Community Brag Posts

Family Back Deck COVID19 Project Facelift

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/02/2020 - 11:53

Thank-you so much Ana White! We took on our back deck as a family COVID19 “homeschool” two weekend project! Why just build a sectional sofa when you can build a sectional sofa, coffee table, farmhouse table with two benches, two Adirondack chairs and a side table that the 11 year old designed and built himself! Mission accomplished, he’s a builder for life.

Our deck was brutally neglected and the boys had had some exposure to power tools and small builds. We decided that the best way to remedy the situation was to set up a family build all at once so that the tools are out and then put back away after the build is complete!

The plans were easy to follow and incredible! Thanks again so very much!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stained the sofas, chairs, coffee and end table with outdoor solid stain. Used the same solid stain on the bottom of the farmhouse table benches, and outdoor oil based spar varnish on the farmhouse table and bench tops. Finished the look by refinishing the deck with Behr Penetrating Oil finish in Chocolate and cushions from Lowes for the sofa. Adirondack chair cushions were sewn by myself with Sunderland fabric leftover from front porch, cushion inserts from IKEA.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 Laundry Basket Organizer

Submitted by vendo on Sat, 06/29/2024 - 10:07

This is my first time building for resell, I learned a lot in the process. This is an easy beginner friendly project with a 2x4 frame and 1x top. I love that you can stack them or put them side by side. This plan is also easy to modify for basket size or height! Thanks Ana

Seasonal And Holiday

2 Piece Portable Wood Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/02/2025 - 11:51

Threw together a simple cedar beach chair today during my lunch break. It breaks down into two parts and the back houses the seat for easy transport. - highcountry_handyman
 

Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/22/2020 - 05:47

Thanks for the simple plans Anna, they worked out great!. I resized the table to make maximum use of the material, still within the same quantity you specified in your plans. I glued the legs along the lengths of the table, and kept the table top and shelf screwed in, for easy dismantling, if necessary.

Finally I added pop down heavy duty wheels allowing me to move the table (not shown in this pic) easily. When the wheels are not being used they pop up, making the table very stable. The height of the table is about 1/2” lower than the table saw, making it an ideal outfeed table as well.

Great design, and fun build.

Estimated Cost
Cn$148 (went with a finished 3/4” 4x8’ ply board)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Barn Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/31/2025 - 09:12

I found Ana White online years ago while searching for a greenhouse design. I really liked hers, but had no money to build it at the time. Well, I decided I had waited long enough and began building it in stages. It looks as though THIS Spring will be the time I get it finished. The image I have included is how far I have come SO FAR as of today, 03/29/2025. And yes, in front of the current progress are the clear panels for it. So, I am ready to finish it, FINALLY! Thank you Ana for such an amazing greenhouse design! You are amazing! James S. Colbert Jr.

Built from Plan(s)

Farmhouse Table - Thanks Ana!!

I tackled the Farmhouse Table over a long weekend while my boyfriend was away - he was surprised needless to say!
I have not attempted any woodwork projects since grade 8, but this was alot of fun - I did not find it very difficult and loove using power tools :)
I made the matching bench, however I guess I did not stir the bottom of the can well enough and my bench is now red :/ soo I am going to either stain it dark or paint it white and use it as a mudroom seat!

*I also made mine shorter - 7ft long to fit in our dining room and adjusted the bench to fit.

Estimated Cost
$160 for table & bench inc. wood, screws, stain, sand paper
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded it until I was pretty sure the risk of splinters was eliminated. After pre-stain conditioner, it got a coat of Minwax 'Ipswitch Pine'. The result was perfect on the table (two coats), however I must not have stirred the can well enough as my bench turned out dark red :/ I wanted it to look like it's 100 years old.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Maggie Jaye

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 17:15

Thank you so much Ana! We are in the process of renovating our house and your website has inspired me to take on so many more projects now!! :)

Margaret Kubiszyn (not verified)

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 19:46

I love your choice of stain - it is beautiful!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/02/2011 - 04:52

I built a similar table and I am having problems with my kids getting food in between the pieces of wood. Do you have this same problem, is anyone having this same problem? Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to fix it, how to keep food and other particles from getting trapped between the cracks? Thanks! You did a great job!!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:00

I am building this table as we speak. The thought occurred to me as well concerning the cracks attracting crumbs. I believe using clamps to make the fit as tight as possible will help. Also some poly finishes may be appropriate with children which may even seal the cracks... if sanded and clamped well.

Maggie Jaye

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:11

I did try my best to clamp the wood together as tight as possible - due to the pieces of wood not being completely straight, they are there.

I haven't had this problem yet. I do use place mats when eating at the table, that generally stops any crumbs etc.That's probably the easiest way to avoid it :)

Thank you for your comments!

Privacy Planters with Solar Lights

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/09/2024 - 08:16

I needed a frugal solution to get a bit of privacy in our backyard. I didn’t want to dig post holes and all the premade solutions I found and liked were at least double the cost of this project. I used pretreated lumber which isn’t recommended for veggies/plants, but I knew I wasn’t going to plant veggies so I lined them with plastic and landscape fabric and made sure to add drainage holes. To reduce the amount of soil I needed in each I added some cutoffs of a tree my friend cut down in their yard. The whole thing came together in less than a day! The easy to follow free plans can be found @anawhitediy -highly recommend! (Thank you!!!) Very easy to follow and the shopping list and cut list were super helpful!

Jesi 🖤

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Dorm Mini Refrigerator Microwave Cabinet

Submitted by rachelcb on Sat, 07/31/2021 - 12:35

I changed plan to make deeper. I also modified the bottom trim and top. I put a ball bearing soft door drawer guide on modern door so it can slide back and forth. I feel we need more modern plans on here but with a bit of creativity and using plans you can make anything. I have never built anything before. I love General Finishes Milk Paint in Snow White and I brushed rolled it on (sanded between 3 coats). It’s basically self leveling and leaves a nice matte finish. Used door glide in picture bought from homedepot in the 24 inch and that’s how wide door was and it was 36” tall. Door glide I only used one on top of the door not on bottom as well. Door piece of fiberboard with just strips glued on and quarters spacing them correct.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dorm mini refrigerator microwave cabinet
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Adirondack Chairs with Foot Rest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/30/2023 - 14:45

Great set of outdoor chairs with foot rest!

 

RG Design & Build

Comments

Purple chicken ark w/ retractable wheels

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/07/2016 - 16:59

We worked on this project on and off for a couple weeks.  60 degree angles were the hardest part.  Decided against adding upper coop floor to minimize cleaning.  Coop will only be used seasonally.  End coop is very heavy, so wheels were a must.  Scoured internet and found simple retractable lever design with bolts to adjust wheel height.  Very happy with project, thank you Ana!

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

Cedar Planter Outdoor Speakers

Submitted by Hoosierdoc on Fri, 06/10/2016 - 10:53

We just put in a pool and I needed something to hide a pair of outdoor speakers. I used Klipsh AW-525 speakers.

Basically I raised the bottom of the planter enough to fit the speaker under and had to add a few framing pieces to secure the speaker mount to. The mount attaches to a vertical board and the weight rests on a horizontal board. The wiring comes up from below.

The front panel uses vinyl mesh from Sailrite.com to hide the speaker but allow sound out. Imm planning to hang it with magnets if it doesn't distort sound too much.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Bathroom Organizer for Toilet Paper and Cleaning Brush

What do you think ? I painted mine to match the tiles as I didn't want it to stand out too much. It's a useful item for sure, but I wanted the mirror and wallpaper from @thepureedit to be the focal points.

But what a great little storage unit from scrap wood. - shabby.ie on Instagram

Cubby/Bookshelf/Corner Desk Combo

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 20:40

This is a mashup of several plans, combined into one big, bad ass, office desk. I've had a little experience years ago in high school woodworking classes, but haven't really built much since. This reminded me how much I enjoy working with wood. So rewarding to be typing this message at my new office desk!

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax "Early American"
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

treemeagher

Wed, 08/19/2020 - 06:25

This is amazing! So amazing could I ask you to share with me what prices from the collection of plans you used and how? I’m looking at your pic trying to figure out how to incorporate the plans you used. I want to build one for myself lol fantastic job!!!!

Square Picnic Table Project

This was a great summer project. The table looks great and it was any easy build. Doesn’t get any better than this. I added a hole in the center of the table for my umbrella and used the longer screws for more frame stability.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used semi transparent cedar tone stain. Lightly sanded edges and surfaces. Applied stain with a brush before assembly.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Twin Over Queen Loft Mod

This is the nightly sleeper for our 6yo (queen) and 4yo (twin) boys, but we have in-laws who visit from out of town frequently and we also wanted a place to allow them to be comfortable as couples.

 

To accomodate adult headroom on the queen, I raised the entire loft 7" (72" high) and to fit the queen beneath, I had to lengthen the loft rails by 9" (84" long). To fill the resulting gap, I just used some 39" scraps of 2x4 and 2x6 overlapped to create a 4x10 landing which actually ended up a cool addition since it gives the kids a spot lower than the mattress to make the transition from the ladder to the mattress. It also has given us adults a spot to sit off the mattress while comforting them to sleep when needed, so we don't end up waking them when we leave.

 

I based the height of the queen legs (made four of them) off the size of a standard storage tote, which was ~13". We can fit 12-16 totes of clothes or other random storage under the bed as a result. The queen frame was just a simple 64"x84" rectangle out of 2x6s with 7 2x4s used as crossbeams to hold the mattress.

 

Note on the mattresses - these 8" memory foam mattresses are just as comfortable as our expensive name brand king mattress, but MUCH cheaper!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-8-inch-Memory-Foam-Mattress-Multiple-Sizes/47826185

 

Despite raising the loft, I kept the height of the stair platform the same, but just added a second 'ladder' rung to get up to the loft (refer back to the 4x10 landing spot on the loft). To keep with the using available storage space theme, instead of attaching the stairs permanently, I used 1"x4" hinges to that we could swing the stairs up and put 4 more storage totes under there. (However, we quickly found that the kids liked that area as a 'fort', so we've left it open for their use.)

 

In the picture, you'll note there are four treads/steps on the stairs because I thought to myself "little feet, little steps" would be better. I soon learned that the littles are more than capable of using adult sized steps while adults nearly killed themselves coming down the little feet, little steps. As such, I ended up removing one of the middle steps and moving the new singular middle to a spot between the other two. Much better, stay with 3 steps.

 

While the queen can stand alone, I still attached it to the 'legs' of the loft so that our rambunctious boys didn't 'sweep the leg' and bring the whole thing down on themselves while under it.

 

Estimated Cost
Only need an additional 8 2x4s and 6 2x6s from the original plan.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Actually no stain on this. Instead, used a Benzo torch and burned every board to produce the grain patterns seen. Just sealed it with a standard clear poly to lock in that grain and protect the wood a little.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mom's Train Table - our version

I was planning to make a train table trundle for my son's bed, but once I saw this plan everything changed. I'm so SO happy with it. Modifications: 1) We took off the bottom shelf because hubby likes to stretch his long legs out underneath. 2) We used laminated pine project panels for the top, they cost more, but they were already the correct size, and the finished look of the top would be nicer. We altered the design to make the panels go lengthwise. So far so good, neither have bowed whatsoever. 3) we used inset handles from Lee Valley with an antiqued finish. I had yet to lacquer this when I took the photo because we couldn't wait to get the trains in there! I have since done 3 coats of minwax Poly to protect it from little hands, crayons, etc.... We're hoping this table will graduate cars, then to legos, and then....who knows!? Thanks to Ana and all the contributors here.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 with the hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain in Golden Pecan, one coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Side Street Bunk Beds (with modified ladder)

After building the playhouse loft bed, I found this project to be very easy. I built the bunk beds at 37/38 weeks pregnant, so that should tell you how simple it is to construct. The total cost came in under $300 and I was able to use some of the scrap wood I already had in my garage.

I did run into some trouble with the slanted ladder. Even though the pieces were cut to the exact measurements in the plan, the sides of the ladder were too short for the bed. Being very pregnant and impatient, I just modified the ladder so I wouldn't have to waste the pieces I'd already cut.

You may also notice that I didn't fill and sand my pocket holes on the end pieces yet. That was also me being very pregnant and impatient. I'll go back and do that later when I have more time. Despite the little bit of finishing work remaining, this was pretty much a 2-day project. Cutting and construction was fast (one day) and finishing took another full day.

I used Valspar "Blue Burst" paint from Lowe's to finish the bed. I used bolts to attach the side rails because we move frequently so I wanted the bed to be easy to disassemble. Overall, this was a very easy and fun project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Just under $300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar "Blue Burst" interior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

vpihoney

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 21:37

Love how you whipped this together! I stumbled upon your post as I started working on these bunk bed plans today (I can't read the dimensions on the diagrams from a printout, so i open up the plans on the iPad). I had to finish up the ladder and side rail today. I was stumped yesterday evening with the same ladder issue. Why was it coming up short? It was really annoying considering it took me a while to figure out a 60 degree angle on my miter. I decided to try changing my ladder angles to 22.5 and 67.5, as I still wanted a leaning ladder, but I thought a reduced angle would work better. Didn't have to scrap my boards either, whew. Love how quickly you put this together! Coincidentally, I'm 33 weeks pregnant, but moving terribly slow compared to you.

purpleheather79

Mon, 11/19/2012 - 07:25

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the ladder issue! I couldn't figure out what went wrong. I also tried to adjust the angle but my boards were just a tiny bit too short and I was not wanting to run to the store to get more. I do like the leaning ladder better though. Can I just say that I love that you're building this bed while pregnant too? That's awesome! :)

Catio heaven

Submitted by bhoppy on Fri, 09/04/2020 - 15:43

Ana doesn’t have a plan for a catio but she does for a playhouse and a cedar shed made from 2x2’s. I sort of combined my knowledge from making her plans over the last 10 years and came up with this for my cats. It was fun to make!! My baby kitten is loving it. I used garden fencing and stapled it to the outside and pocket holes for the walls. I made each wall individually like the playhouse then connected them once in place.

 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cabot semi transparent outdoor deck and fence stain. ($9 oops section)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wifey

Wed, 06/09/2021 - 12:36

Thank you for sharing! My daughter wants a cat for her birthday but it can't be inside due to our son's allergies. Roaming outside isn't really an option because we have coyotes. We are going to use one of these in combination with an underground electric fence.

Seasonal And Holiday

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