Community Brag Posts

My first big project. It turned out great! There are a couple of issues with the plans but nothing a little common sense couldn't resolve. Also, for any beginners out there, make sure when you're going through your cut list, start with the larger pieces first then work your way down to the smaller cuts. You'll end up having to take another trip to the hardware store if you cut the smaller pieces first. Great plans Ana White! I built this as a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. She was blown away! She absolutely loves it!

~Justin~

Pretty straight forward plans.

I made this train/activity table for my niece's 2nd birthday. I did omit the bottom shelf to allow more leg room when sitting/kneeling on the floor. The one BIG issue I encountered was that I cut the top inset to fit perfectly. Then I painted it.... the pieces no longer fit due to the extra paint thickness. UGGGGG! So, I had to go back to sanding to get that nice fit again.

I put in a scrap of indoor/outdoor carpeting for "grass" for the train set to sit on. This is not glued in, so it can be removed if they decide to use it for something other than the train. I painted it using cabinet paint to give it a little extra protection against scratches and scuffs since it will be used by a two year old. I painted the inset white on one side, but I put chalkboard paint on the other side. This way, it's like three tables in one! An activity table, chalkboard table, and a train table! She loves it!

I need to get a picture of it with the top on so you can see the white and chalkboard sides. It was a really fun build!

I may build the smaller Lego version for my own house - not to play with Legos, but to keep the dog's tail from knocking over any beverages I set down! It also would be a nice place to store the laptop when not in use.

With another baby on the way in a few months, we decided to move our 2+ year old daughter across the hall into her first big girl room. I built big sister the Kendal Extra Wide Dresser, Traditional Wood Toddler Bed, Letter A Shelf and a Dollhouse Bookcase and matched the colors with her new comforter, lamps and princess canopy tent from the Land of Nod outlet.

This is a pretty easy project to build with the right tools. For the backing, I used beadboard plywood that I had leftover from the headboard of the toddler bed. The one tricky thing was how to actually hang the bookshelf. The weight of wood for the shelf is somewhat heavy and that's before anything even goes in/on top of it. After a few trips to the big boxes, I decided on using a heavy duty mirror hanger, which so far, has worked great. 

Outdoor Couches made from the plans on the website.  Added 2 2x4's on back top to add support when leaning back.  Also added vertical supports on the back to help with added weight.

Stained and Sealed with Natural Cedar Stain and Sealer

I've always wanted an Adirondack chair so I was excited to find these plans. I wanted a more rustic chair so I used fence pickets and 2 x 4' s that I had. to add some height to the back, I added some little feet to the ends of the legs with my Kreg jig. I love that thing. The markings on the wood are from the natural patina of the 60 year old redwood planks I used. Now I just need to make 3 more and a table for the back yard.

This was my first furniture build so there was plenty of trial and error but overall a good learning experience. The middle walls were made using the same notching techniques as the plan, but with one big notch and several 2x4s.

Building was the fun part, finishing was not. Started with a belt sander and after digging into the wood too many times I tried an orbital. Had to resand due to swirl marks from the orbital sander. Hand sanded from 100 grit to 220 grit, applied gel stain and noticed the wood grain had completely disappeared. Seems like the pores were too closed from the fine sand paper so took it back to 150 grit and it was all good.

I adjusted the size to be a total lenght of 71 inches by 40 inches wide. 

I put all the boards through the table saw to create the flat edges whcih allowed for the flush table top.  Had difficulties with the X cuts, but turned out nicely.

Used a mix of 2 stains to reach the grey, almost barnwood look. Love the way it looks.

I LOVED creating this bench! It was quick and easy.

I really wanted an upholstered top with nailhead trim so even though the plans didn't call for it, I did it anyway :) I left off the top piece after building the rest of the bench, and upholstered it with 2" foam and batting. I used outdoor fabric because my dogs may be using the bench to get on/off the bed, and I figured it would be easier to keep clean! Luckily, my local Jo-Ann store just put out a plethora of outdoor fabrics, and they were 50% off (as was the foam!). After the upholstering was finished, I used nailhead trim because I LOVE the look. Then, I attached the top by turning it upside down and setting the bench upside down on top of it, and nailing the two together.

I decided to paint the bench white instead of staining, and I'm so glad I did. I feel that it gives the piece a certain sophistication, and it goes perfectly in the bedroom.

100% happy with this piece!

This was very easy to do. The hardest part was creating the miter edges for the trim and having them line up nicely. I would consider the trim a must, I just felt it made the project look finished. I had a difficult time finding *cute* baskets to fit underneath... It measures 10" and will fit a standard laundry basket but I was going for a different look. I picked these up on sale at office max, not exactly what they were intended for but they work great and keep the laundry room nice and tidy. Happy building!!

Needed new nightstands for our new house....these worked out perfectly.

We made the providence benches a little bigger to fit our space perfectly and painted them RED for pop. Soooooo many compliments from our neighbors!

Made from pine wood painted white as my girlfriend wanted ;)

Great project. I didn't have all the tools and/or skills to make some things exact or perfect, but I am very happy with the finished project and more importantly the wife loves it! Thanks so much for sharing. I still need to add x, but I ran out of time. 

I used pine wood and minwax walnut stain. I did run into a minor issue with a few of the slat boards being warped so I ended up screwing on (3) 1x3's onto the back, perpendicular to the slats, so the boards sat flat and their edges were flush. This also added more stability to the project. One coat of stain did the trick for the color we were going for. For such an easy project, this makes a big difference in the look and feel of our bedroom.

I made the planter and had my kids buy small gifts, we made it a family gift for my wife. she loves it!!

Thanks for the ideas and plans!