Community Brag Posts

This was my second Ana White project and with this project I really began to feel like a builder. I did modify the plan to make it less tall to fit in the space I needed it for. I also added a front to the shelves because ultimately these were going to be used for starting plant cuttings and I want the front to cover up the plastic pots they are growing in.

The cost of the project is for 2 of the modified shelves and does not include the screws, putty, etc. Also, the time needed would change if you chose better boards than furring strips. Those take a lot of time to make nice at the start of the project. This would also go together quicker if you are only building one shelf instead of two (obviously!).

I'm very happy with the end result! I wrote 9 blog posts on building this project for a more in-depth look at this build.

This was my first official attempt at wood working. We desperately needed outdoor furniture, but I couldn't find any modern pieces close to our price range. I finally worked up the nerve to attempt to build it for seating at a couples shower we were hosting at our house.

Thanks to Ana's well thought out plans and a Kreg Jig, everything came together really well.

I purchased the wood at a local wholesaler and saved lots over the big box stores. Although I did find the cushions at Lowe's.

I have an extra bottom seat cushion that I plan on using for an ottoman in the future.

At first the project was pretty intimidating, but it became much easier with each piece. My one recommendation is to lay all of your pieces out and carefully plan where you'll need the Kreg screws before you begin assembling.

Thanks so much Ana! I'm really looking forward to tackling more of your projects soon!

I've built four of these tables over the years for grandkids. One has already outgrown the table height so I rebuilt the frame and added longer legs. I modified it and use mortise and tenon joints, which has held up great.

Finally built my first project with plans from the site.  Just modified slightly to use the wood and tools I had on hand, but I love it!  If I make another, I will be sure to make it with the legs angled out as Ana did.  With two active toddlers, it would be a bit more stable..

My girls have nominated it as a "reading desk" and might not be as thrilled as I am about having it for them to use in the bathroom to wash their own hands!  Great, easy plans.  It would have been much easier to build with a pocket-hole jig, but maybe I'll get one for my birthday.

Oak top with espresso finish. She’s very happy. I’m very proud

Hello Fellow Ana White Fans!

This is from Ana White's lego coffee table plan, but my daughter is not a huge fan of legos, so we’re just calling this project the Coffee Table of Fun!  Indeed it was a fun build.  This project gave me the excuse I was looking for to buy a kreg jig.  Certainly a kreg jig was not required, as the plan calls for a plywood top and bottom, but Ana revealed in the comments that she made her table by planking 1x6 boards with the kreg jig.  I was nervous at first with the kreg jig (it comes with a whopping big bit), but now I see a world of new possibilities in building with this awesome tool.

This table came together very quickly.  In fact, perhaps it was too quick, because I made a substantial mistake during the build.  In step 8 of the plan, adding the top sides, I missed the fact that the top side was supposed to be flush with the top support, not with the box itself, so that there would be a ledge for the top to rest on.  I didn’t realize my mistake until I added the top ends (correctly), and then measured for the top piece.  Then I scratched my head after realizing that the 3 planked 1x6 boards were not going to fit at all.  Oops!

I was disheartened at first, because I didn’t know what to do.  By the way, Ana has included a “How-To’s” section on this new site for fellow builders to submit tips.  I’d love it if someone could give some pointers about fixing mistakes.  Is there any recourse once a board is glued and screwed?  Anyway, I took some quiet time to think about the project and had an “Aha!” moment.  I ended up attaching 1x2 pieces around the inner edges of the two compartments to create the ledge for the top to rest on.  Then, instead of the three planked 1x6 boards that I’d planned on, I used 6 1x3’s planked together to make the top.  Yes, there was an unexpected detour from the plan, but it all worked out just fine.   I’d rather not make mistakes, but at my current level of experience, I think that mistakes are inevitable, and the mistakes actually give the piece a story and a little extra personality.

Looking forward to the next project!

Cheers!