Community Brag Posts

Rustic Table and Bench

I basically stuck to the plans, but I shortened the length of the table just a touch, and lengthened the bench to fit just inside the legs. I also used 2x4s for the legs, tapered them for aesthetics (similar to some other posters), and reinforced them with "L" brackets to reduce the wobble. We finished it with Semigloss white paint, Minwax Honey stain, and Minwax Gloss Polyurethane.

If I can make this table, just about anyone can.

Estimated Cost
150.00 for lumber,
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey Stain, Minwax Gloss Polyurethane, and Semigloss White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

shelbyautumn

Mon, 11/07/2016 - 11:29

Your table is beautiful!

Do you remember how you tapered your legs? I'm trying to figure out if I can do it without a table saw.

Thank you!

Second Project: table saw/ miter saw work bench

Submitted by jamesjill on Sat, 01/30/2021 - 20:34

Used part of the Ultimate Roll Away Workbench with Miter Saw Stand to just build one of the roll-away workbenches to work with my miter saw and table saw. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Free Standing Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/28/2021 - 09:13

thank you so much for these plans! We cut the original design in half, so it would fit the space- we used pine so the boards were a little warped but eventually everything screwed down into place and now it really does free stand and its all level! We may add a crossbeam at the back for extra stability. Stained with Ipswitch Pine by Verathane , 2 layers with sanding between, basic piping from the hardware store. Well under $200 total!

5.5 feet tall, 6 feet wide, 2 feet deep

Thanks again, your plans were thorough and easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Laquer - semi gloss
2 coats, sand in between
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Twin storage bed, but with extra storage!

Submitted by bdrez33 on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 08:15

I just finished this bed and wanted to thank Ana White for the plans and directions. I didn’t understand the purpose of the gap between the storage cabinets so I extended the drawers making them deeper. This makes more sense to me rather than having dead space under the mattress. Who couldn’t use more storage?!? I also decided to make a second layer of drawers, so the bed is raised much higher. It was a bit of a challenge, but using the plans from Ana and SketchUp helped me plan. The bed looks amazing and my 6 year old loves the space she has not without a dresser in the room. Thanks, again!

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Farmhouse table with epoxy finish

This is my first big woodworking project. That being said, there were a lot of mistakes that were made. In the pictures you can see the beginning stages when I was making the base cuts and assembling the table top. The picture with the dark top and natural legs was the beginning of one mistake. I bought gel stain because it was the color I liked but I had no idea how to use it correctly. Because of this I left the stain on and it was waaayyyyy too dark. I had to sand down the entire top and redo it. After fixing that I correctly stained the base, extensions, and bench. The extensions I made are not in the photos because I forgot to make the cuts to slide them in. I'm supposed to do that this weekend... After staining I polyurethaned the base, bench, and extensions to give them a nice shine. The table top I finished with Liquid Glass two part epoxy. That gave the top a super hard surface that shines and makes the normally soft pine top, rock hard. I figured this way when my daughters do homework on it they wouldn't leave their writing indented in my nice, new table. I hope you guys like it and I plan to do many more projects and post my results here. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.

Estimated Cost
$300-$325
Finish Used
Minwax hickory gel stain, polyurethane, and 2 part epoxy acrylic finish. The gel stain must be applied and then immediately wiped off. The polyurethane may need multiple coats in order to achieve an even finish. The epoxy must be poured on and spread evenly. Remember that if it drops on something and it is allowed to dry that it will usually rip up whatever material it is on our you will have to sand it off. USE DROP CLOTHS.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Garage Shoe storage and Bench

Combined Mimi's Storage Bence with the Shoe Shrine Shelf and came up with a what we really needed.  I like how it turned out!

Estimated Cost
$225
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Simple white trim paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

5-Tier Wood Planter

This plan was easy to follow, accurate and came together in just a few hours. I used some reclaimed barn wood for the 2x6s and dog-ear pickets for the remainder.

I made it harder for myself than it had to be. I didn't follow the directions closely enough and cut the box ends at 5 1/2" instead of 5 1/4". That meant that the bottoms had nothing to press-fit against. So, I had to do a little workaround to fix that. I made a 1" shelf at each end of each box so that the bottom could sit on these little shelves. The upside to this mistake is that there was now a drainage slot all along the front and all along the back of each planter box. 

I stained and sealed it. Finally, I lined each planter box with weed matting that I'd cut to size and cut drain slits in. The matting doubles as a way to keep the planting mix from falling out of the long drainage slots while allowing water to drain through the little slits I poked in the fabric. (I poked drain slits only along the front edge so that water would drain into the planter box below instead of onto the ground.)

I'm happy with the plan and the finished planter!

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Cabots Premium Stain and Sealer in Gingersnap. One coat of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Mobile Lumber Rack

I finally have order in my garage! I built a mobile lumber rack using plans from the Rogue Engineer. My husband and I knocked out this project one Sunday afternoon. It can store a huge load of lumber and best of all, it’s portable. We are very, very pleased with the final project! Storing all our lumber on the rack has freed up a great deal of space in our garage.

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jennibee

Sun, 06/21/2015 - 16:07

I made one of these about a month ago after seeing it on the Rogue Engineer's website and just love it. It's exactly what we needed since we are always having to move things around in the garage. You did a great job.

jennibee

Sun, 06/21/2015 - 16:08

I made one of these about a month ago after seeing it on the Rogue Engineer's website and just love it. It's exactly what we needed since we are always having to move things around in the garage. You did a great job.

Our new pantry

We bought a vacation home that has such a small kitchen. I knew we needed more storage. So I checked out Ana's plans and made this bad boy based on the Simplest Armoire plans.

The home is in the mountain/lakes area of northern New Hampshire, so I wanted to bring the outside colors in. I used Valspar Cabin Red paint and the Valspar Antiquing glaze over the top after distressing it a bit.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 +
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Cabin Red paint
Valspar Antiquing glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First time project

Submitted by keahunter on Sat, 07/04/2015 - 03:17

This was my first attempt at making anything. Thank you to Ana for providing such easy plans and the encouragement to try something. I think I'm hooked!

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

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

DIY Modern Rustic Outdoor Chair

Submitted by susanshamp on Fri, 07/10/2015 - 15:07

I made this outdoor chair by looking at a variety of plans and designs from Restoration Hardware and other stores. Check out more info on the project on my blog link. Thanks for looking!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Convertible Bar / Pub Table

Submitted by susanshamp on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 16:38

This rustic modern version of a pub table has multiple uses - it can rest along a wall to make a 16 foot long bar, or rolled together to form an 8 foot long pub table. It is standard counter height 36" and will accomodate seating for 8-10 counter stools. If you don't have live edge wood slabs, you can also use construction lumber (2x8s or 2x12s) to achieve similar dimensions and versatile use in a more cost effective way.

Estimated Cost
Using construction lumber, approx. cost is $50 per table
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Poly on slabs, distressed black paint on base
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kev117s

Fri, 07/31/2015 - 04:10

Awesome idea! I think I will have to try for a dining table version of this table. Do you happen to have a way to lock the 2 pieces together? 

My stainless steel kitchen island

Submitted by LRSinCA on Sat, 10/24/2015 - 22:36

I really do enjoy my island. It has great storage and the added prep space has been wonderful. With the added counter space It has aloud me to make breads and pizzas and with the stainless steel top it is a breeze to clean. I really have enjoyed Ana's website with all the great plans and tips. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
It was a bit more expensive because of the top. In total it was around $400.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a primer and then the Red paint on all the wood except the inside of the drawers along with the stainless steel top which I love. I used a spray primer to seal all the wood and then I used my Paint sprayer for the Red. I then used a gloss poly spay for the top coat to give it a nice shine.The stainless steel top I had made here in the Oakland, CA area. It works great to prep on and roll out pizza rounds.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Classroom wall coat/backpack/lunch rack with shelf

Submitted by jendon on Sat, 08/20/2022 - 20:13

Dear Ana,
I was able to change classrooms and needed a place for my students to hang their backpack, lunch, coat, and snow gear. I used a combination of your ideas and created this. Each shelf is 8ft. Long with cast iron supports and coat hooks. The zinc hooks were too thin and we could bend them. The wood was sanded, stained with golden oak, and routed out the edges. I pocket holed every 8 inches and joined wall board to the shelf. The coat hooks are 6 inches apart. I cannot wait for the class to see it on Monday. Thank you Ana for all the ideas and making me feel comfortable to create on my own.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Comments

Ana White Admin

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 21:01

Thank you for sharing your projects, no doubt everybody is going to appreciate what you've built and use it everyday!

Rustic X Farmhouse Coffee Table with Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/05/2023 - 08:54

This project was made from reclaimed wood from my office where they had built a temporary safety railing out of 2x4s and 2x6s. I added a compartment for storage. The top is stained in a classic grey. I painted the body in black followed by white. I then sanded the body to allow the black to bleed through for a distressed look.

Comments

Farm Table for Birthday

Submitted by Docmike on Sun, 06/23/2019 - 20:15

This table was for my wife's birthday present.  I followed/modified the simple and pocket hole farmhouse table plans.  The table top is 1x12 pine as I couldn't find any cedar that wasn't cupped or warped after several weeks looking and wanted a wider board top.  Then we used the easiest padded bench plans, adding height as suggested to the legs and using 3 cedar 1x6's for seats.  All tops were sanded and sealed before 4 coats of marine spar poly were used.  

Thanks for the plans, Ana.  

Estimated Cost
$300 - $400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pro Polyurethane Spar Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planter step

I only needed one step up, but replacing the old, cracked, weird, faux concrete step with the new planter box worked great!

Estimated Cost
$86
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Solid color exterior stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Little Kids Picnic Table

Submitted by JamieLynn on Fri, 07/19/2019 - 12:44

This was a really fun build. The bottom side boards were put on the outside instead of the inside (this was an accident) but it still seems very sturdy. Perfect for 2-5 years old.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments