Community Brag Posts

Finally built my first project with plans from the site.  Just modified slightly to use the wood and tools I had on hand, but I love it!  If I make another, I will be sure to make it with the legs angled out as Ana did.  With two active toddlers, it would be a bit more stable..

My girls have nominated it as a "reading desk" and might not be as thrilled as I am about having it for them to use in the bathroom to wash their own hands!  Great, easy plans.  It would have been much easier to build with a pocket-hole jig, but maybe I'll get one for my birthday.

Hello Fellow Ana White Fans!

This is from Ana White's lego coffee table plan, but my daughter is not a huge fan of legos, so we’re just calling this project the Coffee Table of Fun!  Indeed it was a fun build.  This project gave me the excuse I was looking for to buy a kreg jig.  Certainly a kreg jig was not required, as the plan calls for a plywood top and bottom, but Ana revealed in the comments that she made her table by planking 1x6 boards with the kreg jig.  I was nervous at first with the kreg jig (it comes with a whopping big bit), but now I see a world of new possibilities in building with this awesome tool.

This table came together very quickly.  In fact, perhaps it was too quick, because I made a substantial mistake during the build.  In step 8 of the plan, adding the top sides, I missed the fact that the top side was supposed to be flush with the top support, not with the box itself, so that there would be a ledge for the top to rest on.  I didn’t realize my mistake until I added the top ends (correctly), and then measured for the top piece.  Then I scratched my head after realizing that the 3 planked 1x6 boards were not going to fit at all.  Oops!

I was disheartened at first, because I didn’t know what to do.  By the way, Ana has included a “How-To’s” section on this new site for fellow builders to submit tips.  I’d love it if someone could give some pointers about fixing mistakes.  Is there any recourse once a board is glued and screwed?  Anyway, I took some quiet time to think about the project and had an “Aha!” moment.  I ended up attaching 1x2 pieces around the inner edges of the two compartments to create the ledge for the top to rest on.  Then, instead of the three planked 1x6 boards that I’d planned on, I used 6 1x3’s planked together to make the top.  Yes, there was an unexpected detour from the plan, but it all worked out just fine.   I’d rather not make mistakes, but at my current level of experience, I think that mistakes are inevitable, and the mistakes actually give the piece a story and a little extra personality.

Looking forward to the next project!

Cheers!

My client wanted a distressed paint look for these custom doors that I built . Not knowing how to do this I immediately looked for some tips from Ana White . I found a link on your page to do this using gel stain and milk paint . It worked very well , I had to do a couple trial and errors do get the exact desired effect we were looking for but in the end I would have been lost with out your tips .

Thanks Tony Curtis
FB @ Rockwood Designs Rustic Furniture
Instagram @ Rockwooddesigns_TonyCurtis

I used the coffee table framing system, and doubled the dimensions.. I had used the Kreg system, and it was so easy, and quick...

We had someone ask us to make one of these for them, and we couldn't resist making one for ourselves. Fun easy build and adds some style to our bathroom.

Minwax early American stain on the finish

built coffee table based off easy to follow plans - couldn't find untreated 4x4 but just painted it and hoped

After living in a 19ft travel trailer and touring the country, moving every three months as a travel nurse, for four long years, it was awesome to build our bed frame!
I swapped out the 1x4s on the headboard with pallet wood, and finished the whole thing with 000 steel wool and vinegar stain.
Absolutely love it! And man! Do we sleep well now!!!

This was my first project to build although I cut wood for another project a year ago. The plans were simple and easy to follow. Now I want to build more! Thank you Ana!