Community Brag Posts

Settlers of Catan board

I took an edge glued round board and chisled out the profile of a Catan game board. Then I torched it, added some polyurethane and lined the bottom with felt.

Estimated Cost
$30.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Propane torched and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Kentwood Book Shelf

This was my first major build with plans from Ana. I actually found this bookcase via Shanty2Chic. It went smoothly and all in all took me a few evenings about an hour at a time. I have 3 kids so it did take me a little longer to finish. I am so impressed with myself and so is my husband. I used a 10" chopsaw for most of the cuts. I also used my KregJig. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut followed by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Dark Wax Finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

BIG Storage Cabinet

Submitted by LHeath on Sat, 12/20/2014 - 21:30

I desperately needed storage in our 1910 house that was not in the basement.  I wanted a place to keep my sewing machine and accessories, at-home school supplies, and other odds and ends.  We had an alcove in the kitchen that was about 74 inches wide and 17 inches deep, so I decided to build something to fit that space.  I really liked the Simplest Armoire plan but I also really liked the Kentwood Bookshelf, so I ended up somewhat combining the two.  Since I had a fairly large space, I made the cabinet about 6 ft X 6 ft.  The hardest part was getting it into the house.  This project was my first big DIY building project without my dad's help.  I did call him a few times during the project however, and he helped me hang the doors.  I really enjoyed using the Kreg Jig and I appreciated having all of the Kreg Jig instructions for the Kentwood Bookshelf.  It was a huge help, as I had only used the Kreg Jig a little and with my dad in the past.  My husband has been a great support as I have ventured into building furniture.  He works from home, but any time that I needed him to help hold a large sheet of plywood he was quick to help.  This was definitely a big project for a beginner, but I enjoy a challenge when it comes to fixing things and creating things. Fortunately, this one worked out in the end!  Now what should I build next summer...

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
paint - Behr Premium Plus Ultra Raw Cinnabar; I added conditioner. 2-3 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TheRealMcGaughey

Sun, 05/31/2020 - 13:27

This is so great, and I can't wait to try my hand at emulating it. I'm buying a place so old there's no record of a date. Still has adobe bricks with straw sticking out stored up in the attic. Not a closet in the whole darn place, so I'll probably end up making more than one, and probably using one as a clothes closet and another as a pantry. Thanks so much for sharing this!

Craft paper holder

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/21/2017 - 17:29

Followed simple instructions, but  added my own twist.  Do it yourself craft paper holder. 

Estimated Cost
25.00 with paper
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Garage "Mudroom" Organizer

Submitted by leoguy09 on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 06:39

My home doesn't have a mudroom. When guests come to visit, there is no convenient place for them to take off their shoes or to hang wet coats. I saw this plan in a Family Handyman project book and thought it looked like the perfect solution.

The build was easy and straightforward. The hardest part of the entire project was mounting it on the garage wall. When I tried to use a stud finder, I realized that there was a layer of osb between the drywall and the studs, rendering the stud finder useless (even on the "Deep Scan" setting). I ended up having to carefully measure stud locations on the opposite wall (inside the house) and transfer those locations onto the garage wall. It worked out okay, but took a long time!

I carefully positioned this project so that I would have plenty of room for my next project, on the same wall - Ana's Ultimate Roll-Away Workbench and a set of shop cabinets!

Estimated Cost
$222
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Pre-Tinted Canyon Brown Transparent Exterior Stain and Sealer (Lowe's)

This was the easiest finish I have ever used. No odor, one coat application. It doesn't provide a smooth or easy to clean surface, but the color is nice, and it seals the wood from moisture. This product is intended for decks and outdoor furniture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Engine 23 Fire Truck Bed

Submitted by brandon1 on Sat, 02/16/2013 - 22:54

I have always been interested in some kind of projects and just to see what I can do with my hands. I am a father of 3 and hardly have the time to sit down must less pull off a huge project but I set aside some time and worked on this late at night after the kiddos went to bed. I came across this site when my wife was on pintrest one night and have been hooked ever since. I was at work one day and saw all these different projects that I wanted to do and that's when I ran across this bed and I could not wait to start working on it. I called my wife and sent pictures of the plans and said meet me at Lowes we got a project to work on lol. I had a blast working on this and yes I did run into a few problems here and there but overall it came out great. When I went in I originally was going to follow plans to a T but decided that I would make changes here and there as I went. Due to height contstrictions in my son's room I lowered the overall height by two inches which worked out perfect. I did build the steps but I also made the back where it would come apart for east movement. I only used actual pine boards on the steps and the rest is 3/4" MDF board. I ripped everything on a table saw to exact width and length and drilled all my holes with a Kreg Jig. Alot of people are afraid to use MDF but believe me I could shake that bed as hard as I can and it doesn't even budge one bit. It is heavy duty built for a monkey child like I have. The project overall took around 30 hours from start to finish. My only suggestion would be to paint every step of the way instead of waiting to paint until the end like I did. If you have any questions about the build feel free to ask and I will help out the best I can. Thanks Ana for the plans and thanks to atouchofarkansas for the original inspiration for you guys have gave my son years worth of enjoyment. Can't wait for the next project to start.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
375.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Premium Paints
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondack chair from Pallets

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2017 - 19:42

I decided to try and use the plans on Ana's site but with a twist. I wanted to limit myself to using only pallets. I think it turned out great! I can't upload all the photos because they exceed the maximum size limit. If I was able to you could see how each chair is slightly different and has a lot of character. I finished them with a waterproofing oil which I highly recommend over other finishes. 

Estimated Cost
$10 for screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ladder Garden Planter

Submitted by sbenington on Sun, 01/24/2021 - 13:40

Finally! The cedar pieces for this planter have been cut for a few months, and I assembled it a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately I had to use a lot of wood filler & glue to hide imperfections so it was painted to match our house trim. My strawberry runners from last season were begging to be moved. They should love this new home. I'm learning! Next project is an outdoor coffee table. --Susan

Comments

Jewelry Box Gifts

Submitted by JoanneS on Mon, 02/18/2013 - 16:56

For Christmas gifts this year, I built several different jewelry boxes from the Easy Jewelry Box plan. The center one is a variation of the plan, made taller and narrower (that one was for Mom). The drawers are all lined with embossed felt and the 2-drawer boxes have adjustable drawer dividers. These all have sticky-back felt on box and drawer bottoms. The tower style box has added trim. Each one was an afternoon build. These were super fun to build and were a huge hit with Mom and my friends!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30 each
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paints: Black: ace royal semi-gloss, Brown: Benjamin Moore Aura in Spanish Brown, Blue: Benjamin Moore samples (2 blue mixed together), Yellow: Ace samples (yellow mixed with cream), Tower: Benjamin Moore Sea Urchin and Minwax Express Color in Walnut. Top coat on all boxes: 1 coat Minwax water-based wipe-on poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 12:58

Thanks so much for the nice comment! :) I had a blast building these, and thinking up the finishing combinations I thought they would enjoy. I'm always partial to the ones I build for Mom. :)

Customized Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Spurrell on Sat, 12/27/2014 - 10:24

As a newly blended family of seven  people, we needed a dining room table that would accomodate our family comfortably.  With nothing suitable available locally and our joint interest in homemade projects, we searched for a plan we could work with.  We were thrilled when we found this plan, which we customized to the dimensions of our dining room. We adjusted the length to 9' and the width to 33" and went with a plank and breadboard end top.  We used a Tudor colour Minwax polyshade stain with a satin finish for the top.  To achieve the worn look of the pedestals we used a torch to burn the wood, primed it with a primer sealer, painted it with furniture andcabinet paint (Armadillo) for durability, then scuffed/sanded the desired areas with a durable 60 grit sandpaper.  Making the table ourselves allowed us to use a colour scheme which matched the chairs we had purchased.  We will add, it was more time consuming than anticipated, but well worth it!  We LOVE our new table!! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Total cost was less than $200.00 CAD.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Top:
Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner
Minwax Polyshades Satin - Tudor
Pedestals:
Primer Sealer
Sico Furniture and Cabinet Paint, Melamine finish - Armadillo
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modified version of pedestal table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/26/2017 - 21:57

I'd been looking for a plank-style farmhouse table for quite some time. Couldn't find what I wanted to buy anywhere (and too cheap to spend the money even if I did), so decided to make my own table. Made up my own design for the table top, and then went looking for the right legs. I liked the pedestals on Ana's design a lot, but thought 3 was too many for my project. Looking at some of the other tables that had been done with only two, I decided I didn't love the high placement of the spanning bar when done with only 2 legs. So, I moved it down to the bottom of the legs instead, and added a couple of decorative knobs to make up for the lost visual interest to the pedestal columns. I'm not a particularly physically strong woman, but I was was able to do this entire build single-handedly, with very little previous experience assembling furniture (lots of diy experience doing other kinds of home improvement projects though). Only needed a second set of hands when finally lifting the top onto the legs at the end. Fun project overall.

Final table size is 8' X 33.5". Seats 8 comfortably; can fit 10 when needed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$227 for wood (pine), $70 in other materials
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
First did a rough, sloppy application of dark walnut stain, using a brush. Did lots of splatters and deliberately made it uneven. Wiped almost immediately after applying to keep color light. Next, did a solid, smooth coat of Ipswich pine stain using a cloth. Final finish was 2 coats of clear, semi-gloss polyurethane. Staining and finishing was greatest time investment of the project.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Console Table

Submitted by jburke3424 on Sat, 01/30/2021 - 17:43

Wife wanted it done without the middle shelf. Easy project! Love the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Modern Oak Stain with Indoor Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kentwood night stand

Submitted by CesaB on Thu, 02/21/2013 - 14:49

I completed this project on a day off from school. It took about 8 total hours from start to finish. I purchaced 1x8's and cut them to size to minimize the looking through piles of lumber for stright boards. My first project, and im looking forward to the next.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by weav3887 on Mon, 12/29/2014 - 12:26

Saw Ana's plan on Pinterest for the Rustic X Coffee Table and wanted it in my own home!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I already had the 1x6's for the top. Everything else cost $48, including paint and stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Minwax polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

farmhouse Table - Updated Pocket hole

Submitted by dmsweeney on Fri, 02/05/2021 - 09:28

We made 30 tables for our daughters 2017 wedding . We finished them with Miss Mustard seed Curio milk paint ( diluted to a stain 4 to 1 )and Hemp oil.

Comments

Fireplace Mantel and Surround

Submitted by BeingHome on Sat, 02/23/2013 - 16:47

With a desire to decorate a mantel for the holidays, my husband and I decided to build a fireplace mantel and surround. This was our first building project.

Inspired by the faux mantel at Blue Roof Cabin blog and with the drawn up plans from Ana White, this mantel was fairly easy to build.

I (we) are very happy with the results. Since the plans were adapted to fit around our existing fireplace, the completed dimensions are 66 1/2 inches high x 74 3/4 wide. Total cost came to $130.81

For more details about the building process, please check out the tutorial.

Thank you.

Julie

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Ultra (paint and primer in one) in ultra white finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Brook Laundry Basket Dresser

Submitted by krochelle on Thu, 01/01/2015 - 15:42

Used square laundry baskets instead of regular rectangular baskets. The square ones aren't as deep but are a bit taller so I had to modify the plans. I added a backsplash and some wooden tags to the baskets to designate them for certain colors. I also added some decorative trim and finished the bottom in a gray stain and used white chalk paint for the top.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered gray stain
White chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/30/2017 - 16:35

Larger than on-line plans but it got me started. The top is made of oak skids glued together for 1-5/8" thickness.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Spice Rack into Pantry

Submitted by mitkoed on Fri, 02/12/2021 - 18:05

I was going to build a spice rack but the project kept growing until this is what I had. It's 50 long x 96 tall x 22 wide . I started with the wire shelving already being used and I used 1/2 inch plywood, face framed with 1x2's and 1x3's built the door spice rack using 1x4's attached to plywood door frames doors with 1x2's. Hung the doors with 3 self closing hinges on top and 5 on bottom because the doors are heavy and will be more so once the spices are added. Works beautifully. Painted doors with valspar acrylic using a paint brush and stained the attached 1x2 outer frame and the face frame with walnut.
Edit : since posting the entire inside has been painted and I'm thinking I should of even built it bigger or the next project rather needs to be another one😂

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Walnut stain and acrylic paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic X Console

We made this table following the Rustic Console Table plans. We bought all the supplies at our local lumber yard so the cost was about $60 for the project. This plan turned out so great that we even made the matching side table:) It is sturdy, useful and plain and simple great for the space! This is a fun one to make!!

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain in Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jbayer80

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 18:22

I plan on making this "X" set as soon as I finish my sons toddler room. Can't wait to start.

Yours looks amazing!

Babbling Brooke

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 12:26

Thank you:) We had a blast making it and learning as we went:) It is a sturdy table! We love it and it has led to so many more projects. I hope that you have a great time making it too:) And good luck on your sons room...that is always a work in progress here too.