Community Brag Posts

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

Twin Farmhouse Bed - MDF Instead

Submitted by mvandyke on Tue, 01/29/2013 - 21:23

This is my first attempt at a furniture project. I customized the Twin Farmhouse Bed plan to use leftover v-groove paneling for the planks and pre-primed MDF for the trim and headboard/footboard caps. I used pine 4x4s for the posts, cheap 1x4s for the rail supports, and 1/4 in white paneling ($10) under the mattress. Trim was nailed using standard 16 and 18 ga nailer. Used Spax screws for attaching the posts to the 2x6s behind the paneling and trim. Spray painted using Krylon paint primer and gloss finish. Spent a little extra on multiple coats of spray paint, but the finish was well worth it. The v-groove paneling required hand painting in the grooves for better white covereage on the final coat, but MDF soaks in the paint so it required more coats than the pre-primed trim needed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Krylon Spray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Woven Back Bench

This took approximately a week to build, but was fairly simple.  Drew arm rests freehand and applied 3 - 4 coats of Helmsmen.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Helmsmen (3-4) coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

earthbybike

Sat, 12/06/2014 - 12:27

I built this at the local college woodshop and I am very happy with how it turned out. Our comminity is so very lucky to have a community college that has a wood shop and a huge spray booth. (Wood Shop 1 & 2 as well as Cabinet Building 1 & 2)

Seasonal And Holiday

Great storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/05/2017 - 18:35

I made my shelves 16 ft by 6ft by 2ft - added another plank to each shelf to increase the width. I compensated for the slope along the garage wall by offsetting all the screw-in points in the front legs half an inch. This thing is HEAVY.

 

I anchored the unit to the wall by securing 2 scrap 2x4s to the studs - 1 at the 2nd set of legs and 1 at the far right legs - and screwing the unit legs into the 2x4s. This way, I didn't have to line the unit up precisely with the studs.

Estimated Cost
$190 lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None/natural
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Kitchen Island heavy modified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 22:39

This was made using your plans as a start.
The client wanted extra long , and adjustable shelves. It's almost done.
I had to modify the drawers a little because they wanted more under storage, and I had a tough time with the flush drawers , so I slightly modified that as well. So thanks for my first advance build :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250 in wood
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White linen chalk paint
Dark walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

My Wife's Christmas Present

This project was tough using pine since, from the big box store it's hit or miss on getting long boards that are straight. But clamps and sanding worked affectively. There were a few little nuances but for the most part it turned out great! It took me a while since it's cold here and the stain/polyurethane took a little longer than I would have liked.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments