Community Brag Posts

Patio renovation

Submitted by Tia P on Wed, 05/29/2019 - 19:25

Built these pieces in one day.  I made the chair first and decided to modify plans to do the loveseats for lounging.  The stain is Honey by Minwax and used an outdoor polyurethane.  The seat cushions are 24x24 from Wal-Mart and I waited for a sale at At Home Store for the rest of the cushions. 

Estimated Cost
Just benches were about $100. Total amount of cushions were probably 3x that.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey stain with outdoor polyurethan
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Our new barn door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/20/2023 - 07:49

We had an open pantry that was an eye sore in our updated kitchen. Im 75 years old and I always liked to take on new projects so I thought about building a barn door from scratch. It was a bigger opening than one would think of as a pantry goes (at least I thought as much) . The opening measured 50 x 60 approximately so the door was made 56 x 65. Plenty of door to cover the eye sore. The door was built more or less on our garage floor and up on four saw horses! I had no idea if it was was going to be successful and the staining was yet to come (Gulp) As Ana said just do it. Well the build came out pretty good Squared and level. And I totally suprised myself staining the wood to the color we were looking for. Self help videos are very helpful so Id consider it before starting out. Everything was a process and I took my time. As with some things I have attempted in the past rushing sometimes ended with disastrous results. Oh boy, not to mention a waste of time, materials and money. What I hadnt bargined for with this project was the final weight to this barn door. IT WAS HEAVY. In any event I purchased the hardware for the railing and handles and pretty satisfied the way it came out. I had no plans to work from but settled on a build that I saw from several websites on barn doors.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Barn Wood Frame Birthday Gift

We loved the barn wood frame plan, and we just happen to have a barn that is coming down soon, so this project was a no-brainer. The picture is actually a metal sign purchased half off at Hobby Lobby, and was the only expense associated with the project. All he did to the wood finish was plane and clear coat.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None, just a clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fillman toddler headboard

Submitted by brogers67 on Sat, 11/02/2013 - 15:02

Loved this design as was sinple and elegant and easy to execute !! Constructed out of salvaged timber so only real cost involved the screws and paint .

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

JoanneS

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 18:15

What a great bed, this is super cute! Love the decorations for the headboard. Looks better than the PB Kids bed!

Slightly smaller version

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/18/2016 - 20:23

I love how this fits our space. I shrunk the measurements to help use up some of the scrap fence board pieces I had left over. Holding up to the pounding of a 2 year old and his legos pretty well.

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
spray paint, and minimax stain with poly on top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Coffee Table [Beginner/Under $40]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2023 - 03:46

Than you Ana, My first time ever that I have made anything - my coffee table taking pride of place. Looking forward to making my next project from your plans.

Comments

Doll Picnic Table Set

Submitted by sc4bship on Sun, 12/11/2011 - 06:25

This is my first build cutting angles. I was quite intimadated at first but lucky for me I have a carpenter husband who mentors me :) So he went to work and I got to cutting...now to build table 2. We still have yet to commit to a finish but I am still thrilled with the finished product.

Estimated Cost
$4
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None Yet
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Oxidized Farmhouse Table

Submitted by ksmith311 on Tue, 11/05/2013 - 11:48

This is the second Farmhouse Table we've built and this one is sooooo much nicer than our first one. The build went smoother the table top turned out more straight with less high spots. The oxidized finish is super gray due to the cold weather here.

So beautiful!

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidized solution diluted with vinegar, Dark wax & paste finish wax then buffed.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

RN woodworker

Tue, 11/05/2013 - 12:40

Nice Job! Looks great! Was there something that you did that helped prevent high spots in the table top? I will be building a table in the near future and was curious if there is a trick to it. Thanks!

bclute

Tue, 11/05/2013 - 17:27

Is the table top also douglas fir? The finish of the top came out great. Is it the same finish as the base? I love the top and hope I can do the same!

ksmith311

Tue, 11/05/2013 - 17:35

Thank you! The table top is douglas fir as well. I just bought the cheap framing lumber from the blue store which I believe is doug. fir. The finish is the same except that I waxed the top 2x with dark wax and 2x with clear wax and then buffed it. I only waxed the legs once with brown wax so it does look a little bit lighter.

Shelving the idea in Texas

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/20/2016 - 20:33

We tweaked a few things, to make the brackets more personalized. We changed the measurements to suit our space, added a decorative bevel to the bottom of the brackets, and used 2x12's for the shelves. We love the warm open feel these shelves give to our farmhouse kitchen! Thanks, Ana, for providing so much help and inspiration!

Estimated Cost
Less than $40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American stain and Rustoleum glossy white 2 in 1 spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack Stool or End Table

Submitted by Clang on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 19:45

I love making this table, my take on the Patriotic theme. Sanding and Painting always add time, this is a fairly easy project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Dining Room Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 06:31

This table was made out of Pecan. The legs are pine. I think the basic plan was from Ana-White.com but I am not sure.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Entryway Shelf

This is a nice shelf for our tiny entryway. The baskets are perfect to hold our individual hats, gloves and scarves during the winter. Customized for four and we also left the back off because we didn't feel that it needed it. We made this out of leftover wood and stain from our son's storage bed.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades in Pecan.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

dream dollhouse

Submitted by kmanntai on Thu, 11/07/2013 - 10:44

My dad and I made this for my 3 year old and she absolutely loves it. The wood that was recommended to use for the roof didn't cut well with the pattern so we decided to be creative and used door shims to make the roof look like it was made of shingles. We used scrap book paper and decoupage for the walls. Still having a hard time finding the right sized doll furniture for it, but it's a great house. Very sturdy and we put wheels on the bottom.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
treated the wood with a tinted stain and used semi gloss paint for the roof.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 11/08/2013 - 05:44

This came out great and I love the addition of the wheels. Clever!

American Girl Doll Bunk Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 19:27

This was easily made from the plans on Ana White's website.  I spent about $20 total on the bed and $7 on the fabric.  I had the foam from another project.  I could have spent less on the wood, but I opted to buy the sanded pine boards for they are much straighter! Thanks for the plans....it saved me about $150 that I can now spend on more projects!

Estimated Cost
$20 for bed and $7 for bedding
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Walmart Grotto colored Chalk Paint with pinkish-orange bottom layer to show through on distressed edges. Sealed with Poly-Acrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rebuilt outdoor bench

Found a bench on a second hand site for $5. The wood was rotting and the metal was rusted. Brought it home, took it apart, cleaned the metal parts and cut pine 1x3s to size. With some black Rustoleum paint for the metal, stain I had on hand, and an oil based top coat, I have a beautiful new bench for my front porch. 

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

New bed for my youngest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/10/2023 - 15:45

Moved into a new house after a fire destroyed almost everything, rather than buying new beds for my kids, we decided to build! They turned out beautifully, and the kids love them! Decided to modify the camp loft bed, removing the stairs and using the foot of the bed a ladder style.

Comments

Raised Pet/Cat Feeder - Small

Submitted by Joni on Mon, 12/19/2011 - 11:13

I didn't really use any of the construction techniques from the plan, but I got the idea based on seeing the platform feeder. I used spare wood (with routed trim already on it) that matched my bathroom, and made the cats a nicer looking feeder (one that they couldn't keep knocking to the floor and breaking!). The tile is mounted on cement hardibacker board, which is attached to the 3/4" wood platform. I used a zip saw to cut out the circles in the wood and the cement board (with the appropriate drill bit). I used a tile nipper to form the tile around the bowl opening. I added several coats of varnish to finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
4 coats of General Finishes EnduroVar.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Subway Tile Bookshelf

I used the Subway Tile Bookshelf plans and made it 74" total in height. Each of the bottom 4 shelves measured 14" and the top one was about 18" (I forget exact measurement). Instead of putting the plywood on two of the boxes, I switched it up and placed them on 4 boxes.

Love the plans and concept. Thanks!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Jacobean colored stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Platform Bed and Headboard

Submitted by ScottG on Tue, 01/26/2016 - 01:24

Built a platform bed and headboard using 2x4s for the main frame and 1x4s for the trim pieces on the bed. The headboard was made using 1x6s for the frame and 1x4 scrap pices from the slats used for the vertical pieces. Used a Minwax water-based "pearl gray" stain for the 1x8 sides and a Minwax oil-based walnut stain for the frame and trim pieces. Used the K5 Kreg jig to join most of the pieces. The Kre Jig was a new purchase and my advice would be to practice with the jig before starting the project. It takes awhile to get the hang of the jig and to make sure that you are using the correct screw lengths. The very complete and detailed plans can be found in the attached links.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Wood cost was about $100 and this would include the 2x4 for the frame, the 1x4 furring strips for the slats and headboard, and the 1x4 and 1x6 trim and frame boards. The stain and polycrylic sealer cost about $20. You should also budget for Kreg screws, wood glue, nails, etc. I did have to buy several clamp, and the Kreg Jig cost a bit, but is well worth it. I've used the the clamps and the jig on many projects since the original purchase.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax water based and oil-based stains and Polycrylic water-based sealer. .
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate