Community Brag Posts

Rainbow Poplar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/25/2017 - 05:07

My first woodworking project.  

The top is poplar and I had the local lumbar yard cut them to uniform thickness, planed and jointed.  That made a nice close connection when it came time to glue and screw. 

Also since it was not dimensional lumbar the boards are cut to actual size so mine is a few inches wider than the original plans. 

I needed to modify the plans in order to make the top removable so I fashioned 4 blocks and attached them to the insides of the apron, and used a spade bit to drill out a 7/8" hole.  Then attached 3/8" hanger bolts to the top and attached to the base with wingnuts and washers.  Worked like a charm!

I wanted to keep all the interesting variance in the top so it's just natural with Minwax Satin Poly.

Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax ebony stain with 2 coats poly for the base and all natural top with 3 coats poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First Build EVER!

Submitted by arowe10 on Fri, 12/11/2020 - 06:42

This was a great “gateway” build! This is easy to do and gave me the space to dig deeper into my newfound woodworking hobby! It’s not perfect but I love it!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)

American Girl Doll Horse Stable

Submitted by Dantana1 on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 08:40

So.....my Daughter has this American Girl doll, and she loves it. Then she saves up $75 to buy this HUGE Horse...why? I have no idea, but she loves it.

At Christmas time, Ana White was so kind to post diagrams for building a Horse Stable and with a few minor changes (shingled roof, golden hooks, some stain) I built it with my new Kreg jig (that was my Christmas gift from Santa).

Hope you enjoy the pictures . . .

Ana - Thank you, I enjoy your site and you certainly will be hearing from me in the near future.

Thanks for all you do :-)

Estimated Cost
$40.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Chocolate Brown stain, shims for roof.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

dananryan

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 09:59

I love your modifications. What a great idea to use shims for the roof! I might have to copy this. Great job.

Ana White

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 10:15

Oh I love this!!!! I can't tell you how giddy up happy I am to see the horse stable! Love the roof and the gold hardware too - so cute! Thanks for sharing, truly made my day!

linseylouwho

Sat, 11/23/2013 - 19:18

Oh, I'm in love with the shingles!
My daughter is getting her third AG doll, Saige, for Christmas and my sisters are getting her the horse too. Well, you can't have a horse without a stable too, right?
I've got all the supplies to build the stable and now all I have left to figure out is how you attached the shims to the plywood for the roof. Any suggestions would be fantastic and much appreciated!

The Perfect Sideboard for Small Dining Room

Submitted by haydaze on Sun, 11/23/2014 - 13:10

I've been looking at all of these plans for awhile and finally decided to take the plunge. My son and I built the little Rhyan Console Table to use as a sideboard in my small-ish dining room. There's an 84" farm table, 8 chairs, and 2 corner cabinets. I hate to have to squeeze by people who are seated at the table, so I was looking for a narrow unit to use as a sideboard. We made the legs 4" taller than the plans called for to make it a better height for use as a sideboard. With Thanksgiving in just a few days, we put the hardware on today so it will be ready to put into service. We are already looking forward to our next project. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Signature Eddie Bauer Home Craftsman Bungalow Bayleaf
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

2 twin sized beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/14/2020 - 12:35

I submitted this build under anonymous on accident. Please assign it to my profile when posting if possible. Thank you.

Comments

Kid's Country Bench - stretched

Submitted by Bk32 on Sun, 01/27/2013 - 18:17

We needed a bench to hold shoes and bags on the foyer, and this plan fit the bill. I stretched the bench one foot so 3 kids could sit on it and to add one more cubby. I used pocket holes everywhere I could, so I had to modify the assembly order. We're excited to start using our new bench!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I started with minwax pretreatment and used minwax Red Mahogany stain. I finished with varathane tube water-based poly, since it didn't require sanding between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

outdoor end table

Submitted by DanGraves on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 09:40

I made this using the kreg jig and cedar. 12x12 tile.

Estimated Cost
$45.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear coat minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Midcentury TV credenza

Since we needed some space to hide all of our not so midcentury technology gadgets I decided to try myself on this beautiful credenza.

Build was fairly straight forward. I cleaned  the looks up a little with using my router and cutting some dados for the divider and rabbets for the box itself. Worked out really well. Also I found some really nice hardware online but wasn’t willing to pay 20$ a piece for them so I made them myself. I think this brings the build to another level. For a finish I used dark walnut stain and 5 coats of arm-r-seal. Love that stuff…..super easy to use! Also I finished the finish with a coat of paste wax! Makes it super slick and gives the grain a little more depth!

Estimated Cost
100$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black walnut stain
5 coats of arm-r-seal
1 coat of paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Split drawer built-in bench with oak herringbone top

Submitted by GeekAthair on Sat, 12/19/2020 - 10:17

My second take on Ana White's mudroom bench design. This time I went with a split drawer design to provide room for the power outlet on the wall behind it and made my first attempt at a custom herringbone pattern for the benchtop. The frame is made out of douglas fir and the benchtop is made out of reclaimed red oak. The herringbone pattern is accented by two geometric mountain ranges (Minwax Antique Jade wood stain), signifying our placement here in the Pacific Northwest, nestled between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. The benchtop was finished with 3 coats of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane (semi-gloss). I'm very happy with how it turned out and plan to make a similar benchtop to replace the one in our dining room once I clear my plate a bit :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Semi-Gloss
Minwax Woodstain in Antique Jade (for the mountains as well as the frame and drawers)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wood Tilt Out Trash Can

Submitted by woodknack on Tue, 01/29/2013 - 08:16

I was having trouble with my dogs getting into the trash. So I did a search for wooden trash cans and came up on Anna's site! That was just what I was looking for. The door was a little tricky. But now that I have done it I think the next one will go a lot easier!

Estimated Cost
$40.00 to build. I had poly already on hand.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax indoor/outdoor Helmsman spar urethane clear gloss. I had this left over from some ice traps I made.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farm house wall table

Submitted by Jdiazm73 on Sat, 11/29/2014 - 07:58

Farm table made fro 2x4 and 4x4 (can't find the original plan). The mirrow frame was also my first frame project. Thanks for the great plans!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut stain, clear mate finish, plus a coat of wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

blahbethany

Wed, 12/03/2014 - 11:58

Wow, I love it! I wish you still had the plans because I'm looking to build something almost exactly like this, just a tad longer!

Hello Kitty adirondack chair

Submitted by Frank Diaz on Sat, 03/04/2017 - 11:28

Built this using Anna's small chair plan and made some mods to make it appear more character like.

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

Toy Box - Christmas Gifts

I built these using the plans found on here for my niece and nephew for Christmas this year. They turned out a lot better than I expected.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200-$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

my first build

Submitted by jamesryan9 on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 02:02

This was my first project. It seemed like a good project for a beginner.

Estimated Cost
I don't remember
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Walnut Console Table and Matching End Table

tryde console table with a twist... Added shelf above and below. Created a smaller version for a matching side table. Double layered top with staggered wood pattern. I receive compliments every time someone new comes over. Solid piece of furniture. Looks very expensive. 

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Valentine's gift for my wife

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/07/2017 - 22:09

My first woodworking project with the new miter saw my wife got me for Christmas. She was very happy with the results, and we're now receiving order requests :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$130.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidizer using tea and steel wool/vinegar solution. Sealed with wax paste.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Farmhouse Queen Bed Project in Texas. First time Making a bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/28/2020 - 05:55

This was a lot of fun to build and not very difficult with the right tools.
The only thing I changed was adding a 2x6 to the top cap instead of the 2x4. I like the look.

Honestly, the thing that took me the longest was picking out the straightest lumber off the shelf. lol

The painting was a different subject lol. I painted a dark gray and after not liking it I decided to give it a light gray wash for the weathered look I was going for. I love it! Thanks, Ana for the inspiration!

I would say anyone with a passion for making things, how to read a tape measure and attention to detail can make this bed fairly easily.

AJ in Texas

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jewelry Wall Cabinet

I am completely obsessed with this jewelry cabinet - Thank you so much for posting this plan! This was my third woodworking project since discovering Ana White, and it was very easy to make and the plan was super easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Instead of chicken wire on the door, I used window screen so I could hang my stud earrings. I spray painted the bead board backing and the window screen with a ValSpar spray paint and used a brush to paint the cabinet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic Sideboard

We used the basic design of the salsa console and moved the drawers and doors to a design that we preferred for hiding our junk.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Several layers of stain until we got the look right
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mimi's Faux Mantle

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/10/2017 - 04:40

Built this using the Anna White's "MIMI'S FAUX MANTLE" but instead of using crown molding I elected to use STONE TILES in a neutral tone and finished the surround and mantle in white giving the piece a nice soft appeal.  The building plans were easy to follow and took about 2 days to complete the whole process not to mention how reasonable the cost was.  I already had the tiles and adhesive from a left over bathroom mirror frame.

Estimated Cost
Cost was more than reasonable. I already had the tiles ,adhesive, and paint. Total cost was approximately $66.00.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Behr White Semi-Gloss Enamel paint from purchased from Home Depot (I had the paint from a previous project). Use any tile of your choice since these were left over tiles I had on hand. When tiling use an appropriate tile for the space and glue with tile adhesive. I let mine sit overnight and grouted it the next day using a sanded grout in Bone (purchased from Home Depot) #832.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Coffee Table Train Table

Submitted by michlynn11 on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 09:02

First build was a train table for Christmas for my 3 children. They loved it! And I love that it has a top and can be closed. I also painted the base and secured the track to the bottom plywood so we don’t have train pieces everywhere. I used 1” screws from underneath and we can take them off in the future if they want to start building their own tracks. Hope this brings years of fun for the kids!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Whitewash with Select Walnut
BM Wrought Iron
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner