Community Brag Posts

This was the first thing me and the hubby ever built. We had lots of fun and even got the kids involved. Pretty sure we got the building bug now! Thanks Ana for inspiring families to build better lifestyles one board at a time. :)

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.

We built our nesting box from scrap wood we had from an old barn we tore down and other scraps from previous projects. The dimensions were modified based on the width of the wood we had on hand. It's not very pretty, but it was free to make and will be inside a chicken coop. Our chicks are scared of it right now, but they are only 8 weeks old and not laying yet. I'm sure they will like it when they get used to it. 

A smaller version of the farmhouse 4x4 truss beam table. Made with inexpensive Douglas Fir construction wood. My biggest woodworking project yet. Very satisfying!

Deb B

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

My birthday present from my hubsand. He built it following Ana's plans, then I stained it in Sunbleached by Varathane. I had him make the top shelf higher than her plans called for, though, so that my KitchenAid mixer would fit.

Had a bunch of scrap wood from other projects and random pieces we found in our barn after we moved into our new house so decided to make a new coffee bar to use it up. Modified the Potting Bench plans and pretty happy with how it turned out!

Nate B

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!

Our Post & Plank is grand in both scale and beauty. The large fir posts anchor this bed, and give it a proud, weighty impression.

Love this project!

Rlynhack

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!

Saw the basic 'c' looking shape end table on Pinterest, but it didn't have any plans. So I drew up my own plans, used different types and dimensions of lumber, and added the black iron pipe to our design to truly make it our own.  These took my quite a while, and were a lot more expensive then I wanted them to be. So these will probably be staying in my home. Lol

I made one of these for my dining room table and my family liked it so much I made 2 more. The last one I made from a live edge piece of black locust and made the base out of black limba. The second one my daughter wanted a little wider so I used a 1X10 instead of a 1X8. A lot of fun to make and everyone really likes them.

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.