Community Brag Posts

Modern Outdoor Patio Set

Submitted by dlangford on Sat, 09/05/2020 - 16:08

Built this over the weekend for my girlfriends sister. It was a great project and the whole family was able to work together on it, sanding and waterproofing it before assembling. The loveseat plans need a little tweaking. We ran ran the slats the same direction as the chair plans call for so we added a middle support for extra stability. We also pitched the seating down towards the back by 5* to make a more natural sitting position.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Cedar Natural Tone Waterproofing Stain and Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Basement Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/27/2016 - 11:44

Thanks for the instructions! Here's my version. I haven't built much of anything before, but I needed it in my basement to handle kids' stuff. My version is 18 feet long. I combined a 12-foot and 6-foot 2x4 to get that length, which meant less cutting, which I had done at Lowe's (for free). I used the 6-foot 2x4s throughout the shelf to ensure it was strong (in other words, I didn't want a 12-foot "section" and a weaker 6-foot "section" added on).

 

I was able to get everything in my car but the ride home was slow. I also had to use my egress window to get the 12-foot boards in the basement.

 

Total cost for me was about $170 including a couple boxes of screws and wood glue. I could've easily spent double the cost on store-bought shelving. Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$170
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Love our new greenhouse!

With the help of friends and family, we managed to build this greenhouse rather easily. We had to start with the foundation since the spot we chose was not an even grade. We did this by filling sono tubes with cement and leveling each off so the greenhouse would have a solid place to sit. We then built out a frame around the outside of the cement tubes with some reclaimed 6x6's. After that, we filled the space with 5 tons of river rock and then got to work! After the foundation was ready putting the rest of the house together was a piece of cake. The frame was so easy to put together. We had a few minor kinks to work out here and there, I won't say this house came out 100% perfectly, BUT I am so happy with the end results. We chose to paint it a deep green color as a final touch. So far we just moved a few potted plants from our deck to the greenhouse for the winter. It has been working very well to keep the plants cozy during the colder days we've had. Eventually, I plan to build a potting station, shelving, and most likely a garden bed for winter harvests.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 09:52

The foundation looks great the greenhouse looks amazing! I'm sure fun was had building it too:) Thanks for sharing.

Seasonal And Holiday

Great Patio Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:02

I wanted sturdy seating for my patio. Ana White had the perfect plans for my L shaped seating and coffee table. It was simple to put together and we love it!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Raised Wood Planters by Urban Wood Solutions

Planters build by Urban Wood Solutions

Comments

Playhouse with Swing Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/01/2016 - 12:48

We really enjoyed building this playhouse swing set for our kids.  We have a decent slope to our backyard, so we needed to sink our posts, which required a bit more work thank Ana's plans.  We also used a real window (my dad just happened to have in his garage) instead of the 3 open aired windows Ana's plans called for.  Inside we built a fold under table, shelf, and a chalkboard for thier entertainment.  

Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Wood Coffe Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/03/2024 - 14:00

Farmhouse Coffee Table with a bit of Rustic "X" Coffee Table. Thank you so much for the plans. This was a nice build. I opted for pocket holes and panel glue up so for me, it wasn't a one day build. :)

WRH

Built from Plan(s)

Firewood Shed using Round Posts and 2x4s

Submitted by tommybo76 on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 15:50

I used the basic design principles from Ana's site but decided to use 3.5x6.5 round fence posts (purchased at my local Tractor Supply Company) for a different look plus they are a little cheaper than 4x4 posts. I also used pressure treated 2x4s for some added strength and perhaps longer durability. I used Ana's cedar fence pickets idea for my roof (these pickets are used as walls on one of the other shed plans on this site). I didn't need a very robust roof as my firewood shed sits underneath the deck which provides a lot of protection from the rain. I attached the structure using 3 inch deck screws and the roof with 1.5 inch deck screws (nails would have been more than adequate for the roof but I had the screws on hand).

I did run into some problems due to my design changes. Most of my issues involved attempting to square up the round posts which are much closer in shape to a jagged stick than dimension lumber such as a 4x4 post. If I had to do it over again I would not have used the round posts. Constant tweaks and adjustments to the posts significantly delayed my build time and frustrated me at times. I was just barely able to wedge my woodshed in between the 2 deck posts which actually came in handy as I was able to secure the shed to the deck posts with 3 inch screws...making the shed very solid! The final issue I discovered after loading up my wood shed. The 2x4s at the bottom of the structure began to sag. I fixed this by using my floor jack to raise them up and placed 8 inch tall 4x4s underneath (2 in the front and 2 in the back).

Overall I'm happy with the way it turned out and I really love all the plans on this site...GREAT ideas!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Modern TV Console

Just finished up this unique TV console.  Built from reclaimed pallet wood. 

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear coat of wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Templar

Mon, 12/02/2019 - 22:10

Hi there Im new to site and also have the issue of not seeing the plans for this Rustic Modern TV Console. Are they available and Im doing something wrong or??

Cluckingham Cottage

Cluckingham Cottage wasn’t built in a day, but it WAS built by a DAME!
A-frame instructions were pretty helpful considering the builder knows nothing about construction. I made a few modifications to accommodate my 5 chooks + 2 bantams . Sturdy and tight structure.

Estimated Cost
Under $400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by dionneds on Sun, 04/10/2022 - 07:16

This was our first big project with our Kreg Jig. We adapted the plans to make the sofa 8' long. On Friday night, my husband did all the cuts and I pre-painted everything. With the help of our son, we had the whole sofa built in a few hours on Saturday morning. I puttied the visible holes, did a second coat of paint, and made custom cushions. The plans were very easy to follow. I followed the others' advice about pre-painting and assembling the back on a perfectly level surface. It came out better than I expected and it's super comfortable!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

kdykes08

Mon, 04/11/2022 - 07:44

I want the plans for this one! I like this style a lot better. I really like how the bottom cushions are at a slant. I suck at modifying plans.

Seasonal And Holiday

Just My Size Closet

Just My Size Closet!

Built this from Ana's plans with a few modifications.

Started with a big empty box after ripping the old stuff out and finished with this look.

Adjustable shelves and all !

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever white paint my wife bought !!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chunky leg bedframe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/12/2019 - 17:43

I got tired of sleeping on the floor like college kids, but I didn’t want to buy a junky particle board bedframe. My husband and I are novice woodworkers. Even still, we bought the lumber around noon and managed to finish the whole project in about 5-6 hours! We used a Kreg jig for the first time and it was pretty simple. I am really pleased with how this turned out, and I can’t wait to try more of Ana’s plans in the future.

Estimated Cost
$100 including the cost of pockethole screws and finishing nails.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar 3 tier planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 09:33

I made the boxes a little wider than the plans called for but still came out great. I'm very happy. Thanks Ana for the inspiration.

Comments

Elijah's Washer & Dryer Pedestal

I got this Idea from Sausha's washer dryer pedestal post.  Before then i didnt know people even built pedestals for their washer and dryer.  Just purchased new front load washer and dryer and they wanted 250 bucks extra for each pedestal.  That is 500 bucks and is absolutely rediculous.  So i opted out of those and thought to myself maybe I can build something instead.  So I began my search online and stumbled across this post which seems to be the most popular pedestal build on the web.  I think sausha's build is fantastic and absolutely beautiful though I went another way with mine.

I tend to like to overbuild things.  Especially in this case, seeing as the washer weighs a beastly 200 pounds by itself.  I figured with clothes and water it would be about 235 pounds just for the washer.  I noticed that with the aluminum drawer pedestals that you can purchse with the washer and dryer the support is only where the legs from the washer and dryer will sit.  That was all I needed to get on my way.  Purchased some regular old douglas fir 2x4's, 4x4's, and a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4 inch plywood.  I opted to use fence post brackets to tie everything together because I didnt feel like driller pocket holes in each 2x4 when you were not going to see them once its all said and done.  The fence brackets are not structural so they lack ridgidity untill you tie everything together with the legs, slats, and top.  Cut the top from the 3/4 plywood sheet and used the left over plywood to cover the front and the sides.  I left the back open as it is not seen anyway. 

Total size of the pedestal is 56" wide x 31" deep x 12 3/4 inches tall, but you can build it as wide, deep or as tall as you need it.  When i was done putting it together.  I tested it by jumping up and down on it and I weigh 230 pounds.  So this thing is quite strong.  I finished it up by covering the edges where the plywood meet with Edge moulding and the bottom with baseboard to match my laundry room.  I used Behr premium plus ultra paint on most of it and, behr alkyd paint for the baseboards.  Gave the top a couple coats of General Finishes High Performance Polyurethane.  Which isnt neccessary but I opted to do so because of the weight of the washer and dryer and the General Finishes High performance dries harder than most other polys that I have used.  I only used it on the top though. 

Taking into account that I used the paint and baseboards left over from renovating my laundry room.  This project cost about 150 bucks.  200 if you have to purchase the paint and moulding.  Quite easy to do and though I made the cutes I needed with my table saw.  This can be done with a circular saw and a drill.  No exotic tools are needed.  Will post finished pictures when my washing machine and dryer are delivered on friday and they are sitting on top of the pedestal. 

Estimated Cost
150 give or take a few bucks.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor hangout using 2x4 and fence boards

Submitted by sylvialh on Sun, 06/16/2019 - 18:13

Bought enough lumber for one sofa but ended up using old fence boards for the  decking so had enough lumber to make the sectional and a shortened coffee table. 

Great way to save some cash even if u have to buy the fence posts. 

Added a reinforcing piece to the one armed sofa between the legs using a kreg jig to stabilize the legs a bit more. 

Waiting on my foam from Amazon to finish off this project!

Used inspiration from the beer/wine cooler patio table and made the middle of the table removable to add a buck underneath later. 

Note the 5 year old patio set, also an ana white project from back in the day!

Super quick build!

I did find that the measurements for customizing it for your cushion size seemed about 1.5 inches too big for all the depth pieces so I sized down but I haven't received my foam yet so maybe I'm wrong but Smth to think about. I didn't want my cushions to slide around so I took that into consideration when building. 

Estimated Cost
60$ CAD for the high density foam for each sofa (3x24x72) plus throw cushions for the back.

11 2x4x10 - cost varies depending on cedar or PT
Fence boards were reused

Outdoor Fabric to cover the foam
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Big Kids Picnic Table

Submitted by gsnpbc on Mon, 04/24/2017 - 10:00

My son and I made this table this weekend in just a couple of hours with no problems. The directions were clear and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

I doubled the recipe and built a table that seats 12!

Submitted by JMRojas on Fri, 03/06/2015 - 14:07

I used the Farmhouse Table plans and just extended the measurements to build an extra-long outdoor table that seats 12.

 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Tea, vinegar, and steel wool
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/15/2023 - 13:37

My husband and I had worked on this bed together, and we are so happy with it! We went with taller side tables that we purchased, and just stained the wood instead of painting it.

Comments

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