Community Brag Posts

For a co worker...

A co worker reeeeally wanted this and asked me to build it. It is only my second build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150-200
Finish Used
Varathane Spar Varnish in satin, Varathane Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Doll House

Submitted by samueldodd on Fri, 11/02/2018 - 08:39

I made this house using oak plywood for the floors a using a straight edge and paper knife to score it to look like planks and made the lengths vary by using a chisel. The roof is made from 1/4" underlayment painted with red oil base paint and cut to make it look like shingles. It is on heavy duty 4" casters. I have made two identical houses for the same lady who purchased them for an aging aunt. This is the first of the two and was lost in a house fire. The second one was to replace this one. If I make another house I will be installing working lights in it. This is a very large house and fun to build

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red oil-based paint, white paint and Special Oak wood stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Slatted Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/30/2022 - 15:39

Loved making this bench! Simple enough using a stop block on my mitre saw.
Followed directions except made it shorter in width. I got so many compliments!

Comments

Rustic Bench turned into an Entry Table!

Submitted by cclemons on Fri, 08/30/2013 - 11:49

I loved the look of the Rustic X Bench but wanted to modify to be an entry table. I took the exact plans, but made it longer and taller. The X bracing didn't match up exactly, but I like it with the separation. The stain is a Minwax Espresso finish. I added adjustable glides to the bottom so I could adjust if needed. It was an excellent first project and it fits in our home PERFECT! Thanks Ana for the inspiration to create, build and be a mommy at the same time :)

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain - Espresso Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

2x4 Truss Table - Modified

Submitted by ckdesigns on Mon, 10/19/2015 - 06:35

Since our dining room is small I modifed this table to 66" long.  It is 50" between legs.  Also, I do not have a table saw, so I could not get the 10 degree angle on the legs.  I actually think that having them at 90 worked out better since this table was scaled down.  We love it and think it is really great in the room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $100 in wood and $50 in other materials.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

mantel moulding headboard

Submitted by csnezz on Tue, 11/13/2018 - 12:13

Mantle moulding plan modified with a center 2 X 4 and used sanded plywood for the back. Finished with a few different mouldings but turned out great. Nice plan. With pre-stain, stain and poly, project extended to about a week.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Water based pre-stain, Varathane American Walnut fast drying stain, Varathane water based polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Essential Outdoor Wood Chair for standard cushion

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/09/2022 - 19:09

I was so excited to try this plan! It was the perfect size for this corner! Now I need to make a few of the chairs for the deep seat cushions! Thank you for these great plans, Ana!

Comments

Vintage Style Step Stool - Distressed

Submitted by Radcrafter on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 09:58

I love this stool. I used the plan as is, except for creating the angles similar to those shown on the stool photos in the plan. If you follow the plans directly, your stool will be standing completely straight vs the slight angle shown in the photos. If you are not comfortable with cutting angles, I would definitely stick with the plan. I had to play around with mine until I finally got everything right.

The time allotted is more due to waiting for paint to dry versus actual build time. The stool goes together quickly, but sanding & drying time do eat up the hours.

Thank you Ana for the great plans! I have more of these planned for the future, so cute & they'll make great gifts!

Estimated Cost
$10-20
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
To create this distressed finish...one coat primer, one coat dark brown (oops paint sample, so I don't know actual name), then random thin layers of poly to keep next coat of paint from sticking in those areas, one coat teal (also oops paint sample), glaze in a dark brown & then clear poly on top. You sand in-between all paint layers & then do a final sanding to create distressed look before applying glaze or poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 08:12

This looks great. I really like the stool with the angled legs. What angle did you use?

Rustic X Console

Submitted by Jfox1128 on Sun, 09/01/2013 - 22:08

Followed Ana's plan w/ minor measurement changes to fit my needs but the Rustic X Console came together pretty good. First we were going with a blue stain but once we got the stain oh the wood it was just to much so we opted for a lighter paint and finished off with a light lacquer.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic truss outdoor table

Submitted by aronbirkir on Sat, 10/24/2015 - 00:48

Build this one out of pine and used DIY Pete's handling method of the wood to make it look older ( http://www.diypete.com/how-to-build-a-farmhouse-table/ ) with vinegar and steel wool. 
The beams are halflap joined to the legs and no screws where used to attach the beams to the legs. It is rock sturdy. The leg frames are glued and screwed together with pocket holes. The planks in the tabletop are only put together with pocket hole screws and fastened to the beams from underneath with long screws. Finished with Chinese oil. This outdoor table was a gift to a good friend.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with mix of white vinegar and steel wool. Let the vinegar stain the wool for 4 days in a closed jar. Then brush it on and the solution oxidates when it reacts with the wood.
Finished with Chinese oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Coffee Bar

Submitted by Liz Miller on Tue, 12/04/2018 - 10:37

This was my first time using my own measurements for an Ana White build. I was really nervous but having completed a few other projects by following plans exactly, I felt confident I had gained the skill to branch out of my comfort zone. I had been looking at coffee bars for my kitchen, but at $300 and up, cheaply made and in the wrong dimensions,. I just knew I could build something with better quality for a portion of the price. This project took me half a day to build the carcass and then another afternoon to figure out the door hardware and stain. I used all 1 x boards and the final bar is 12" wide so I used 1 x 12 boards for everything except the trim.  All in all you could complete it in a few hours, it was really simple. I made the door hardware by popping open two pulleys and attaching them with metal somethings (not sure what they are) that I found at Lowes. I then ran a flat bar across the front using spacers like Ana did in hers. I painted the hardware with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and stained the top of the bar with Minewax Dark Walnut, the bottom is Minewax Ebony. I still need to poly. One thing I changed up was the top. Instead of using a piece of plywood, pine, or combining pieces together, I used a stair tread! It was a little thicker than a typical 1 x, and also had a rounded edge which I think gives the piece a finished look! This is a piece of furniture I will truly use every single day and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! The grand total? $60 for the wood and $20 for the hardware. $80 all in all (I had the stain leftover from another project). There's no way I could have bought a piece this nice for that price! 

Estimated Cost
$80 ($60 for wood and $20 for hardware) I had the stain from a previous project.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
The top is MInewax Dark Walnut, the base is Minewax Ebony, and the hardware is spray painted Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze. I still need to poly the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Son’s extra long farmhouse twin bed

Submitted by jendon on Sat, 08/20/2022 - 19:26

My son grew and needed a bed fit for a high schooler! We went through all of Ana’s beds and picked this one, but he wanted tongue and grove on his headboard and footboard. This was a smooth build and agreed with some other builders to have a bed breakdown framing system. I chose mine from Rockler. I have used their products before and have been very happy. My son also wanted it raised a little bit higher for storage. The stain is golden oak. We were so happy about this bed, so thank you once again, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Tool box and Cleaning Caddy

Submitted by moemoore on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 00:48

I saw Ana's plans for a toolbox and thought that's great! Then I saw another members adaption for a cleaning caddy and I knew I had to build both!

I build on my lanai (porch) in Hawaii, so my work area is fairly small. It was easy to build these at the same time, and I made plenty use of my Kreg jig!

Estimated Cost
under $20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I had some really ugly "pumpkin" orange that the previous owners had painted the front door with. While cleaning out paint, I combined it with some white and off-white paint, getting a nice creamy color. I used that (2-3 coats) after priming the piece. I then used some mis-tinted brown paint for the trim. Finished with 2-3 coats of a poly finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sgilly

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 15:02

Your work space may be small, but I think I'd take your view any day! Just beautiful. And, the tool box and caddy are really nice, too!

Crown Ledge

I really fell in love with this crown ledge and had to do it. Of course I did it to fit the length I needed and I also added a decorative piece of trim at the bottom to give it a more finished look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 09/04/2013 - 04:43

Looks so nice and love the converted bench. We just made one ourselves and I'm in the process of painting it.

Loft bed, not quite finished

Submitted by Bunnie1978 on Tue, 10/27/2015 - 20:33

I built this bed several months ago, but it isn't finished.  Deigned the plan myself with inspiration from several plans/brags along the way.  The room not at all square or level so had to build as you go.  This was for my son's 7th birthday, and he loves it.

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

Doll House Book Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/25/2018 - 19:58

Made this for my little girls room 

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Woven back bench

Submitted by Lukilla on Thu, 09/01/2022 - 15:47

What a fun project! My 2x2 scraps had started to accumulate, and I couldn't think of anything to do with them. Ana White to the rescue! Built this one for the fun of it, and my wife had fun with the colors. Great plan as always. I added 2x2s to support the seat slats, but im sure it'd be fine without

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Another Doll Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by n8ur9irl on Fri, 08/12/2011 - 06:16

I made this for my Granddaughters 6th Birthday. My husband and I just finished a tree house for the Grand kids and we had lots of scraps left! Very easy to make and the only thing that took time was waiting for the paint to dry.

Estimated Cost
9.00 for the bedding, 0.00 for the bed ( I had wood scraps from a treehouse we made)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White enamel, for durability.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Oxidized Wood Silverware Caddy

This was the very first thing I've tackled. It's something I've always wanted to do, but haven't taken the time. A new house that we've moved into has a barn beam mantle above the fireplace (which we love!), so we wanted to incorporate wood that would compliment it. We used knotty pine and tried out the oxidized wood treatment to get the desired color and sealed it with a spray Varathane. Because of that treatment, it took an extra day for all of the drying time from start to finish. I also plan to stencil on the side "Give Thanks", but haven't found a good spot to get a stencil yet.

I am such a fan of these great designs and styles, I will be making many more things. Next on my list, the Oxidized wood X pattern side tables and coffee table! Thank you, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15, but have wood and other things left over
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidized wood using The Friendly Home's how-to-step-by-step instructions, then sealed with a spray varathane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Connor Side Table

I built this as a way to stay busy on a three day weekend, and it turned out so well my wife wants two more for our night stands.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Chalkboard Paint for the top and Minwax Early American stain. If I were to do it again, I would use a lighter stain color. I sprayed a cheap clear coat over the top of the black.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner