Community Brag Posts

Sweet Pea Bunk Bed Plans turned into a dream for our Little Girl

Submitted by ShushiGirl on Thu, 01/30/2014 - 09:01

We loved the Sweet Pea plans so much but we didn't need bunk beds. We turned it into a loft bed with a playhouse underneath. We also inverted the shelves on the stairs to be inside the playhouse due to her room size. Added a second roof and window boxes. This project was fun and took us 10 days to complete. Thank You so very much for sharing these AWESOME plans!!

Estimated Cost
$1100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used Baer Premium Paint sold at Home Depot
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

junior2725

Sun, 02/02/2014 - 22:11

I am looking at making this for my daughter and I also want to do a playhouse on the bottom as she is a single child. Did you just extend the opening to the bottom bunk to the floor and then extend the bottom windows down some to let in more light? Also, I love the idea of switching the storage from the stairs to inside the playhouse. If possible could you elaborate on how you did this. Thank you.

ShushiGirl

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 15:46

We omitted the bottom bunk and took it straight to the floor. We left the side panel clear but the frame until we built the stairs then added trim & side boards around the cubbies.

nadia37

Sat, 05/24/2014 - 07:51

First of all, what an amazing job on your build! I was looking for ideas for a playhouse and I will be modifying the plans for Sweet Pea Bunk beds and your build let's me know how get it can be. But what colors did you use? The look great together!

E81firegirl

Sun, 07/17/2016 - 14:49

I love the changes on this!  I had a question.  What did you use for the roof and is the lower roof section built to the same specifications as the upper roof?

Coffee Table!

Submitted by kschuck on Sun, 02/02/2014 - 15:18

We completed this project over several weekends, but that was mostly because we only worked on it for an hour or two. I was THIS close to purchasing a $499 coffee table from Crate and Barrel, when I saw these plans. I wasn't sure how the drawers would work, since we couldn't find short enough drawer slides, so we kind of had to improvise by making our own. This way, we avoided the extra weight from a third piece of plywood on the bottom-most level. We had the sanded plywood cut at Home Depot, and amazingly it fit perfectly! We used the Kregg Jig on almost everything, except for the plywood, because our screws were just a touch too long for 1/2". We definitely had to measure each drawer individually, because they were not the same! (Can you tell? I hope not). It's a good thing I was going for the rustic look, because every time I had a bad spot, I could just hammer it around a bit and make it look worn. We finished this project with a stain and sanded off the edges to keep it from looking too perfect.

We had a great time with this project, and are trying to refrain from starting on the console table!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut, followed by Minwax finishing paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Bookcase

Submitted by kristyzed on Sat, 02/15/2014 - 10:35

I wanted to build a piece for my living room that I could add onto later with other matching pieces. This was perfect since it has the matching coffee table, side table, and console table. It was my first time making angle cuts, and not tricky like I thought it would be. This is a very solid piece and fits in nicely with my decor.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Minwax's Espresso stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

dbraa

Mon, 04/13/2015 - 18:24

Knotty Pine 2x boards aren't available here. Could you provide more specifics about what you used for each type of board?

Modified Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 14:28

I loved the idea of roll away cabinets that could double as more tabletops for larger projects but then be able to hide them and save space. I usually have 2 cars parked in the garage and space us at a premium. Instead of a mitersaw I placed my scrollsaw in the middle added peg board, lights, and a shelf. Thanks for the plans and the idea.

Estimated Cost
$325.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wood working workbenches.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Corner beds

Submitted by CLDavis on Sat, 03/15/2014 - 12:52

Thanks for the plans! The beds turned out great. I just made everything about 6 inches higher for more storage space.

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

Matching Stools for Kids

This was my second project from Ana White, and overall it was successful. I used a miter saw for the cuts (struggled with the bevel because my 12 inch saw isn't a slider, a kreg jig to attach everything (struggled to attach the 1x3s to the legs due to the angle of the dril and tight space), but everything eventually was held solidly together and it's really very sturdy. My husband is about 160 and he was able to jump on it with absolutely no give. 

 

The paint is just small samples we had on hand from home depot to coordinate with other projects in the kids' rooms, and I handpainted the letters. I finished it with a double coat of polycrylic. 

Estimated Cost
$20 total for two stools.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
paint and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adjusted Counter Height Farmhouse Table

Submitted by rahurtado on Mon, 05/04/2020 - 23:26

I liked the look of the “counter height table” and adjusted the height to make it a table for an office. I used 4x4s for the legs and oak for the top.
I used a biscuit joiner to join the top, a Dremel tool to carve grooves in the frame so I could attach the top with figure 8 fasteners (allows wood to move as it expands and contracts).

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Custom Gate

Submitted by zduchene on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 22:41

When we first moved into our new home one of the first things that I built for it was this custom gate that resides at the top of our stairs. We needed this to keep the baby from falling down and keep the dogs out when need be. Overall it was a great way to separate the two areas. It is also inexpensive and easy to build. I used a pneumatic nailer for all of the joinery on this one so it was quick to build as well.

Estimated Cost
75-125
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American Varathane Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Vintage Doll Cradle

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 09:59

I used leftover plywood (1/4 inch) instead, but would only recommend it, if you plan to paint the cradle (due to splintering when you make your cuts). I also used my nail gun instead of screws, which worked fine since the wood is a lot thinner and lighter. The cradle is very sturdy and my 4-year-old loves it. Thanks for the awesome plans!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Dining table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/07/2016 - 09:28

Took the plans from Ana white and made my own twist to it! Came out awesome and the person loved it that I made it for! Kona stain on table top and Navajo white on the bottom. Did the same for benches and chairs to match! Thanks for the great instructions! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kona stain and Navajo white, clear gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Raised Bed Garden Enclosure

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/28/2020 - 17:08

We perviously had a larger garden farther back in the yard, it was on the ground which is very hard and rocky. It was tough to till and maintain, so it was taken down a few years ago.

My wife and teenage daughter have green thumbs and have planted herbs and tomatoes in pots over the past few years, but this year they wanted something more substantial. After an online search we found this plan.

It was a bit small for what the girls had planned, so with a little bit of tweaking, we changed the depth of the enclosure to 10'. It was pretty easy to do. Also the girls wanted the beds to be a bit deeper, so we made them three 2x6's deep instead of two

It was built by my wife and I in one weekend, well actually the truth is we built the entire enclosure, minus the door on Saturday about 10am and finish up about 5:30pm. I built the door the next day and we hung it together.

Just an FYI, I have quite a bit of woodworking experience and have a workshop with table saw, band saw and much, much more. I did use the table saw for most of the cuts, with the exception of the gate support which I cut using the band saw.

One caveat, if you have the lumber yard cut any pieces for you, make sure all the lumber is the same length. It's kind os a nit picky thing, but none of the lumber was exactly the length shown on the labels. If you want all the joints to be "perfect" I suggest measuring and cutting all the pieces to the correct length to match the plans.

We also used an industrial hand held staple gun to fasten the chicken wire.

The cost of all the materials, including two sets of work gloves came out to $447.92 from Home Depot in 2020.

We are now waiting for a delivery of the top soil to fill the beds. Since we used weatherguard lumber, we are going to gat plastic sheeting and line the beds.

It was a fun project and my girls are looking forward to planting all their seedlings.

For fun we made a time lapse video, which I have uploaded to Youtube. If you watch closely, you will see that we started the build in one area of the yard and moved it because the ground sloped much more than we originally thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7vvBLy034U&list=WL&index=112&t=0s

I hope that our experience may help others in some small way.

Thank you Ana for making these plans available!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$447.92
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondack Chairs - first ever wood project completed

Submitted by fessehaye2 on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 17:00

Thank you for these really easy, step by step instructions. This was my first ever wood project and did it with borrowed mitre saw and few other tools I had at home. I'm now hooked and already planning my next project, twin beds for my kids.

Comments

BLUE BENCH

Submitted by spustay74 on Mon, 06/16/2014 - 05:26

This was my wife and I's first Ana White project. We are now hooked, and loved spending time together building something we will enjoy for years, and our dog mindy of course was the first to test our beautiful bench out!

Thanks Ana,

Steve & Courtney

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80$
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Spray paint, Clear coat sealer. If we did it again, we would use regular exterior paint instead of spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Garden Box with Trellis

Submitted by JenFarrell on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 07:13

We wanted a small garden to fit on the back patio stones and this plan fit well. We reduced the height because we have 3 small children to "help" water the plants. The trellis was hoping that we could extend the amount of produce we could grow. They're very heavy, sturdy and straightforward to build. Thanks very much!!

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grill Station

Submitted by JDillen on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 15:32

Grill station

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Balustrade Coffee Table

Love this table! Created from Ana Whites Balustrade Coffee Table plans. Looks just like the table from RH.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
First coat SW New Ebony Stain
second coat Varathane Briarsmoke
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/26/2020 - 21:41

This was a fun project to build! It took about 1.5 hours to build start to finish, with another couple of hours to stain and then seal.

Estimated Cost
$43
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut stain and Satin Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chest of drawers

Submitted by charae22 on Mon, 08/04/2014 - 08:35

I needed this to be a little taller, so I added another drawer. Other than that, all the other dimensions were the same. I built it in one weekend, but the finishing took about 5 days (for drying time between coats). I was trying to match a baby bed (expresso) so I stained it dark. I also used plywood on the sides, top and drawer fronts instead of pine boards. It really turned out great and matched the bed perfectly.

Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Wood Conditioner, 3 coats of English Chestnut, 2 coats of Ebony (Minwax), 3 coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sharshar1960

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 11:11

LOVE the finish on this piece! Can you elaborate on the two stains? Did you alternate?

In reply to by sharshar1960

charae22

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 11:43

No, I didn't alternate. I needed the base color to be a deeper brown so it took 3 coats of English Chestnut. Then 2 coats of Ebony over the English Chestnut, to get the black, layered look. I put each coat on, then wiped it off after a few minutes. On the last layer of Ebony, I only lightly removed the stain. The brown shows through in some areas which is exactly what the bed had. I used the oil-based Minwax.

In reply to by sharshar1960

charae22

Mon, 08/04/2014 - 11:43

No, I didn't alternate. I needed the base color to be a deeper brown so it took 3 coats of English Chestnut. Then 2 coats of Ebony over the English Chestnut, to get the black, layered look. I put each coat on, then wiped it off after a few minutes. On the last layer of Ebony, I only lightly removed the stain. The brown shows through in some areas which is exactly what the bed had. I used the oil-based Minwax.

tmclifton

Tue, 09/09/2014 - 19:43

I love the finish!  Did you use the satin wipe on poly, or gloss? 

cirkit1

Wed, 10/21/2015 - 11:44

can you comment on the stain with sandeply.  did you use sanding sealer?

i have read many a comment on issues with staining sandeply but yours looks awesome.

i like the approach.

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