Community Brag Posts

Faux Fireplace

I tweaked the plans to fit the spot I had in mind- It's a little skinnier, but still super cute!

I eliminated some of the extra trim, but I don't think it suffers any for it.

It's super cute!

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I sealed the knots with kilz primer and then used a paint and primer in one that I had laying around for the white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jackiemacrae

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 14:47

Thanks Ana!
I have this set up in my photography studio. The floors are just ripped 1/4 inch plywood painted brown, then the crackle stuff, and then a top coat of white, and a poly to seal it.

Pam the Goatherd

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 09:50

The "fireplace" looks really good! And I'm glad to hear how you did your floor. I've been trying to convince my hubby to do a 1/4" plywood floor in our trailer as a temporary fix until we can either afford to put down "real" flooring or build the house we have been intending to build on this piece of property for the past 17 years. I've pointed out that we can replace the almost 30 year old, worn-out vinyl and carpet in the living room, kitchen and main hallway for less than $300 including paint/stain and polyurethane. But he thinks it will look tacky. I'm going to show him your picture so he can see for himself that it can look pretty doggone good!

jackiemacrae

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 10:37

Hi Pam- try googling plywood floors if you haven't already. I know I've seen some bloggers use plywood floors in their laundry room , and rec rooms.

My new and amazing outdoor bench

Submitted by ישראל on Sat, 11/16/2013 - 21:57

Thank you for the easy and fun bench plan.
It was really easy to install.
Even my 2 little daughters had fun (-:

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Bondex walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Chachamation

Thu, 10/02/2014 - 07:21

This is absolutely amazing!

This "ישראל" person is super talented comes to the final touches!!  From now on, I will start following your work...

Fancy Outside Dining table!

Submitted by cfrascone on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 08:55

After looking for an outside table with no luck, not to mention the unbelievable price tag, I asked my husband to make me this table..He worked on it for the day with my son and ILOVE the way it came out!!! The plans were simple and easy to follow. Thank you Ana!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

King Farmhouse Storage Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/18/2019 - 15:41

After a successful attempt at Ana’s farmhouse desk I decided to make a bed for my wife... needless to say I think she likes it! Thanks to Ana and Pretty Handy Girl’s plans! (This is my 3rd woodworking project)

Estimated Cost
700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Cabinet Enamel
Minwax Dark Walnut stain
minwax Polycrylic satin polyurethane

I used acetone to transfer the graphic I designed for my inlay. I carved out the inlay with a router. I stained the wood and then painted the surface black.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Window seat with drawers using the mudroom bench with easy drawers plan

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/12/2023 - 17:57

Our home had a window seat that was only 14 inches deep and too small to sit on lengthwise. The before photo shows it just before I started the demolition phase. I had found the mudroom bench with easy drawers plan and decided it would work for our space. This was my first DIY woodworking project. I bought a Dewalt 12-inch compound bevel, sliding miter saw, a Kreg Pocket hole jig, and a Kreg straight-edge guide, and I plan to use them for future projects. I really enjoyed following the plans and building this project.

I got all of my wood at my local Lowe's by sorting through a lot of boards to find the best ones available. I found a nice-looking sheet of hardwood plywood for the top and sides. It was expensive ($84), but I wanted to try staining the project rather than painting it so that it would complement our flooring and other furniture in the room. I decided that if it didn't work out with the stain, I would paint over it.

A local Benjamin Moore paint store did a great job at finding a stain that would match and could be painted over if necessary. It only required one coat of stain to achieve the desired color, and I applied three coats of polyurethane over it.

We ordered a custom cushion with a cover to match the size of our new window seat with drawers. We, and our doggies, are very pleased with how the project turned out! Thank you, Ana White, for the excellent plans and video!
Gene St Germain, Poulsbo, WA

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Pedestal farmhouse table

Submitted by Towboatjs on Wed, 12/04/2013 - 01:33

My wife wanted a farmhouse dining room table for our new house, I wanted to get into woodworking so these plans were a perfect fit. Bonus was adding a few tools to my collection! Revised plans to two pedestals and shortened about 2 feet. If I were to do over I would have stained and poly'd separately, but I tried to save steps because I was finishing inside the house and didn't have time for separate steps before leaving town. Ran into a few hiccups along the way but both my wife and I are happy with the end results.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Poly shades stain and poly in one, sanded Down to "distress" and then a few coats of wipe on satin polyurethane on table top to resist stains and for easier cleanup
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

8x12 Shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 03:26

My new garden shed built from your premium plans! I'm 62, never built a shed before, and worked mostly alone. My sons helped with some of the wall and roof sheathing. In the end, I did everything except for the shingling. I painted it to match my house main color and trim.

The video is very helpful - I watched it several times. My major change to the plans was using Simpson Strong Ties and hurricane ties to secure the rafters to the ridge pole and the top plates. Otherwise, I used all other methods. I recommend cutting the front wall sheathing before cutting the panels for the doors. I do not have a trim saw and thought my standard circular saw was too heavy for me to make the cuts like Jacob did.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse King Bed - knotty alder and grey stain

This was my first building project! I had so much fun with it ... for a guy that can't even hang a photo on the wall! My dad helped and he had all the tools. I spent a few weekends with him so not only was a good father/son project we had something to show off at the end. I think I've caught the woodworking fever.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
prestain, weathered oak stain, danish oil finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

dentalba

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 12:10

I really like the look of the stain. I would be interested to know what changes you made to the original to achieve this look. Also, where did you find the lumber? I can't find knotty alder around here.

locke1103

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 06:32

Is there a way to find the materials needed and specific instructions on how to make this bed? I LOVE IT!

winnsamuel

Tue, 11/25/2014 - 19:22

Hello,

This is awesome, I've been looking to build a bed frame for my new apartment.  Does anyone know where I can find the plans for this project.

Similar to the person above me, I am new to this and not quite sure what to do.  If anyone can provide me with a little insight to this project I would really appreciate it!

 

Thanks!

4x4 Truss Beam Table

Submitted by WolffA on Fri, 10/11/2019 - 08:15

Used Kreg Jig HD screws and pocket holes with glue. Stained in Dark Walnut. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farm House Bar Table

Modification of Ana White's Farmhouse Table adjusted to bar height.

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

Doll bed factory

Submitted by sgilly on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 15:22

I fell in love with the darling bunk bed built by so many of Ana's readers. Since seeing it I've made several for my granddaughter, neighbors, and friends. What I've learned is that although they're cute, they take almost as much time as a full sized bed!

Estimated Cost
$20-30 (less if I used scraps!), another $10 for bedding materials
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I left most of the bunks natural. Filled, sanded and sprayed with 2 coats of clear poly. Others were painted white (after filling and sanding).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Nora E. McClure (not verified)

Mon, 02/20/2012 - 18:54

I love the beds. My child wants one so badly. I like yours better then the one American Girl makes.

sgilly02 (not verified)

Fri, 02/24/2012 - 20:48

That's a sweet thing to say. Evidently, others feel the same; I can't make enough of them! They're really pretty easy to make, I hope you try your hand at it!

Andrea Franklin (not verified)

Mon, 05/28/2012 - 17:27

Hi, I see you've made the Ana-White doll cradle from this post. The link to the pattern for the doll cradle appears to be missing as it is a dead link now. Do you know how I might obtain the pattern? Thanks so much

Modern Park Bench

Submitted by TaylorMade on Tue, 03/08/2016 - 18:42

HI Ana! Just wanted to tell you thank you for sharing all your knowledge. I really got inspired reading your book and looking through your website. I was quite intimidated but I finally completed my first build. It feels amazing and I am so grateful for your help! XO Sarah Taylor

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

fancy x farmhouse table-first timer!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 22:31

These wood plans were great! Easy to follow and an awesome first project for my hubby and I to build together. Only hitch for us was by choosing to make the longer bench we didn't check the placement of the feet before attaching it. When we were done we weren't able to push the benches under the table so we had to redo that step.

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used two coats of minxwax red oak 215 stain and 3 coats of minwax semi gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

20' x 7' hand built oak entertainment/ bookcase built-in

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/31/2019 - 08:36

A fun project I did for a homeowner in Rosemount Minnesota. I had 100 hours in it at the end but they were very happy with the end result!

Estimated Cost
2500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Golden oak stain with a semi gloss poly finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Kendra Console Nightstand/Shelf

Submitted by mamamea33 on Fri, 01/24/2014 - 10:25

This was my third "solo" build - my husband has built several of Ana's plans, and I built a book caddy and a stepstool earlier in the month. I have always enjoyed sewing and fixing up our new-to-us house, but until 2014 I was afraid to try building so I left it up to my husband. No more! I brought both kids to the hardware store, selected my lumber, and got to work. We bought a mitre saw which has been AWESOME, so I've been using that and a jigsaw to make cuts. I would love to figure out the circular saw someday soon.

I had some issues with this plan here and there, but I can't be sure if it was an issue with the cut list or with my assembly. It wasn't anything I couldn't work around, though, and I'm really happy with the end result. I wasn't sure how to use the Kreg Jig on angled cuts, but once I figured that out the sides were very easy to assemble! Love that Kreg Jig.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Ultimate Stain in Dark Walnut - two coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mamamea33

Wed, 01/29/2014 - 09:48

Thank you Gina! I am so happy I went for it. There was much deliberation. ;)

Antique Armoir

Submitted by George R S on Sat, 02/01/2014 - 19:11

This is the first furniture project I have built from a plan found on-line - at Ana's Website. The plan was very easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed building this piece of furniture. I made some alterations to the upper cabinet as per shelving. I used an antique finish to match my bed. The match and design is perfect!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr primer and paint in one. Oil based walnut antique gel. Silver acrylic paint. Water based satin finish varethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sylvie's coat tree

I built my daughter a coat tree from Ana's plans and it looks basically just like Ana's-even the same color. My daughter-in-law saw it and wanted one for my granddaughter's room to hold her dressup clothes but she wanted a natural look, instead of painted and her room is basically natural wood, red and white so this is what I came up with. I would never have even known I could build a coat tree if I hadn't tried Ana's first!! This one was super easy and cheap, made mostly with scraps and some varnish I already had. I had to buy the balls, dowel and letter S.

I would encourage anyone to build one of these if they have need of a coat tree. You could even make it adult size if you combined Ana's plans with these plans and screwed in some hooks.

Estimated Cost
about $8.00 if you don't have scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray on varnish and acrylic paint for knobs and letter.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
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