Community Brag Posts

Pull-out step stool

I needed a step-stool in my kitchen to reach in my top cabinets. I'm rather short so I was constantly dragging a chair from my dining table over to find things. I did a google search for a step stool and looked at images. As soon as I saw the picture I knew I had to build it, the retailer selling the original one I saw has a starting price of $270 and goes all the way up to $680! It took me 2 weeks off and on and several times of putting together and taking apart to get Ito the size specifications on the retail website.

Estimated Cost
Around $50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and satin finish poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bunnie1978

Wed, 10/09/2013 - 04:13

That's a cool idea... mix between nesting tables and stools! Great job!

Mrswhetstone

Sun, 05/31/2015 - 18:27

I just used the picture i found online as reference and built it through trial and error. Unfortunately I don't know how to create plans either.I can tell you the legs are 2x3's cut at a 5° angle and the tops are 2x6's. I ordered the drawer slides from amazon for approximately $12 a piece.

robear529

Fri, 08/21/2015 - 06:34

Hi, I've been looking for the original image that you used as your model in an attempt to find dimensions to start with, but haven't been able to find it. Could you perhaps remember what brand it was or what site you found it on? If you still have the stool, could you maybe tell me the width of your top step and I could maybe go from there? 

Thanks for the picture. This is a brillant idea and exactly what I'd like to create for my kitchen. I'm hoping to be able to use it as a counter height seat as well when I'm working in the kitchen.

Dog Kennel Coffee Table

Submitted by JanetK on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 09:28

I love this project. My dogs Goldie and Chloe love their new house. They are sisters who just have to sleep with each other. They had their own metal crates but when Chloe was a puppy she would always go in with Goldie and they would snuggle. It was a tight fit for them as Chloe got older but they still had to snuggle. Now they are in heaven with their new bedding and house.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Ebony Stain
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 09:42

This is beautiful! Trying to convince my husband that we should do this so I can get that grey plastic dog crate out of our living room. Maybe this will show him how much better it would be to build one.

Loni (not verified)

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 20:54

Great minds think alike! I want to build one for my dog, but as a bedside table. Beautiful job! That top with that grain is just stunning!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 13:48

Where can I find the plans for this?

pinkfox125 (not verified)

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 12:08

What did you use to seal the stain to make it look so shiny? or what brand of stain did you use? that looks incredible! I'm thinking of some wainscoting on the sides as well for my project...

jessestond

Thu, 07/03/2014 - 12:43

Your post inspired me to pursue this project with some left over walnut and it turned out great! I think my post is on page 10 if you're curious. Thanks.

Ziva n me_ goi…

Thu, 07/31/2014 - 03:41

I'm going to try to make mine larger as my fur baby is Grt Dane/Lab mix & needs a bit more room. My idea is to put it at end of my king size bed like you would a cedar chest/hope chest. Wish me luck!

Kitchen island

Submitted by Chriss45 on Sat, 11/16/2019 - 20:32

I designed and built this kitchen island for my daughter and her husband along with the cabinets. the island top is made of walnut.

Estimated Cost
800 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

ladybug'13

Sun, 11/17/2019 - 06:23

Wow! This is so beautiful! What a special gift you've given them. You did a great job and I especially love the color and top of the island. 

Bench with A Frame Ends

Submitted by AndyH on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 17:54

Bench made with A frame ends. 5 feet long, 17 inches high and 14.5 inches wide.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Kona and three coats of satin protector.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Diy Upholstered Settee

I started off with Ana's plans and kinda went rogue from there. The idea of creating those curved back legs scared me so I thought I'd sacrifice an Ikea dining chair and use it as the legs. When I ruined one of the legs I decided that I'd come too far to back out and that I must continue. I adapted many conventional methods to make the settee but I'm super pleased with the outcome. For the full step by step on how I completed the settee, please check it out here Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Ultimate in American Walnut, Rustoleum Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin.
Navy Blue Upholstery Velvet, French Natural Nailhead Trim.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Great weekend project...the "love swing"

Submitted by Don Ellery on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:49

A great weekend project...the "love swing"! I used the plan from Ana for the swing seat and added two arm rests from left over 1x6, rounded them off and sanded.

I cobbled together an A-frame to hang everything, made from five 8 foot 4x4s and two 8 foot 2x6s laminated together for the stretcher. Assembled with 1/2" galvanized carriage bolts and hung with 1/4" chain.

Definitely going to want a good miter saw for the A-Frame angles (the top ones are a bit tricky to get everything lined up)

Love it! Thanks for another great plan Ana..and of course..Shanty2Chic!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 ish..including the A-Frame... the hardware and chain can be pricey!
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr exterior weatherproofing stain - Chocolate.

Just 2 thin coats, dries fast...second coat can be applied later the same day.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Carpenters Daughter

Mon, 12/12/2016 - 17:09

Could you please post the plans to build the a frame as well? I really love what you did and would like to copy it! Great Job!

Don Ellery

Wed, 07/19/2017 - 11:31

Hi! I wish I could, but I didn't take any notes on the angles or lengths when I made this and I left it with the house when we moved. 

Great plans!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 07:34

These plans were great. Easy to put together and they look quite amazing. And they are solid! Bought cushions from IKEA and the wood from Home Depot. Stained and sealed.

Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr stain and seal
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor sectional and coffee table

Submitted by Rynhffr on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 21:06

Loved these plans! Was my first project I tackled trying my hand with a new hobby of wood working to stave off quarantine craziness :-) finished project looked awesome and got me started working on other plans on the site.

**note**
Side table was just sanded and refinished, wasn't built just tried to match.

Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:25

I used the armless chair plan, and altered the one armed plans to make two chaises. Then I increased the size slightly to accommodate the 25x25 pillows I bought. This took about 12 hours with one person working. I am super proud of it! Finished today, and will eventually stain after the wood has dried out a little. Thank you, Ana, for making straightforward plans that gave me the confidence to do my first woodworking project!

Andrea in Michigan

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by Tri4fun on Thu, 07/03/2014 - 11:35

Wanted something for the outdoors. The minute I saw Ana's post I new this would be my starter project. Next on the list is work bench. Then coffee table for sectional, then some chaise loungers!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100 for wood, 300 for cushions.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Valspar exterior paint/primer. Great coverage
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Console Display/Sofa Table

Submitted by BigEBama on Thu, 07/10/2014 - 20:06

My wife had purchased a few antique printing press trays a few years ago to use to display family keepsakes. She also wanted a sofa table for the Living Room so I combined the two concepts into one table. I used the Rustic X Console table concept and modified it to fit my space and added the drawer compartments for the trays to slide into. I added two glass pieces to the top and there you have a sofa/display table. I used pine boards, hammer to distress the piece, Early American stain and a couple of coats of poly for the finish. The glass pieces we the biggest expense at $50. The table itself was built for around $55 before the glass was added.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$55 plus $50 for glass
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American stain and Minwax Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Simple Rolling Bar Cart

I honestly think Ana is a mind reader. Whenever I need plans for a particular piece of furniture, they magically appear on her site. Of course if she was a true mind reader, everything will be exactly as I need it requiring no modifications. That's what makes her plans so amazing. I can build bigger and better because I've learned to modify her plans to fit my current needs.

This Cart was no exception. I had to make mine a few inches deeper and change the height of the legs and it was a piece of cake. I put this together in less than 2 hours and finishing was easy too.

I did a blog post all about what I did differently including how I constructed a towel bar instead of the pipe. Check it out at www.thepursuitofhandyness.com

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25 Depending upon the type of casters used
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil Based Primer & Rustoleum Painters Touch Spray Paint in Paprika Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple Closet Organizer

Submitted by bcy419 on Thu, 10/11/2012 - 13:46

This was mine and my wife's very first woodworking project. Overall, it wasn't bad at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the actual process of cutting the wood and putting everything together. As far as the painting goes, I'd much rather just go on to another woodworking project, but I have to say that all the hard work paid off. Anna's plans helped tremendously. I tweaked slightly just because we wanted our center piece to be a little taller and slightly more narrow. We also added two shelves on each side, for a total of four. For our small reach-in closet, this was by far the best way to go about everything. We definitely have much more room and overall it is a much better use of the space.

I threw in a "before" picture just for fun.

We also just finished the Farmhouse Queen Bed that Anna has plans for, and we will be putting up a brag post on it very shortly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We just went with a simple white. My wife and I sanded everything down, then used some leftover Behr Premium Plus, Self-Priming, Interior Semi-Gloss that we previously used on our bedroom trim. We sanded between coats and applied a total of three coats for the finished product.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ten Dollar Ledges

Submitted by solomonson on Wed, 11/21/2012 - 21:42

After a floating shelf fail, I threw this one together with scraps. Time investment below includes waiting for paint to dry and hanging it up.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Antique White, latex.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tilt Out Recycling Center

Submitted by ppavel on Fri, 09/18/2020 - 07:36

Tilt Out Recycling Center to match the floating desk and barn door in the same room. Great project from the recycling center plans. (slight modification)

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Espresso Stain (Minwax)
Polyurethane Finish (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Grant Secretary Desk

I never got around to building the top hutch section, but my wife loves this desk.

Comments