Community Brag Posts

2x4 Patio Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/12/2020 - 11:18

One of my first projects! Built the 2x4 Outdoor Sofa and two of these chairs and had a blast! The plans for this were simple and easy to follow.

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Porch Bench with storage

Submitted by bbcarey on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 10:27

We added a small porch on the front of our house last summer, but the only seating we had out there were our porch rockers. So- I had been checking Ana's plan catalog for something we could use. I came across the Weatherly Sofa- but with the back on it would cover some of our picture window... plus we wanted someplace to put the cushions while we were not on the porch.

I designed this using those plans- but enclosed the bottom as well as stopped the backrest at the point where our picture window starts...

The W-Mart here in town had their summer end clearance on pads at $10 a piece and voila- completed project.

ou cannot see the bench top- but it is pieced together from 1x4s. The remaining bench was made from 2x6 and 1x2s.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Exterior latex and sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Corona Coffee Table

Submitted by ercdig on Tue, 08/12/2014 - 07:59

This was the second piece that I built using the plans here and I think it turned out great! Originally I was going to stain the whole project but my fiancee convinced me otherwise and I'm glad she did.

Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I started with wood conditioner for the top, 2 coats of red oak stain, then 2 coats of polyurethane. For the base I primed the project using a white primer tinted with the base coat color, chocolate brown. I followed that with a coat of chocolate brown, two coats of ivory bone, then 1 coat of polyurethane. All minwax and valspar products.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Baby Wrens changing table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/27/2016 - 10:19

I had a fun time building this easy to follow project. A brad nailer does make a world of difference. I chose to stain the inside of the drawers but had to let it sit out for awhile before use. Thank you for posting this project, it has made my family very happy.

Estimated Cost
$40 with available materials on hand
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum rolled on and dark walnut oil based for inside drawers. Only poly clear inside the drawers.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Farmhouse with umbrella

I built this for use as an outdoor patio table suitable for an umbrella by eliminating the center truss below the table. Instead, I used my Kreg Jig to join the two sets of legs with 2 2x4s each set about 6 inches off center directly under table top. (See picture). I used Douglas Fir for most of this build. I also added a 1x2 cap to the bread board ends of the table top to help stabilize it against warping. I secured the table top to the frame with countersunk screws under glued wood plugs since I needed to allow a gap between boards for water drainage. I used the Varathane wood weathering product to soften the “new wood” look. I helped preserve the wood with a coat of Benjamin Moore’s clear Arborcoat. This acrylic product will allow the wood to continue to gray naturally. I recommend this as an intermediate project due to the awkwardness of joining the 45 degree angle cuts. Having a second set of hands here would have been very helpful.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane wood weathering
Benjamin Moore Arborcoat clear

Applied with foam brushes.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

King Farm House Bed

Submitted by SteveB on Sat, 10/27/2012 - 11:04

I made this bed for my wife using the plans found on this side.
I worked out great and she loves it!!!! Very east project. It took one week end to complete. I altered it slightly and added decorative side panels.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Distressed, antique look
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Grandy Sliding Door Console Modified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/01/2016 - 08:54

My wife and I were looking for a farmhouse style media console and found the Grandy Sliding Door Console and loved the look of it. After reading the plans and discussing it we decided that we did not want to take the extra time to build the metal sliding hardware and also wanted it for a lot of storage items, so we decided to just build 4 hinged doors instead. We love it and the plans were so easy to follow. We followed the plans step by step up until we built the hinged doors. We also did not put any wood on the back side of the project since it is against the wall and we have doors covering the front opening. Time consuming to finish it nicely with staining, sanding, painting, etc. But not too difficult of a project overall. The doors take some time to get all the angles just right, but worth taking your time to make sure everything is straight and even.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Advance paint in Simply White color of the year 2016
General Finish Gel Stain in Java
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

maryklein4514

Mon, 01/02/2017 - 14:04

Beautiful job on this piece! We are also wanting to install hinged doors...was wondering if you might share how you installed them so that they aren't visible and doors are on the outside of the piece?

The Perfect End Table

Submitted by Deb1974 on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 20:00

This is my first project, and I'm so happy with how it turned out. This was so easy to make, a great place to start for beginners! Thank you Ana White for your inspirational website.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I Stained the top, and painted the bottom with a light cream color.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Coffee table

Really simple project, modified the plans a bit but kept the same concept. Had a lot of bun building.

Estimated Cost
130$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mahogany stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Queen Farmhouse Bed with Two Layers of Drawers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/04/2016 - 19:22

My brother-in-law and I took on this project in the fall of 2016. I don't mean to brag, but it turned out amazing. #happywifehappylife

 

We adopted the plans from the Full Farmhouse Bed Plans. But we added two banks of cabinets and made it a lot taller.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
too much... but still worth it. between $600 & $700.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark mission brown (it is a dye from Woodcraft) mixed with denatured alcohol. To get that color it was about 6 or 8 oz of the dye to 1 liter of alcohol.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

FARM HOUSE TABLE

Thank you Ana for these plans! This is the updated farmhouse table that uses pocket holes. I thoroughly enjoyed making this table. I was so pleased with it and myself for what I had accomplished on this project! It turned out beautifully and my family and friends love it! It wasn’t that difficult to do, you just need to take your time and it will come together . Once you learn the set up of the kreg pocket hole jig, it really isn’t that difficult to do at all and so worth doing. I’m off to build a matching coffee table and tv stand. (Also plans found here)

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White satin paint, white wash (over stain on table top) weathered gray stain. Fast drying polyurethane 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Classic Chair made simple

Submitted by danaxboo on Sat, 11/03/2012 - 16:15

This is a build a month in the making... I started and assembled 3 chairs but just couldn't get them exactly the same, so I labeled them "garage chairs" and went on to the next project. It wasn't until the BF surprised me with a router and router table that I started dreaming of chairs again!! (It also helped that I begged and begged for a band saw for my birthday hehe) I built the Narrow Farmhouse Table for a homework table for my kids, and have been itching to create chairs to match. :)
I made a template for the chair leg, and arch for the top of the chair. I cut the legs down using a jig saw, and then used the router and cut them to the template. EXACTLY THE SAME! SCORE!! The rest was just following instructions. I did make the legs a little taller, and the whole chair more narrow.. Gotta fit 5 kids at this homework table!! The seat cushions were a breeze (they scared the crap out of me until I did it and realized how darn easy it was) and then just searched the internet until I found a back design I liked :) ANA IS AWESOME!!! And to think I used to spend my days sleeping or watching TV. I don't know if I've ever been more happy OR productive in my life! Finish is golden oak. Thanks again Ana!! I've saved thousands in the last few months DIYing and building building building!!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Tryde Coffee and End Tables - Douglas Fir

Submitted by RebelOne on Wed, 08/20/2014 - 23:15

Although handy - these are the first pieces of furniture I have ever created. Used only 2X4 and 4X4 pieces - Douglas Fir right out of the lumber yard - not kiln dried wood. First time using pocket hole equipment - was worth getting the premium kit from Kreg's - drilled close to one hundred holes. Other than the equipment, the materials totaled less than $200 for all three pieces. $120 for the wood and another $80 for screws and paint products. Sanded the wood to a 220 finish and applied a Gel Dark Walnut stain and added 5 coats of clear satin from Minwax. Tried the wood conditioner on a test board and did not see not much difference so I decided to go without on all 3 pieces of furniture that I built. Experimented with different stainable wood fillers from Elmer's. Quite happy with the result - just in time for a visit from mom and dad. Total time for three pieces - close to 40 hours but worth it.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sanded the wood to a 220 finish and applied a Gel Dark Walnut stain and added 5 coats of clear satin from Minwax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Hallway Buffet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/09/2016 - 13:20

I built this slightly modified version of the buffet for my wife.  She LOVEs it and did a great job finishing it with Annie Sloan paint and a wax (she's the finishing expert in the house).  Plans were right on and I'm very pleased with the final product.  Thanks for a great website and plans!  Getting ready to undertake a dining room table now.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint with Dark Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kentwood Style Double Bookshelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/23/2020 - 06:15

This was my first project, and I did it together with my two oldest children (13 & 11).

We started with the basic Kentwood Bookshelf plan, but wanted to have it a little shorter to make use of the tabletop. We also wanted it wider to fit a specific location in my daughters' room.

Broadly sticking to the Kentwood instructions, we measured the longer space we had and what that would mean for each of the measurements for the cuts. It was tricky to get the measurements right for the 1 x 12s in the middle which had to be a little longer than the 2 x 2 and 1 x 2 frame fronts to fit snuggly, but we got there.

We finished the top and back with 1 x 4 boards instead of planking. It added cost and weight (whole thing probably weights 150 pounds), but hopefully it will last a long long time. We routed the front edge of the table top to give a nicer finish.

Painted it white in the end. Tried to put a clear coat over it, but made a mistake of using an oil-based clear coat which turned the whole thing yellow. Had to sand it down and repaint. Ugh. Lesson learned!

We're very happy with the results.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint which matched the trim in the room it's in.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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