Community Brag Posts

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by BPJacobs on Mon, 07/27/2020 - 06:39

I built these a couple of weeks ago - very easy. I did not have a pocket hole jig so I added a 26" 2x4 to attach the pieces behind the back-rest. I don't think is makes it look bad, and it adds some weight which is nice.
I have built 6 so far - 4 for myself and 2 that I gave to friends. the first couple took a while to get the process sorted out but after that they came together in about 30-45 minutes per chair. I did make a couple of mistakes in the cutting initially (forgot to cut angles so I wasted a lot of wood), and then of course the additional piece of 2x4 added to the price.

Estimated Cost
About $80-$90 per chair
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior wood sealant
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Magnetic Spice Rack Drawers!

Submitted by biz_kid1 on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 09:10

So our oven died back in July and we ended up having an unplanned mini kitchen remodel. One of the things I wanted to implement was magnetic spice racks in drawers, simply because we had a little space left on either side of the oven. Note: we hired a contractor to modify the existing cabinets because we had already been without an oven for over a month by the time home warranty decided they would have to replace the oven and we knew us doing it would take too long - a whole different, LONG story (read about that here: http://christinashaw.com/?p=1203).

But if you want to read more about the magnetic spice racks (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, by the way!), you can read about that here: http://christinashaw.com/?p=1168

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Easy Build Wood Headboard, King Size

Floating headboard made for a friend of mine. Didn't have a picture of it mounted in their room but I wanted to get it up here anyway.

Estimated Cost
$70-$80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain (Dark Walnut) and one layer of polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Inspired Sofa Table

Submitted by danicarby on Tue, 11/08/2016 - 04:25

This was a very fun project for me!  I love turning unwanted-old things into something beautiful and usuable!  I built thit table using a reclaimed door and old railing spindles but you could easily improvise by using dimensional lumber for the top and buying new spindles or using 2x2's if necessary!  This took me a few days because I built as I went and made sure it was just right.

 

Guess what?  I built it for $37!!  The door and spindles were a great find at my local Habitat for Humanity store - check yours out!

 

I have a building tutorial on my blog so you can make one too!

Estimated Cost
$37 - plan for around $50 if reclaimed materials aren't being used
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Washed Latex Paint and Polycrylic Protective Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm Table (Pocket Holes)

Submitted by egm on Tue, 07/28/2020 - 18:03

First time I have ever attempted something like this. Made this table for my wife's birthday. Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 Coat Natural Danish Oil
1 Coat Medium Walnut Danish Oil
1 Coat Dark Walnut Danish Oil
3 Coats of wipe On Poly
Base is painted with Benjamin Moore "Black Panther"
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Murphy Bed - queen

Submitted by fielden_m on Mon, 10/08/2012 - 08:15

Taking the plans for the full sized Murphy bed (http://ana-white.com/2010/03/plans-a-murphy-bed-you-can-build-and-affor…) I added a few inches to convert to a queen and raised it off the floor 5 1/2 inches with removable fence post toppers.

The yellow head board lifts up and stores inside the frame when up. If I had it to do over again, I would sand and paint as I built. Thanks to Ana, I now have a guest room!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
wood was sanded, primed and painted
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 11:13

Holy smokes! Great job! I just got my early birthday present - a Kreg Jig Master System!!! One of the first things I will be building is a murphy bed, so thank you for the inspiration.

It looks great!

nasrockswell

Wed, 04/24/2013 - 19:55

I love your adaptation of Ana's plans. Would you be willing to share the dimension for the queen murphy? Thank you!

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:51

I fudged the plans by adding to the width and height to make up for the change in bedding but also for the hinges and detachable feet. Measures will differ based on your hinges and feet.

vgb777

Mon, 04/29/2013 - 14:32

I am wondering what king of hinges you used for the bed. Did you use continuous (piano) hinges or regular door hinges? How wide are they? I am not sure what the acceptable width for the hinges is to be safe. Thanks.

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:47

I used 3 5" gate hinges. They are thick enough to leave a gap of 3/8" between my base and the part of the bed that swings down.

phelan1202

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 16:35

What were the altered measurements and exactly how did you raise it? I really like Anas plan except that the mattress was so close to the ground. I want to make this for my apartment and I'm painting the outside like a tardis. (:

fielden_m

Fri, 07/26/2013 - 18:50

I raised it 5 1/4 " using fence post toppers from home depot. The fence post toppers unscrew for upright storage. You could leave them in for a more dramatic look but I liked the cleaner lines with them out until needed

intrigued89

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 15:33

Would you be willing to share the dimensions you used when building your queen murphy? Even if they aren't exact, it would be such a big help to me!

rfpeterlin

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 03:33

That is definitely an attractive and well finished project. I am interested in how you finished the legs. I see in the second picture (bed in closed positions) where the toppers may have attached. Where do you store them?

fielden_m

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 22:56

In that same picture, if you look at the bottom 6 inches of the closed bed (under the hinge) there is a storage section where I hide the legs when the bed is raised. It is otherwise dead space and made for an easy storage conversion at the last minute.

Ben Childs

Sun, 01/10/2016 - 17:02

Can someone please help me I see this can be adjusted for a queen size bed. I don't know how to adjust the measurement to make it work. 

Ben Childs

Sun, 01/10/2016 - 17:04

Can someone please help me I see this can be adjusted for a queen size bed. I don't know how to adjust the measurement to make it work. 

Console Table

Submitted by missytoe on Thu, 07/31/2014 - 08:14

This is my first Ana White project and it came out great. We used the Kreg Jig for the first time and it's awesome! I put a coat of Rustoleum Weathered Gray on first, which has a blue tinge to it. Then I added two light coats of Minwax Provincial (basically wiped it on and then back off...didn't let it sit). Finished it off with two coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly, which is super easy to use and great for items that need a little protection. The only downside for me is that I have discovered that I am apparently allergic to pine resin which throws a major roadblock into building pine furniture!!! I end up with an itchy rash and face swelling when I around the freshly cut or sanded wood. Totally sucks. So I may have to have hubby do the cutting and sanding.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weathered Gray on first, which has a blue tinge to it. Then I added two light coats of Minwax Provincial (basically wiped it on and then back off...didn't let it sit). Finished it off with two coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly,
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/13/2016 - 17:45

Table

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

First Ana Project - Modified 2x4 Potting Bench

Submitted by Tracy HNG on Sat, 08/01/2020 - 23:01

I have built several garden boxes and was lugging my gardening tools back and forth from the garage every day. I found myself with some spare wood and a tall, skinny pallet that I'd gotten from my work when a new conference room TV was delivered several months ago that I'd been trying to find a use for. So I decided to build a potting bench and found the one on Ana White's website and thought I could use what I had to build it. And it worked! I cut the pallet in half that I used to make the back wall and had a small piece of it leftover that just so happened to slide in between the two pallets walls. So I added some leftover scraps and made it into a small shelf for things like twine and plant markers. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out and how it looks in my garden! Looking forward to building more of Ana's projects!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2 Piece Outdoor Wood Chair

Submitted by vendo on Tue, 07/09/2024 - 09:11

I built these chairs in about 90 minutes. I started with cutting enough boards for 2 chairs according to Ana's cut list. I then prefinished them by sanding and prestaining all the boards. Once they were dry I started assembly. At first I was having issues with the wood splitting, so I ended up predrilling my holes. I made the seat and the back 18" wide and where Ana uses the 1x3, I ended up just ripping the cedar fence picket to 2.5" wide. This was a fun build and will be nice to easily transport to an outdoor activity!

Family_DIYnamic on Instagram

Chris's Custom Beds

After seeing my daughter's bed. A guy I work with asked me to build his son one. He told me it could be just like Lillians, but if I could make it pirate themed that would be great. So here we are and the first bed from "Chris' Custom Beds" is done.

Estimated Cost
$1200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The agreement was it was to be deliever and primied only.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Superman theme Loft Bunk Bed

Submitted by frenchy619 on Sun, 08/03/2014 - 22:29

My son is now 5 years old and needed a new big boy bed. His bedroom is tiny so finding the plan for this kind of bunk bed with an opening area underneath was perfect to have the space to play and have an area to store his toys. This was my first and biggest piece of furniture that I've built and I did it all by myself. My wife helped with the painting. Following the instructions was simple and easy. I picked the Superman theme because my son's middle name is Kal-El, which is Superman Kryptonian name for those who aren't superhero geeks like me ;)
Overall an easy and fun project. Took me approximately 1 week (working on it each day for 2-3 hours after work) to cut and prep all the wood pieces. The painting took about 3 days for 3 coats of paint. The assembling took about 2 hours.

Estimated Cost
$150-$175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar planter and 3 tier planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 17:48

My very first attempts at wood working. My new COVID-19 hobby 🥰

Estimated Cost
20.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Modern Outhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 13:08

I used your simple outhouse plans and modified the roof with clear corrugated plastic roofing for maximum light inside. I used the leftovers to line the hole and direct everything into the hole so no smelly wood. I also used wood from free pallets for door and inside trim to keep cost down.
I have to credit to “Girl in the woods” from youtube that mentioned you Ana, and for the roof idea. Your plans were easy to follow and I’m so proud of my first build.

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Sandbox

Submitted by Irishwam on Wed, 08/06/2014 - 06:00

Added backdrop using 6inch boards.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted with Rustoleum Restore color: Redwood
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Pedestal Farmhouse Table

Built this with 2 pedestals instead of 3, 7 feet long. Stained the top, then belt sanded and added a second coat for a more rustic look. Sprayed the entire project with the Titan Flexspray. 

Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The top is Kona from Rustoleum
Finish is 2 coats of Sprayed Varathane Oil based Polyurethane in Satin
Sherwin Williams Summer White Pro Classic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Toy Chest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/22/2024 - 10:46

Toy chest / hope chest for great grandkids. My first project in about 30 years. Never had time before.

Ed Smith

Built from Plan(s)
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