Community Brag Posts

Picnic table

Got the plans on here had a little trouble with the angles on the seat but overall looks good and was easy to follow the plans

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free wood just time invested and $10


in screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Wood Window Treatment

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/02/2024 - 11:24

My has been wanting me to make some window treatments to replace aging Roman curtains on our bay windows. It was a challenge never made these before and she is well pleased with the results. The center window is 62 inches wide while the two side windows are 32 inches wide each. Each window treatment is 14 high.

Raymond Spears

workbench

Submitted by vic b on Mon, 07/30/2012 - 13:43

kids workbench

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
clear finsih
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

OutDoor dining table

My wife and I were looking for a larger table for our deck and after searching and seeing that everything out there was 300 dollars and up for something decent I decided I would try building something. This table was perfect for our needs and looked easy enough for me to put together. The most time consuming part was staining all of the boards as I went but it was totally worth it in the end. I also deviated from using screws and used my nail gun along with some glue to put the top frame together and the slats on but I did use some 2inch deckmate screws to attach the legs. One problem I did run into was I was about half a board short on the slats which wasn't a big deal just ripped one on the table saw, not sure if I miss measured or what but either way. We love our table and will entertain around it for years to come.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around 80 Dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a Behr deck stain that was solid the color is called Russett and I did with a 3inch brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pine Farmhouse Table

Submitted by jaykruger on Fri, 08/26/2016 - 07:45

Simple pine farmhouse table, top is 2x6 Pine cut down to 5" wide strips top was joined with pocket screws and glue

Base is 4x4 pine joined with lag bolts

Longest part of the buld was sanding the top smooth, special care was needed in measurig the notches to fix the X-Brace legs

 

Tools: Drill, Table Saw, Circular Saw, 1/2 socket drive

Estimated Cost
$150 all in for wood, bolts, screws and stain
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax espresso and poly clear
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor furniture

Submitted by td_tx on Sun, 06/07/2020 - 11:33

I used rough cedar to build the patio set. I pre-sanded all pieces to smooth them out and sanded again at the end to limit any remaining splinters. I could not find cedar 2x2, so I ripped all 2x2 from 2x6 using the table saw. The furniture is covered by our porch and we decided to leave it unfinished to let it weather naturally. The plans were modified slightly to accommodate IKEA outdoor cushions. I had some remaining wood, so I built a basic coffee table using some black iron hairpin legs from Amazon.

Estimated Cost
$600 with cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Left unfinished to let the cedar weather
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Bed for Small Room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:17

In my new house we have a small room that can fit a full but also have a tall family, so when I found out that there is a Full XL, I went on the hunt for bed frames and not many choices, so I turned to Ana's site and found/used the essential bed frame for all sizes plan and adjusted it for a FullXL. Our house theme is black and white so we painted it with Ink Black by Behr. Whole frame built for $50 as I already had the paint. My wife loves the frame.

New Bed for my 3 year old!

Submitted by red98dawg on Thu, 08/02/2012 - 13:49

I had been on a search for a while for new furniture for my son’s new big boy bed room but couldn’t justify the money for new furniture and couldn’t find anything remotely nice on craigslist. I ran across this plan on Ana’s site and just had to have it so it became my first large furniture project.
It was fun to build and very rewarding when my son told me he loved his new bed!

I did have some issues with using the kreg jig on the platform so I did use wood screws on the outside frame. I had better success with the kreg jig on the headboard, guess I just needed practice.

There were a few things I did to make it easier to move the bed if needed:
I did not attach the slats but I did lay them on a non skid grip (like you put under rugs on wood floors).
I attached the headboard to the platform using carriage bolts so it could be taken apart easily.

The plans were really easy to follow.

Estimated Cost
$170
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Jacobean, 1 coat
Minwax - Fast-Drying Polyurethane, 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Guest Bathroom

I. LOVE. MY. BATHROOM.

This started with an EPIC FAIL. "Yes Dad I think I hit a pipe with a nail!!!"

Fast forward through plumbing & drywall fixes and life. I added the Board & Batten, made a mirror frame and installed a new mirror. I finally love my guest bathroom.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted Board & Batten with "Wedding Bells" from Lowes and stained mirror frame with Rustoleum in Carrington.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cubby Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 08/29/2016 - 07:56

I modified the plans so the top was 2 ft x 4 ft, more suitable for a college student like myself. I also used a full sheet of 3/4 MDF and used that for the top as well as all of the 3/4 plywood pieces. MDF was much cheaper but next time I would spend the extra money on plywood because the MDF cracked a bunch and was not as easy to work with. Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Shellac based primer and latex white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Playset Addition

Submitted by Derek S on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 08:27

Decided our old play set needed an addition, landed on these plans of Ana's. Sat on them and mulled them over for months. Once the wife said something about adding on to it I made the purchases needed. Connected the two platforms with a bridge. I used 4"x4"x10' for the runners, same boards as the decking for the platform of the bridge(5/4"x6"), 2x4's and 1x4's for the railing. If you look at the 3rd photo, I had to chisel out the 4x4 post to get the 2"x6"x12" support to fit correctly. This should measure 2"x6"x13". Another change I made was to cut the bottom and top trim pieces longer on the front and back sections so that the trim would cover the framing of the gable end walls (see last photo). my son wanted windows so I faked in some windows with scrap 2x2's. I used 2x6's as supports from the 4x4's to the 2x6 framing (see photo 3) I added the monkey bars about a month before deciding to do the platform/deck and playhouse. The ladder is based loosely off of a couple of plans I found online. I was able to do all of this work myself except for the roof. Need my dads help to lift the plywood, he then helped me with the rest of the roof.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a dark wood stain fore the house, green exterior paint for the trim and white exterior paint for the interior of the house.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Outdoor Daybed with Canopy

This was an awesome, quick, and easy project. The sanding, staining, and drying, took forever for me but the actual cutting and assembly was super quick. I have this on an uncovered patio and my local store didn't carry cedar in the sizes I needed so I went with the cheapest wood I could find and used a high quality oil based outdoor stain. I am hopeful it will hold up to our pacific NW winter because it won't be coming in. Considering I had never made anything before and had never used a miter saw, sander or quick square, I am happy with the time it took to finish this.
 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 for lumber, screws, stain, and glue
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/12/2020 - 18:21

Plans were excellent! Thank you. For my own personal preference I used 1x5 for the arm rests to make them a bit wider for your drink, and rounded the corners. Can’t wait to use them!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
used a blue outdoor paint to finish them. Two coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pallet Nightstand

I used pallet wood to create a completely different look for this project. The frame and some of the trim pieces stayed the same, but there were a few edits made to support the pallet top, sides, and shelf. In addition, the drawer design changed a little bit to allow a false front instead of the inset one from the original plan.

More info in the link below!

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Potting Bench

This was my first woodworking project and I absolutely love it !!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Solid Maple Desk

Submitted by ccbuilder on Sun, 08/12/2012 - 14:29

This is a solid maple desk with two drawers finished with shellac and paste wax. I altered the plan by giving the desk and overhang, as well as changing the way the legs were built.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Shellac and paste wax. I sanded until the surface was incredibly smooth and then used a high quality brush to apply the shellac.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kitchen Helper

This project has been one that I've been putting off for a while now. My wife was threatening to just go out and buy one so I figured it was either now or never! Our little girl loves to help in the kitchen and standing in one of our old wobbly dining chairs just wasn't cutting it anymore.

I knew that I wanted to build something that would be more like an heirloom piece of furniture instead of one of the cheap knockdown types that you see in stores. I am sure that I could have possibly come up with my own design, but Marc already had already come up with a good design in the arts and crafts style, which is my favorite style of furniture. I saw no reason to come up with a "new" design just to say I did, plus I was lazy, and Marc already had plans hahaha. In all honesty, I think sometimes as woodworkers we get in our own way trying to be "original", when at this point, it's pretty much all been done before.

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

My First Ana Project

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/18/2020 - 09:41

Had some leftover lumber from a friend's deck rebuild and decided to make a love seat for our deck. Modified the 2x4 Outdoor Sofa plans slightly to make it a little smaller but essentially built directly from your plans. My wife loves it! Only downside is we have to fight the dog for room. Thanks! I'll be using your plans again!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$12 for screws, $90 for cushions, lumber was free.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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