Community Brag Posts

Rhyan Collection Coffee Table and End Tables

Submitted by kffisher on Tue, 11/24/2020 - 13:40

Modified the Rhyan Coffee Table plan for a square, 4-foot by 4-foot coffee table. Used poplar 1 x 3s glued together and then planed down to 2.25-inch square for the structural members. The stained wood portions are glue-ups make from Hemlock 1x 6s from Lowe's.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The paint is a color match from Sherwin Williams of a chalk paint from Valspar call Kid Gloves. The stain is leftover from the builder of our house and is the same stain used on our stair railings. Drawer pulls are off the shelf from Home Depot.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

The Simple Bed (Full-Size)

Submitted by JReed on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 12:17

We had been looking for a headboard for our son for the longest time, but could never find anything we liked in the shade we needed in the stores. Fell in love with this bed, thought it was one of the more "boyish" styles that I've seen which was what I wanted for my son. Asked my husband if he thought he'd be able to build it, he said he'd try and voila! We, however, modified the plans a bit and only made a headboard, but overall, I love it!

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

Play Kitchen

Submitted by gitelmic on Sun, 11/16/2014 - 07:25

My daughter's 4th year-old birthday gift.

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

Comments

Industrial Shelf Unit - Basement Storage

Submitted by zakdat on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 07:39

With six people in our household, we were in desperate need of easily accessed storage for our off season clothes/gear.  This ended up being a perfect solution.  We customized shelf heights to fit the bins that we use for storage as well as made an area for our cat box (at the bottom right).  It's such a relief to finally have everything tucked away but easy to get at when we need it. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300 Canadian
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Puritan Pine
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modified Grandy Console with inset doors

I wanted to switch things up. I have made and sold many of the Grandy consoles with barn doors but my current new (to us) home was more modern traditional, definitely not very farm house. The Grandy plan makes a solid piece of furniture which is exactly what I need for it to survive amongst the giant teenagers that we are raising BUT I wanted to switch up the doors and add some traditional elements with a pop of modernish hardware. Make sure that your face frame openings are square. Add some non-mortise hinges, latch bolts and L brackets and this plan appears transformed!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kilz primer, sw Dover white with a poly clear coat for added durability. Sand between all coats (time consuming but it adds a professional edge to your finishes).I use a critter sprayer from Amazon for the exterior and for poly. Foam rollers for the inside. Stain color for X doors was kona and lighter toned doors was a process (see Instagram post) but involved white wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Dream Dollhouse Revisited

Submitted by Lindswatne on Tue, 01/22/2013 - 20:49

We made a modified (and scaled down) version of this dollhouse. Check out our blog for a complete list of details, plans, dimensions, furniture plans, and a downloadable sketch-up file to help you in building this. SUCH a fun and wonderful project. This was a Christmas gift and we are hoping it will be around for years to come! Thanks Ana.

http://www.thoughtcomics.com/projects.html

Have fun! We are beginner builders but it took us quite some time to build this. 20 Hrs...??

Email any questions!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
water based poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mblee (not verified)

Wed, 01/23/2013 - 06:27

That looks amazing.

4x4 Truss Beam Table

Submitted by sven126 on Tue, 11/18/2014 - 08:40

I used old gumwood and pine for the table top. Just finished renovating 1930’s house and saved some old wood from the baseboards, fireplace mantel, etc. Used craigs jig to connect them for table top. I was only ¾ inch thick, a bit too thin for my liking, so I added bottom frame from new ¾ inch pine then enclosed the whole table top with the 1.5 inch frame from old wood leftovers. Legs all new 4X4 fir beams. Came out quite nice and definitely unbreakable! Thanks for the plans, Anna! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
mixture of Minwax Provincial 211, Red Mahogany and Dark Wallnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Love this project.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/22/2017 - 17:20

This project was completed in a weekend. I was really proud of the result. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Cost was about $55 I didn't keep track but was cheap.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted the base Shark tooth white and the top was stained a dark walnut and finally waxed. I probably should have put poly on it.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cabin Loft Bed, OSU Design

As a Notre Dame fan, this was a tough one, so I charged extra for having to stomach the OSU red. It was a long build, and by far my most ambitious piece of furniture since the customer wanted it to be full size (as opposed to twin). They were very happy with the finished product (especially the desk top w/logo, which was a surprise).

Most of the joinery was done with a Kreg jig, I used dimensional lumber for the support & cabinet grade plywood for the shelves. Thanks for looking.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High Quality Latex Paint, high gloss wipe on poly
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Christmas Chalkboard Sign "For unto us a Child is born"

Great little project that doesn't take much time. We'll be using it on our fireplace mantle this Christmas season.

Estimated Cost
$20-30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Pamela1028 on Sat, 02/25/2017 - 11:07

My husband and I built this bench for a wedding gift.  We love the plan, so easy to follow and alter measurements to adjust size.  We finished it with a whitewash finish.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a dark walnut stain with a whitewash top coat. To make the whitewash I used one scoop of white chalk paint and added a bit of water. Mix in bowl. Brush on to dry stained wood and immediately wipe with clean damp towel. Finish with at least 3 coats of polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

4x4 Truss Table

Submitted by Eddie A on Fri, 12/11/2020 - 16:15

This was my first table build and I’m happy with the way it turned out! I adjusted the plans to account for wood movement of the table top using mortise and tenon joinery and draw board pins on the bread board ends. Also edge glued the table top boards and used z-clips to attach the table top.

Finish Used
General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain and Arm R Seal

Extra tall bar stool

Submitted by Jbonacci3 on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 12:18

I built a breakfast bar into an existing wall shared between our kitchen and living room. I built it on the taller side of average since I wanted to have room to install new electrical outlets above the counter on the kitchen side. After the project was done we went to buy bar stools to use with the new bar and found that even the "tall" stools were too short to work. Research into extra tall stools showed that what we needed was going to $400-600 each! Luckily my wife found these stools on your site and we were able to make three of them for around $115. Also, they are much sturdier than anything we looked at to buy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted frames with Valspar paint + primer (black). Padded and covered seats with a canvas material.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Breibee23

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 23:53

This is a saving grace... We didn't want to spend 600-1400 on extra tall bar stools that actually look good and this plan rocks as a stand in :)

Childrens Toy Box

Submitted by naomi on Mon, 11/24/2014 - 04:06

I used MDF and Pine for this build. 

I used a pneumatic door lift for the lid so that it will stay open and not fall on little heads or fingers.

I hand painted the stars and text.

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

Comments

Fun!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 14:47

Thank you for such clear and fun plans. This coffee table is the first piece of furniture I have built and I can't wait to make a complementary side table and console. I used the Minwax Dark Walnut stain and three coats of Minwax oil-based polyurethane, and sanded between each coat. I made the end pieces of the tabletop with leftover 2x2s and then added the center support beneath the tabletop before securing or to the frame to help keep it flat. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
The wood was cheap, but buying the tools quickly added up. I'm a first-time homeowner (about a month in!) and I didn't have many tools on hand. The wood and stains were under $100.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut stain; Minwax Fast Drying oil-based polyurethane finish (3 coats, light 220 grit sand between each).
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse table

I modified the length of the table to 60.5 inches. I really like the weathered oak stain with satin.

My next project will be farmhouse chairs

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Little Helper Tower, my modification

Submitted by bubbahu on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 01:28

My daughter sent me a copy of your plans for the Little Helper Tower with the question, "can you make this?", to which I said a hesitant "yes. I decided to modify the plans so that instead of just making two ladders and holding them together with 6 sticks of wood, to make the sides also with vertical 1x2s, then use barrel nuts and furniture bolts to hold it all together. This gives you four pieces and a platform once it is disassembled should you ever need to take it apart.
I took some rough African Mahogany and Sapele and planed it to thickness (3/4") then cut to the required dimensions (1x2, 1x3, etc). I used a biscuit joiner to make slots and then glued the horizontal pieces, using the wooden biscuits, to the vertical pieces. I could not get myself to attempt lining up dowel holes, which would be a stronger attachment. I know this is not the best for a vertical application, but I used Titebond II wood glue and am confident it can take the weight of my grandson.

Finish Used
Glitsa Infinity 2 floor finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Gift Bookshelf from Wedding Wall

Submitted by pondrider on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 10:57

This project followed the plans at http://ana-white.com/2012/03/plans/kentwood-bookshelf with a major customization twist. The backing is actually made from a photo op wall I built for our daughter’s wedding. The wall was ten feet tall the bookshelf backing is from some of the lettering boards.   

Estimated Cost
Plans call for about $75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanding, Stain and Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White

Wed, 11/26/2014 - 12:25

I love how you reused a piece from your daughters wedding!  What a great idea!

Drop Leaf Kitchen Island

Submitted by Boab on Wed, 03/01/2017 - 19:01

When I recently moved into a space with a kitchen and living room attached, I quickly realized that I wouldn't have room for a full size dinner table. I had seen extendable kitchen tables but none fit the bill, I was looking for something more compact. I also liked the idea of a bar / island with storage underneath, and I had noticed some had a drop leaf on 1 side which would be useful – but why not have 2 leafs for more dining space? When I decided to build my own table to fit these requirements it was difficult to find any plans out there, especially with drop leafs. Through lots of experimenting and research I finally built what I had envisioned: a kitchen island / bar with cart storage and two folding table leafs which expand to about 31/2 feet squared of eating / drinking area. I went through this trial and error process so you don’t have to, find more pictures and instructions here: http://bacheloronabudget.com/diy-drop-leaf-kitchen-island-cart/

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-Minwax Special Walnut Stain
-Minwax Wipe-on Poly
-White Paint (I used Rust-oleum Linen White)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X console table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/20/2020 - 18:24

Absolutely love how this table turned out! So much fun building it with my daughter and teaching her how much fun it is to hold things!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax special walnut and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate