Community Brag Posts

Porch Swing

Submitted by bbcarey on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 10:12

I wanted to make this porch swing ever since seeing it in the plan catalog (Large Modern Porch Swing). Just a matter of setting aside a weekend to get it done and then to find A frame to support it. I made the A-frame from a combination of this post:
http://www.buildeazy.com/newserve/swing_seat_support_dec07_1.html
and this one:
http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/custom-a-frame-childrens-swing-set…

I made the back a bit higher on our swing... and not quite as wide.

Reading several other blogs on this- I chose to attach the chains to the top back of the swing to keep it from tipping backwards...

Now just get to enjoy it!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Sealer/protector
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X End Table

Submitted by suschen on Tue, 08/12/2014 - 06:36

Built two of these over the weekend. The first one took 7 hrs to build and the second one only took 3 hrs. Things I learned:

1) Do step 3 before you do step 2. It was a nightmare trying to fit the 1x12s into the rectangular opening. Once you get the 1x12s in there, you can sandwich the 2x2s neatly onto the sides without having to shave down the 1x12s trying to get them to fit.
2) Check for square as you go. This will be important when you get to step 4 and 5.
3) I don't know about other folks but the 2-1/2 PH screws were always screwing all the way through to the other side so I used 1-1/4 PH screws for most places.

And that's it folks! A gorgeous and easy side table. =)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
haven't decided what kind of finish but I am kind of digging the natural pine color!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Old English Style Farmhouse Dining Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/27/2016 - 06:12

First table my husband and I have ever made, and it turned out beautifully!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial Stain, 2 Coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified firepit bench

Submitted by kkushner on Sat, 08/15/2020 - 23:11

I built the one bench using the original plan with the storage and table top unit but needed two additional seating benches to go around the firepit without the bulk of the backside of the bench.

I modified the original plan as follows:

Shopping List:
(2) 2X6X8
(3) 2X4X8
(2) 1X6X8

Cutting List:
(2) 2X4X17" front legs, 15 degree cuts, parallel long to short
(2) 2X4X23" back support, 15 degree cuts, parallel long to short
(2) 2X4X20.75" back legs, 15 and 60 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(2) 2X4X24.75" under seat, 15 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(2) 2X4X30" bottom support, 15 degree cuts, not parallel long to long
(1) 2X4X42" bottom cross brace between leg sets, 90 degree cuts
(2) 2X6 cut equally in half, 3 for the seat and 1 for the top plate
(2) 1X6 cut equally in half, 3 for the back rest and 1 to be tucked under the seat overhang

Estimated Cost
$40.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Brown outdoor wood preservative.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jwood4

Thu, 09/08/2022 - 11:23

Great work! Have you had any tipping issues with the benches without the table back? If you kneel on the bench backwards and lean on the back do you think it would tip? Ha I clearly have kids around to be asking such strangely specific questions... TIA!

kkushner

Sat, 02/25/2023 - 08:56

I built these for my daughter/son-in-law and their young family. I have grandkids that use them and have never tipped them. However a strong wind gust 100km/hr did flip one over but not the other. I would suggest adding a horizontal ground level ‘foot’ extension on one or both back legs to alleviate any concerns of tipping.

Wall Mounted K Cup Organizer

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/30/2024 - 09:08

I used your plan as a base. I do not have space on counter so I chose to hang it on the wall. I placed dots of hot glue on the back to offset from wall and used D hangers.

Pstik

 

Built from Plan(s)

Craft Table

Submitted by jimsnurse1 on Wed, 08/13/2014 - 14:07

This was my second big DIY project ( I should say DIO for Do it OURSelves) since my husband had to help me with a few things. Anyway, I chose to paint the whole thing the same color as my office/craft room; BM Revere Pewter. Then, I stenciled some flowers in different colors of gray and white on the top. I had a piece of thick glass cut for the top. When I need to do anything heavy duty (like the open shelf console I did next) I simply put a bath rug on the glass. Even so, it's pretty tough as I've dropped lots of stuff on it without a crack!
I made this from the plan in Ana's book. Before we tackled this, I pulled all the carpet out of my office and put in a plywood floor (ripped into 6" widths).
I just finished the console which was made with plans from Ana and Shanty. Looking to move onto the next big project; a bar cart with doors or a dresser. Yikes! This is fun!
P.S. Love my Ryobi One Plus tools!
Thanks Ana, for the inspiration!

Estimated Cost
$150 ($80 for glass)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint, glass top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Full size approach

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 13:14

First of all I want to Thanks Ana for such a great website and projects and all she do. Its amazing how a person can do all of that for free. If all Americans were the same we would be the greatest Nation by far (anyways we still great!).

     I wanted to make this bed full so I had to re-scale the dimensions and I wanted to share leasons learned.

First: The legth for a full size is the same.

Second the width for a full size will be 52 inches (I would make it 53in); if you are going to follow Anas design and use a 2x6 as a side rail then then the width of the header could be 53in.

I made a design change at the last minute (and paid for it at the end :-s). Instead of follow Ana's design I decided to use railing hardware in this link to be able to take the bed appart without any problem.

 Using these mortises I was able to change the side rails for 1x6 which in my opinion look way better. The problem is that now with those mortises the bed frame is going to be wider (56in), so instead of an extra 1in for play with the boxspring I have 3.5in :-(

My wife is nice enough and tried to gave me moral support and she insist that is not a big deal because the gap is toward the wall and my doughter can't care any less; she has her big girl's bed and thats all she wanted; but I know is there and I hate that gap!

Summary:

If you stick to Ana's design 53 inches for headboard is perfect; but if you want to use the mortise then 50.5 should work fine.

To paint the bed I did two coats of primer and two cotas of semi-gloss white paint; in my opinion for furniture I probably would go gloss next time, but this doesn't botter me.

I used prime pine wood so the price went to the $300, if you choose mid-grade pine (it has a lot of knot) you can probably drive the cost down by good 25%.

Time: took me one full day to build the bed and since I had to go to work every day and I was doing one coat of paint every afternoon after work (so "five" days total); maybe you can do the painting it in one day if don't have to go to work and the weather is right!

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
white, semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 08:58

Made these planters which was my first try at building something from wood! They came out great and can’t wait to try another project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White outdoor paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2 Shelf Plant Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/04/2024 - 17:41

The foldable plant table with some modification to make it stationary instead! Freaking loved this challenge. Gave the 1st one away as a gift. Now selling one!

Samantha Smith

Built from Plan(s)

Hemnes cabinet with wire mesh

I'm still pretty new to woodworking so this cabinet took a little longer than it probably should have. I made the drawers a little deeper than the plans originally called for, which changed the height of the cabinet doors, but otherwise, all the other dimensions are the same. The laminated glass would have added another $100 to the cost so I used a chicken wire mesh that I dry brushed with the white I used on the interior. The knobs are from Anthropologie and I added a little trim piece around the top. I really love how much this cabinet holds. It is very versatile.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 including wood, hardware and paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a custom mixture of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint ( Duck egg Blue) and an antique white. The mixture was about half blue and half white. I finished with a couple of coats of dark wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

CroomScM

Sun, 10/30/2016 - 13:07

love it! Did you have any issues getting the drawer in when the slides are installed? We installed the slides on the drawer box and then the slides on the case and we had to loosen some to actually get the drawer in, because the little wheels of the slides were basically blocking us from pivoting it in. Thanks!

We love our hanging outdoor bed - Thank you, Ana!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/04/2016 - 11:12

We started this project with Ana's hanging outdoor bed frame, added a vintage door as a back/headboard, and some panels from an old barn shed as arms.  Finished it off with some homemade pillows and outdoor mattress cover, and voila! Our family's new favourite spot to relax and read :)

 

This was the fourth plan we've used from the site, and every single time have been wowed by how easy it is to follow the plans, buy the material, and how well the projects come together.  Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing them, Ana.  We are so apprecitiative of your creativity, talent, and kindness.

 

Kindest Regards, 

The Culbert Family

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$215
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hanging Kids’ Desks

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/18/2020 - 18:30

I am brand new at building but my big boys requested desks in their room for distance learning. One fell in love with the flip down wall art desk and this is our take on it. The other wanted a bigger surface, so we used an IKEA desk top and built our own brackets. The boys loved being part of the building. I put all the right angles together with a Kreg jig, and attached everything directly to studs in the wall (I don’t trust my boys not to be rough on them).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of General Finishes gel stain in Java, followed by General Finishes wipe-on polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Bathroom Organizer for Toilet Paper and Cleaning Brush

What do you think ? I painted mine to match the tiles as I didn't want it to stand out too much. It's a useful item for sure, but I wanted the mirror and wallpaper from @thepureedit to be the focal points.

But what a great little storage unit from scrap wood. - shabby.ie on Instagram

Tall Cedar Planters

Submitted by Ji on Sat, 11/03/2012 - 15:51

We wanted some tall planters and found some tall teak planters that we love, but one problem $820 on the Casual Country website. The ones online were angled but I couldn't get the angle right so I made mine straight.
The tallest one is 42" x 23" then 29" x 21" and the small one is 20" x 18".

They will look much better when I get something planted in them this spring.

Built the frame with 2"x2" cedar boards and used 4"x1" cedar boards for the planks.

Estimated Cost
$50 each
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-Gloss Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Coffee table with a glass top.

Submitted by coachtom on Wed, 08/20/2014 - 18:53

Made mine exactly like the layout except I used an old piece of glass from a different project that didn't work out so well. This 1 turned out really nice. Going to make a couple end tables next with a hidden compartments in them next...

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black Tea and White Vinegar with steelwool.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

An Heirloom for the Niece

This is the 3rd wagon I've made.  It makes an excellent 'heirloom' gift that you can personalize for each recipient that will last for years to come and can be handed down through generations.  I decided to go with 5" wheels on my wagons.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75-$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wagon: Minwax Early American on wood and Krylon Satin Black on Metal pieces. Wood letters and plaque: DecoArt Americana Lamp Black and Williamsburg Blue
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Adirondack Chair, Super Sized

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/21/2020 - 10:39

Am a big fan of Ana's work, and have used several of her plans in prior builds including the more traditional Adirondack chairs. Those stayed with my old house, and I wanted something different for my new house. Really liked her Modern Adirondack design with the floating arm rest. However, plans are like recipes to me--a guideline. I wanted the back boards to run up and down, and I am a bit more robust than the lovely and petite Ms. White, so they would need to be wider after I built the first one at 19 1/2" wide per plan. The next three I made 22" wide and that worked well without throwing off the geometry and angles of the other parts. Since I ran the backboards up and down, I needed some cross beams for stability and to give an attachment point for the middle of the boards. Cut some 2x4s at 15" wide, drilled pocket holes in both ends, and attached in between the back supports with the pockets facing up to be hidden by the back boards. All of the 2x4s were leftover cut-offs from the houses being built in my neighborhood. Since the frames were free, I splurged and went with cedar boards for the backs and bottoms. With the wider frames, I had to use 1x12s ripped down to 10 3/4" to get the right look (about a board's width in between). Needed some color, so I painted the frames Teal Seaglass from Menards. Cedar was stained with a natural deck stain from Sherwin Williams. I experimented with salt paint (mixing unsanded grout with the paint) to give a heavily textured and weathered finish but this was unecessary--the wood was distressed enough and I am a terrible painter. It also toned down the color so I skipped that step and just went with 2 coats of plain paint. It looks like outdoor furniture should up close. As always, am pleased with Ana's plans. Thank you for doing all the hard work!

Estimated Cost
about $200 for all 4 chairs due to cedar and paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint - Pittsburgh matte exterior with Dutch Boy coloring Teal Seaglass
Stain - Sherwin Williams Superdeck stain, Natural finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Round Table with Live Edge Top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/15/2024 - 10:27

40"x34" oak cookie. I tried some metal legs but couldn't get them wide enough to be stable at the requested 24" height, unless I had some custom made for $$$. I found these plans and changed the dimensions to fit the table and made the legs out of oak. Very pleased with the results.

Dave C

Built from Plan(s)

Custom designed Queen Music Bed

Submitted by TannerF. on Mon, 11/05/2012 - 15:31

I was looking for my next project for woodshop my junior year of high school. I happened to run into this website while looking for plans and found Ana's farmhouse queen bed and was inspired to make something similar. Now that I have accomplished this task, I want to share it with the community that inspired the build. Let me know what you think! Thanks.

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Natural-Stained panels, Golden Maple-Stained rails and styles, and Traditional Cherry-Stained legs, caps, moldings and leg-base wraps. All finished with three coats of Lacquer.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Kitchen tower

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/12/2016 - 11:14

These plans make it very simple to make.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Back