Community Brag Posts

Dinosaur Patchwork Dresser for Baby's Room

We wanted a bright and colorful dresser for the baby's room, and one that would match the Will Ruocco dinosaur prints that we purchased for the walls (http://etsy.me/PJ1yOs). This project spread out over many weekends but we were very happy with the results. We choose to go with legs instead of wheels, and made them tall enough that the Roomba would have clearance to get under. For the design, we used a combination of the plans here and a similar plan from The Design Confidential website.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ben Moore Advance in semi gloss, plus a coat of wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack chairs

Submitted by bz_g on Sun, 06/19/2016 - 11:13

These chairs were really fun to build. This was my first project and they turned out great. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
~$35 per chair
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompson's Water Seal Deck & House Oil Stain Semi-Transparent in Sierra Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic x coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/18/2020 - 16:51

Loved building it. Took me and my husband a couple hours to build. Originally wanted to do the lift top but by the time we were ready to do that realized the front sides weren’t wide enough to do hideaway. Wish I could have made it a little smaller but I’m in love with it. Looking to do more projects during quarantine.

Estimated Cost
110
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Map gas and Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Penny the Chicken's new house

We needed a coop for our son's chicken Penny as she was big enough to move outside. We wanted one that would hold at least 2 chickens as we plan on getting a second soon. We found the plans for the a frame chicken coop here and the next day my husband and 5 yr old son got to work. Took them about 3 hours from start to finish and it turned out great. He plans on spraying the whole thing with outside deck sealer to protect the wood and had some trim on the edges to protect the kids from getting scratched by the chicken wire.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$169
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Side Street Bunk Bed

Submitted by wotto on Sat, 03/22/2014 - 16:10

This one will be around for a while... heavy as sin, but solid.
Used 11 2x2 removable slats per level spaced 5 1/2" apart by 2x2s.
Added a 44" ladder and back rail and front rail with 30 degree miter cut on 2x4s.

Next time, would have sanded & stained the headboard/footboard 2x6s on the ends before screwing them to 2x4s. Didn't have a sander that could get between the 1/2" gap and the hand sanding from position can be tough. Overall, very pleased with the result.

Kids love it! First of many projects I will be doing from this website.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Larger Farmhouse Table w/ Removable Legs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/22/2016 - 11:41

Used Ana White's Husky Farmhouse Table plans/instructions and then made some of my own modifications to make the legs removable and expand the dimensions a bit. Turned out pretty good! This was my first project :)

Estimated Cost
~600 dollars. Had to buy some tools.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Min Wax Stain, water based
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Daybed with storage

Submitted by Jewls1385 on Mon, 04/20/2020 - 05:50

Such a fun project and my niece was so excited for her new “big girl bed”

Finish Used
Dark walnut stain satin Polyurethane

Comments

Chestwick Queen Bed

Submitted by maw0130 on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 19:29

Built this as a platform bed for guest bedroom. Nice, sturdy bed.

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Niki Maddux (not verified)

Sat, 09/29/2012 - 04:11

I Love this Bed. Would love king size dimensions. This is exactly what I have been looking for.

New England Channing Desk

my very first project! i surprised myself on how AWESOME this desk came out! although im not a huge fan of the finish i selected but i can live with it. i also used oak plywood (which i will never used again), poplar and i also used cedar planking for the backing and drawer base. i learned a lot from this project, mostly what not to do for the future, like use plywood.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Stackable fruit and veggie crates

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/25/2016 - 23:31

 Love all of the projects on this website. I am just getting in to woodworking but am loving learning all of things that I can do with these wonderful plans. I used all 1x2s for my fruit and veggie crates since they didn't have what I was looking for here at my lowes. Kind of limited on lumber around these parts unless I drive an hour away. A good sanding and these crates came out great. Smooth and stylish!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No stain, just a good sanding.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

4x4 truss beam table

Nice update for our place. Pretty simple based on the plans.

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MInwax Classic Black for the legs. No color on top, just natural. Finished with 4 coats of Helmsman spar urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Wine Caddy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2023 - 09:04

One of my first projects…thank you Ana White for building my confidence in wood working! ❤️

Midge Newth

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Red and Black Hutch

Submitted by market5e on Sat, 06/09/2012 - 13:34

This was an older hutch, oak in color. I took off the top glass doors off, put wood putty where the hinges were. I lightly sanded the hutch and cleaned it with TSP. Finally I primed and then painted black first. I used a candle to put wax on the area's I wanted to look distressed. After the black dried, I lightly sanded again, before I sprayed the red paint on. I lightly sanded the hutch once more, concentrating on the black to show through. Finally I glazed the hole hutch in a black. Black baskets were added to add to the appeal.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Entrance Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Fri, 04/04/2014 - 07:00

Wanted to build a cabinet for the entrance and liked the look of the Rustic X console but wanted drawers and doors too. Second piece from mainly own design just incorporating those Rustic X ends.

The piece is 6ft long for the main cabinet part.

Found the hinges off the internet and just trying to find some matching drawer pulls now. (Any suggestions greatly welcomed).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony (2 coats) and Minwax Poly Satin (3 coats).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ledges for two Kids

This was my first project after buying a miter saw. I used 2 inch screws to secure the back to the ledge, then nails (I think 2 inch?) to secure the front lip to the ledge. I then covered the nail holes with wood filler, painted with a white glossy paint that I had on hand for my house's trim, and secured into the wall with anchors and screws. 

 

It was a fairly easy project and I used the cheapest wood found at home depot (each ledge literally cost less than a dollar for the wood). It did take me several hours but considering it was my first project, it was pretty fast. I'm sure someone with more experience could knock these out in 1-2 hours! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to build something else. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Off the shelf white interior glossy paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Modified Rustic X coffee table

This is a modified version of the Rustic X coffee table I added six inches to the length And I used 4 different color stains to get the aged looked All done with construction grade lumber.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ebony, espresso, carbon gray, weathered gray with semi gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kitchen Island with Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/11/2023 - 09:17

I started with your basic plan but i slightly modified it with out the overhang too much and added a set of doors and covered where the seating would be. But it still has room for two seats .. I made mine rustic :-)

backyarddiybuilder.ca

Built from Plan(s)

Toddler Bed & Quilt

My son has been falling/climbing out of his crib. My wife wanted a toddler bed as soon as possible, which meant yesterday. She has had this in mind for some time considering she made this marvelous quilt for our little dude. The bed is pretty crude from a joinery standpoint. It's just butt joints with glue and screws. The dimensional lumber gives a nice break on the pocket book, especially when it's free from helping someone move it into my truck. The joints get some spice by button plugs. It's not finished with anything special, just some 120 grit. I figure we will probably paint it to match his new room in the house we are moving into next week. I wish I could have made it out of pocket holes entirely but the box o' screws wasn't in the budget when the wood is free and the 2-1/2" screws are given to you. Bottom line is that my wife is happy with her hubby the the little stud muffin is happy with his "big boy" bed.

Estimated Cost
2 Gatorades worth of sweat
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern farmhouse bench

Submitted by Schlages18 on Sun, 04/06/2014 - 10:58

Modern farmhouse bench used as entryway bench/storage

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Brown Mahogany with two coats of semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Back