Community Brag Posts

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by rjgold on Fri, 05/10/2019 - 11:17

While mine is not as good as some of these projects I am pretty proud of it.   

I came some 12"x1"x18' (Actual size) redwood planks that were removed from the roof of a building here in town, built in 1876.  Essentially these were milled over 125 years ago.   You can still see the the blade marks.   I did not want to shorten the planks too much so I built this table, just made two frames.  I used rough redwood 2x4 and 2x6  for the frame.  I made it a little taller.

Its the highlight of the back yard, we have dinners out there regularly now

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 (I did not have to buy the top planks)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
thompsons wood sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Our Farmhouse Table....my first build!

Submitted by jchorton on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 19:55

Due to limited space and inclement weather, this table took us a bit longer than a weekend....in a perfect world, we would have been done a lot sooner...however, it was completed just in time for Thanksgiving dinner...hence the mis-matched chairs. I LOVE my new table. It turned out even better than I had hoped. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$125.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used two coats of Minwax Dark Walnut and then three coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sgilly

Wed, 10/02/2013 - 13:11

I don't know how I missed seeing your beautiful table! What a nice finish. I'm planning to build one for my son and his wife and would love to know how's it holding up. Would you do anything differently?

Smaller Size Kids Chair

Submitted by rosiejane on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 01:46

This is the third smaller sized chair that I've made. This was for my nephew's first birthday. Adjusted the measurements to suit smaller kids. My chair gift list keeps getting longer. I've got another 4 to finish before January.

Estimated Cost
$5 AUD
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
dulux aquanamel vivid white - 2 coats; dulux mondrian blue - 2 coats; lightly distressed then finished with cabot's cabothane water based poly - 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Barn Door Pantry Build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/18/2023 - 14:54

Using the Barn Door Pantry plan, I partially built this in my shop then took it apart and transported it to my son's house where we reconstructed it. This is a massive project and I recommend that you have enough room (and help) to build it and move it. The door is built with 1/2 inch plywood, framed with 1 by 4's with bead board inserts.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Rustic X Console Table

Submitted by hmctagg on Sat, 11/02/2013 - 13:06

We followed the plans closely, and it turned out well for the first project. It was the perfect size for what we needed! My husband had never built anything like this before and after a little research on how to use the kreg jig, he was able to finish it in a weekend.

Estimated Cost
$120 including finishing supplies
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used one coat of Minwax Provincial. I originally bought a sample can to practice on some scraps and then planned to go buy the bigger can, but I was able to stain the entire table with the sample size using an old T-shirt instead of a brush (I didn't want to risk brush marks). I liked the look after one coat, so I stopped there. I also decided against adding the hardware since I liked the look without it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Reclaimed Wood Look Bedside Table

Submitted by frymaster on Mon, 01/18/2016 - 09:01

This was my first bedstand build, and I was pleased with how they turned out! A possible recommendation might be to make your own 2x2's if you have the means, I looked everywhere around here and could only find firring strips. These look ok after a good bit of sanding, but the huge radius edges make for some funny looking joints, and they're super inconsistent dimensionally - like off by 1/8" smallest to biggest, which can make issues with fitting drawers. Another option would be to build the base frame, then make the drawers once it's all together and modify dimensions slightly to match. I would also note to make sure your drawer bottoms are flush with the outside of the drawer side to side, and not slightly bigger at all, it made for pretty a pretty tight fit for the drawers to make it in. Squareness was paid extra attention thanks to all of the good comments on these plans, and I didn't seem to have any issue with drawers fitting as a result, just a bit snug. I would suggest using 1x4 for the drawer frames for two reasons: The first is that the drawers are pretty shallow, and there's plenty of room to use 1x4 instead of the 1x3. The second was the alignment of the drawer pulls and the top of the drawer box frame. Mine ended up right on the border of the drawer box frame in order to get the drawer pull centered. This was a problem as I had to grind off the edge of the interior box frame to get the screw to fit. If you had a 1x4, you could just countersink it without any issues, since it wouldn't be right on the edge of the drawer box. Overall awesome project, and great plans! Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$150 for two
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut, two coats, 5 coats of poly on top, 3 everywhere else.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bench

Submitted by cheech on Thu, 06/06/2019 - 18:13

Lot of fun just purchased a pocket jig and first project can't wait to make another. Thanks for the plans 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Large Cubby

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 17:04

My son moved into his first very small apartment and wanted a cubby array rather than a dresser. I made this following your plans and it came out great! It’s 4x4 cubbies as you can see. I used 1/2” plywood to keep the weight down. It was a little flimsy, so I put 1/8” tempered sheet on the back, which made it completely stable. He loves it! Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Farmhouse Table

We love the look of farmhouse tables but not their hefty price tags. So we decided to build our own. $60 in supplies and a week-end's worth of time left us with a beautiful table that has a story. Ana's plans were easy to follow. Building furniture is so rewarding...and easier on the wallet!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used two coats of Minwax Red Mahogany and three coats of Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Laurel (not verified)

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 09:17

I was looking to make the farmhouse table this weekend but I think we'll make this instead. My husband wants "big legs" and I saw this and immediately knew that it was perfect.

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:27

WOW! First your table is amazing- great work! Second, I am wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing where you got your chairs? I love the look of them with the wood table!
Thanks!

MS (not verified)

Thu, 01/12/2012 - 12:32

Hi, I love this, great job! I am wanting to build a bigger one that will seat 10-12. I love the farmhouse table on this website, but I do not like the way the supports underneath prevent you from sliding chairs up to the ends. Do you think it would be sturdy enough without them? Like you did for your table here.
Thanks!!

American Girl Sofa and Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/20/2016 - 13:37

We had so much fun making this sofa and chair for our daughter as a last minute Christmas gift. It went together quickly and we are so pleased with the end result. Thanks for sharing your plans just in time for a last minute gift. My daughter was so pleased!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Glossy white enamel paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

6 Drawer Coffee Table

Submitted by Loridale on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 02:57

The green one was the original built 3 years ago. The red is a recent makeover. I have loved this table since it was built and I love it even more now. This was my first project and I am so happy with it.

Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and steal wool in Vinegar and black tea
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Painted Side Board and Hutch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/31/2023 - 07:33

This floor to ceiling Buffet and Hutch was to house a large crockery collection. The upper hutch portion had to have open shelving to display some larger pieces of crockery.

I also wanted a section to convert to a coffee and tea station/ Wine/ Dessert serving section as part of the hutch, when I had parties

Glass shelves and lights were added to give this massive unit a lighter look. To give it a truly unique look, handmade door knobs, pewter accents and a textured backdrop was added.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Kids Art Table

Submitted by beingbrook on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 08:43

My husband and I built the art table to give our 3 year old for Christmas. We have had great success building from other Ana-White plans and the Clara table was no different. We did modify it by adding a 1x3 to the legs to give it more stability. I think the table is great without it but we have older kids too and wanted to make sure the table could withstand them sitting on it or leaning against it.

The table was built with scraps from our garage so the top is modified slightly because of that. I think the only thing we bought for this project was a 2x2 for the legs. Can't beat a $3 table!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$3-Probably less than $15 if you needed to buy all the wood
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded and then painted with 2 coats of Sherwin Williams dover white in Satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wine Console Table

So this is my first attempt at woodworking. In fact it's the first time I've really created anything with my hands. I came across this website and saw all of the wonderful creations people have made and decided I wanted to give it a try. I saw the Workbench Console and loved the design of it. I knew my sister-in-law was looking for a console table for her new house and being a wine lover I figured I'd give those plans a go. I added a second shelf for wine bottle storage and flipped around the tabletop. I really wanted to have a towel rack attached to it as well but after scouring the hardware stores I couldn't find anything that "fit" the look I wanted so I called a buddy of mine who is a blacksmith and with his expert guidance he taught me how to make the towel rack I wanted. I'm proud to say I made everything on that table including the hardware (minus all of the wood screws of course ;)

To be honest, when I went into this project I wasn't too sure about what the results would be, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out when it was finished. So much so that after surprising my sister with her new table I've already started on another console for my own living room wall. This site has been very inspirational and has shown me that anyone can build fantastic pieces as long as the desire is there! Thanks Ana!

P.S. This project took a long time for me to complete mainly because I had no experience at all going into it. Now that I've put one together I've noticed the next one coming together much faster.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Started with a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut and finished with two coats Minwax Anitque Walnut Polyblend.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 11/07/2013 - 05:29

Fantastic first project and also impressed with your newly found blacksmith skills!

Honestabe37

Fri, 11/08/2013 - 21:27

Thank you for the kind words. It's been fun to see the response from friends and family. It's kind of hilarious to me that I've only built one table and now I have requests coming from family, friends and co-workers for everything from end tables to entertainment centers! But first things first, I'm piecing together my new console table for the living room. I just wish I had more time during the day to spend on it!

Truck Shelf

Submitted by DMax2010 on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 15:23

Loved this project!

Estimated Cost
Under 10.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Red chalk pain, minwax express in walnut for the slats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Compost Bin

In my endeavor to be more green and self-providing, I started a backyard garden this past Spring. Thanks to the Texas heat, it was not as fruitful as I would have liked. I won't just blame the weather, but my novice status. I kept thinking I should have done more to amend the soil. So, I have been tossing around idea of composting to make my own nutrient rich soil and have a better experience with my garden next year. So, I found these plans online and I modified them down to a single 2'x2' sized bin. It also had to be mobile in that I could move it around my yard if I need to find a better place for it.

From Plan: Build A Compost Bin www.lowescreativeideas.com
http://lowescreativeideas.com/idea-library/projects/Building-a-Compost-…
Estimated Cost: $20 for Lumber $13 for Hardware Cloth $14 for Galvanized Hinges
Estimated Time Investment: 3 hours
Required Skill Level: Intermediate
Type of Wood: Cedar and Pine
Finish Used: Natural/Matt Finish

I was able to use some left over wood for my project, but the estimate above would represent all wood being purchased. I was not really happy on the price of the galvanized hinges and I used two of them at $7 each.

The plans also called for 2x6's for the bottom, but that sized plank would have made it very very heavy and to me the whole point of having a bottom to your compost is so that you can move it if need be... so I use 1x4's

Since I didn't want my compost to come into contact with pre-treating chemicals, I did not use pretreated wood. Instead, I put a light coating of a matte finish on only the wood that would stay in contact with moisture. Otherwise, I want the cedar to mellow and age.

My final cost was about $40 using some left over wood. In one case, I actually used my Kreg Jig to create a 2x4 of appropriate length with some of my scraps. Worked beautifully. Also used it on the lid, as you can see in the picture.

Lack Inspired Shelfs - made bigger

Submitted by ride4lamar on Mon, 12/19/2011 - 07:39

We have the IKEA Lack furniture in our living room and wanted the shelves to match. We also wanted them to take up more of the wall. the shelves measure 80" tall by 47" wide and are made out of 2x12s. Three of the shelves are 15" and the other is 24" since it is to be used for larger display items.

The shelves are secured with 3inch deck screws, sunk in and filled with wood filler.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$140 total for 2 shelves. $115 for wood, $12 for paint, then the cost for sandpaper and screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded with 120 grit, and painted with Martha Stewart white high gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Harvest Table and Bench

Submitted by proach55 on Sun, 11/10/2013 - 10:26

Built for my daughter's new home. Tried to match finish to recently obtained Hitchcock Furniture Harvest Fanback chairs.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Finish tabletop in Sherwin Williams Fruitwood.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Baby changing station

Submitted by maw0130 on Mon, 01/25/2016 - 09:16

Hand painted baby changing station with interchangeable shelves or hampers. Can grow with child into dresser or entertainment center.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Christa

Tue, 02/09/2016 - 08:12

I love what you've done with the laundry basket dresser! I never would have thought to use it for a changing table it's genius. I also love your owl mural on the side.

Armoire with Mirror

Submitted by DCecil43 on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 20:12

I didn't find plans that I liked on this site but I took what we had and modified it to be taller and wider.  Drawers are also a lot deeper.  This was a really tough one for me as there was so much going on but in the end, this came out absolutely amazing!

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax True Black Stain and Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced