Community Brag Posts

First project attempt. Instructions were really easy to follow. The X's were quite challenging at first, because I only had a Miter Saw. After many trials and errors, I found that building and attaching a 90 degree fence on the saw and then cut the 60 degree angles at the 30, gave beautiful 60 degree cuts. I used Min Wax Special Walnut Stain. I didn't do a lot of sanding because I wanted a gritty rustic feel to it. I used common pine boards. For the hardware, I bought zinc plated L brackets and Large bolts. I used a blow torch to melt the zinc to give it a great look.

so I tweaked this plan and made it a double bed for our spare bedroom.

I made these for a friend and just loved how they turned out. I liked the stained and black combo it turned out pretty good. I will be making some more for my son and and friend of his along with the sofa as an addition.

Sorry the the photos were taken from my phone so the lighting is making it look darker than it really is.
Basically I followed the plans to a T other than the poplar trim and crown molding.
For the head board I Used 3/4" red birch ply and made some stiles with excess from the sheet and then just trimmed it with poplar molding. instead of stacking 2 2x4 for the sides i just used a solid 4x4 and cut the spot out to old the rails on. I was afraid how the stain would react or how it would look since 2x4 have rounded edges. Thats pretty much it. The finish was a tricky process. since I used red birch and white poplar I had to find a way to get everything to stain evenly. So basically I
Dyed all the wood then sealed then stained then toner then glaze then a little more toner then when i got the color i wanted i put 2 layers of top coat.

Pottery barn Ladder Shelf

Love this tv table! It was my husband's first project from Ana's plans, and it turned out really well. The most difficult part was deciding how to make the sliding barn door hardware, since paying $70 for hardware when the wood cost about that much seemed crazy. My husband built it and I stained it, Sunbleached by Varathane. A nice blue-grey.

All from pallet wood! Hides and protects gifts from toddlers, puppies, & curious adults!

It is a collapsible build to go around a plastic fold up table. 4 sides come apart for easy storage in attic. Great for parties on the go for catering! 

Molly Preato

A friend of mine said she needed a potting table (aka bench) so I offered to make her one. Got the plan for the simple potting bench and went to work. The friend wanted a lip on the left and right sides of the top self and she wanted the top shelf to be solid. So adding the lip was no problem and I added the same but smaller on the bottom shelf. I built the solid top from three pieces of wood held together with pocket joints and glue. Worked great. With just a little sanding it is a beautiful flat solid piece of wood. Much better and cheaper than plywood. Since I do not like to rip lumber the final top self was about an inch or so deeper than the plans but that was easily adapted to. It is a good lesson to cut as you go along rather than cutting everything at the onset of a project. You make changes and it effects other aspects of the build. I added a Shaker peg on each end to hang a bar towel or a trowel whatever suits your fancy.

Most important is to continually check for square joints. Especially if you don't have the fancy tools and jigs. I got lucky and my final bench was square and level in all directions.
The build takes about 8 hours (plus a couple of days for priming and painting) using mostly hand tools. If I do another one I am going to substitute lighter and thinner wood. The 2x4 shelves and supports are over kill. I think it will give you a better and nicer looking final product. Keep Ana on The Web,,,,

My wife and I loved the look of this bed and decided to try to do it together. I built the frame and she tackled the headboard. In my haste at the hardware store I picked up the smaller packets of shims, a happy accident in my opinion! I decided to put the supports together with joist hangers to make it easier to take apart ,if need be.
We used a nail gun to attach the shims to the head board , and changed to
the pattern a little. Being that we were putting it in a smaller room I made some floating bed side tables as well. What a gratifying project!

This rustic farm bed is handcrafted from reclaimed weathered barn wood. The plank design and mixture of tones and textures give it a distinct rustic feel. Each piece celebrates the unadorned beauty of salvaged wood. Our reclaimed barn farmhouse bed is truly transitional. And now the best part, it can be made in any size needed -- King, Queen, Full or Twin.

Loved making this for our girls...Selah & Annaleah. We have 9 ft walls so I made it extra tall. Love it so much!!! Used 4 in boards for the walls b/c they were so much cheaper. The shutters ended up my favorite part.

I feel in love with the Pottery Barn Media Suite and new immediately I wanted to build it. I couldn't justify paying close to $2,000 on an entertainment center. I knew Ana would have the plans to help me out. I modified the plans a little bit and instead of building 6 cabinets, I decided to make the inner 4 cabinets one piece, and the 2 outer cabinets removable. This will give me options for when I have to place the Christmas Tree or if we move and cannot fit this huge piece. I also wanted to have as much strength in the middle for our plasma TV. It's about 4 years old and isn't as light at the new TV's are. I loved every minute of building this project and couldn't be more happier! Feel free to search PB website to compare their media suite to my version (savings of $1,700). Feel free to ask any questions!

Great afternoon project. This was my first build!  

We were looking for a way to better utilize our cabinet space. Previously, our cans were all pushed in and we couldn't see what we had without moving things around. I Found Ana's tier can organizer and knew it was exactly what we needed. We repurposed a piece of stained plywood we already had and a couple of 2x4 pieces from previous projects. We did buy a 2x4x8 because we wanted to make it a 4-tier shelf. We stained it dark walnut and added felt pads to the bottom. Measures 22" D x 21.5" W. We love it and it makes our space so much more effective.

A twin version of "Mom's Fancy Farmhouse Bed" that includes a matching footboard. Kreg jig used all around. The bed takes about 6-7 hours to cut everything and put it together. Staining takes quite a bit more because of the dry times needed.

Simple, easy to build and oh-so functional. Loved these plans because of the ease of building and the budget friendly supply list.

The frame for the bunk beds were completed over the course of a weekend and the next week was spent sanding and painting.

The plan allows you to build a strong, sturdy bed that can be easily disassembled/reassembled as necessary. It worked great being able to carry the 4 separate panels into my daughter's small room and then screw everything together. I also liked that feature along with the ladder integrated into the bed.

An Important Tip (one Ana recommends all the time) - Be sure to read the comments section on the original plan. Lots of important information there, especially if you need to buy 8' boards instead of the 10' listed in the plan (like I had to) and a few of the missing cuts are noted in the comments.

You can read more about my build experience here... http://radcrafter.com/2014/03/adding-the-bunk-bed-bedroom-makeover-pt-2/

Built from this plan: Classic Bunk Beds: http://ana-white.com/2010/09/classic-bunk-beds-cleverly-designed.html