Community Brag Posts

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

Outdoor loveseat

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/17/2023 - 01:31

For this loveseat, I added a slight reclining angle to the back. I've also made this design with a reclining angle to both the back and seat slats.

The main alteration I've made to the plans is on the bottom. I added a bottom slat and beveled feet by subtracting 3" from the leg length. After attaching the feet to the bottom slat, I taped around the bottom of the foot. I then added a small layer of acrylic resin. This helps prevent splinters when moving the loveseat and helps to keep moisture out.

Comments

Gentleman's Valet

This is a gentleman's valet that I build for my sister in law's boyfriend as a Christmas present. It was also a good opportunity to try out my hand tool skills, since I cut all of the joinery by hand.

Estimated Cost
20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Boiled linseeed oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Sun, 02/05/2012 - 09:20

Wow, this is gorgeous! Love the rich finish and the dove tail details, and the sliding top tray is so neat. Everyone in the family is going to want one! :) Joanne

viola

Sun, 02/05/2012 - 12:25

This would make a great gift for my husband and all the men in my family...

claydowling

Sun, 02/05/2012 - 19:12

Kristen you should try it yourself. You'd need to buy a joinery saw, but I just picked up a decent dovetail saw for $13, and a set of good chisels, but for $26 you can get a good set of 4.

My joinery isn't brilliant, but it's functional and doesn't look terrible. I'm pretty sure you could start knocking out some strong joints pretty quickly.

The upside is that it's faster than setting up power tools to make these joints. Hand cut dovetails will always be faster than machine cut, unless you're building a dozen boxes.

kristen

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 10:48

From here, your dovetail joints look great! I've always just skimmed past instructions for dovetails thinking I'd never put the time into constructing them. Perhaps I will investigate for future projects. The glue and nail option just goes quicker right now, with the list that looks like it just might take forever in this house!

claydowling

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 08:35

Those are very tight joints. Slightly too tight in fact. There was a small amount of hairline splitting on the side I didn't show, that I had to fill with glue and sawdust to keep from spreading.

My dovetails aren't bad, just slow for me to cut right now, especially cleaning out the waste. I bought parts for a small bow saw that should make that easier, once I get the thing built.

claydowling

Tue, 02/07/2012 - 08:35

The short answer is that I built a box, then built another box to go inside of it. A plan with dimensions wouldn't be a very good idea, because I sized this to match the $7 board I'd found at the hardwood dealer. Your lumber dealer almost certainly carries differently sized boards.

I'll think about a tutorial or video though. Box making is fun, rewarding, and can be profitable. Especially since most cabinets are just different variations on the box.

Justine

Tue, 02/07/2012 - 09:21

Alright, I will give it a try this weekend. Will let you know how it went! Thank you so much

claydowling

Tue, 02/07/2012 - 10:44

If you get any results, post some pics. If not here, feel free to put up a link on my blog. Always good to share ideas and results.

Kat Roberts

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 19:17

Your work is gorgeous! I'm definitely stealing this idea for my husband's birthday as well as all the men in my family, who all have birthdays this spring. :) Only thing is, I'm using tools, my hand tool skills are no where near as good as yours.

Also, I appreciate the tips you've posted on other project plans, they really help clarify some of the smaller details overlooked by the designers for beginners like me.
Hope to see some more projects from you soon!

claydowling

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 20:06

Hand tool skills actually develop pretty quickly, and one of the reasons it's gaining popularity. You can use scrap wood to learn how to make joints. The first ones will be rough but with even a little bit of practice they'll improve.

The tools are also getting cheaper. I just bought a decent dovetail saw for $13 from Tools For Working Wood, and $26 will buy you a decent set of chisels from Narex.

Christopher Schwarz and Logan Cabinet Shoppe are two good sources for hand tools articles, including videos. There are also good books on the subject. My first text was Hand Tool Essentials, but I'm told there are others worth looking into for first books.

claydowling

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 07:30

The Essential Woodworker is the alternate starting text I was thinking of. I haven't read it yet, but heard it recommended by a few sources as a good place to learn about hand tool woodworking. I just ordered a copy for myself. Amazon sells it too, but for considerably more, and I've heard unpleasant things about the binding on the copies available on Amazon.

If the book turns out to be any good I'll post a review on my blog.

Kat Roberts

Fri, 04/20/2012 - 21:48

Please do!
Thank you for the tips and information, I'll definitely be starting on hand woodworking soon. I love the results of hand vs. machine woodworking, it's just sleeker and has more of a homemade quality.

claydowling

Sat, 04/21/2012 - 04:56

I did finally buy the book, and I've reviewed it at http://claydowling.com/articles/02242012-1350/getting-started-woodworki…

There's also a new video coming out (or maybe it is out), that I wrote about: http://claydowling.com/articles/04022012-0947/learning-use-hand-tools I've ordered my copy, but I won't have it in hand until next month. I grabbed is specifically for the information on block planes. I own them, but I've had the least consistent results from them of all my tools.

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 04/02/2012 - 18:27

Thank you for posting . I always learn something from you.

Beautiful Table!

Submitted by maph53 on Mon, 12/16/2013 - 08:29

We added a 2x6 to the top and made the table 5.5 " longer and wider. We had to adjust all of our cuts. Read your instructions on the can of stain because on Shanty2Chic's site they mentioned leaving the stain on for 5 minutes and then wiping. However in doing so, you will end up with a very dark finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Coffee Table

coffee Table 

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 05:49

My daughter wanted a console for her holiday Halloween village and Christmas village. I had to measure and modify the original plans as they were longer and shallower than what I needed. I also used tongue and groove boards for the sides. She also wanted mitered doors on the front because the barn door stood out too much. Phew! I wish I had a CAD program.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Chedtnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/26/2023 - 07:42

Greenhouse for extended growing.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments