Community Brag Posts

Craft Organization Cabinet

Submitted by moemoore on Mon, 10/08/2012 - 03:59

I have been needing to create more storage, while organizing my craft/spare bedroom. I had a piece of pegboard, and got some inspiration while pouring over Pinterest.

I decided to venture out and try something really new to me - routing. Bear in mind I only have a Dremel with the cheap router attachment - not the routing table thing. I'm happy to say it came out great! I have more pictures i'll upload soon of the actual routing. I did craft up a jig of sorts to keep my routing line (or whatever its called) straight. I did run into some math errors, which resulting in me having to cut things down a couple times. But now I know how things work when piecing together routed frames.

I had 2 pieces of 1x12x36. To keep the routing lines as even as possible, I did the the routing before I cut the pieces.

I used my Kreg Jig to join the sides. I assembled by attaching the 2 sides and the bottom. Then slide the pegboard in, and attached the top piece. Then since my routing line was a bit wider that the pegboard, I used caulk in the back to fill it in, keeping the pegboard nice and tight.

I plan to add doors to the cabinet at a later date. Right now it definitely fills my needs!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

An easy and special first birthday gift

Submitted by Eatrunplay on Wed, 07/30/2014 - 18:30

It was friends son's first birthday and had no idea what a could get a couple that didn't like gifts, or many toys for that matter. I search the site and stumbled upon this great addition to any little boys room, an airplane shelf! So it took me about 2 hours to make it with taking break for things to dry, and I didn't follow the exact directions just because I didn't have all of the items, in fact it was all from scraps I had around the house and the front round piece was actually the top of a peanut butter jar painted.

Estimated Cost
10.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
basic glidden primer+paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

X-less console

Submitted by edsopko on Sun, 11/13/2016 - 12:11

Used the plans for teh x-table, but left out the Xes and opted for 2x4 pieces on each side to fill the gap. Went "fancy" and made it two tone for added interest. Have developed my "signature look" of staining over paint for the base.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax espresso stain, and Glidden oil based furniture paint in antique white
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Queen size farmhouse bed

Submitted by ltodd on Wed, 10/10/2012 - 19:10

I made the farmhouse bed and I love how it turned out.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

SZahn (not verified)

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 13:37

That looks wonderful!! I love the finish!!! I would love to see a few more pictures as this is one beautiful build. What color paint did you use? Keep up the excellent work, your providing inspiration!

SZahn (not verified)

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 13:37

That looks wonderful!! I love the finish!!! I would love to see a few more pictures as this is one beautiful build. What color paint did you use? Keep up the excellent work, your providing inspiration!

ltodd

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 19:20

Thank you. I used Rust-Oleum flat black oil enamel. I have not actually attached it to the bed frame yet. When I do, I will add some more photos.

Our Toy Box

Submitted by djsaffer19 on Sun, 08/03/2014 - 19:54

Toy box for our kids that someday will become a blanket box or something else around the house. Customized with the S for our last name. Use a piano hinge and folding lid support on one side. Made another for our friends with the West Virginia logo.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Provincial minwax stain, rustoleum spray paint for the S, and polycrylic clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bzhayes

Thu, 04/16/2015 - 08:37

Hello, I just built this same trunk and it turned out great. However, I had a hard time finding a set of soft stay support hinges for the inside. Did you install any and if you did could you tell me what kind (brand) and also a picture of how your hinges look on the back of the trunk and when it is open. That would be great. I went to the original site and asked but they don't respond.

Laundry Basket Tower

Submitted by KeithT on Wed, 11/16/2016 - 08:32

I built this for our laundry sorting needs using the Brook 4 tall and lengthwise plan. I modified the plan to take the baskets width wise, added a little more distance between baskets, and added guide rails above each basket (except the top one) to allow them to be partial pulled out without flipping out. I also beveled and slightly rounded the front of the guide rails just for looks. I think it turned out pretty good for my first woodworking project.
 

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

Pardon Tower Desk

Built this desk for my wife a couple months back. Love how it turned out, plans were a huge help as I am new to woodworking.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut, Minwax One Coat Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Dress Up Station

I came across your plans Ana for this dress up Station. My Daughters 2nd birthday was this month and I thought this would be a perfect gift. Your plans were so easy to follow and it came out perfect...she loved it! I'll definitely be back for more do-it-yourself projects from you.

Thanks so much for the inspiration!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray on Primer and 2 coats of Spray Paint (Apple Green)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toddler Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Faithvalle on Tue, 08/05/2014 - 19:09

I gotta be honest, I'm kind in love with the farmhouse collection and when i saw this little bed i knew i had to build it for my 2years old and he loves it. It is so perfect for him, not too big and not too small. The bed was very easy to build, affordable and very strong ( trust me, my son makes me lay down there with him sometimes so he can go to sleep) . I changed the plans for a 28" wide crib mattress after reading all the comments, but it was really easy to do. I'm very happy how it came out.
Thank you Ana for sharing all the amazing plans with us and i'm looking forward to start building more furniture soon, my to-do-list is just getting longer and longer lol.
Thank You Ana XOXOXO

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

American Girl Doll Horse Stable built for two

My husband made this for my daughter and her friend to have stables at each house for their horses.  We painted the roof with blackboard paint to making decorating fun and creative.

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

Comments

DIY Outdoor Wood Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/22/2024 - 10:03

Had to adapt sizes slightly as timber in the UK is sold in metres, not feet -so the lengths are slightly shorter but really pleased with the result!

Tracey317

Built from Plan(s)

Loft Bed

Submitted by melleemak on Sun, 10/21/2012 - 08:51

This project took a little more time than expected. Being new at this I'm definitely not efficient yet. Sanding and staining took the longest. Though the plans said to put it together in the room then sand and stain, we chose to stain it outside then put it together, so to avoid the mess in the room (renting and couldn't risk it!). That worked well for us. We also added 5 inches to the height so some day it could be converted into a full bunk bed. For some joints we should have used 2" screws rather than the 2 1/2" suggested in the plans, some of the screws went all the way through to the other side.  We used key hole plates to attach the stairs to the platform to make it easy to take apart and put together. We also adde 45 degree braces to support the extra height and an extra brace around 3 sides of the bottom which will one day be the frame for the bottom bunk. It worked really well. The boys love it!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax 2 in one Bombay Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Storage Bed Success!

Submitted by maction17 on Fri, 08/08/2014 - 02:52

I took Ana's awesome queen-sized storage bed plans and jut made a couple minor tweaks for my full. Our bedroom is TINY, so I wanted queen (or king) sized drawers/cubbies, which means I kept 20" depth. The side boxes run 53" in length, 54" for the end. I used poplar ply for the boxes, red oak for the trim, and I stained everything with a Varathane Early American wood stain, followed by a couple coats of polycrylic. It came out beautifully, and I love how easy it is to move around and set up.

For the final step, I'm still debating adding drawers or doors, which would hinge on the bottom and secure with cabinet magnets. I'm leaning toward the latter just because our bedroom is so small it will make accessibility a bit easier.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Early American; Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Hall Tree for Garage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/22/2016 - 18:59

made this for the garage...burnt the wood for rustic look

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

Window Seat

Submitted by MaryL220 on Tue, 08/11/2020 - 19:28

My daughter turned 5 in July. She loves twirly dresses, unicorns, and building. Her current project is a full size airplane made from wood. She is certainly ambitious. For her birthday, she received all kinds of building toys (Legos, knex, etc.) and quickly got to work, creating masterpiece after masterpiece. Like every 5 year old, dismantling a masterpiece is unthinkable. So, she has taken it upon herself to display her projects on every available surface, despite its intended function (i.e., my desk). We needed something that she could use to build, store, and display her projects that wasn't in the way and didn't disrupt our everyday routines (Mama's gotta work!).

Enter, this window seat. I've been wanting to build one for years but never really found a plan I liked. This is exactly what I was looking for, as it has enough building space and storage space to meet our needs. Maybe one day i'll get to use it as a window seat!

I used the flip top storage bench plan and modified the length to fit our windows. The lid is 69" wide and the base is 64.5". I added some supports in the middle, as well. I painted the inside storage space purple to give it a kid friendly touch. I also added lid supports on both sides to prevent pinched fingers.

Estimated Cost
$100?
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint with purple paint in the storage area. Sealed with mod podge hard coat. 😁
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Simple and Elegant Stool

Submitted by Jake on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 08:36

This is the second of the Simplest Stool design I retrieved from Ana's site and built. I love the stool for its ease of construction and beautiful lines. Get your measurements spot on and it goes together in a flash. I did use a 15 inch diameter project round for the seat. I built it upon the request of a friend so they have to finish it. Lots of PHs in this small stool so I wish that Kreg or someone would produce PH inserts that easily fit where you have 11/4 inch ph screws.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Seat $7.50, Legs $4, 1x2 $6 plus misc or about $20 or a little less.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None, but if I were to do it I would paint the support a white satin and stain the seat a semi-dark gunstock or a really nice golden oak. Do them separately and then make the attachment.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Great project!

Submitted by roydub83 on Sun, 08/10/2014 - 20:18

This is an extremely easy project and great for beginners. The step by step guide was spot on. I would only suggest that if you are having your local home goods store do the cutting to make sure they cut according to the guide given or you will end up with only enough "correct cuts" to make one shelf.

I applied a dark brown base coat and then a nice coat of DIY chalk paint (off white). I distressed the edges and a couple of spots on the top shelf and topped it off with clear paste wax. Looks great in the living room.

Thank you for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
DIY Chalk Paint (Distressed) with clear paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sweet Pea Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/26/2016 - 16:24

This project cost us about $850CAN and took us around a week (5ish hours a day) to complete. My husband and I are definitely not carpenters so it's not perfect but it's pretty amazing :)

we made several alterations to the plans including making the bottom bunk larger to accommodate a double/full size mattress. We also made the "door" to the bottom bed larger with an opening of 30". Another alteration was we dropped the mattress cleats to 9" off the ground so that the mattress dat down in the bed. The bed is for our 2 year old so we thought she would have trouble getting in if it was much higher. This eliminated the storage area underneath but she has a large closets so we didn't think it would be an issue. 

The plans were great and pretty easy to follow. We are over the moon with how it all turned out! 

Estimated Cost
$850
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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