Community Brag Posts

Teal Blue Picture Ledges

Submitted by KaityJene on Wed, 07/10/2013 - 21:58

At first I was going to stain these ledges so I only used pocket holes to attach the back of the shelf and I attached the front using small finish nails. The back and the bottom are made from a 1x3 and the front is a 1x2.

Check out my blog post for more information.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Eggshell Interior Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Outdoor Server/Cooler

Submitted by NJ_DIY on Mon, 07/06/2015 - 20:32

My wife wanted an outdoor server for our back deck. I did so, but decided to add some flare. I built it so the top comes off and a cooler is exposed for our drinks. And to not waste any wood, you turn the top around and I painted with Chalkboard paint so she could write up a menu. Added some color she would like, found a tutorial on chevron, add a few accessories, and viola!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Tropicana Cabana, Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My snowflake

Submitted by mustpetdog on Tue, 01/18/2022 - 14:41

I decided to make several of these for family this past Christmas. I made mine from oak which was harder to work with, but more resistant to scratches and nicks. I primed and painted them white with some leftover wall paint. Then I added some craft paint that had glitter in it. While it was still wet, I dusted it with more glitter: white and iridescent. Then I sealed it to keep the glitter from going everywhere!!! Then I hot glued all the sides with a rhinestone like ribbon I found at the Dollar store. I was very please with the result. I also found pearl like stickers that I hot glued on the other snowflakes when my rhinestone ribbon ran out. I added felt stickers (those that are used on the bottoms of chair legs) on the back to prevent the wood from banging on the door every time it opens and closes.
Love this project! I thought it was pretty easy and it was a good practice with the jigsaw, drill and sander which are relatively new skills for me.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Child Picnic Table

I modified this plan quite a bit. I chunked up all of the wood for a sturdier table. I also did braces on the underside of the table and benches so there would be no nail/screw holes on the top. For the D, I taped a chip-wood letter from Hobby Lobby to the wood while I burned over the entire top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Burned the wood and sealed with outdoor polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Coffee Table With Flip Top

Submitted by grovesteen on Sat, 07/13/2013 - 12:16

Please click the link to my blog post "One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure" to get the full story and more pictures.

Estimated Cost
$40.00 with found objects
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Base: "colorwashed" with latex paint and water mixture. One part paint to two parts water. Mix thoroughly, brush on and wipe off with a damp rag. Top: Minwax Special Walnut Stain with three coats of Polyurethane. Sanded between each coat with 220 grit sand paper.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Storage Bed with Geometric Pattern

Submitted by dmcarwin on Fri, 07/10/2015 - 10:15

I have always loved Ana's Farmhouse bed, so when she came out with the Farmhouse bed with storage drawers I knew it was the perfect solution for our small master bedroom. Ana's plans were awesome and made this an easy build. I wanted my bed to be a little unique so I tried a geometric pattern for the head board and foot board and I LOVE it! I also decided to make my slats removable for easy access to under the bed storage and this is one of my favorite features of the bed! I think my husband and I just found a new spot for hiding christmas presents! :) Check out my blog post for all the details and loads of photos!

Estimated Cost
I am thinking around $300 for the bed with materials and stain and poly.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used Minwax pre wood conditioner and Mixwax Jacobean for the main bed and drawers. For the geometric inlay I used Minwax Natural Stain. I also did there coats of poly sanding with 400 grit in-between coats for a nice smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Close to standard plan

Submitted by woodje12 on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 04:04

This is fairly close to standard other than I raised up the sides and footboard 2" from the plans. I also used a plywood platform in place of slats and a standard box spring (there are 3 2x4 supports under the plywood). This saved some money since we just bought a king size Casper mattress and we prefer the look.

The other modification is that I purchased "bed rail fasteners" from Amazon. These "clips" enable us to easily disconnect the side rails from the headboard and footboard (like you might find on a purchased bed frame) for when we decide to move or redo our floors or whatever. I thought that was better than having a semi-permanent connection with screws. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$200 not including new DeWalt drill and Kreg jig set!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The stain is two parts as we thought that the special Varathane product that Anna used had a blue or purple tint to it once we tested it (look into it, others had the same comments on Home Depot/Lowes sites). So instead we used the regular Varathane Weathered Gray stain as the base (we tested which looked better going on first) with a light top coating of Minwax Special Walnut brown stain to give it depth. Good luck and thanks Ana! 
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

woodje12

Tue, 01/30/2018 - 04:12

I went back and added another modification I forgot. I bought bed rail fasteners from Amazon in order to be able to quickly disconnect the rails from the headboard and footboard. I prefer this versus having to disassemble the whole thing when we move/redo the floors/whatever. I'm happy with that decision even though it made the alignment a little trickier.

canuck

Tue, 01/30/2018 - 09:42

I love how you raised it.  What height does your mattress sit at?  I'm thinking of raising the rails by 2 or 3 inches as you did, but using 1x10 or 1x8 for the rails instead of 1x6s.  In your opinion, would this look good?  Or make the clean lines look too heavy?

woodje12

Fri, 02/02/2018 - 08:25

Sorry @canuck I tried to reply to your other post but it never posted apparently? I was going to do the same thing with 1x10's but then I lifted one at Lowe's and thought it would just be too heavy and cumbersome. As it is, the bed feels like it could take a direct mortar hit! Then I looked for 1x8's and they weren't in stock so I ended up just using the stock 1x6's. 

I think you could raise the rails/footboard another inch or two easily (I did 2" higher so 16.5" for the footboard posts because my wife wouldn't let me go higher) and still be fine aesthetically. The plywood platform sits a tad below the top of the sides of course and then the mattress is 10" tall so I think the final result is just above 25" from top of mattress to floor which was close to other beds in our house (our last bed was slightly higher [with a full box spring], at 26.5"). 

Thanks for the compliment and good luck!

emcgill05

Fri, 10/15/2021 - 06:10

We too have used the same modifications as you. However the bed fasteners I have bought seem to be too wide for the male connector ends on the 4x4.

Can you provide a link to the fasteners you bought?! I thought I was going to get this together today but doesn’t look like it.

Thanks,
Liz

nellerzicious

Thu, 06/18/2020 - 09:31

I also purchased bed rail fittings for the bed. How did you line everything up? Did you attach it to the cleats or the 2x6's on the side rails? I really wish that they came with instructions for installation, but they didn't, do you have any advice for me? Thanks!

My Boys Playhouse!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/28/2022 - 03:18

We made a few changes to fit our needs but love the design. Way better than any kit you can buy!

Comments

Hanging Bed

Submitted by dhrider33 on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 17:48

My son wanted a loft bed for his birthday ... until he saw this hanging bed! When he and his sister went to their cousin's house for the night, we decided to give it a try.

It's actually not that hard. Being rookies, we didn't realize how heavy the 2x4s are. If we were to do it again, we would use 1x4s instead. But, our bed is quite sturdy. We exhausted our cordless drill mid-way through the project.

But, this plan doesn't need many cuts. Most of the cutting was done at Home Depot.

The tricky part was actually getting it on the wall. We borrowed 2 squat racks and put the bed on those until it could be anchored. We also bought L brackets and used those rather than the lag bolts. The rope gives it a nice look, but actually won't become load bearing unless the bed starts to fall.

Our son loves the bed and it gives him plenty of extra space to work with in his room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Seesaw Surprise

I was actually looking for loft-bed plans when I stumbled upon this little gem. My kids were out of town for a week at the grandparent's house. I had some free time on my hands and before jumping into a big project like a loft bed, wanted to get my feet wet with a smaller project. I way overshot the 2 hr assembly time on this one. My extended cut/assembly time was because I triple coated each surface with paint and then put a clear coat sealant over the whole project. The paint choice was because my daughter's favorite color is blue and my son's is green. Plus, the racing stripes across the base and the cantilever took some extra time with added paint. With the screw holes, I took a 1/2 inch thick dowel and chopped off a bunch of 1/4 inch thick "coins," match painted them & glued them over the screw holes. As a result, it appears that there are dowels holding it together. With the seats, I used my trusty jigsaw and cut a ~34 inch long hourglass shaped piece of wood (wide at the top/bottom, narrow in the middle), then cut that in half to use as the form-fitted seats. I shaped the outdoor fabric (awning material that matched my paint job) around the seats, filling with 3 inch thick batting. The kids are coming home tomorrow and I hope they like their new toy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White primer, gloss enamel, painters tape to help form stripes,
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

boat table

Submitted by jeglover on Tue, 07/14/2015 - 21:59

Build this for my two sons with plans from the website.. Turned out good I think.  Modified to make it a touch bigger than the original design.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Trestle Desk

Submitted by JenM on Sat, 02/03/2018 - 08:29

I made this for my son; he loves it!  I don't have the tools to bevel edges so I did my angles with a cheap jigsaw and I think they turned out just fine.  Thinking of adding a narrow shelf on the bottom.

Super easy and inexpensive build!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Blue paint for the legs; Minwax Golden Oak stain for the tabletop.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ayla Cabinet

Submitted by srodge1 on Wed, 02/16/2022 - 20:56

OMGSH ... I'm in love with this project!! My brother had given me some left over lattice that he had, and I was wondering what project I could use it on. This turned out so precious. However, I must say that drawers aren't for the faint of heart. Feeling defeated, I took the cabinet over to my brother's workshop and he helped me (or maybe he just did it for me). Anyway, as with all of my projects, it's going in the annual church auction and I can't wait to see how high it goes!!

Again, thanks Ana for your blog ... you're such an encouragement!!!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Library book cart with handprints

Submitted by Leah on Wed, 05/25/2011 - 16:15

My children's books at my children's level! They take pride in building for themselves, and I couldn't be happier~

Ana's library cart was a breeze to build! I used my new pocket-hole jig with great success. This cart is strong, and holds a load of books.

The guys at Blue cut the wood. Thanks to the staple sticking off the end of some of my lumber, the cuts were off. I had to use coarse sand paper to take 1/8inch off some ends. Lesson learned~
The finish was the most fun. I used paint leftover from other projects, all water-based products. The top of the shelf has my 4yr-old son's hand-prints, the smaller face has my 2yr-old son's hand-prints. Alex loves it most, going to it and patting it and pressing his hand on it first thing every morning. They are both very proud of our work :D

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
The entire cart was painted with Martha Stewart's Lemon Ice, the light green. The outer edge and shelf bottoms are painted with Behr's Summer Festival @ 50%, it's a shame the picture doesn't show the light teal well. The hand-prints are Behr blues, tho the names are forgotten. Satin poly covers and protects it all for years to come :)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Red sideboard

I modified the plan for the planked wood sideboard so it wasn't so large. I also took out the middle door and made an open area with shelves and a stemware rack.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a sanding sealer, then painted dark red. I topped it off with two coats of matte poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondack chair

Great plan and project. I added a cup holder with left over lumber. Added some 45 angles to give it some dimension. Screwed and glued almost everything from the back to avoid any screws

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

American Girl Doll Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/12/2022 - 13:23

Thank you so much for the plans! My Granddaughter loved it❤️

Comments

Simple Modern Outdoor Sectional

This was our first project and i gotta say, I love doing this! There are so many ideas on this website!
This was super easy, my husband and I had trouble with some of it because it wasnt fitting right, but we just tweaked it and it turned out perfect!
I had been looking online for an outdoor sectional for months, and the price was too high for us to spend. Our final total was only 238 dollars all together. Store (and bad quality at that) furniture would have cost us over 500. So, I am VERY pleased.
I got the cushions on craigslist. Listed at 8 dollars a cushion. They were still in the wrapping! We have one extra cushion that we plan on making an ottoman soon.

Estimated Cost
240
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic X mixed with a Triple Truss Coffee Table

I considered myself pretty good at cutting and assembling, less when it comes too filling, sanding, and staining. I could not figure out the X for the life of me! Luckily I could figure out the Tuss table :D

Estimated Cost
$80-100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

$6 Scrap wood coffee table

Submitted by pmgriffith on Tue, 07/21/2015 - 09:23

Decided it was time to use up some scrap wood and build a coffee table.

Now I need to get wood to actually make the matching end tables.

1x8s and 1x4s for the top and 2x2s for the legs and underside braces

Hope this help to inspire others on how to use up their scrap wood

Estimated Cost
6 Bucks!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
'Fruitwood' hence the 6 bucks :)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project