Community Brag Posts

Grandy Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/28/2016 - 17:43

A few notes on our build:
- we wanted to keep the center section open for a wider display by deleting the middle upright

- if using barn door slider kits, you need to take into account the recess and height of these. Recommend either building up the top as we did with layering more boards in a stepped fashion, or going with 1x6 for full clearance.
we dressed up the sides by adding a cross brace. I found a double door kit on Amazon for $125. I now have a spare rail for future project.

- the top was finished from walnut

Overall pretty easy build, and first time spraying paint through HVLP sprayer. Thank you for the plans and ideas!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Walnut top: $150
Barn door hardware: $125
Cabinet materials: $350
Paint and Misc: $40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Alkyd Paint, Valspar Matte Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

coffee table

made from rough cut ash, Very Interesting project

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

window seat

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/21/2023 - 07:04

We started with the bench seating plans and adjusted them to fit our dimensions. added wallpaper, changed the lighting, and a couple cushions later... We have a totally transformed window seat! Loved doing this project!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Christmas Play Kitchen

Submitted by EmuJane on Mon, 12/26/2011 - 10:06

My daughter loves "cooking" so we made her this play kitchen for Christmas. I had so much fun making it that it was worth it even if she never plays with it. Of course, she's been playing with it since yesterday morning.

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
3 coats Rustoleum magnetic primer for the refrigerator doors
1 coat Kilz primer on everything else
2-3 coats Behr eggshell in Cinnamon Cherry on the red portions
2 coats Behr semi-gloss in an Oops mix on the cream portions.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

laurakc181

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 10:22

I ALMOST did the exact same thing to my daughter's fridge doors! I thought about it a lot, but just didn't have the resources or the time to get it by Christmas to do the doors....maybe I will now though :) I love the addition you did to the stove it is adorable and awesome! I also love the little knobs you have on the front of the stove - what did you use for them? Would love to see a picture of the top of the stove as well as the actual sink. I like to see how others do theirs so if I want to make another one for a friend I can have other ideas :)

Fantastic job!

Fuchsia

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 11:00

It looks amazing and I am sure your daughter loves it! I was thinking of doing the magnetic paint on my daughter's fridge and now wish I had after seeing your kitchen. I think we got the same pulls :)

mrsmijrumpler

Fri, 08/16/2013 - 21:00

I love the personal touches you created! Did you scale the pieces up or use original dimensions? And I HAVE to know how you did the extension of counter space on the oven with the shelves! That is exactly what I have been looking for. A girl can't have to much counter space at any age!

Mid-Century Dresser

Inspired by Dwell Studio's Mid Century Dresser, I built a smaller version for my daughter's small room. Working on showing photos of the building process on my little blog this weekend. =D

Estimated Cost
$47
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Watco Danish Oil - Dark Walnut stain
Olympic Semi-Gloss White (No VOC)
Rustoleum Gold Spray paint (for legs and x-feature)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 11/15/2013 - 19:00

This looks fab! It's beautifully done and finished. I like it better than the inspiration piece! A perfect dresser for a little girl's room. :)

Hailey Planked Headboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/31/2016 - 20:40

Loved building this headboard for my daughter's bed.  She loves it!

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

Fancy X Farmhouse Table Build

Used Douglas from Lowes and used a jointer and planer to get everything square.  Also used eight 2'x6's on the top to allow to properly use the jointer.  Also used biscuits in addition to pocket holes to hold everything togther

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Wood Finish Satin Classic Gray Oil-based Interior Stain / Minwax Semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

modified headboard

Thanks to this site my wife found this headboard design. I modified the plan to suit our king size bed. We chose popular with a java stain.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General Finishes wood conditioner, General Finishes Java gel stain, Shellac, and wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ivette (not verified)

Fri, 08/10/2012 - 07:30

Any chance you still have the demensions? Im making this bed this weekend and would greatly appreciate the help with what dimensions you used for the king sized bed.....:)

ivette (not verified)

Fri, 08/10/2012 - 07:29

king size plans, I see you altered the plans for your king sized bed. Any chance you can provide the dimensions, making it this weekend.

Thanks! :)

Joli's desk

Submitted by MaryMurray on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 04:04

I built this desk by combining a modified Julia nightstand and the schoolhouse desk. I added a little ribbon and some upholstery tacks around the upper edge. I rescued the chair from Goodwill and added the zebra cover. I also made the mirror using the barnwood frame plan.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Geometric Side Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/04/2016 - 09:01

I found this table on Pinterest and wanted to "knock it off." I figured out my angles and used the table saw to bevel the edges of the wood. In the blog post, I explain how I would have done a couple things differently if I could do it over, but overall, the project turned out really well. Once the angles are figured out (I did that work for you), it really isn't too difficult. And it makes a great statement piece. All for about $25 in lumber. :)

Finish Used
Minwax Weathered Oak Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Amazing Climbing Wall!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/01/2019 - 12:15

So the kids love to climb, mine probably more than most so we did a summer break project! So we looked around online and there's really nothing there for a home climbing wall to fit our needs, so we just like made it up.

I bought 9 planks of the heaviest plywood they had at walmart and ordered climbing grab handles from amazon in multi color but then we realized that it just looked a bit boring for this funnest thing ever!

So we went online to look for a good paint for plywood, but something that would also add some grip for the kids. So we found this bedliner called durabak was really highly recommended all ovr the internet for use on plywood, mainly by boats and stuff.

So we called durabakcompany.com and their customer service was literally the most patient and best I think I've ever dealt with, They had so much patience and gave me lots of ideas and said that Durabak gets used a lot on climbing walls! Yay!

They gave me the idea to go with dark blue and dark grey and draw out a random pattern and paint it all with 3 coats of Durabak and it just looks so awesome I bring everyone up to see it now. The kids totally love it and it just makes me so proud that I built that thing with my kids! They're super psyched about it too.

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Durabak 18 Textured Dark Blue and Dark grey
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Retail Display Shelf

Submitted by Cheryl on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 20:34

My daughter needed a custom sized shelf to display her retail products in her busy day spa. The shelf needed to be narrow to not block walk around access to the massage table. It needed to be functional without looking like a book shelf. Ana's plan for the General Store Cubbies was just what I was looking for. I sized it down to fit the space and it turned out great.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Black Krylon spray paint and shelf tags from the scrapbook section of the craft store.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Over the toilet medicine cabinet / storage

Submitted by skyzen on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 17:06

I recently discovered your blog and got really inspired. After building a couple of beginner projects following your plans, i started to think about making something that can be used as medicine cabinet and does not take much space. Came up with the idea for this over the toilet storage rack.

My goal was to recycle/reuse some of the stuff that was sitting in my garage.
Started with building a frame using 1x6s (24 inch for shelves and 72 inch height). Used plastic table mats were used as sliding windows. Found a PVC trim (8 ft) for $2 at lowes that has been used as the rails/track for the windows. The back is piece of cardbord that was scrap from an old broken ikea bookshelf.

I am pretty happy that i recycled some stuff and made this in less than $15.

Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Bombay Mahogany Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kevinwdavies

Tue, 12/01/2020 - 14:20

Did you do anything to the bottoms of the legs to prevent wet floors from wicking into the wood? I am wanting to build something similar to replace a particle board cabinet-in-a-box because the particle board did soak up water and get ruined. What I'd REALLY like are metal end caps with an adjustable foot (like you put at the bottom of a table leg) but I can't find a combination of the two anywhere.

Homeschool desk 4 seater

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/06/2016 - 08:00

We homeschool our 3 kids, and my wife needed a space where she could conduct school, keep all the kids' (and hers) school materials without creating a massive mess at the dining room table, and where she could easily see and interact with the kids and they with her.  She found a 64" x 64" square desk with four pedestals online, but it retailed for over $1400!  No way we're paying that much! She asked me if I could build it, and when I found the Schoolhouse Desk Single Pedestal plans and compared it with the picture of the square desk, I worked out a few modifications to build what we needed. Here it is! Use the basic Single Pedestal plans as a base, with the mods below: 

The top is 64"x64" (connected two pieces of 3/4" maple at 32"x64" using kreg jig & wood glue)

Each pedestal is 22 1/2" W x 25 1/2"H. Drawer sizes modified to match. Instead of a single drawer at the top of the pedestal, I modifed to make two drawers on the bottom with a cubby hole remaining at the top. Thus, place the 16 1/2" 1x2 cross bar at 8 1/4" from the bottom (instead of from the top). Add a 16 1/2" x 22 1/2" shelf at 15 3/4" from the bottom of the pedestal. This will form the cubby.

Drawers: 14" 2x2s on the short side, 21 1/2" 2x2s on the long side. Total dimension 15 1/2"x21 1/2". Attach 1/4" plywood at 15 1/2" x 21 1/2" for the bottom.

Base dimensions (2x2s): 19 1/2" 2x2s on the long side; 15" 2x2s on the short side; 3 3/4" legs at corners

 

Estimated Cost
Approximately $375
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany 225 (Miniwax). This could easily be painted desired color as well. I put on the stain on before adding the table top. In other words, I stained the pedestals individually and the table top separately. Once all that was done, then I completed the assembly by putting the table top on.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kirk's Projects

Sat, 02/06/2016 - 08:37

In my post above, I said 2x2s on the drawers. That was a typo--the drawers, as in original plans, are made of 1x6s!

Rustic X Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/22/2019 - 14:09

I fell in love with this design right away, and rushed out to buy the wood. The build itself was super quick... 4-6 hours start to finish. Oxidizing the wood took a lot of trial and error... I was hoping for a more grey look like the plans showed, but I ended up with a richer brown. Still love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the oxidizing, strong tea followed by steel wool dissolved in vinegar, as described here: http://thefriendlyhome.blogspot.com/2012/05/oxidized-x-console.html

For the final finish, Vermont Natural Coatings Poly Whey Furniture Finish, Clear Satin Finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Deck Furniture with only 2x4s

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/05/2023 - 16:45

We have gone through several sets of deck furniture at our home in Monument, Colorado. We like wicker, but so do the squirrels! Inspired by an article in the Wall Street Journal where the author used his wood shop experience to make outdoor furniture and avoid "astronomical prices," I found this site. I thought, "Even I can build something out of 2x4s." I borrowed my neighbor's high-end chop saw and made two chairs, a love seat (by cutting the dimensions of the 79" sofa - three cushions - down to 55" - two cushions, and the coffee table, cut down from 55" to 47". Construction took less than two weeks from purchasing the wood to finishing. Everyone who has seen the finished set loves it.

Comments

Ana White Admin

Sat, 05/06/2023 - 07:41

Love your spirit and attitude to do it yourself! Thanks for sharing, it looks amazing and should last and last.

Seasonal And Holiday

Amelia's Play Kitchen

Submitted by Mskirko on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 09:07

A play kitchen stove and sink for my 1.5 year old daughter for Christmas!

This was my second woodworking project ever. It was VERY involved. It took me about 3-6 months of planning, ordering, buying, figuring out, and finally building the thing.

I used magnetic primer on most of it. Some magnets do stick to it, but I learned some very important lessons: Magnetic primer is MESSY and it doesn't sand very well, so when you paint it on, it should be done in the smoothest possible way in the smallest area. I primed with it using a roller and when I sanded it, got metal shaving dust EVERYWHERE (because the metal shavings in the primer keep it magnetic, obviously).

Made the curtain and matching towel. Next on the list: Matching apron and kids oven mitts!

Estimated Cost
$215
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
2 coats of magnetic primer, primer, 3 coats of paint, 1 coat polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Island Butcher Block

Submitted by nick837 on Thu, 11/21/2013 - 15:23

This "island" was inspired by the plans for the Easy Kitchen Island, with a bit of a twist. My roommate is really into cooking, and had a little butcher block that he wanted to upgrade. Our kitchen is fairly narrow, but there was a huge bare spot underneath some cabinets that was begging to be used. Our cabinets were overflowing and we needed more storage space. The kitchen island-butcher block combo solved both problems and fit nicely under our cabinet.

After a little research, we decided to go with an end-grain board made with maple. We looked around and ended up getting a bunch of wood off of eBay for about 65 bucks. The butcher block turned out to be a bear of a project. Without access to a table saw (not going to happen in this apartment) it took some sanding, then more sanding, then a trip to my dad's to use a table saw after all, then more sanding, then more...well, you get the picture. Once all the pieces were assembled, we glued a 1"x4" poplar border onto the sides to give it a more uniform appearance from the sides, as well as to hide the connection to the structure.

Finally the block was complete and it was time to build the structure of the island. The cuts and the assembly of the main pieces took a grand total of an hour and a half - a great relief after spending weeks on the butcher block. We decided to glue the slats onto the supports to make life easier. Once we got done with that it was time to finish the structure.

We decided to follow Ana's directions on crackled milk paint. We tried to follow them exactly, but weren't able to get the same amount of crackling on ours. No worries, though, we just sanded down some edges and gave the whole thing a good coat of Polycrylic.

Once all that was done, we screwed the block on and construction was complete! We gave the block and the poplar several coats of Boos Block Mystery Oil as the conditioner and we were done. The oil really brought out the color and the body of the wood, and we couldn't be happier with the results. Can't wait to chop a turkey on it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
145
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Gel Stain, Minwax Polycrylic, Old Fashioned Milk Paint, Boos Block Mystery Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 11/22/2013 - 15:38

This looks super! I'm intrigued by your butcher block top. The squares look so perfect and even. It looks like a tremendous amount of work went into it, and it's absolutely beautiful! Love the paint and stain used on the island structure too!

Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/08/2019 - 14:58

Really like this project and am anxious to do another :) if you have any for porch swings I want to make one of those too:) thank you for sharing!!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Comments