Community Brag Posts

Oversized Tufted Ottoman

Submitted by Kegusho on Fri, 07/08/2016 - 09:53

This project was inspired by the featured Diamond Tufted Ottoman plan. I combined the top with a customized plan inspired by the Cameron Coffee Table from World Market and Ana White's tutorial on how to create a weathered stain look like Restoration Hardware. 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Combination of Minwax Special Oak and Weathered Oak, followed by two thin coats of polyurethane (lightly sanded afterward for smooth finish).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Outdoor Chair

Submitted by msnook on Mon, 05/11/2020 - 09:10

This is my first project. I loved how easy it was and I loved my husband’s reaction to the completed project.

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Semi Transparent Stain in Sable
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Play Kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/08/2024 - 09:37

I made this for my two great granddaughters (6 and 2) I used the plan for One Piece Play Kitchen. I added some depth to the refrigerator. Made the Farmhouse sink from wood left over from a bed I took apart.
purchased from Amazon:
decals: $22
Peel and stick granite $8.50
Polycarbonate Clear plastic : $10
Cabinet Handles: $17
Facit: $19.99
8 hinges $13.50
Cabinet paint: $29

Wood materials were left over from previous projects. So total cost was less than $150

Pamela Grindstaff

 

Built from Plan(s)

Underbed Lego Storage

Submitted by rosiejane on Tue, 05/13/2014 - 22:28

We were in desperate need of a lego storage solution for our son's small bedroom. I made this for his 7th birthday. I saw a photo of a similar one as a result of a google or pinterest search and decided to draw up some plans.
I recessed the top slightly so that pieces won't fall off. I just glued thin cleats to the inside of the box to hold the lid, (using spacers to get it at the height I wanted) Ideally the top would be reversible however I didn't quite get one of the dividers square so it only fits one way. I used Posca water-based markers to do the text. Make sure you wait until the text is really dry before you try to seal it (don't ask me how I know that...) Turns out that the markers don't react well with the brush on poly so I just left the text unsealed.
I was just going to have one handle on the front but then I made a stupid mistake and wrote the text so it would be upside down when pulled out (I know, dumb right!) So I added another handle on the other side. I used a water-based enamel for the whole box. Not sure if that was worth it of if I should have just used flat and given it a top coat of poly. I used a brush on the inside corners and found it really hard to get an even finish because I rolled the flat surfaces. Painting the pieces before assembly would probably fix this.
Added some castors so it can be pushed under the bed.

Estimated Cost
AUD$39 (plus lego baseplate and paint markers)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
dulux aquanamel - vivid white, posca water-based poster markers
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jlharrison

Sun, 02/05/2017 - 08:48

This is so awesome. Do you think you could share a more detailed account of build. Dimensions? Supplies? I am a newbie at this! I would greatly appreciate! 

Simple Rolling Bar Cart

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/05/2016 - 13:29

Made this over the weekend with my Daughter. Gray oil based stain. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70 with wood, casters, fasteners, and stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil based gray. Brushed on then wiped with rags.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Media Storage Entertainment Center

Submitted by Beaker on Mon, 09/17/2012 - 15:21

Entertainment center with Bluray/DVD storage in the doors. Based on the Cynthia media stand by Pottery Barn. I drew it up to my personal preferences using Draftsight (free 2d cad software). Used 3/4" oak for everything except for a few trim boards. It came out great, we are very proud to call it our own.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax dark mahogany
Minwax clear gloss polyurethane (2 coats)

-assembled
-sanded
-wiped with mineral spirit dipped rag
-stained with a brush
-1st coat of urethane using a foam brush
-light sanding with 220 grit
-wiped with mineral spirit dipped rag
-2nd coat of urethane using a foam brush.

It has an almost mirror finish now.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My first project! Thanks Ana!!!

Submitted by Sherice on Tue, 07/15/2014 - 07:29

I recently resigned from my job to stay home with my kids. This gave me time to begin a long desired hobby! Thanks to this website and the awesome, easy to follow plans, I have been able to start practicing with some very practical pieces. I have been looking for extra tall stools for over five years, since moving to our current home, and have not been able to find any I'm willing to buy. They have to be special ordered and are ridiculously priced for the chintzy pieces they are. I had fun making these ones and they look gorgeous in my home.

It took me several days to complete all three, but for a more experienced person it would take much less time. I used the Kreg Jig for all holes possible. And with each stool I learned something, and each one was completed in less time than the last.

THANK YOU ANA!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Two coats of stain, two layers of urethane with sanding in between the first and second.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Outdoor bar table

Submitted by hueybp on Tue, 07/21/2020 - 20:06

Not quite finished but love the table already. Trying to decide how to stain/paint it. The Kreg jig was a must for this project. It was my first of hopefully many! I used cedar for the 4x4s and 2x6 top pieces. The 2x4s are treated lumber (only because there were no more cedar ones....apparently lumber is getting hard to get lately!!!). Anyway....thanks for the great plans and motivation for this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Lumber was about $150 bucks (I bought mitre saw and kreg jig, too)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will probably use semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Folding Garage Workbench

Submitted by SaraLodise on Sun, 08/10/2014 - 06:11

I wanted a good flat and level workspace to continue projects. This workbench folds up to the wall in my garage so I can still park when not working on anything. I made it pretty stout with 2x4s and 2x6s since it would need to support fairly large pieces of furniture without deflecting. It is very heavy as a result though (good core workout folding it up and down :) )

I used two folding shelf brackets on the legs to keep them from accidentally being kicked out from under the table while it's out. (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2001690/2615/Folding-Shelf-Bracket-8-P…)

I used four heavy strap hinges to connect the table to the 2x6 (which was lag screwed into studs). Two gate latches were used to secure the edge of the table to studs when the table is folded up.

I cut the legs approximately, and then when the table was hung I cut and shimmed them to get the table level on the uneven surface of the garage floor.

Estimated Cost
Total = $81.10 (Lumber = $33.40, Hardware = 47.70)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

HD

Fri, 08/15/2014 - 16:32

I really like this fold up bench design. It may be heavy, but I bet it's incredibly sturdy. I also have a really compact garage. I have pegboard on my walls, so a bench that folds UP doesn't work for me when I want to get a tool.

My own bench is more light duty. It's a sheet of 2x4' plywood attached to a frame made from dimensional lumber. It folds down so I have access to the tools at all times. It's based on a design on the Family Handyman website, although you can find the same design all over the web.

bschultz26

Thu, 02/05/2015 - 18:50

Great idea! I need to build this. Can I please get a picture of it folded up, so I can see the hinges on the legs and the latches holding it while folded?

webklob

Fri, 11/06/2020 - 13:55

Can you show another picture of the hinges you used on the legs that can fold out when lowered?

Thanks! Kate

Farmhouse side desk

Submitted by vprice on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 16:28

This is a modified farmhouse desk we built. It is 60” and it doesn’t have the crossbars on the backside. We put this to the side of my desk.

Camp Loft BEd

Submitted by Anna H on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 17:09

My son has a very small room so this bed is perfect! It gives him much need play space. He loves it! It was super easy to build. I added a support across the back to make it even more sturdy. Thanks Ana for another great plan!

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Black Cherry Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Finally finished my 2x4 modern adirondack chairs!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/28/2020 - 07:52

I finally finished my DIY Modern Adirondack Chairs! Frame made with 2x4 cedar lumber and seat and backs with 1x10 pine planks. Stained with Benjamin Moore Aborcoat silver grey semi-transparent stain with a clear coat. Used a free diy plan by Ana White with some slight modifications to make the chair back higher. Cost was a bit higher than expected but lumber has gotten more expensive during the Covid time.
Thanks Ana for the design and the YouTube video. I watched it at least 20 times!

Estimated Cost
About $100/chair
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Arborcoat Silver-Grey semi-transparent again, Arborcoat Clearcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Planter bench

I built this bench for a Christmas present. She loves to work in her garden and I thought this would be the perfect touch. The plans were easy to follow. I made a few minor adjustments to fit the lumber I had on hand. The center bench is only 4 foot wide so I could conserve on the amount of 2x4 I had to buy. I thought the bench turned out great!

Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My White Mudroom Bench

This was my attempt at the 'Build an Entryway Bench...' project. It was also my first Ana White build.

A few notes:

- I had to modify the length of the bench in order to fit the 12 x 16 inch wire baskets I bought off eBay. Basically, I added 5.25" to all the horizontal pieces.
- I used a jigsaw to the the half-oval cut-outs on the bottom pieces. I got this idea from a similar bench from the Pottery Barn website.
- I routed the front edge of the seat with a round-over bit.
- I also routed the inner edge of the top with a core box bit.

It was amazing how quickly this went with the right tools and a couple mornings. Thanks for checking it out!

-Will

Estimated Cost
~$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil-based enamel, satin finish, "Snowfall" color.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Dumbbell Table Desk

Submitted by romanweel on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 17:17

This table filled two needs at once for us: we needed a dumbbell or free-weight rack ($50 and up retail), and we needed some kind of desk-like surface for our home gym area that could withstand us two jump-roping fiends (um, maybe that's just my husband). Basically, it needed to be able to hold a lot (a Lot) of heavy metal stuff and take a beating while NOT Falling Over. The trestle desk was my biggest inspiration, and I guess I just stole the metal stretcher idea from that Pottery Barn dining table. It doesn't even really seem to need the metal stretcher, though...this table is beyond-my-wildest-dreams sturdy, even though it is standard counter height. The metal bar was about $17, so that's a big savings, if you leave it out. You MUST use a compound miter saw for this project. OR...you must be flexible about working with irregular cuts and joints. Also, I'm not sure I'd attempt butt-jointed 2x4's without pocket holes (or biscuit joints, I guess?), but that might just be me. I think this project could have taken only a single day if I hadn't screwed up just about every step of the way. I'm not the only one, right? You can read about a lot of those lovely embarrassments on my blog :) If you'd like the SketchUp model, it is available in the 3D Warehouse as "Dumbbell Table".

Estimated Cost
$50 - $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Boiled linseed oil and a coat of furniture wax. Since this table will be taking some hard knocks, we decided against stain or paint, which will show the pine when dinged. The oil hydrates the wood, and the wax protects it - easy upkeep is a plus.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Small Console Table

I made this table completely out of pallet wood. We have true 1x4 pallet wood which is hardwood. for the legs, I doubled up 2 pieces of pallet wood for strength. Every piece of wood is a 1x4. It turned out perfectly as I needed a narrow table for our 2nd-floor hallway. This took us a little longer than with cut lumber as there was a lot of planing and sanding since it was pallet wood. If we had used lumber it would have taken a few hours less.

Estimated Cost
20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used Jacobean Mini Wax stain and the one coat satin polyurethane. It was the first time I had used the 1 coat but it is a lot thicker than the average polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Portatore di Luce

Totally enjoyed making this for my very first brand new step-grandson Luca.  Learned a few new tricks along the way and had a blast!  

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American with a triple coat of Helmsman to protect it from the outdoor elements.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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