2018 - 08:24

This was the second building project I've ever completed. I had to make a few adjustments to make it fit the size of ray's closet, but it was totally worth it. most of the work was in the measuring, sanding, and sealing of the wood. Ftting the frames can be a little tricky if your planks aren't perfectly straight. Otherwise, this project was pretty straight forward and can be done in just a few days depending on how much time you have to dedicate to it. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Early American stain and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner Headboard Storage for Twin Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/08/2016 - 18:27

Corner unit for kids bedroom. Added fabric boxes from ikea. The fit perfectly 

Estimated Cost
$200.00. All the materials are from the Home Depot
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr. Polar bear white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Bar Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/24/2020 - 16:27

I bought this tv corner cabinet for $40. I spent many hours turning into my perfect bar cabinet. I built a custom lighted liquor display. I have posted photos of the transformation.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore- hale navy
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

frendlygrl

Tue, 07/06/2021 - 19:04

So this is not your project? Because there isn't much information or a before and after picture. This gave me an idea for our home.

Toddler Bunk Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/16/2016 - 22:13

Modified the classic bunk bed plans to fit crib size matresses for our 1.5 & 2 year old girls, loved how my toddler bunk beds turned out! 

 

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr 'Rainwater' paint in satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

em01024

Mon, 08/01/2016 - 17:27

Hi,

Could you email me the change in measurements you used for the crib mattress? 

It would help me out so much. I want to build a similar one for my boys. 

Thank you.

Danielle S. 

DIY Sauna

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:17

Outside sauna.

Charles

Shoe Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/01/2017 - 08:26

We used the shoe dresser instructions with some modifications to make it longer

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Stain, polyerthane, chalk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Bigger, Stronger, Kitchen Floating Shelves

When we recently bought our 150+ year old house, we were pretty happy with just about everything (not stopping us from coming up with projects!) except the kitchen. This kitchen hadn't been updated in about 15 years, had dark brown walls, boring square white tiles with white grout, and TONS of cabinets. Everywhere. I felt like the walls were closing in!

So before we ever signed a piece of paper I had a vision of open shelving. Wide, white floating shelves to put our every day items at arms reach and display the few items we rarely use but think are beautiful.

I loved Ana's plans, but I needed these shelves to hold 12 dinner plates, 12 bowls, 12 salad plates, 4 pasta bowls, and...well, right there that about 40 pounds of stuff. And the basic plans just didn't seem heavy-duty enough.

Enter our contractor, John, who I asked for help because, while they were my vision, they were his handy-work. My husband and I didn’t even attempt to build them on our own. John is a perfectionist and we knew he’d make this plan work…perfectly.

As usual, this was no sweat for John. To build the frames he used 2 x 2′s and secured them with 10 x 1 1/4″ angle brackets. During assembly, John made sure to position the center supports to match the wall studs in front of which the frame would hang. Once assembled, he removed some dry wall and attached the brackets directly to the studs.

We could store baby elephants on these shelfs, they wouldn’t budge.

Since I knew what needed to be stored on that first shelf (our every day items), we used the measurements to equally distance the three shelves (not including the first shelf of course—it needed more space above the counter top). Then we sealed up the dry wall. Another help with support was butting the shelves right up to the corner, putting another screw in another stud.

We moved the lighting electric up for new under cabinet lighting—so easy pre-tiling.

For the actual shelves—I like to think of them as “sleeves”—John used 3/4″ sanded plywood for the tops and bottoms of each shelf, then 1 x 6 clear pine ripped down to desired thickness for the fronts and one side (the other side is against the wall, so was left open). The primed sleeves spent a few days on the screened in porch while I tiled around the frames, they were pretty heavy and very solid.

I’ve made an attempt to lay out the measurements involving our floating shelf project. These are to scale and give a good idea of how our plans differed from Ana’s.

We LOVE our shelves and get so so many compliments. The seemingly small and simple changes (tile, shelves, new window trim, paint, and soon flooring) made a HUGE impact and not that huge of a cost. And we don't miss the upper cabinets at all.

Thanks for the head-start and inspiration Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

claydowling

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 08:41

I'm not sure where to get big angle brackets like that, but you might want to try a local lumberyard instead of a home center. Even when they don't have a product they often know who does. The angle brackets embedded in the drywall is a clever idea I never thought of using.

Melissa015

Tue, 11/25/2014 - 20:08

What city was this work done in?  I live in Seattle and I am looking for a contractor.

Raised Wood Planters by Urban Wood Solutions

Planters build by Urban Wood Solutions

Comments

Custom Modern Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/30/2023 - 08:49

I made this coop twice as wide like Ana suggested since I have 4 chickens and wanted to make sure there was some extra wiggle room in case “chicken math” got the best of us. I made a nesting box to mount on the outside. I also used plywood for the sides like Ana did in the video. I installed a Run Chicken automatic door that opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. I added some hasps and clasps to make sure all my doors would close tightly. I put hardware cloth across the top before installing the roof panels. I stapled and buried hardware cloth around the perimeter for predator protection. I also spray painted the hardware cloth flat black so that it would be easier for us to see inside the coop. I stained the rest of the wood with Varathane Semi-Transparent stain, color “Carbon Gray.” I also added some roosts and cedar shingle siding for some extra protection during our New England winters at to match our house. Working 2-4 hours a day, off and on, with a bum shoulder and weak hands, this took me about a week! Thanks for the great plan, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Play Deck/Fort

Submitted by seeca13 on Sun, 06/01/2014 - 10:06

I wanted to build a structure for the kids to play in, but not include a playhouse. I used the playhouse deck design and made it slightly smaller (6 feet by 8 feet). The "roof" is removable to provide shade when it's sunny. It's just PVC and a tarp - pretty simple, but it does the job. I used treated posts and untreated lumber for the rest of it. I painted everything in my garage before assembling it. Once all of the wood at been painted, but came together pretty quickly!

Estimated Cost
$300 (including screws and paint)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompsons deck stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

4x4 Truss Beam Table

Submitted by CJaq7 on Wed, 10/29/2014 - 18:56

Built for my son and daughter-in-law. Love it

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut with Minwax Ultimate Poly Matte
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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