Community Brag Posts

I've made mostly from 2x3 and 2x4. I made the drawer using scrap plywood I have laying around. The project is not finsihed. I will probably use watco danish oil through all wood.

We love this fence refresh from the previous owner's solution to enclosing the pool equipment and a/c unit! It was the first time we fastened something to our house - drilling through stucco in the process. That was a big deal for us diy-ers! We made the frame out of 4x4's (which ended up being the most challenging part to the whole thing), applied the horizontal fencing boards and then used one of those $15 fence hardware kits - it was a great project that has made a huge difference in our backyard. Yay!

I didn't build this shoe dresser because I particularly needed one, but it looked so lovely that I couldn't resist.

- I modified the plans by building 3 bins instead of 2 so it could hold more shoes.
- I decided against the dowel stick and opted for hinges instead, which were surprisingly not too difficult to assemble. I found that I didn't even need the magnets after installing the hinges as the doors stay closed.
- I used 7" chains on both sides of each bin instead of a belt to make it extra sturdy.
- I added two back legs.

Et voila! This is the end result. I'm very pleased.

PS. Those flopping bins are a pain when you're trying to build!! An extra pair of hands is definitely recommended.

I wanted to make a small memento box as an anniversary gift, and I used Ana's pirate treasure trunk as inspiration. My cuts are a bit different due to the scraps I had in my "shop", but I still used 1x4 and 1x6s. I loved the idea of the side brackets. They look good and add to the structural integrity of the box. Win-win. I also added a bit of dark red felt to the bottom of the box, which I think gives it a little bit of a fancier look.

I used Ana's plans and Hillary's suggestions to build this extra large buffet.  It took probably 25-30 hours if you consider the extra trips to Home Depot and Lowe's because I didn't yet have the proper tools.  I used Annie Sloan's French Linen as my base coat, Old White as my dry brush coat, Annie Sloan Clear Wax throughout and Dark Wax in the crevices.  This was my first big league build, so I had to recruit a skilled neighbor for assistance with the drawers and doors.  My two recommendations would be to ensure the piece is square at every step, and to cut the wood as you go.  Don't make all the cuts at once because there will be adjustments.

My hubby and I built this for a fundraiser. A few challenges along the way, but lessons learned for future projects!

In the middle of a much needed makeover on our back deck! We did not have skirting around the deck and decided that we would like to close it in for extra storage(ladders,compost bin...) and we came up with this little something as a bonus. We are always hosting backyard get togethers and seating is a challenge. Setting up and putting away chairs,ugh. This has been the perfect solution. This was completely an "as we went" plan but the biggest need to know is, heavy duty hinges! (As I said,the deck is getting a makeover so go easy on the appearance:)

Jodi and Matt B.

We needed a coop for our son's chicken Penny as she was big enough to move outside. We wanted one that would hold at least 2 chickens as we plan on getting a second soon. We found the plans for the a frame chicken coop here and the next day my husband and 5 yr old son got to work. Took them about 3 hours from start to finish and it turned out great. He plans on spraying the whole thing with outside deck sealer to protect the wood and had some trim on the edges to protect the kids from getting scratched by the chicken wire.

I combined Ana's plans for Daybed with Storage Trundle Drawers and a Storage Headboard with a Small Hutch.

This is my 3rd daybed with storage drawers. It's such an easy build and gives so much extra space. The entire project took about 40 hours. I used Minwax stain in Classic Grey and three coats of polyurethane. For the drawers, I used 1.5" casters. I drilled a hole through the back of the headboard to feed cords through. Then I put the whole thing in the back of my truck and drove 500 miles for the final assembly. :)  In the provided photos, some of the pieces are flush because I hadn't permanently attached them. 

Start from scratch and completed my first Poker Table.

Modern Comfort Outdoor Sofa and Loveseat to go with the Simple Outdoor Dining Table and Benches that I made 2 years ago. I love that the "Modern Comfort" plans don't require angles or a miter saw. I used a circular saw for all of it!

I finally decided I was going to make the fort bed for my daughter and was about to print off the materials list to take to the lumber yard and the junior height camp loft was front and center on the webpage. Though significantly more bed, it looked perfect my little girl. We really wanted her bed high enough to avoid the only heating vent in the room and didn't want to lose the floor space for play, this seemed to be an ideal fit. When I finally put the bed together I realized that keeping the staircase as in the original plans resulted in a bowling alley sort of space left over. It was awkward and really shrunk the room as the 'alley' wasn't usable for much of anything. I played around a little bit and my husband and I decided that we would put it on the side. It fit perfectly to the wall and was much more space efficient for the room. I am a little nervous about the new openness of the deck portion, but both kids have found it a fun place to read and pretend fish. It was my first project of this size and I did everything until the final assembly by myself and I am so glad to have done it. It took more time than I imagined, but again I am a true novice.

I really wanted it stained so that it would camouflage the wear a little better, but I had a great deal of trouble finding a low VOC stain in my town. I used the lowest I could find and a low VOC water based poly. It matches her dressers and trim nearly perfectly. Her older brother likes the bed so much that nearly everyday he tries to convince her that she wants to switch beds with him.