Community Brag Posts

Simple Picture Frame

Submitted by ctgilbert on Sun, 12/31/2017 - 19:09

I used the Barnwood Frame as a base for this project.  Instead of all 1x2's, I used 1x3's for the interior frame and 1x2's for the exterior and stained each with a different shade.  This was my first real try at this project and allowed me to use my own frame, matte, picture from start to finish.  It took me a bit longer than normal due to some silly mistakes and the decision to build a jig for the miters.  Normally, this would cost ~$150 to have someone else do it, but this ended up being ~$30 (wood, double matte, print).

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax (Honey) and Minwax (Puritan Pine)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

tv stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 15:14

For mothers day I made this for my wife. First ever attempt at any wood working. It was downsized from your plans that was double this size. I only made half for an unusual space. So appreciative to find a place with great plans.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by czappia on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 13:54

We needed furniture for our back patio and as I was searching for plans online, I stumbled across Ana-white.com. I was so excited to show my husband who built this in a day. I had thought that I would sew the cushions myself but after a few failed attempts at sewing box cushions with piping, I decided to buy the cushions. Buying them is actually a LOT cheaper as foam is very expensive in this size. I bought our cushions and back pillows from Walmart and the accent pillows from Target.

Cost: $355-cushions
$115-Wood
$25-Primer
$20-Paint

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Repurposed Rustic King SIze Headboard

Submitted by Mamasra on Wed, 06/26/2013 - 12:06

Made from reclaimed 1 X8 boards.
Nailed to 1 X 4 Boards on the back.
This was a very simple project to put together with nails and wood glue.
This took about 3 hours and most of the time spent was on carving the initials and painting.

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

Comments

Toddler daybed

Submitted by lazlolaz on Thu, 06/11/2015 - 17:44

I had quite a few 42" pieces of select pine left from the triple bunkbeds I made for grandkids and they needed a space for 3 of them and mom or dad to read bedtime stories so I decided to use the no longer needed crib mattress and build a daybed using that mattress as the cushion. I built it to incorporate a storage area underneath as in a small room every inch matters! My daughter-in-law decorated it with pillows for extra comfort when they are snuggled in for bedtime stories. Very easy build from leftover wood I had.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil based stain and wipe on varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse X Table and bench

Submitted by Tomguza on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 08:54

7’ long table using 4 2x8’s on top with 2 2x4’s in the middle. The bench is also 7’ long. I changed up the bottom on the bench to make it super sturdy (added angle braces). 

Estimated Cost
$75 for table, $40 for bench
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain and 5 coats of urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Deck Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 17:13

I love working with wood and constructing the deck sofa is the largest wood project that I have done on my own. Outside if the necessary wood and screws I purchased a mitre saw and a Kreg gig. The instructions were clear and accurate. With the addition of custom box cushion made this project complete! Thank you Anna White for your encouragement and sharing your talent with us.

Comments

Playhouse in-progress

Submitted by DoctorEw on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 06:49

Due to rain (and horrible ability) this project has been taking a LONG time it seems. =) We had one of those "cheap" playsets from one of the warehouse clubs that would scare me to death anytime my girls got to swinging on it. So... we knocked it down and I took some liberty with the details from Ana's playset plans.

Estimated Cost
~$600 so far (concrete, wood, fasteners, shingles, etc..)
Finish Used
Will paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Teepee for Jenna's 6th Birthday!

Submitted by lmm7rn on Fri, 06/28/2013 - 08:07

We made this play Teepee for our niece Jenna's sixth birthday in June. The kids absolutely loved it!! It was a HUGE hit at the party. All of the adults asked where we ordered it and could not believe it was homemade. The most priceless moment was when our 10 year old niece Jordan came out and saw it. Her mouth dropped and she couldn't believe her sister got a tent! She turned to me and said, "Aunt Lisa, you know you're going to have to make another one of those!" meaning she wanted one too! At one point there were about six piled in the tent. Its really quite roomy. And when we took it down because it started to rain, there were still kids inside! Any child will absolutely love this secret little hideout. Thank you for the plans Ana and Jaime!! =)

P.S. The pictures are before we ironed it! Looked even better without the wrinkles! LOL

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Min wax Provincial stain / canvas fabric --

I am not a sewer by any means so I recruited my stepmom to supervise (and let me use her sewing machine). It took us about 4 hours to lay out the pattern and sew it all together. But we really took our time and were in no rush to finish. We used heat transfer paper to stick the letters in the name on and then I hand sewed around the edges to be sure they would stay put. We bought all of our supplies at our local Hobby Lobby. We also bought a strap at the local hardware store to secure the poles at the top. We just wrapped it around the poles once we had them in place and secured with Velcro. This is a very sturdy teepee and easiest as a two person set up once you have it made. We also found that it was much easier to set this up on the grass rather than on concrete or a flat service. The poles seemed to dig into the ground a bit and keep everything in place.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Zachary's Car and Truck

Submitted by jaime19861 on Wed, 06/17/2015 - 19:28

I made this car and truck for my nephew. They were super easy to make and he loves them!

Check out the blog link for more details.

Estimated Cost
$2
I used wood scraps and only had to buy the wheels. If I would have also needed to buy the board and dowel, it still would be under $5 a vehicle.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Non-toxic acrylic paints sealed with many coats of mineral oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rylee's Changing Table

My husband and I built the simple changing table for our son's first child.  It wasn't difficult yet is beautiful.  Our son and daughter-in-law are pleased with it.  

Finish Used
paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Truck Shell

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/27/2021 - 05:40

This project was made for my first grandson Landon. All parts were cut from pine. I used the DIY Truck plans for dimensions and made parts to customize the piece.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Entryway Bench and Storage shelf

Submitted by alouagie on Thu, 05/05/2011 - 08:21

We cut this plan down by 8" in length to fit in a nook behind our front door. The opening was 44.5" and we cut our longest piece to 42" to make sure we had clearance for baseboards and door trim. We finished both items in an afternoon, even with adjusting measurements and having kids ages 5 and 2 "helping".

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Can't remember the exact color - it's a deep brown by Behr.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My first project!

Submitted by Bengarama on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 13:18

This was a bit daunting as my first woodworking project, but after a few mistakes (and taking it slow), I'm pretty proud of it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
65
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax gray 271 after pre-treating with minwax pre-stain conditioner
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 16:07

Congrats - You did great on your first project! Looks super! Love the gray finish. Before you know it, instead of going to a store to look at furniture, you'll be "shopping" Ana's plans first to find just what you want. I'm so hooked on this site - since becoming a reader I haven't bought a single piece of "furniture store" furniture! :)

Reclaimed Wood Console Table

Submitted by Ashbrouw on Mon, 06/22/2015 - 17:09

We just used pine from the framing and craft sections of Home Depot. The drawer fronts are cut from rough cut lumber from a lumber yard in town. I'd say it cost around $120 to make (Paint, lumber, screws, etc). We used thinner particle board for the backing (instead of the size listed in instructions) and hammered and glued the drawer bottoms on. Also, we used pocket holes to make the drawer frames instead of using glue and nails. We made it 2" taller than the plans said. Bought drawer handles from the Habitat For Humanity Re-Store for $1 each and spray painted with Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze in satin. Took us about 15 hours start to finish, but over the course of a couple of weeks as we had time to work on it. Wait time between coats of paint and poly, etc. Very happy with how it turned out and plans were straightforward and easy to follow!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint lightly distressed, a primer on the plywood table top before painting, Minwax Polycrylic to finish. Drawer fronts were stained with Minwax Wood Stain in Espresso. Sealed with Minwax Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sofa table inspired Ana’s outside table.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/27/2021 - 12:52

I need more seating in mu basement so I belt the sofa/bar. I used Ana’s plans of her outside bar table. Thank you

Comments

Simple Cedar Outdoor Dining Table

Submitted by pericles49 on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 05:57

We needed an outdoor table for our patio, and this one fit the bill!

I loved the photos that others have put out of their own tables, but I was concerned about eating off of a table that was stained and varnished with petrochemicals. In order to avoid the toxic finish, I built the top and stretchers out of cedar wood, which I sanded down to 220 grit, and gave a light coat of tung oil finish. The legs are untreated 2x4s that I sanded down and gave a heavy coat of tung (e.g. seven applications.)

To ensure the legs remain in good condition, I intend to foot them with sheet metal casings when I remove them at the end of the season.

I also took Ana's advice, and attached the legs using bolts, so that I can disassemble the table and throw it in the garage over the winter. There's a close-up of how I inset the bolt-heads with a spade-bit below.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Kitchen Island

Great simple plans, easy to follow.

I made a few modifications to this plan, as I was building this for my sister who wanted it a bit smaller, I used the Kreg jig to attach the side rails and shelves. However In the future I think I will be mortising the joints as the extra work is worth it in the long run to provide the extra strength.

The top is made from joined 2x6's, I used my custom made skill saw table saw to rip them so I got perfectly close joints with no gaps.

The slats for the shelves were a huge pain to finish, I opted to stain and urethane them before assembly. It took a bit more time but I think the finish came out much nicer than if I would have done it after assembly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50-80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White furniture paint, Minwax red chesnut, three coats of polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mini Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by DaveZane on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 10:00

Fun and quick.  Used a Kreg jig for this project, and finished with Amy Howard paint, along with the wax.  

Estimated Cost
About $40 each, I did use 3 - 1X6’s for table top on each one, and built two matching tables.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Amy Howard chalk paint, along with the light wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Nursery Room Book Shelves from $10 Ledge Plan

Submitted by karahart on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 08:42

I built these bookshelves with the help of my husband for our daughter's nursery. They were so simple to build, the finishing work is what took the most amount of time. They're very sturdy, and we get tons and tons of compliments on the 'feel' that they add to the nursery!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I put on a coat of white primer, and then painted quite a few coats of ultra-white paint on each shelf. I sanded between each coat of paint, and finished it off with a top coat of polycrylic. I also filled in the screw holes with white caulk and painted over that once they were all mounted.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project