Community Brag Posts

This is a piece from Ana's book.  I used the plans from the book and followed Shabby-2-chic's recommendation for the finish.  I used 120 grit sandpaper to knock the edges off then applied a dark minwax stain.  Soft scrub was used to remove the extra finish from my white paint.  The kreg shelf pin jig was invaluable in getting the holes just right.   

4' x 4' x 32" planter boxes perfect for square footage gardening. Added pre-made trellis to back for tomatoes and melons/cucumbers. Had to use pressure- treated 4x4 for legs but wrapped them in plastic so not near the soil. 4" lag screws holding just fine with 5 horizontal strapping bars on bottom and 1 vertical 2x4. 

I added legs to mine so it would lean up against the wall above the molding. I liked the look of it without plywood backing. I'm really happy with it and it was pretty simple to make.

This is one of the coolest things I've ever built! My husband was so proud of me. :) I recently completed built-in bookcases in our 3rd bedroom/office and those were neat and much more complicated, but I think he likes this better because he sleeps next to it every night. This only took about 2 hours to build, but the staining made for a weekend project by the time it was completed and dry. We've gotten a TON of compliments on this and even had friends ask for me to make them one! Thanks, Ana!

This was my first time using a plan from this site, it was my first time using a kreg jig, and pretty much my first time using a circular saw on anything that mattered.  Also my first time staining.  I'm real happy with how it turned out except for the staining! I used a stain + polyurethane in one and found it very difficult to get the color even without streaks.  Next time I think I am going to stain all my cut wood BEFORE I assemble.  I think that will let me have a nice even stain.  Any thoughts on that?

I enlarged the plan by adding 12 inches to the top and 6 inches to the width. So I added a shelf 12 inches above the top one.  It feels big and I love that.  

Another thing that worked out nicely for me,  I noticed when I was buying lumber from HD, the 2x2's were all a little bit warped or crooked, So for the four legs I opted for the premium perfectly strait and smooth pine.  It was 8 bucks a piece instead of two but worked out I think.  For the back I used mahogany pickets - not smooth, hard to sand down, but looks nice.  

Took me about 20-25 hours over two weekends.  Sanding and staining were the only laborious parts.

Nice and easy work bench to complete my garage setup.

I spent a lot of time looking at photos that my wife tagged on pinterest, most from builders who frequent Ana's site.  I learned a lot just from looking.

I stole particular ideas from Ana, Tommie and Ellie, and another site that I can't find right now, but they really did the trestle / farmhouse hybrid idea first and I just modified their idea a bit.  If anyone has seen their site, please remind me so I can give credit where it is due!

I didn't really use a plan other than having a general idea of what I wanted the size of the table to be.  I believe it came out to about 102" x 44"

I built 6 chairs and the bench.

All is built out of construction grade lumber, and gets lots of compliments.

The table came together in a solid weekend, the bench took a couple of evenings, and the chairs...those chairs took forever to cut out, shape, assemble, and finish.

Took us 4 months cause we have kids so we have to work during naps and after bedtime and then we were hesitant to work on it for a while after a little stressful episode building the drawer. We had to lower our expectations for perfection when working with pine and no clamps. We're happy with how it turned out though! Reminds me of Van Gogh's "The Bedroom" for some reason. 

Made this for our 3rd daughter for Christmas. I had finials, but ended up liking the look of the crib better without them. It was so fun to build and my daughter was super excited Christmas morning! Thanks!

This project started by using the Ana-White Dress Up Tower Plans.  Modifications were made to increase storage area and to include a lazy susan base.

I built this vanity and mirror out of pine and finished it in a variety of stains to get a reclaimed look.

This was my first Anna White experience. It was a great beginner project. My husband was even impressed with the results. I was a little scared of the Menwax Ebony stain, but I applied it with a rag (several coats) and it came out very even. I used paste wax to finish off the project and it turned out great. I'm soooo proud of myself. I hope I don't sound too obnoxious, but it was just so much fun, and I was so surprised that I could build something that looked this professional. Ok, shutting up now. :-)

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.