Community Brag Posts

My first project!

Submitted by J_Weeks13 on Sat, 03/07/2015 - 10:26

Thanks for the awesome, easy to follow plans!! All that's left to do is stain it and build another one- I'm going to have 2 on my back patio! A successful first project! Thanks!!

Estimated Cost
$130.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

thecityalaskan

Sat, 03/07/2015 - 12:27

So awesome!!! Especially for your first project! Super inspiring for those of us who would like to attempt a project like this! Thank you for sharing!

Modified to Personalize

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/05/2017 - 09:29

I probably took this project on at a bad time (final semester of college, planning to move for my first job, and getting married) but this was my wedding present to my wife. I modified the plans and made everything (except for the drawer boxes) out of white oak cut from my father in law's farm. The headboard, footboard, and drawer faces are edge glued planks. I made the corner posts by gluing 2x4s together (actual dimension of the post is 3x3). I used threaded inserts to make it come apart into 4 pieces (headboard, footboard, and drawer boxes). This thing is HEAVY (the headboard alone probably weighs ~150lbs) I learned a lot during this project and these planse were a great guideline!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax English Chestnut (233). I used a basic brush on polyurothane. Knowing what I know now, I would probably go back and use General Finishes. I used a combination of seal-a-cell and and Arm-R-Seal. I used that combo on a crib I build a few months ago and I am really happy with the look and durability of the finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Exterior farmhouse table for the farm

we needed an exterior table big enough for 8 on short notice. It's hard to find nice exterior furniture on the Big Island of Hawaii so we decided to build ourselves using borrowed tools. only wish i had my kreg jig nearby :).

*this is July 2021 (pandemic) so wood prices have shot up. that's the reason the cost of the project is higher than normal.

Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1. Primer: Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
2. Wood conditioner: Varathane pre-stain wood conditioner
3. Paint – Legs: Benjamin moore soft gloss finish premium exterior paint in white
4. Stain – Top: Varathane premium poly+stain in Satin Jacobean
5. Varnish: Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane
6. #9 x 2-1/2 in. Star Flat-Head Wood Deck Screws by Deckmate
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Library ledges

Submitted by TBENNE on Fri, 04/19/2013 - 19:06

I really enjoyed this project. I would suggest painting as much as possible before assembly. I used pocket screws to hide which are hidden on the back side and a nail gun to attach the front 1x2s. I made a total of 8 ledges.

One thing I did different from the project plan is that I connected the bottom board on top of the back board to give me a little more space on the bottom for layering my books.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar in Swiss Coffee. Top coat of Minwax Polyacrylic in Gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Move over Restoration Hardware!

Submitted by gfranq on Tue, 03/10/2015 - 10:58

I actually emailed Restoration Hardware and although they no longer carry this chair , it was priced starting at 795$!!  Not even close to what it cost me to make it myself. I spent 88 $ on the cushions, 5$ on screws and approx 65$ on the wood so all together this chair cost me about 158$. Thanks Ana!

Finish Used
I used a oil primer and followed it with an outdoor semi gloss in white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Garage Shelf (w/ Workbench)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/08/2017 - 11:15

Great plans allow for versatility and easy customization. Put the whole thing together in a day w/ one other person. My set up is 16' long - 5' on the side shelves and 6' for the workbench. Added a pegboard and fluorescent light under the top middle shelves. I'm also designing a slim drawer to go under the workbencheck area. Thanks a bunch!

Estimated Cost
~$150 including pegboard.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will stain dark in the future
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farmhouse Desk

Submitted by MacandFab on Sun, 08/01/2021 - 04:49

My wife needed a desk to work at home from and nothing on the retail market interested us, so I offered to build one. I followed the plans for a Farmhouse Desk, but with a change for the top. I chose a pre-sanded 3/4" red oak top and trim to cover the plywood edges. We didn't want the lips or edges that may show up using the planned 1x6" planks. The desktop measures 31.5 x 71.5" which is large, but allows for a lot of work to be accomplished. I added a grommet hole for the wires and a 3 1/8" hole for a desktop outlet with 2 USB's, 1 USB-C and two regular outlets. I also added a 9-input power strip / surge protector on the underside of the desk that the desktop outlet plugs in to. So only the power strip plugs into the wall and everything is surge protected.

It took me 4 weeks and about 25 hours, as I made it around my work schedule and family life.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Desktop: Minwax Espresso Stain

Base: Valspar All-weather White Solid Exterior Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Entertainment Center for 60" Flat Screen LED TV

I used the plans from JRLwoodworking and the pictures from AZCA33 and combined them to create an entertainment center to hold my new 60" flat screen tv. I priced new entertainment centers at furniture stores for a nice entertainment center to hold a large tv and the price was around $2000. I looked around online and found a couple of websites of handmade entertainment centers and decided to give it a try. I had never made anything remotely his large or detailed, but with the plans and some patience, I was able to bring this thing to life. I couldn't have done it without the help of this website or jrlwoodworking. I am very proud of this piece of furniture and plan to cherish it for a long time....

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Black latex paint (satin), white latex paint (satin), and Polyacrylic (satin)

We painted the bare wood with the white latex paint first. After a couple of coats, my wife used the black paint on the areas that she planned to look distressed. We painted over the black with the white until fully covered. She sanded the white until the black came through like she wanted and then we coated the entire thing with a polyacrylic coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

NimbleShopper

Mon, 04/22/2013 - 13:51

Wait a moment, that is a super WOW!

Really nice work. The piece is worthy of a magazine cover. Very well done.

kristenlotz

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:21

Hi RAZORBACKFAN, I am so excited to see this build from our plans at jrlwoodworking.com! This is absolutely beautiful. It looks like a very difficult project, but with the step by step instructions and going through it a few times, it really can be done by a handy do-it-yourselfer. I hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoy ours. The best part of it is telling everyone you built it. Nobody would believe it unless we had the pictures to prove it.

Harvest Basket

Submitted by mtairymd on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 10:49

Build Instructions:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Harvest-Basket-Garden-Trug/

Video of Build:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlhZ6-gpak&feature=youtu.be

This is a simple design built from reclaimed wood and purchased ¼” wood slats.  It cost very little and only took a couple of hours to complete the build.  The goal was light weight, shallow and wide for collecting leafy vegetables, easy to handle and somewhat attractive. 

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural Stain - see link above
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Faux Driftwood Finish Media Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/11/2017 - 19:37

 

My girlfriend requested I make this stand for our TV which is 46". (It looks like something she wanted from a furniture store that was being sold for around $1,100.)  I followed the plan, but customized the size. My table is 60" long and 24" high.

 

We wanted to make a weatherbeaten "driftwood" look. The Classic Gray was darker and had more opacity with one coat than expected, so we stopped at one coat.  Classic Gray is a lot "cooler" in tone before the clear coats, because the clear polyurethane I used  has a warm tint to it. (In the future, I also want to try the crystal clear Minwax Polycrylic, which would not warm the tone of the gray.) After the stain, we added some brown dry brushstrokes to make it look rustic or aged. 

I lightly sanded between each of the clear coats. Two coats on the under parts and three coats on the top. 

I added felt pads that I cut to fit to protect our floors from scratching. 

The wood is part pine and part common board. 

Girlfriend loves it! It is a huge hit. Lots of compliments from neighbors as I worked, too. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded to 220

1 application of Minwax pre-stain Wood Conditioner

1 coat Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain, color Classic Gray

Dry brushstrokes of Martha Stewart Vanilla Bean Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint at edges (color is a neutral grayish brown)

2 coats of Minwax Polyurethane, Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Small cedar shed

Submitted by sarusso82 on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 05:41

First shot at using plans from Ana, and thought it was great! Can’t wait to try another!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Train & car table

Submitted by Jrich on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 12:58

We customized the train table a bit and laminated the top into one solid piece so that we could paint a car map of our neighborhood on the underside. It's heavy! But with two boys in the house it's never really on anyways! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mswendsen

Thu, 03/06/2014 - 22:26

I was wondering how you made it possible to lift and what the process was to do the map? I am wanting to do something like this for hot wheels for our friends son so he has something to play with when they come over.
Thank you

Produce Stand

I really enjoyed this project!  It was very easy and inexpensive.  I used Weathered Oak stain to make the pine look aged.  I also countersunk all of the screws and used oak button dowels to give it a finished look.  I learned how to create the wording and images through YouTube.  Search: how to transfer an inkjet photo to wood.  Cool trick.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Debbie742

Tue, 12/01/2015 - 04:50

My sister in law would like one of these and I'm wondering what angle cut you used for your support boards?  I like the idea of going corner to corner vs trying to get each one centered and not making a mistake. I'm also wondering about spacing and if you kept the measurements the same as "Over The Big Moon" ?  Thanks so much!!!

 

Debora Cadene

Sandbox w/ Built In Seats

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 07:30

I have built some other stuff before, but not with paint and sanding and such. It was definitely a great learning project. There are imperfections, but it's a toy, so kids will be having fun and that is all that matters.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100... but, the paint will be used on other projects, and I paid for better boards for on top.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Photo dump!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/26/2021 - 04:13

I have built all these recently with the help of your plans! Thank you!!

Comments

Petite Planked Wood Sideboard

Submitted by moosmani on Sun, 04/28/2013 - 14:22

I loved the look of the planked wood sideboard but it was too big for my space. I was inspired by Knot Perfect’s smaller version. I really liked everything about how his looked, including the finish. My finish didn’t turn out quite as nice as his, but I am still very happy with it.

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

Comments

jbayer80

Sun, 04/28/2013 - 14:35

Wow....looks like you used the most expensive wood you could find...nice work!

anb80

Wed, 09/18/2013 - 10:16

I love it! Could you possibly post your measurements. I'm looking at building this for our entry way and the size looks about right. Also, what stain did you use. Great job!

Rustic X Kitchen Island

Submitted by tedgray86 on Wed, 03/18/2015 - 21:50

Ask for materials used

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

Comments

outdoor club chairs and couch set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/17/2017 - 14:16

We found an outdoor set online that we LOVED - until we saw the price tag haha! So DIY to the rescue, as always. This was our first project that we have ever done based on our own plans, but I did refer to Ana's adirondack post when deciding on the back-tilt of the chairs' support. The simplicity of the set definitely helped with the fact that we blazed our own trail - just straight cuts with a miter saw and screws! Easy peasy. We LOVE it, especially because they're so solid with these 4x4's so our kids can run all over these things like monkeys. DIY forever!

Estimated Cost
500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
weathered grey from Rustoleum
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Bed Twin version

I built this bed for my (adult) son. The instructions were easy to follow. I left off the 2 x 2" cleats on the headboard to make it easier to attach the tongue and groove headboard pieces with pocket hole screws (I did lay two 2 x 2's underneath the tongue & groove pieces for spacing as I attached the boards). Since I made this as a platform bed I added a 6th tongue & groove headboard piece and the optional center cleat underneath. I used the suggested Varathane Weathered Wood Accelerator for the finish; mine came out much more grey than the bed pictured with the plans and my son liked the finish (I did too). Finding non-pressure treated 4x4's and semi-straight 2x4's was the hardest part. I used pine wood and bought all the lumber for about $175 (purchased at peak COVID lumber prices). This bed is definitely solid and I'm looking forward to making the matching nightstand! Thank you Ana for the bed plans!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Table and Bench

Submitted by sherm917 on Mon, 04/29/2013 - 19:56

This was my first project. It took me a longer time than planned because I kept making mistakes and kept going back and trying to fix them. The plan was simple enough and I learned alot from this project. I can't wait to start my next one!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MINWAX POLYSHADES Mission Oak Satin, 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Wooden Toy Truck

I built a wooden toy truck using a leftover 1x4 board in my garage.  For this build I used Ana White's plans for the wood wheelie cars.  This was a quick and easy project  and my first project using my scroll saw. Not too shabby for my first go at toy making.  However, I am not happy with the finished toy.  If I did it all over again, I would take my time with the finish.  Also, the driver was not perpendicular to the truck's body when I created the holes for the axles, so the truck leans slightly. My son does not seem to notice its flaws, so I will try to overlook them as well!  Check out the blog link for more project details!

Estimated Cost
I had most of the supplies on hand. I had to purchase a wood dowel and some wooden wheels, so no more than $5.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Acrylic Craft paint sealed with Mod Podge (Matte Finish)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project