Community Brag Posts

My First Greenhouse

This was my first attempt at building a greenhouse. I wanted my cucumbers to be able t climb high so I made the house higher than the plans showed. It's also a little larger too. Since I am in Europe my dimensions are in meters. The overall size is 3 x 6 meters. I also built it on top of 100mm x 100mm lumber (the equivalent of 4x4's). It took 5 sheets of 6mm thick polycarbonate in 2 x 6 meters.

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

Comments

First Thing I've Built

Submitted by Aninn1199 on Tue, 03/17/2015 - 10:18

 

Keep in mind I am a novice at best and this took me a total of 12 hours over 2 days to construct and stain and line.  Filling will be a separate project all together!

I opted to remove the top row of lumber all around to have something to attach bird netting to to keep the critters out and make it easier to reach in, also a cost consideration. The posts are still the recommended 3 ft I also changed to 12ft X1in boards instead of 12ft x2in also in the interest of cost. 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used Clear Deck Stain from Thompson's, deck nails. Added a clear plastic lining (not shown) to bottom 1/2 of inside of bed.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Double Chair Bench

Very nice bench.  I have now made three.  This one is grey washed red cedar.  

Estimated Cost
170.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Grey Washed Flat Exterior paint, mixed 50/50 with water. Varathane Satin finish. Practice on scrap wood wiping on/off the grey paint to get the desired look. Polyurethane has a yellow hue, the varathane is crystal clear.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Corner Cupboard - Bookshelf

Submitted by CustomPulp on Thu, 05/28/2015 - 10:38

Modified corner cupboard to use as corner bookshelf in boys room. Omitted the lower doors otherwise shelf cut to specs. Painted with bold blue to match boys colors.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar - Royal Blue
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Eco office work space

Submitted by solomonson on Mon, 07/22/2013 - 13:35

We (my husband and I) were in desperate need of a better work space, and this was perfect.

Estimated Cost
$150 (for the whole desk)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Bases - Valspar's paint+primer in one in Antique White from the oops bin. Desktop - General Finishes water based stain in Espresso. Top coat - I used Minwax's spray-on polycrylic for the bases and GF's water-based polycrylic in Gloss for the top. Contact paper from Blue for the insides. Paint was rolled and brushed, stain was applied with a rag. Polycrylic was rolled and brushed. Use good brushes (I used Purdy) and you'll never see a brush mark.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Spice Rack

I absolutely love this project. I do not have a pantry with a door so I just placed this spice rack on my wall and it really looks great! We have a ton of spices so I might need to make another!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White Spraypaint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

robynred

Sat, 09/21/2013 - 10:33

hi - I'm thinking of building this to hang on a wall like you have. Do you think the dowels are necessary? Seems like it would give a little more shelf room without the dowels - but do you feel like the spices would fall out without them?
thanks!

Wife's Kindergarten Classroom

Been a while since I had time to actually build anything worth posting about! My wife wanted some items for her Kindergarten classroom this year, so built several items, most inspired by the Farmhouse family.

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

Comments

sido17

Thu, 07/18/2019 - 15:27

I would love the dimensions or plans for this. Would love to make it for my classroom.

dlee69

Tue, 07/30/2019 - 12:07

Hello

Can I please get the plans to the u shape table?

Thanks

Linguine

Mon, 08/19/2019 - 12:09

I am guessing the corner posts are 2 x 4s, the top is 2 x 10s.  It looks like the width is 6’ (looking at the floor carpet tiles being 24” square). So 2 - 2 x 10s side by side for the main part of the desk top and 2 - 2 x10s perpendicular on each side of the chair.  I guess the height is subject to choice and the length of each side would also be subject to choice or to the length of the 2 x 10s to be economical.

 

an educated guess would be 4 - 8’  2x10s for the top and 6 - 6’ 2 x 4s for the legs?  

 

Anyone else have any input here?  Open to suggestions.....

Trofast Toy Storage Solution

Submitted by CassieD on Fri, 09/30/2011 - 17:27

I had been asked a few times for these plans, but as someone else posted a similar one, I'll just stick to a blog post for now and describe my differences. I made this shelving unit January 2010, just after I found out of I was pregnant with my third child, and it's been a lifesaver since then. I desperately needed a toy storage solution (and purging), as shown in the 'eek' kids closet below. I didn't like the shape of triangular Ikea ones, as they spanned more floor space than I cared to give up. Plus, I wanted a place to put *almost* all of my kids toys, so I wanted it to be tall. I'm so glad we did, since we've moved twice (also, 'eek') since than, and it's made packing and unpacking the kids toys super (SUPER) easy. At first, I was afraid that the kids would go crazy and just tear down every bin at once, but it hasn't happened yet. Unlike the other plan that was posted, I used white sliders that ikea sold. I'm not sure if they still sell, as I don't see them online. It cost an additional $24 (they were $1/2), but seemed worth the extra money. I didn't have a router and wasn't particularly confident with our table saw skills. Plus the Ikea version had some really thin areas that made me nervous that it would break easily. I tried to keep it easy and just had to line up and screw the sliders in. Now that I'm a little more confident with a table saw, I'd give the router style a-go. I used two sheets of cabinet grade plywood, each costing about $30. I ripped down some pine boards to cover the front edges, which made the unit look loads nicer. However, I wish I would have used maple, instead of pine as they got dented almost immediately. Not a big deal though. The three shelves were sort of an afterthought, but turned out to be great for puzzles and other type toys. I didn't use backing or cross supports initially, but put some in after we moved. You can see them in the last picture below. The heater in our temporary house caused the slightly-bent sides to become very bent sides. That caused the drawers would spontaneously fall out, which was always quite the shock and disappointment. I put in some supports in the back, which I wish I did initially as it would have made manufacturing easier. Also, If I were to go back, I would put one cross support in the front-middle, as the boards are so tall, it needs something to help maintain the shape in the front. I've found that even in a perfect fitting slider, really heavy buckets would bend just enough to flex out of them to crash... so don't plan on filling one of the large buckets with matchbox cars and sticking it on the top. Regardless, we've learned our lessons, made it work better, and has been a huge success in our house for a while now.

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

Comments

Supermom77 (not verified)

Sat, 10/01/2011 - 14:22

Great work. Love the colors. Do you have directions on training the kids to put the toys back?

In reply to by Supermom77 (not verified)

CassieD

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 19:42

Haha, I guess a little. Picking up when they aren't motivated is an ongoing battle. However, I did find having a specific place to put items with labels helped a lot, albeit with screaming. Actually the labels would probably be the best motivation of all of it.

The ideal is to have the kids only play with one bin at the time, but with more than one kid, that theory very quickly gets muddled... One child wants to play with one toy and one wants play with another, then "lego houses can't be broken down" and "polly pocket is using those blocks for the house" and so on. So it's more of a end-of-the-day(week/month/year haha) pick-up routine.

However, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. My oldest (almost 6) seems to have caught on that the faster she picks up, the sooner she can move onto other activities besides playing (coloring, playdough, etc.), and is starting to pick up as soon as she's done without us even asking. I think getting an allowance has also helped with that.

That was way more than I thought I was going to comment, but I guess it goes to show you should never ask a Mom her opinion on something, unless your ready for a lecture :)

birdsandsoap

Thu, 10/13/2011 - 21:44

I love that your labels have pictures on them! I thought I should have done that way back when since my children are too young to read. Easy to find and easy to put away. Good job, Mom!

Farmhouse King Bed

Submitted by gahan22 on Tue, 02/02/2016 - 10:36

This was our first ana white build. Bed build took one Saturday - to finish up took another week or so working nights - most of our time spent on getting the color we wanted and sanding and finishing. Building the 2x4 frame took more time than anticipated as well. We are super happy with how it turned out.

Estimated Cost
$250 for lumber, stain and lumber for bed frame. We used lag screws on the side and 2x4 hangers for the frame which increased costs.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stain is two coats minwax dark mahogany plus classic grey over the top - wiped off and finished with minwax satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

AWESOME Barbie Dollhouse

Submitted by Jules_F on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 11:36

My husband and I modified the lovely Miss Ana White's dollhouse bookshelf plans to create this awesome Barbie Dollhouse for our 2 and 4 year old daughters to Christmas. They love it, and I love that it will last for years! Thank you Ana, for your amazing talents and your giving heart...your sharing your talents means the world to me and my family!!

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

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Tue, 01/03/2012 - 20:50

I want one of those for my Barbie dolls, and I'm 52 years old!!! It's probably a good thing I don't have the room for this or I would make one just for me.

Patio Furniture in Progress

Submitted by lbrown on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 13:08

I built six armless and two corner sections of the outdoor sectional but now I need to paint it and make cushions. For more details: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/1/5/patio-furniture-in-pro…

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

12ft farmhouse bench

I was asked to surprise someone with a 12 ft. bench. After searching and searching I found a plan I really liked, but I felt it just wasn’t enough. I modified the plans to give it a little more of a farmhouse look. I also had to double the size of the original plans.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded with 220 grit sandpaper. I then added a coat of pre-stain. After letting it dry, I stained it with English Chestnut from Minwax, and I finished it by putting on a glossy coat of polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

16ft x 5ft farm table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/29/2019 - 18:43

This table was created using a variety of plans. It can seat up to 20 people comfortably. The table top was built with 5 pieces of 2x12. The legs were a combination of 4x4 posts and 2x6s. 2 coats of Minwax Weathered Gray was the stain and then 3 coats of varathane semi-gloss finish. We sanded between each coat of poly.

Estimated Cost
435.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane semi gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Workbench

Submitted by jbknakal on Wed, 04/20/2016 - 05:36

I used melamine for the top and shelf to get a nice surface for working on

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Cubby Organizer (Pottery Barn Inspired)

This cubby organizer is great for storage, displaying collectibles or as an advent calendar. I'm using mine in my mini-workshop for storing tools and supplies I use frequently when woodworking. Tutorial can be found at my blog here: http://betweennapsontheporch.net/build-a-cubby-organizer-pottery-barn-i… Thanks Ana for supplying the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Sherwin Williams Dover White paint for a soft white. Stain would work great for this piece, too.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Size Platform Frame

Submitted by EndGrain on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 08:46

I based my bed off of the Fillman Platform Bed plans. Just bumped the dimensions up to fit my mattress and added the mid supports. The frame was built using 2x6 boards taken from a fallen barn. I ripped 2 2x6 boards down the center to make the the supports for the slats. My feet are 3 2x6's screwed together and then attached to the frame. Next time I will cut a notch out of the feet so that I can rest the bed on them and then try to find some old lag bolts to attach them to the bed. The frame was put together using a Kreg Jig. I put the Cedar boards on to dress the front and sides up some and to help keep the slats from showing when the sheets were tucked in. My finish is 1 coat of Linseed Oil and 2 coats of Teak Oil.

Let me know if you have any further questions on this build. As soon as I find some doors I will be building a head board for this bed.

Estimated Cost
$150 ish
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Linseed and Teak Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Small End Table

Submitted by mpjacob08 on Mon, 05/25/2020 - 09:33

My 2nd ever build! Made to match farmhouse beginner coffee table. This is the smaller size posted. So Easy! Thank you for the plan and for the videos. I love them and am learning so much!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane golden oak stain, spray shellac, Varathane water based polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Adirondack Chair

Submitted by dijonaise on Fri, 06/19/2020 - 05:49

My little quarantine project all started with a three foot circle in the back corner of my yard and turned into this. After finishing the structure, we were looking at different furniture and considered either going on the cheap ($20 plastic chairs) or the expensive route ($1200) for this same setup. That was when I came across your site Ana. Your amazing plans and community's brag posts gave me the confidence to give it a go and we could not be happier with the result.

The chairs and tables went together super easy as everyone had mentioned. I sanded everything before cutting and then just sanded the cut ends. I did not have the stain on hand (not did we know the color) so we waited until after assembly to stain, which ended up not being too bad, just a lot of little nooks and crannies to get into. I used a small foam pad to get in between the boards.

Overall, I would say that the build, from start (rough lumber) to finish (sanded and assembled) took me about 2-3 hours per chair, and about the same to do two coats of stain on top and one on the underside, bringing the total time per chair to about 5 hours.

Now on to the landscaping... ;) I am also planning to build some planters to hold posts to hold some string lights around the perimeter. Boy how these little projects have a domino effect...but in the end, there is nothing better than sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Estimated Cost
$40/ chair and $10/table. Total Project (including fasteners and stain): ~$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
SW6965 - Hyper Blue Solid Deck Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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