Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse table, table extension, and bench

My wife and I recently built this farmhouse table with her grandpa. It was a lot of fun and we are really happy with how it turned out. The table is 80 inches long, 43 1/2 inches wide, and 31 inches tall. The extensions are 15 inches long and 43/1/2 inches wide, and the bench is 61 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 19 1/2 inches tall. 

It tooks us about 4 weekends (around 32 hours) to finish the project and the included rebuilding the base of the table after our first one cracked. 

We modified the plans a bit. We used 4x4s instead of glued together 2x4s for the legs on the table and bench. 

We also used the plans on this blog (http://tommyandellie.com/?p=2582) as a guide. 

This was the first time my wife and I have tired a DIY project and we had a ton of fun. Her grandpa had some experience with wood working and had all of the tools we needed but you can certainly do this without any extensive wood working experience. 

 

Sorry for the duplicate post. This is my first time on the website and the first time I posted it came across as 'guest'

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We put on one coat of minwax pre-stain wood conditioner. Then we added two coats of stain of a custom mixed stain from Sherman Williams. We started with the Wood Classic Rustic Gray. The store then tinted the stain until we found the color that we liked. Note - the table looks grayer in person than it does in some of the photos. Finally we applied 3 coats of minwax water based oil modified semi-gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Sports Cards Sorting & Storage Cabinet

So... I am a pretty dedicated baseball card collector as well as a new found hobbiest in wood building. It's been an ongoing issue in my household with my baseball cards and boxes cluttering up our dining room. I decided to resolve the issue while still being able to keep my cards in the same room with even easier access without being an eye sore! This just might have saved my marriage! I searched for months for plans for some sort of baseball card cabinet but they just did not exist. The closest I could find for what I was looking for was a storage bench plan here on Ana White. I liked the idea of a top opening for hidden storage. It was too small for what I needed. I then came across plans on another site for an aquarium stand cabinet. I figured the combination of these two projects was what I was looking for. After a week of planing and drafting and 3 weeks of construction/finishing in the little spare time I have, I created what you see. People in the card collecting forums I'm a member of are begging for plans or for me to build them one! Problem is, this is the first thing I have built following my own design and plans. I could pass these on but no one in their right mind would be able to follow my scratches on paper but myself! I'm extremely proud of the outcome but am looking for a way to come up with plans I can share! Hope you all like, and if I can come up with a way to make follow able plans I will share! This was all assembled using the kreg jig system, wood filler to hide the knots and lines where the wood joined and lots of sanding!

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Black satin interior high def paint, wood conditioner & gunstock color stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

CSaintD

Tue, 05/27/2014 - 08:38

Nicely done! How did you make the top? Is that a project board? It's very smooth.
I believe Ana uses "Sketchup" which is a google program to do her designs.

BadgerBen82

Tue, 05/27/2014 - 17:37

The top was a 24x72 edge glued alpine board I found at lowes. Just cut it to size and a little extra sanding. Awesome cut of wood and for only $37.

Jessee

Mon, 10/12/2015 - 17:19

Would you be willing to share some basic dimensions such overall size width, depth, and height and door measurements to get an idea?

Rustic X Kitchen Island with 4x4 Legs

Submitted by Rich2727 on Fri, 06/20/2014 - 10:52

In order to make this island a little beafier I used 4x4 wood for the X as well as the the top and bottom braces. Top is made up of glued up 1x3 maple wood. It looked really good raw, but decided to stain it to give a more uniform look. I bought the rustic handles and the bottle opener on Amazon.com. I used lag bolts and washers for the finishing accents...similar to the pottery barn island. Painted them with Rustoleum oil bronzed paint and then dabbed it with a paper towel to give it a rougher finish to it and then sprayed the casters as well. This was a fun project and are getting a lot of use out of it. Thanks goes to Anna for the plans and inspiration for this island. Rich

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mriddle

Fri, 06/20/2014 - 11:44

i keep debating if i should do this, you did a great job. i like the 4x4 sides.

Susan Hubbard

Sun, 06/22/2014 - 08:25

Rich, I love the changes you made with the 4x4's. You made a gorgeous piece of furniture! Can you share with me where/how you attached the drawer/shelf sides? I'd like to follow how you made this, but can't tell from the pictures. On the original they look inset from the 2x4's, but your space is taken up by 4x4's. Would you mind sharing??? Thanks!

Rich2727

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 16:36

So, I ripped the 4x4 cross pieces down by 1/2" so that the side panels would rest inside the rectangle and flush with the 4x4 frame and up against the X.

Did that make sense?

Susan Hubbard

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 18:28

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. I'm going to make one similar to yours :)

Susan Hubbard

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 18:28

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. I'm going to make one similar to yours :)

Beautiful steps

Directions worked like a charm, thank you, Ana for what you do!

Comments

small pantry

Submitted by Kyafata on Sun, 08/16/2020 - 16:39

A quick pantry idea using 4 - 1x12x6'. 2 for sides 2 cut into 24" shelves. Start with basic box and then fill in shelves where you need them. Used 4" 2x4 scraps for feet. Put together with screws and nails will eventually add back panels to keep it square.

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
painted with semi-gloss , went in kitchen
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sewing cart/table

Submitted by luxonagel on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 09:08

Love this plan! I used locking hinges instead of legs because it will overlap a bed in our guest room when in use. The hinges are rated for 250lbs and have held both of my sewing machines with no issues. I placed the middle shelf to fit my machines on the lower and standard fabric storage cubes on the upper. A metal adhesive measuring tape was added to the edge for convenience. This table will also be used as a buffet for family/group gatherings.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams Duration in Snowbound (7004)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Akroezen

Wed, 12/02/2020 - 09:09

Hi! I need my sewing cart to be used without legs as well and have search everywhere for an appropriate hinge. Could you share with me what type & size you used? Did you change the sizes of the top to accommodate at all? Thanks!

Christmas Tree Shelf

After building myself a Christmas Tree shelf for 2019, friends and family wanted me to build them one for 2020. Three people wanted a smaller tree so I scaled down the plans and used 1x4's ripped to 3 inches. I also included cup hooks (3 or 4) and an aluminum french cleat hanger I found on Amazon for about $5 each when you buy three.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10-$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Various stains. Including mahogany, pecan, oak, special walnut, and white. Three clients wanted theirs unfinished.
For a top coat I used spray lacquer on one of white-washed trees and clear Krylon on another. No top coat was applied to the other trees.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by wabilinski on Fri, 11/07/2014 - 13:04

Wanted to build a couple chairs to place around the fire pit and enjoy roasting marshmallows on crisp fall evenings.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$40 each
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-Valspar Duramax Exterior Matte Tintable Latex-Base Paint and Primer in One
-Cabot Satin Spar Varnish Aerosol Spray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

American Girl Closet

Submitted by katecreate on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 20:54

Built this American Girl Wardrobe from Ana White's plans for two of my daughters and my niece.  They turned out absolutely adorable! I used scrapbook paper for the back of the wardrobe to mimic wallpaper and modge podged over for durability.  I built all three at once!  Put all three wardrobes together in one night, but took a few weeks for caulking and painting, filling and sanding.  Think I paid around $45 each for supplies when all was said and done.  I think they are going to love these and are built so well I am hopeful they pass them on to their kids some day.  Love the idea and plans, spot on!

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Had wood cut at Home Depot and measurements were perfect from plans.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Andrea's Sewing Table

Submitted by Ben Ben on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 18:07

I built this table for my wife and I love how much space this table saves when it's all folded up.

More pics and details on our blog: http://bendrea.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/andreas-sewing-table/

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 09:22

I really like the way you used the brackets instead of legs. I've wondered about the legs getting in the way, too. Obviously when you changed the measurements to fit your space you also made the "wings" of the table top shorter than in the original design. How big are they? What is the finished width/length of the tabletop when it is opened up?

Ben Ben

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 18:34

Yep, I made the table a bit smaller to fit our place. I only made them 12in x 24in. But if I had more room, I wouldn't hesitate extending the wings to 18+in x 24in. The brackets are very stable and could easily handle larger leaves. The table fully opened up is 39.5in x 24in.

Cabin Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/23/2017 - 07:40

Spent my time home from work building this for the cabin this summer. will be using coushions from ikea that are water and uv resistant as well as double sealed with removable covers for washing. 

Estimated Cost
120 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
dark walnut and an oil based varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Desk

Submitted by LelandM on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 14:34

I found the Fancy X Desk plan and loved it. I shortened the length to 4 feet and added a little monitor stand on top so I could put stuff under my monitor and not have to sacrifice desk space.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax Kona stain for the bottom. For the desk top I used Primer and Satin paint sample that I found for $3 at Lowes. The sample was plenty to paint the whole top and I still have half of the jar left over.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Baby Cradle

Made this from typical dimensions of other cradle plans online and designed it off the cuff. Years ago, my dad made a cradle for me. I thought this would be a fun project to make for friends and family for their new little bundles of joy. The bottom is braced with the idea that older children will probably be playing in it. It was tested up to 65 lbs. All for approximately $60 with the mattress. Hopefully the recipients like it as much as we enjoyed building it. 

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Light Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Twin Platform Bed with Hairpin Legs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 17:40

I used untreated 2” x 6” boards, mitered the corners and stained with Minwax Early American.
The 14” golden hairpin legs are from Amazon however, after I built the bed, I realized the mattress on the trundle was getting caught on the angles of the legs so I’ve ordered straight legs as replacements. It should take care of the issue. Lesson learned! 🤣 Overall, I built it myself, it’s very sturdy and she loves it! Thanks Anna for the plans!!!

Comments

Rustic Burned table

Submitted by Malka on Wed, 09/13/2017 - 00:59

Used the plans for the Rustic X coffee table as a starting point. Left out the X's as they don't appeal to me. Took a butane torch and burned the base and tabletop before staining, and stained the table in alternating stains to give it a really unique appearance. Stains used were Rustoleum Summer Oak, and Minwax Early American, finished with Minwax Semigloss Poly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Summer Oak, Minwax Early American, Minwax Fastdry Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bike Storage

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 10/13/2021 - 10:10

I live in a smaller rental with limited garage space, so I needed a place for my kids bikes. This is what I came up with. It required minimal screw holes in the treated fence posts and I attached a rail system(rubbermaid fasttrak) for the bikes to hang from. I used Ana's easy shelves plan for the upright supports and then just added some corrugated roofing and cedar fence pickets (which I had on hand) to finish off the top.