Community Brag Posts

Enjoyed making the potting bench
Thanks for the plans.

This is not my first build, as I built some tables for my shop using various plans.

Anyway, here it is, the hall tree! I changed up the trim a bit. So much of me went into this, and a couple of times I pulled out the crowbar and started over on the moulding and on the cross supports on the top because I was a bit of a perfectionist... something I need to learn to control with this new found hobby.

Let me know what you think! Already the picture have about 50 likes on my facebook and people want me to build them one! I think I'll just send them the link... !!!

We had a big wall in our living room and nothing to fill it.. To buy a piece of furniture this size would have been so expensive. I worked on this piece over a week and a half... during kids naps. I used cove molding around the outside edges instead of the two base moldings on top and bottom. I added a very large crown molding on top. I wasn't able to find a prefab base molding thick enough that was stain quality so I just used a 1x4 and another molding on top of it. I made 4 shelves but after getting out all my decor I decided to only have one on the left side. I applied edge banding to finish off the plywood edges on the shelves. It was super easy to use and was stainable. The kreg pin hole jig was used so that that the shelves can be adjusted to different heights. I'm planning to order cabinet latches for the doors.. for both look and function with two little kiddos. I used minwax dark walnut stain. Oh, I also added a support underneath the middle bottom section.. it really needs it otherwise its flexible.. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Only minor modifications from the detailed plans ont he website.  Used 36" legs, as my wife and I are on the taller side.  Also added trim around the outside of the drawers and around the top.  The trim was raised 1/2 over top edge of the table to make a lip as a hard stop for the topper.

Made the swing then just kinda came up with my own frame.

My very first big project!  My 6 year old daughter was in need of a new bed and a room makeover so I decided to build her a headboard which then turned into a whole new room!!! 

I really wanted it to it to have some dimension to it so I added some moldings and a mini shelf to the top of it.  I basically just designed it myself, based on what some of the $1000+ pottery barn ones look like and spent hours at the hardware store finding the perfect moldings.  

For the main backboard I used plywood, however to keep it light I used a sheet of molding and added a round edge to make it seamless.  

My my daughter was so excited Mommy built her whole room. 

Had a great time building this double seat Adirondack chair with a cooler in the center. Surprised the wife with it for Mother's Day.

First build ever and we're thrilled with how it turned out. Definitely took us longer than the 4 hours other users have cited, but not bad for total newbies! Thanks for the plans, we love it.

This is my second build - first one using a jig saw. I built this so my daughter can easily get up and down on the daybed we have in our sunroom.

We built these bunk beds and absolutely love them!

A nice quick build to add some decoration to the house. I made three ledges at 80" long. I had initially made them for a different room that could only allow 80" ledges, but ended up not being able to put them there because the wall was too curved to attach the ledges. Ledges have two coats of Miniwax Special Walnut Oil stain and Polycrilic.

All the "art" things were painted on old scrap from a years worth of ana-white projects. I used the three different stains I had left over (Miniwax Aged Oak Gel Stain, Weathered Oak Oil Stain, & Special Walnut Oil Stain) and alternated them on the three different types of wood scraps (Oak, pine, & maple). Then I "distressed" them with physical abuse and watered down acrylic craft paint. The designs were also acrylic craft paint. Then I sanded it all down to give it a worn look.

I loved these rolling cubby plans, so I used them to build one of my own! I needed a bench that could "nest" itself within some open shelves, but be pulled out to provide additional table seating. 

I built this one from maple and walnut, because I like the bright, white color of maple against the brownish/gray of walnut. I very much dislike shiny or dark woods, so I went for an ultra matte wax finish. I used a liming wax for the maple to keep it bright and white (maple tends to go yellow when finished with a "clear" or "natural" finisher), and a clear wax for the walnut. 

I found some non-marking casters on Amazon, but that was the tricky part. The bench needed to be high enough to create ample storage, yet not too tall that it was uncomfortable to sit on. SO I went with s smaller caster, but needed to use six to support the weight of the bench and three occupants. Final bench dimensions are 19" H x 47" W x 17 " D. 

My wife wanted a collapsible table for her craft fair sales. I put a wooden dowel in the opening for her to drape packing paper over and hooks on the sides for gift bags. Easy plans to follow and it turned out great!

This is a Pottery Barn inspired headboard. You can see from the pictures posted that I used 4 different kinds of wood. Reason being that money is tight and I had extra wood laying around the garage. I really enjoyed this project thanks to Anna's post here http://ana-white.com/2010/03/plans-mason-headboard-its-all-in-finish.ht…. I noticed there was a lot of posts concerning the finish. For my headboard I used 2 coats of primer, sanding in between coats. 2 coats of paint. 1 coat of chocolate glaze ( 4 parts glaze, 1 part stain). 1 coat of sealer. I followed this post for my finish http://ana-white.com/2012/05/distressed-turquoise-chocolate-glaze. Good luck everyone. Feel free to ask questions.

- Brad

Build time: 2.5 hours
Painting time: 4 hours
Building cost: Free (reclaimed wood)
Painting cost: $25-$30

This was my second project off Ana White's website. The construction was not as difficult as I would have thought. The staining on the other hand was very time intensive. I made an amended version of the table since I only wanted a 1x12 vs. 1x16. All in all, I am extremely happy with how this turned out.