Community Brag Posts

Narrow Console Table

This past weekend I build Ana's Narrow Console table. I went Saturday evening to pick up the boards and cut them. I completed the whole project late Sunday afternoon. I don't have a nailer so in-between the project I switched to self-tapping screws and it became even quicker because using the ol' fashioned hammer and nails was difficult and time consuming.  Cutting the angles was a first for me, and it is not bad at all! I was very intimidated first but so glad I took that first step! Also, I just watched her video countless times to ensure I was doing it correctly, and that helped the most ;).  It is very lightweight and I did not need any assistance in carrying the table. I truly, truly believe anyone can do this!

Estimated Cost
$40 with the paint
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
After sanding I used one coat of Glidden Flat + Primer "Crushed Silk"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/26/2023 - 07:47

Hi Ana. Been a fan of yours. My name is Ed. Wood working is my hobby. And its always nice to look at your plans, and put my own spin on it. My wife wanted a planter for our deck. So I tweaked your plans and made them a little bigger. I Also built her a herb garden too. With these new planters; it should put a stop to the rabbits eating everything.

Thanks for your inspiration.

Comments

Small Rustic X Bench

Submitted by Cassie1686 on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 16:15

I personalized this bench for a gift for my mom's birthday. I stamped both of my girls handprints on top and added their names and date. Turned out so cute :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Oh Goodness. This was a HUGE project for us. It was our 2nd Ana White build (the 1st can be seen in the pictures, the kitchen island with the microwave on top). We changed the overall dimensions to fit our kitchen. And we built two matching benches. The hardest part was kreg jigging. We did SO MANY pocket holes and it was our first time using a kreg jig on a LARGE project. We also trimmed up the sides of each of the table top boards so they fit closer together. We really really LOVE this table. And my kids are putting their own special touches on it daily. Thanks for the plans!!

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona Stain & Minwax Polyurethane Glossy.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Reduced Size Rustic X Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/16/2016 - 12:16

I had a great time builidng a shorter version of the Rustic X console table. Total length is 41inches.

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

Barn door console

Submitted by mattquealy on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 03:30

Great project for the family. My wife and 2 daughter helped build and paint the barn door console. I used Red Oak for the top and put 4 coats of the stain to get the darker look. The plans had a get cut list and easy step by step instructions. I modified the plans slightly to fit the room in my house.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane - Provincial
Dun Edwards paint - Glen Falls
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Buffet with reclaimed window

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/02/2023 - 07:06

Six foot by 22" buffet with open shelves and reclaimed window cabinet door.

Comments

Vintage Step Stools

Submitted by nmnguyen7 on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:11

This was our first build. My husband and I really enjoyed working on these! The build went very quickly and the plans were well-detailed. The painting was the most time-consuming part!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30 for the two
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We used oops paints from Home Depot, a pink and a blue that just happened to coordinate with each other very well!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic X Side Table

Submitted by worrow on Wed, 12/04/2013 - 12:27

We loved the one from Ana's site and had to have it.

Printed off instructions and purchased material.
Didn't take long to build.

I love it

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax walnut stain.
Minwax satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

rustic x console

Submitted by piggyboy1 on Fri, 02/19/2016 - 05:19

easy project to make

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
varathane oak stain and sherman williams urban bronze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Sectional Sofa for Teen room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 11:31

My teenage niece asked me to build her a cool seating area for her new bedroom. So I used Ana White’s Outdoor Sofa with Sectional for the plans. I modified the overall size for the space and the seat depth to accommodate the seat cushions she bought, painted it white, and let her add pillows and blankets to make it soft and cozy. She loves it and I’m the coolest Aunt ever!!

Estimated Cost
$87
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer & white latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 15:51

Went shopping for a dining room table and had no luck so I convinced my wife we could do it. About six hours over 2 days and $150 in material this is the result. Thanks for the ideas!

Vintage Magazine Rack

Submitted by melissa2 on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 10:55

One thing great about the plans on Ana White's site is that you can change them. Plans that don't seem applicable to your needs can be changed around to fit them. For example, this is the children's magazine rack, repurposed as storage for magazines. (Magazines used to sit around in piles around the house as they came in--what a mess!)

After finishing the building and painting, but prior to antiquing, I added 1910 magazine logos and the prices the magazines sold for during that year, to create the feel of it being an antique magazine rack one might find at a period newsstand. These were found using Google Images. When you look, think about the general genres of magazines you subscribe to, or even use vintage logos from your favorites. I chose to do a variety (the last one is a now out-of-print children's magazine). I didn't have any carbon paper, so I used a heavily-inked newspaper ad as "carbon paper." Painting the text with a tiny brush was very tedious, so I put water-based craft paint onto a watercolor marker's tip and "colored." It seemed like I had more control of the paint that way. The close-up photo shows the titles and prices of the magazines on the crossbars.

This type of project of course cannot be sold, since it uses company names and logos. But it's a fun way to conveniently display your personal magazine collection!

So, remember, you can repurpose a plan on the site for something that fits your own needs! In the near future I hope to show how to convert the Kid's Storage Step Stool plan into a storage bed step for adults.

Tip: The moulding called for is likely too tall for a manual miter box (it was for mine). I ended up cutting the moulding blunt and then doing a lot of sanding to make it match as closely as possible. It doesn't look as nice this way, but it was the only way I could cut it. And as for the "Estimated Time Investment" listed, I am a slow builder, so don't let that dissuade you!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30 (if you have most building and finishing supplies other than the wood)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
~ Paint and roll on heirloom white satin Rustoleum water-based paint--or primer. ~ Paint and roll on a second coat. ~ Sand with light sandpaper. ~ Paint and then roll on a third and final coat. ~ Next, put the text on, as explained in the post. ~ Spatter on black paint lightly. ~ Sand edges (and some surfaces) with rough sandpaper. I also sanded the lettering with light sandpaper to wear it down. ~ In any areas sanded bare, put in water-down brown paint to mimic aged wood. Use a paper towel to wipe off the excess. ~ Hammer with a meat cleaver in some areas. ~ Varnish with one coat of satin varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Stable for Nativity Scene

Submitted by arkep on Fri, 12/06/2013 - 18:51

I had been thinking about making something to go with the nativity scene that I made a few years ago, and was so excited to see the plans for this stable this morning. It's less historically accurate, but much easier to build than a cave. =) I had cedar fence picket scraps laying around, so this project didn't cost me anything extra.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0--made from scraps
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none--just sanded
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Family Room Entertainment Center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 17:47

I built this for our family room TV and all the components. We wanted to hide all of the TV cords from view when we walked down the stairs - this was perfect! I'm so proud of it! Since this was going to be used where you were able to see the profile, I inset the planked back of the hutch and had to shave off 3/4" for the hutch shelves. I used pocket holes to hold the planks together for the back of the hutch. I decided to add cabinet doors to the console so that I could hide away all of the gaming supplies and unsightly necessitates. I used pine wainscoting and trim with a lip to hide the edges from view.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modified 4x4 Truss Beam Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/03/2019 - 05:26

Build the 4x4 Truss Beam Table base with the Fancy X Farmhouse Table top shortened to 7' (84") for my wife's birthday! We love how it looks and can not wait to build the matching benches! Also, this is my first time attempting a building project and Ana-White Plan. The plans are very easy to follow and execute!!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane - Kona and Clear Poly
Sherwin Williams - Cotton White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 outdoor couch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 00:17

Love my outdoor couch. Easy to build and follow plans. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Entryway Bench

Submitted by kristilmay on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 13:16

I picked this bench because our entryway isn't very big and this was small enough that I didn't have to make any alterations to the size.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint- Filtered Shade (Valspar)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

kristilmay

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 09:00

Thanks for the compliment on our floors!! My husband and I just installed them a few months ago. I love them but I'm always a little embarrassed to say this, because I'm a bit of a wood snob, but it's laminate. Kensington Manor 12mm Imperial Teak Handscraped, from Lumber Liquidator. We bought it when it was on sale for $1.99 a square foot. Can't beat that!

kristilmay

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 09:00

Thanks for the compliment on our floors!! My husband and I just installed them a few months ago. I love them but I'm always a little embarrassed to say this, because I'm a bit of a wood snob, but it's laminate. Kensington Manor 12mm Imperial Teak Handscraped, from Lumber Liquidator. We bought it when it was on sale for $1.99 a square foot. Can't beat that!

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 02/03/2012 - 20:09

This is beautiful! where did you get your baskets?

Rocketship Toddler Bed

Submitted by davec on Thu, 12/12/2013 - 12:55

Did this in January 2013.

Slight alteration of the Traditional Wood Toddler bed:
http://ana-white.com/2011/10/traditional-wood-toddler-bed

Made the rear posts taller so I could cutoff the triangle shape for the rockets. The front is the same with no real headboard just some support and used a custom upholstered padded headboard there for the view from the cockpit. The sides are cut out of thin plywood and screwed onto the bad (eliminated rails). The rocket engines are upholstered circles I cut.

The main bed is cheap, easy, and quick to build. Designing the rockets, and painting and polying the whole thing are what takes most of the time (along with trying to get everything to dry in my garage in the middle of winter). The fabric, stencils, and paint probably cost as much as the wood.

I thought I had more pics and I probably still have my scribbles for measurements and cuts (if for some reason someone wants them).

Estimated Cost
70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
water based paints and Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

chalkboard shelf - key holder

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 09:20

Made this little chalkboard shelf/key holder for my niece. She is building a new house and I thought it would look nice in her kitchen or entry way. It was inspired by Ana's "easiest chalkboard shelf from scraps," but I routed the edges of the 1x12 and add different hooks for keys.

Estimated Cost
I used all scraps I had laying around.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Gold trim paint around the edges and chalkboard paint on the inside.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modern Barnwood Bed Frame and End Table

Submitted by tjlamb21 on Fri, 10/04/2019 - 06:55

We built a bed frame off a different DIY website and never fell in love with it. We decided on Ana’s Modern Farmhouse and matching end table plans and decided to throw a local barn wood twist on it. We loved the look so much we didn’t sand or stain it, just gave it a good power wash. We really like the functionality of being able to take a few screws out to move and the fact that we could reuse our old barn wood headboard and make an end table out of it. Thanks for all your free plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 for both projects combined
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate