Community Brag Posts

Little Kids Picnic Table

Life between tours can be challenging. Both for the re-entry and the need to SLOW DOWN! My love put this project on my shop table after returning from the NE in mid-April. A fun job for my son and I to play at. I had purchased twenty, 12'x1"x6" tongue & groove heart-pine months ago from HD. $1.97 down from $16.70! I ripped the T & Gs off and cut the lumber down to specs for this project. SUPER fun and easy to make! I discovered the exterior primer + paint after I finished building and probably would have preferred to do 2 coats, prior to making with touchups AFTER the assembly...next time! (Bought a KREGG JIG for this project and love it.)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
18.79
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Primer/Paint - 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Texas Farm Bench

Submitted by BARROW12 on Sat, 02/08/2014 - 19:40

Modern Farm Bench w/ Texas Flag

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum American Walnut stain and Valspar paint in Deep Sea Diving, White, and Classic Red.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Plate Rack adds much needed storage

Submitted by tayljerr on Sat, 05/07/2016 - 20:48

I came across the plans for the pate rack and realized it would be a perfect fit in my dining room. My house is just shy of its 100th birthday and I have been tackling renovation one room at a time. I have been trying to find new ways to use all of the materials that have been removed or replaced during my renovation. I was able to use the damaged shiplap and warped baseboards from my first room's renovation and create a plate rack shown.

 

 

Thank you for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Used primer and "Swiss Coffee" white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Nightstand

Submitted by SB on Thu, 02/06/2020 - 13:02

My first ever project that was intended to live in my house.

Built a pair of these Farmhouse Nightstands for a spare bedroom from a modified version of Ana's plans. The only real difference was that they were re-sized to fit the space available. The tops are made up from two 8x2s and a 4x2 and the base by about an inch on all sides. The three pieces making up the top are joined underneath by Kreg screws (another first for me) and the top is secured to the base by small angle brackets from underneath also. 

The base was painted first with a primer, then undercoat and finally with a top coat of Antique White satin finish. The top was stained with a walnut stain. I didn't apply a sealer beforehand and so the wood absorbed it at different rates but I like this effect. Finally the top was finished with 3 coats of Danish Oil

Really pleased with this first project. Thanks Ana for the design.

Sorry about the photos - everytime I load them the appear upside down 🙃🤔

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Fireplace Wall Built-ins

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/02/2023 - 10:21

My partner and I struggled with how to make a bookshelf wall around a fireplace that is flush with the wall. The solution! Build out the lower portion of the fireplace wall about 8 inches, add stone, then cabinets and shelves. Materials used: butcher block counter top, real wood panels for wall, oak wood for shelves, and poplar for the painted portions. The mantle is laminated wood made to appear like a large piece. We have a power strip accessible on both sides to keep things plugged in. The hardest part was continuing the crown molding around the top. We are pleased with the result!!

Laura E.

Chestwick Platform Bed (King)

Submitted by ebfaulk on Fri, 04/27/2012 - 18:02

I took the plans from the Chestwick platform bed and headboard and built it using King size bed dimensions. For the box of the bed, I used 2 x 12's instead of 2x8's. It seemed more substantial for a king bed, and this way, I didn't need to use a box spring.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Gunstock
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

birdsandsoap

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 22:17

I want to stain something that color just because it's called "Gunstock." This is such a neat bed, looks good with the heavier bottom, especially on a king size bed.

Slipcovered Bench

Submitted by Linda7 on Tue, 02/11/2014 - 16:55

My mother needed a bench in her small entryway. She had definite dimensions in mind and we looked everywhere. None fit the bill. Then I saw these plans and we went from there. She had leftover fabric from recovering her dining room chairs, and I had the plywood. She wanted the Queen Anne legs to go with her traditional furniture; we put felt floor protectors on the bottom of the feet of the legs, which helps keep the bench from moving so easily on the tile floor. The plans were easy to follow, including the tutorial on how to sew the slipcover. The bench worked out just like she had hoped. Thanks Ana, for the great plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60.00; about $40 for the legs, foam, and finish
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades in walnut; two or three coats. This acts more like paint, but you can re-coat in just an hour or so. I then used minwax poly in satin three coats for protection.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tryde coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 05:00

used a keg jig so all screws are hidden underneath. Lots of sanding, but was worth it for the finish though. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil based stain and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sand box with benches

Submitted by Big Grizz on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 19:51

This sand box was very easy to build and it works great. The only thing I would change is cutting the "arm rests" at 7 1/2" instead of 6 1/2". I did that for the second set of arm rests (when I downloaded the plans many weeks ago the cut list was wrong). It made putting that section together a lot easier.

I easily spent more on the hinges (at $5 per hinge x 8 hinges) than I did on the wood itself.

My 1 and 1/2 year old loves playing in it and now I need to build a toy box for him to put all of his sand toys in!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Redwood colored stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

T. Holloway (not verified)

Mon, 09/17/2012 - 10:29

I just want to say that I asked for my husbands help, and his advice increased the price significantly.
He does not like to paint, and will spend the extra dollar to purchase pressure treated wood. So I sent him with my materials list and the wood he purchsed was $60.00, plus $22.00 for hinges and $10 for a box of deck screws. Actually, I am a artist and had wanted to paint the project to look like a big frog.

The Two Towers, Master closet Makeover

Submitted by dmcarwin on Sat, 02/15/2014 - 10:22

I have been wanting to makeover my master closet for a long time! I finally decided to just give it a try, I looked at several options and finally decided to base my closet around Ana's master closet tower she made for the momplex. I loved the plan and knowing I would need two towers I set to work designing with two towers in mind. I LOVE how it turned out and the tower plans were awesome! I also used the drawer plans for the tower and added the amount I needed, that is the best part about DIY! Thanks so much Ana for all your amazing plans they gave me the jump start I needed to get this project done! For details on the rest of my closet makeover please check out my blog post. If you go to my reveal post on my blog, near the bottom it has all the links to my building posts.

Estimated Cost
Around $150 for the two towers, not including the drawers which I used scrap wood for
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a white Bher paint that was from the oops section.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

freefromburdens

Sat, 02/15/2014 - 11:42

I love this. I love the price also. I redid my closet and chose not to use the towers, but after seeing yours I plan on doing my other closets using this one. While doing research on closet organizers, the price was nothing like yours. This is really good quality for $150. Great job...

dmcarwin

Sat, 02/15/2014 - 12:48

It really was a great price, please note that without using a lot of my scraps I could not have done it, for so cheap. All of my drawers were made with scrap/reclaimed wood I had collected, and reusing wood from my old closet. The price of $150 was just for the two towers (drawers not included) and not all the other builds in my closet. I just don't want you to think that you could do it for that price if you had to buy all the wood. If you click on my blog post link I do a break down of all my costs (again not including what I had on hand) and for everything in the whole closet including the bins it was just over $300, that I personally spent. I was lucky to have so much scrap/reclaimed wood, it saved me a ton of money! Thanks again!

Outdoor Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 20:19

The console is tall, perfect as a serving comsole or for a portable BBQ. I used straight stair baulsters for the feet at 34". Fun, quick project. This was my third Furniture project from the Ana White site.

Clair

woodpaintcreate.com

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/17/2020 - 17:44

I'm a 17 year old just getting into woodworking. I built this for my mom, it was my first big project. She loved it, thanks for the plans and I'll definitely be using more plans to build other things!

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Carbon Gray stain.
White Chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mini-Mini Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Jake on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 13:35

I took the suggestions for the Mini-Farmhouse Bedside Table and revised it a little further. First I cut the legs to 18" which gave me a total height of 19". I enclosed the back to avoid looking at the back of the drawer. I covered the drawer with a piece so it overlaps the drawer slot. Worked great at hiding some of my mistakes. From the pics you can see that it sits next to my easy chair in Mi Cueva de Hombre. Great project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 includes knob ($2.40), Spray paint ($8)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Rustoleum primer and two coats of Spruce Green Rustoleum spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Console

I made this Console following your step by step rustic X console plan. turned out great! I love your site!

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

Comments

Happier Homemaker Outdoor Firepit Benches

I built these benches out of cedar, which added considerable cost to the job.  The total cost for four benches (including stain) was about $240.  I used clear cedar and Sikkens outdoor stain in chocolate brown.  I also modified the plans slightly to create stronger joints, using rabbet and mortise joints and Titebond III (waterproof) glue.  This only slightly changed the dimensions, but I think it will make the benches last for years to come.  It did add some time to the plans, as I think butt joints would've taken only 2-3 hours total before sand and finish. 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sikkens ProLuxe Semi-Transparent Chocolate Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Vintage Step Stool

Submitted by sraper2 on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 20:10

I built this step stool recently and am so happy with the way it came out! I even learned that I'm not all that terrible with my jigsaw anymore haha. I painted it turquoise and distressed the edges a little bit. I also added some silicone to the bottom to prevent it from sliding out from under little ones. I have some of the build process up on my blog. Thanks!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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