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Submitted by Felicka on Mon, 05/14/2012 - 22:29

Easy, fun great project that my husband and I did together. This project cost about $202, and I will take that price over the price that you would have to pay in the furniture store any day. We found some great wood at Lowe's that worked perfectly and gave it the "rustic" look that we like. Thanks Ana for the plans and sharing them with us.

Estimated Cost
$202.54
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used Minwax wood conditioner and then a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain. We then used a coat of poly followed by wet-dry sandpaper for the smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Debi_G (not verified)

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 19:01

That's a fine quality piece of furniture!

Why can't I get dark walnut stain to look like that?

Felicka

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 22:07

Thanks

My hubby used wood conditioner prior to applying the dark walnut. with using the conditioner especially with soft wood such as pine it allows the stain to adsorb in evenly. we only used one coat of both.

claydowling

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 19:45

Debi_G, I've had lots of trouble getting stains to look the way I want too. What I've taken to doing is either mixing my own (see http://claydowling.com), as well as trying out various commercial stains until I find one that satisfies my desires. Good use for your scrap.

So far the best commercial stains I've found are from General Finishes. They're designed to sit partially on top of the wood, which prevents some of the splotchy and washed out look that make some stains unpleasant to work with.

Farmhouse Table for house

Submitted by N8Heinrich on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 08:52

My wife wanted a new table for our dining room in our new house. I have been eyeing this project for a couple of years and finally convinced my wife that I could do it since we had the space. The plans on this site were easy to follow and I was able to really put it together. As far as the color of the stain, that is all my wife as she has the eye for colors and matching. Overall, this was a fun project and I can't wait to put the bench together next.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean Stain; then 3 coats of Poly all brush applied
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Desk For Home Music Studio

This is only my second ever furniture project. I modified the height to give me extra clearance for a full sized synthesizer underneath. I spray painted the base matte black, stained the top with Minwax Puritan Pine, and sealed it with Varathane Triple Thick Water Based Polyurethane.

I attached the top with heavy corner brackets and 1" hex head lag screws to add a bit of an industrial look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used a single coat of Minwax Puritan Pine for the top, and a single coat of black matte spray paint with primer for the base.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wishing well projects

Submitted by Jason48 on Thu, 04/03/2014 - 08:02

Started these wishing wells as only having fun and for family it seems now that it is going to be a little more than I thought now taking orders from family friends

Estimated Cost
120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Jason48

crafty_love

Tue, 11/19/2019 - 07:33

I love the wishing wells, but I can;t find a plan.  My mom has wanted one of these forever! She now has stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma Stage 4 and I would love to build her one before it is too late.

Modern Adirondack Chairs using reclaimed pallet wood

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/06/2020 - 06:20

The plans were easy to follow and the finished result was perfect! We subbed 1x6s for the 1x10s, because we were using some reclaimed pallet wood. We cut, sanded, and stained/weatherproofed all pieces before assembly, which I would also recommend.

Estimated Cost
$20 per chair (we used some reclaimed pallet wood)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Canyon Brown Transparent Exterior Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rolling Cart - pallet recovered wood

Submitted by jgrunwaldt on Thu, 08/25/2016 - 19:36

Rolling bar cart made entirely from recovered pallet wood.

Based on original Ana White's plan, I've just added a side pocket and rails on the lower shelf to prevent sliding of items placed on it. 

Later on I made another one for a friend who attached a hanger plate and a magnetic knife holder.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Taylors Coffee Table

I've made several of Ana's pieces, but this is my first brag post.

I actually made this for one of my husband's co-workers, but now I want to make one for myself.

I don't know the actual amount of hours it took, but like any project, the sanding was the most tedious part!

This one was built with 4 2x6, and 2 2x4 boards on top, as the friend wanted it a little wider than the original plan. I modified the other dimensions accordingly.

The wheels used in the Shanty2Chic build post were too large for my 4x4 posts. The wheel plates were too wide. They measured about 3.75" and my 4x4's were only 3.5". Also, speaking of the 4x4's, I used untreated Douglas Fir, purchased from my local Lowes. I typically shop at Home Depot, but they did not carry any untreated 4x4's.

The wheels I used were the same style by Everbilt, but the next size down, the 2" wheels. However, their overall height was 3", and so the height of the table ended up being perfect anyhow!

I finished the table in Minwax English Chestnut and used the Minwax rub on satin polyurethane.

I put the time as a week long, primarily because of sanding and finishing. But, I think that if you devoted your time to it, you could do it in a weekend.

OH! Also, Ana doesn't mention it in the plans, but the Shanty Chics do... put the plywood shelf in BEFORE adding the second side. I had to remove pieces which were already glued, and it made that step a bit annoying!

Otherwise, all was well. Enjoy!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax English Chestnut stain
Minwax Rub On polyurethane Satin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Patio table

Submitted by Matt Shane on Sat, 06/07/2014 - 19:30

Needed a patio table for this space and decided on this plan. After the build portion, the stain finish really made it complete. Now time for some summer get togethers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Wood Coatings Semi-Transparent Weatherproofing All'-In-One Wood Stain and Sealer
Color-Coffee (ST-103)

2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Murphy bed made from solid wood

My husband used the plans from this website to make a single Murphy bed. He didn't make any changes, save for building the frame out of solid poplar and using birch plywood for the flat surface the mattress sits on when it's unfolded. We trimmed it to mimic the the lines of a built-in in the same room, and stained it Jacobean to make it look dark. It's a solid piece of furniture and is saving us tons of space.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Distressed console

Submitted by dmather82 on Sat, 06/21/2014 - 17:33

This project was nearly the emotional equivalent of pure hell. I began this as a buffet for someone who decided midway that they no longer wanted it. Secretly I was happy because I fell in love with it. The problem was it was started in late fall and this winter in ohio was more Ana's norm than ours. My I heated garage created a warped piece and an untenable workspace for a few months. I'm pretty happy all and all.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600-$700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Antique white pine distressed and stained over with rustoleum cherry and walnut. The top is some crazy mix of stains and finishes.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Garage Workbench

Submitted by jbonham on Sat, 09/24/2016 - 12:35

Altered the original plan only enough to accommodate the materials I had lying around without going to buy more lumber. The workbench I built is not as wide being only 48" instead of the 55" noted in the plans. For the top of the workbench and the lower shelf I used 1x4 furring boards again, because it is what I had for material at the time of building.

Once I made the basic frame, I squared it and then installed the supports for the table top and the lower shelf. Once the supports were in I cut the 1x4's to the appropriate length. As I laid each respective board, I also laid a good dose of wood glue down and then clamped them in place. I let those boards set with glue for about 5 minutes before going back and using a 2" brad nailer to finish them off. Once the nailing was done, I removed the clamps and moved to the next series of boards. Because I had several clamps I was able to lay about three boards at a time and let the glue set for another 10-15 minutes. Working slowly and methodically got the whole job done in a couple of days of a few hours a piece before completion.

Easy project and something that will last a long time when done correctly.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Two passes of 80 and 120 grit sandpaper respectively.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

4x4 truss beam table and bench

Submitted by Joagirard on Fri, 07/04/2014 - 20:24

We needed a big sturdy table for 8-12 persons for our big dinning room but didn't want to pay 3000$ for it. Then i found Ana-white's site and thought "why not!". It's my first project, i started whit the bench and then made the table. All buy myself, my husby doesn't even know how to use a saw. He help me carry it inside thought ;) The plans were realy easy to follow. Somebody stop me, i'm refurnishing my hole house, i can't stop! In 2 months i'v made 2 dinning tables, 2 patio tables, 1 coffe table, 5 benches. So if i can do it, you can too!

Estimated Cost
300$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat of dark walnut varathane in gel applied with an old t-shirt followed by 2 coats of varathane professional finish in satin applied with soft brush. I sanded between the 2 finished coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Beginner farm table bench/outdoor seating

Great, sturdy, easy build!!! Looks amazing and will be my new picnic outdoor seating. I cannot wait to build the next bench and table to go along with it. Thank you for the plans!!!!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I have not finished it yet, but will stain then use an outdoor poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table - Shortened

Submitted by Danimal on Fri, 11/02/2012 - 20:53

I loved the look of the farmhouse table, but it was a little long for what I needed as our kitchen table. The original plan made a longer dining room type table. I decided to shorten it up a bit, it has a bit more of a stocky look to it but we love it! It is such a solid design, and we get such great compliments on it. I used wooden dowels to fill the screw holes which gave it a bit more country look to it because the vinegar stain turned them a slightly different color than the tabletop.

Estimated Cost
$100 for more than enough lumber.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the apple cider vinegar and steel wool stain (soaking #0000 steel wool in a mason jar with enough vinegar to cover the wool. Allow to soak for approximately 4-6 hours. Then straining the vinegar through a coffee filter to strain out any remaining steel wool. After testing on a scrap piece of wood, I found the right amount of vinegar to brush onto the wood. I sanded it down after it dried and finished it with some wood finishing paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

In love with our new bar! Easiest build yet!

Submitted by maryday on Mon, 09/15/2014 - 17:15

We've built a headboard, two nightstands a farmhouse table and bench all off of knockoff wood and this workbench console table and hutch was the Easiest build yet !

We didn't use pocket holes so instead of doing the middle center shelf of the hutch we chose to keep it open. I actually love the way this looks better than the original plan!

Waiting on our black bear mount bottle opener that will be attached later this week and then we can't wait to stock up our new bar. It looks great next to our farmhouse table and bench!!! Thanks for the deer antler inspiration - this gave the perfect finishing touch!

Estimated Cost
$110 lumber for both hutch and table
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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