Community Brag Posts

Wooden Egg holder

Submitted by Lukilla on Fri, 09/30/2022 - 15:31

We've got a friend that basically supplies us with unlimited farm fresh eggs. The instant my wife saw this on ana-white she started asking me for one. Rounded over the holes with the router and rounded the corners of the sides. Took us about an hour total.

Combo of varathane special walnut and weathered oak stain on the finish.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Doll Adirondack Chair

Submitted by spiceylg on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 12:52

When I first saw this I thought it was adorable and had to build it even though I don't have any children! I use lengthier guestimated times to include sanding, painting and drying times.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5-6 plus paint
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
It's been a while since I completed this project. I used spray primer and spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Teaching Easel in the Classroom

I built this easel for my wife who teaches 2nd grade using the plan on this site. I used a jigsaw to make all the cuts which is why some of them are not perfect. All holes were countersunk and covered with wood filler as I have not yet purchased a Kreg Jig. One sample jar of paint was just enough to cover the whole project with 2 coats. Home Depot sells the whiteboard in 2' x 4' pieces for about $10 in my area. The toughest part was getting the holes to line up just right for the bolts that fix the four main pieces together. Some of them I had to use a little bit of force to make fit. The plan was easy to follow and worked well. I added a curtain rod to the top to hang a paper pad from which I bought for about $5. The big whiteboard behind the easel was hung over the existing chalkboard using industrial strength velcro strips. I bought the whiteboard material from Home Depot for $13 for a 4' x 8' sheet (it is actually called a "hardboard panel board". It works very well with dry erase markers and was an easy, cheap way to install a whiteboard over the current chalkboard.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr purple paint sample
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified loft bed

Submitted by jont on Tue, 08/23/2011 - 21:01

My wife has been asking for a bunk bed for the kids for some time. The room is a little short because it is in a basement and I knew I would need to modify the plans so I procrastinated.
I ended up shortening the height of the bed to 62" total. I also sank the top mattress down because it is a pillow top and the rails were not tall enough. Those were the easy parts. I then had to modify the ladder, I needed to shorten it and wanted a little more angle to it so some high school trig and I was on my way. It turned out pretty good I think.
To save money I used furring strips for everything but the 1x8s. It is very rough and the finishing is not easy on furring strips, but it saves some money.
I had some extra blue from a previous project but wanted it a little darker. I used a flat black water based paint for the base coat then brushed on an incomplete layer of the blue to give it the look I wanted. Sealed it with a clear coat.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 03/30/2012 - 17:38

Hi...I'm planning on making this bed for my own room, and I was wondering if the furring strips affected the stabilty or if they are just as sturdy as if you had used pine boards. I'm 16 and around 140 pounds, if i make it with furrying strips do you think it would support me?

In reply to by Guest (not verified)

jont

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 08:31

Furring strips are of lower quality - more knots and splitting. Technically this could effect the strength of the strips, but for the loft bed the main supports are made by attaching 3 1x3s together (increasing the strength synergistically) so I think it would be safe to say there will be no problems with load fatigue. Just be sure to use glue on every piece when attaching together. Good luck!

Modified Adirondack Coffee Table

Submitted by Indiri on Mon, 09/16/2013 - 13:37

As the kids are getting a little older it was time to retire the train table and pass it on to family. Although our living room is growing up we still wanted a place for storage, though.

I modified the Adirondack Coffee Table to include a lower shelf (just make a second box the size of the top one and screw it into the bottom of the legs) and made it wider and longer (49"x33") and taller (20"). 6 of our toy buckets will fit on the lower shelf for storage. By making the top 49" I was able to cut the 1x6 to make a top board and a bottom board from each (top 50" for a little overhang, bottom boards 46". 6 1x6 boards were needed to make the two shelves, in addition to the 2x4s. Since it is bigger there is also a stretcher across the center for a little extra strength (because we all know that at some point a child will stand on it).

It took me about 4 hours to build it and then a couple more hours spread over the weekend to stain/poly. All total this one was about 6-7 hours for me to build.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany Stain and Minwax Poly, 2 coats of each.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Aquarium stand for the snake cage

My husband and I bought a milk snake a few years ago. We had the cage sitting on our kitchen table. My husband was up north visiting his family and it irritated me. So I went out to the garage to see what we had. We had some tongue and groove and some misc. Pcs of scrap pallet wood. I slapped the stand itself together in a day. 3 years later, I completed it with the live edge shelf trim and the canapy, again using live edge. The pine log Pcs are left over from our basement knee wall ledge. 

Estimated Cost
$30
Finish Used
Left raw. The live edge is coated in thick polyurethane to keep the bark solid and complete.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Country Pallet Shelves

Love these shelves.... Best part about them is they were completely free but add such a great country feel to my country style kitchen...

Estimated Cost
$0.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None... best part about the character.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rustic X Bookshelf--Short

I've loved the Rustic X series from the first plan (the console table) but none of them were things I needed for my home. So when I saw the Rustic X Tall Bookshelf I was thrilled since I have been needing a cookbook shelf in my kitchen, and had been trying to design my own using some form of the X construction. I still needed to customize it, but it was much easier to do from the existing plan. I made it half the height since I wanted it to be flush with my counter, and also wanted it narrower. I had leftover 1 x 12s from another project so I used those, and decided to make two Xs instead of one because of the narrower width. I cut the X's to fit, and used wood glue and 2" nails to secure them from the bottom. Perfect fit for my space!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25 in new wood, plus leftovers for shelves
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a technique for oxidizing wood which I read about at The Friendly Home. Hillary does a great detailed tutorial (http://thefriendlyhome.blogspot.ca/2012/07/how-to-oxidize-wood.html) on how to use tea, vinegar and steel wool to give new wood an aged weathered look. Cheap and beautiful! I will absolutely do it again! But it was a bit lighter than I wanted, so I used Minwax Polyshades in Tudor to darken them up and seal the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 07:47

We had to change to a slightly different size wood as the sizing of the original plan would have been very expensive in the UK. 

We also had to adjust to a different mattress size (90x190cm). 

We also had to work around a radiator. We left no gaps on the platform. 

Huge hit and very pleased with the result. 

Estimated Cost
£150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varnish/stain in teak
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ladder Desk

Submitted by Ltjj2004 on Sun, 11/06/2022 - 12:33

Absolutely love this desk. We changed the shelf heights just a bit and made the center ladder more to my height needs. We burned the wood before staining.

Comments

Elementary Upgrade

To celebrate my daughter beginning Kindergarten, I built her a school-appropriate bedroom. Inspired by the Junior Loft Bed on the Walmart.com website, I modified Ana's Chelsea Bunk plan by changing the height and adding a built-in desk unit. The bed is 27.5" from the floor to the bottom of the siderail and has an overall height of 43". The desk section has a custom-built cabinet designed to fit her oddly shaped computer unit.

The room is divided into separate "nooks" with an overall emphasis on reading (she LOVES to read). There is the reading nook with her bookcase and comfy chair, a dressing nook with her stool and mirror, her study nook with her computer and school supply cubbies, and her sleeping nook.

Other modified Ana features in this room include the dollhouse bookcase, flat-wall book holder, numbered cubbies on the wall, and the vintage step stool.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Bed/desk combination: $110
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Plain Jane white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 08/31/2011 - 04:56

What a dream bedroom for a young girl! Everything is beautifully done and decorated!

mccomasmama

Wed, 08/31/2011 - 19:13

Right now I have the cabinet base for the desk, a large container full of accessories for her dollhouse, a large dollhouse, and a 3-drawer chest (Rast from Ikea) all under the bed with plenty of room to crawl around and play/sit/hide/etc.

Lifting the bed up off the ground really doubled the storage space in this small room (10x10 feet!)

Full Sized Canopy Farmhouse Bed

My wife and I were expecting our first so we had to downsize from a queen to a full. While my wife was away for a week on a trip, I put this together. She always talked about a canopy bed and I think it turned out nice. I made a few modifications to Anna's design. The canopy is higher, I used edge support for the bed and I used dowels for everything with the exception of the lag bolts connecting the canopy to the bed. This was my first furniture project (other than shelves).

Estimated Cost
326.54
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Poly Clear Coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Jewelry Boxes

Submitted by yhaas on Sat, 11/28/2015 - 06:55

I made these boxes for my daughters for Christmas. I used maple, and I rabbeted the drawers and backs so that the plywood would sit flush. On the first box, I attempted to join with dowels, but as a novice, that didn't work well, and I converted to a few countersunk screws. On the second box, I used glue and nails as the plan suggested, which was much better. Installing the box hinges and lock was the most finicky part of the project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The dark wood is stained with Goudey stain - San Miguel Oak. Goudey is a family-run Toronto business, and they make beautiful stains. For the finish, I used Tried and True varnish oil. Hardware was from Lee Valley Tools.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 12/02/2015 - 14:28

Gorgeous jewelry boxes!  You did a beautiful job, and I'm sure your daughers will love them!  Love the finishes too!

Master Bedroom Closet from mess to the best

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/19/2019 - 11:03

We took the original plans and made them work for our 5’6” x 11’ closet. We added a ft to the top because we have tall ceilings. We made 5 towers to create a u shape with shelving on the top. I also left one small bar long to hang dresses and the rest we double hung. We adjusted cubbies and drawers based on where we needed them. We were able to save by using old drawer slides from a falling apart ikea dresser. (We cut them down with a grinder).  We had an overflowing closet mess and now we have a beautiful closet. I wish the directions had a little bit more detail like average clothes hanging heights and bar distance from the wall. There was also no link to the suggested drawers or cubbies but we found them with a simple search. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a satin paint in the color trim of our home. I used satin I stead of gloss because that’s what I had on hand but It created a great sealed cleanable surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Adirondack Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/19/2022 - 03:24

Easy build, turned out great. Our first project like this. We built 4!

Comments

Braden Entryway Mail Sorter/Locker/Shoe drawer

Submitted by Megbech on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 21:20

This is the greatest website ever! Thank you so much Ana White! Anyway, this was my first project. Our family room was a mess - shoes everywhere, coats strewn, you name it. We don't have a mud room - you just walk in from the garage to BAM, the family room. So the mess needs to be contained and organized and the Braden Shoe Drawer, Locker and Mail Sorter/Phone Charger was our answer! I would have loved to have done the locker-mail sorter-locker layout but space is limited in the room so I was only able to make one locker. I did make a 3rd drawer, per Ana's awesome wood cutting instructions and that drawer is in a storage closet. So, pay attention to her cutting instructions - she knows what she's talking about! I had some left over wood (1x10) and used that as a divider in the shoe drawer to keep each kids' shoes separate.

Estimated Cost
$250 (for hutch/locker, mail sorter, three drawers)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kilz Primer, Olympic High-Gloss Antique White paint. Two coats put on very sparingly (dryly). I painted the small mail slots and inner side panels of the mail sorter prior to building after reading previous posters' tips - totally worth it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

StacieM

Sat, 09/03/2011 - 12:59

This looks great for a first build! The drawers are great for hiding the shoes and I love the mail sorter. Awesome job!

4TheInnocent

Thu, 12/01/2011 - 13:26

I'm new to Ana's site & I desperately need to find a Mud Room Locker System & since I don't have an office downstairs I either need a desk put in my kitchen or a mail sorter system of some kind! You did a fabulous job but I have to admit that I'm terrified to even start this project!!!!! I'm afraid that I'll make a huge mess of it!!!! Any suggestions for a newbie???? Thanks a million!

Cwen's Birthday Party Seesaw!

My husband built the seesaw and I applied the finish and covered the seats. This project was very easy and built in one weekend, including drying time for the stain. I used Minwax stain in Classic Grey and did not use a clear coat over the stain. I bought the canvas seat fabric at Hobby Lobby for $5.00 and used 2 inch foam cushion, which was about $3.00. I had some left over ribbons from another project that I tied to both sides of the handles to make the seesaw look festive for the birthday party! The project ended up costing about $50.00 in materials. My daughter Cwen loves it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Classic Gray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner