Community Brag Posts

With grandchildren and pets we decided to put a gate on the deck.

The gate is made from 2 X 4's and 2 x 2's. I used brass hinges to prevent rust and smooth operation

I worked on the benches and table for three weekends. All are finished in Ebony by Rustoleum. I used the non-Kreg plans for the benches and the updated Kreg jig plans for the table. I spent a lot of time at Home Depot selecting straight, flat boards for the table top. I literally dug through all of their 1 x 6's and laid them out on the floor in the store to find a good fit. I finished the benches with three coats of Minwax semi-gloss, and I finished the table with three coats of Minwax gloss. I prefer the higher gloss so I may put a coat of gloss on each bench so they all match. I also put some heavy duty furniture felt on all of the legs so they slide easily across the wood floor without scratching! I've been using a sad hand-me-down table and folding chairs for the past couple of years. I couldn't be more pleased with how this turned out.

I live in Alaska and the lumber for the benches cost about $35. The lumber for the table cost $65. I spent about another $100 on wood conditioner, stain, polyurethane, screws, sand paper and a brush. So all total, I have about $200 invested.

After building a few things from plans I decided to come up with something on my own, and from scraps I made this bench for my son.

Plans for this coop were fantastic. It was a lot of work, but really fun to build.  As hard as I tried to keep the cost down, it cost probably close to $300 in materials, but it is well worth it compared to the quality of similar priced premade coops.  I did not want the garden bed, so I enclosed the run fully with hardware cloth. I also added a 2" lip around the cutout in the floor so they wouldn't push all of the bedding down the hole. 

After following Ana for a couple years, I finally got to build something. This was made after watching the you tube video, I used old redwood fencing that was salvaged from a friend headed to the dump. I decided I wanted mine wider so I adjusted the measurements. It went together great, I hung it up before the metal was attached and found it looked funny being so wide. With the pocket hole construction, it was super easy to undo, trim and redo. Then the metal was added and walah! Done! Lovin it. I also made a TP storage hanger to fill the extra space. I will now be making them for 3 friends who have asked for them.

It's a little twist on Ana's Coat organizer. Turned out really useful and did not cost me anything since I ussed scrap wood. I wish I would build have built one for coats as well.

We built three of these for a women and children's shelter. We had friends help us with various aspects of the project. The colors are definitely more vibrant in person. Table tops are painted with chalkboard paint. Because we built three, it took three weeks with some down time here and there. Haven't sat down and figured cost but I know other bragposts have included them if you are curious.

This is my first real woodworking project. This is my version of the Rustic X coffee table. Was made from raw lumber, not what you normally buy at a lumber store. Made of White pine. It wasn't planed either haha. That took me lots of extra time sanding and evening things out. But I do love the knots! After everything was assembled, I used an ebony wood filler in some of the cracks around the knots or any slight splits to add more to that rustic look. I sure to love the fact I made that decision! After that set up for a few hours, I used a natural stain. Only one coat. I sealed it with about 4 coats of glossy polyurethane. I definitely made some mistakes and learned from them. Although, I have to say the Kreg jig is my most favorite tool! If you don't have one, GET ONE! Best invention ever. I am actually onto my second project. I am making the matching end tables out of the same wood, same tree, so they will all be identical. I cant wait to get them all finished and displayed in my living room!

I built Ana's Master Closet System for a flipped house.  The closet was a large walk-in, approximately 6'W x 15'L.  I pretty much used Ana's plans as written, with some tweaking in shelf length for a custom fit.  I used beadboard in the back for a built-in look, and 1x1/2" boards to trim out the edges.  The entire closet was plywood, which was cut, primed, and painted before install.  The pictures are the completed project and before the trim was installed.

During the house sale, the closet impressed potential buyers more than any other feature.  This was my first build from Ana's plans, and now I'm hooked.  I am currently renovating a 1910 home and plan to use Ana's site for everything from built-in's to furniture.  Thanks Ana for such a fantastic site!

This project started because a corner bathroom vanity that fit my space requirements and budget did not exist. A plan specific to what I exactly needed also did not exist. After combing through what plans I found online, the Wall Kitchen Corner Cabinet best matched what I wanted. I modified it with the Momplex Sink Base Kitchen Cabinet in order to turn it into a sink base.

But, there was a problem. I hadn't actually built anything before. In order to get at least one project under my belt, I built the Vintage Step Stool. It turned out great, so I figured I was ready to go! Strangely enough, after spending about $100 and several weekends picking away at this project, it was done! It looked great, even. Then, I moved the vanity into the bathroom and realized that, while it may have looked great, it wasn't very square. Lesson learned was that this is a two person project. It is too difficult to keep things square and screw at the same time when there is only one person.

At this point, everyone was tired of having to use the kitchen sink to brush their teeth and wash their hands, so we needed to get this project done. $100 later, we had more material. Since I had figured out what needed to be done with the first vanity, let's call it our prototype, the second vanity went together REALLY quickly. 

Within a few hours, it was pieced together. Since it was going to be painted, we used Bondo to cover up our imperfections. Yes, of course there were imperfections. While much better than the prototype, it still was only my third woodworking project. Sanding, caulking, and priming took another hour or so. A few coats of the finish paint went on, followed by a couple more coats of a clear sealer, and it was done.

We moved it into place, screwed it to the wall, put the soapstone countertop on along with the sink and faucet, and it truly was complete. Sink is Kohler, faucet came from our local Habitat for Humanity store and I'm not sure what brand it is, and the soapstone came from soapstones.com. If we had oiled the soapstone with mineral oil, it would be a very dark gray.

I took the 25 cubbies plan and changed the dimensions to fit shoes. I made a simpler version for my husband too. This project went together quickly and was so fun to build.

Second project we under took after stumbling over this blog. The armorie fit well in our bed room and has enough space for all my Indian sarees. Added a jewelery drawer in the middle. Love your blog Ana, thanks for the great work you do. Next project is to build a bed to match the armorie.

How to build a simple laptop desk to use when working from the couch. This was a quick build from a woodworking plan found on the Ana White website. We added a small storage area for my blogging binder.