Community Brag Posts

I added legs to mine so it would lean up against the wall above the molding. I liked the look of it without plywood backing. I'm really happy with it and it was pretty simple to make.

Made from reclaimed pine moulding.

This was my first time using a plan from this site, it was my first time using a kreg jig, and pretty much my first time using a circular saw on anything that mattered.  Also my first time staining.  I'm real happy with how it turned out except for the staining! I used a stain + polyurethane in one and found it very difficult to get the color even without streaks.  Next time I think I am going to stain all my cut wood BEFORE I assemble.  I think that will let me have a nice even stain.  Any thoughts on that?

I enlarged the plan by adding 12 inches to the top and 6 inches to the width. So I added a shelf 12 inches above the top one.  It feels big and I love that.  

Another thing that worked out nicely for me,  I noticed when I was buying lumber from HD, the 2x2's were all a little bit warped or crooked, So for the four legs I opted for the premium perfectly strait and smooth pine.  It was 8 bucks a piece instead of two but worked out I think.  For the back I used mahogany pickets - not smooth, hard to sand down, but looks nice.  

Took me about 20-25 hours over two weekends.  Sanding and staining were the only laborious parts.

Nice and easy work bench to complete my garage setup.

I can take no credit, except for choosing this amazing project! My man took off a couple days from work to make this as a late Christmas gift. It's beautiful and gives just the organization I needed in my homeschool room. I could not love it more!

We added a few more inches height to each shelf to make it taller than the original design. It's perfect.

I spent a lot of time looking at photos that my wife tagged on pinterest, most from builders who frequent Ana's site.  I learned a lot just from looking.

I stole particular ideas from Ana, Tommie and Ellie, and another site that I can't find right now, but they really did the trestle / farmhouse hybrid idea first and I just modified their idea a bit.  If anyone has seen their site, please remind me so I can give credit where it is due!

I didn't really use a plan other than having a general idea of what I wanted the size of the table to be.  I believe it came out to about 102" x 44"

I built 6 chairs and the bench.

All is built out of construction grade lumber, and gets lots of compliments.

The table came together in a solid weekend, the bench took a couple of evenings, and the chairs...those chairs took forever to cut out, shape, assemble, and finish.

Took us 4 months cause we have kids so we have to work during naps and after bedtime and then we were hesitant to work on it for a while after a little stressful episode building the drawer. We had to lower our expectations for perfection when working with pine and no clamps. We're happy with how it turned out though! Reminds me of Van Gogh's "The Bedroom" for some reason. 

I saw a brag posted by jaimecostiglio (mudroom locker and bench unit) and really wanted to build one for my mudroom! I didn't extend the bench out as far out as her original plan but there is still plenty of room to sit and put shoes on. We are a family of 4 but I built 5 lockers. Kind of wish I had built 6 because my husband is occupying 2 (one for his regular coat/jacket and the other for his motorcycle gear - so not fair).

Anyway, we love it and everyone who visits are amazed that we built it from scratch! This was our very first building project and it took a while because we wanted to make sure it was perfect. It's actually screwed into the wall so it will most likely stay with the house if we ever move.

This project started by using the Ana-White Dress Up Tower Plans.  Modifications were made to increase storage area and to include a lazy susan base.

I built this vanity and mirror out of pine and finished it in a variety of stains to get a reclaimed look.

My first big project. It turned out great! There are a couple of issues with the plans but nothing a little common sense couldn't resolve. Also, for any beginners out there, make sure when you're going through your cut list, start with the larger pieces first then work your way down to the smaller cuts. You'll end up having to take another trip to the hardware store if you cut the smaller pieces first. Great plans Ana White! I built this as a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. She was blown away! She absolutely loves it!

~Justin~

Pretty straight forward plans.

I made this train/activity table for my niece's 2nd birthday. I did omit the bottom shelf to allow more leg room when sitting/kneeling on the floor. The one BIG issue I encountered was that I cut the top inset to fit perfectly. Then I painted it.... the pieces no longer fit due to the extra paint thickness. UGGGGG! So, I had to go back to sanding to get that nice fit again.

I put in a scrap of indoor/outdoor carpeting for "grass" for the train set to sit on. This is not glued in, so it can be removed if they decide to use it for something other than the train. I painted it using cabinet paint to give it a little extra protection against scratches and scuffs since it will be used by a two year old. I painted the inset white on one side, but I put chalkboard paint on the other side. This way, it's like three tables in one! An activity table, chalkboard table, and a train table! She loves it!

I need to get a picture of it with the top on so you can see the white and chalkboard sides. It was a really fun build!

I may build the smaller Lego version for my own house - not to play with Legos, but to keep the dog's tail from knocking over any beverages I set down! It also would be a nice place to store the laptop when not in use.

With another baby on the way in a few months, we decided to move our 2+ year old daughter across the hall into her first big girl room. I built big sister the Kendal Extra Wide Dresser, Traditional Wood Toddler Bed, Letter A Shelf and a Dollhouse Bookcase and matched the colors with her new comforter, lamps and princess canopy tent from the Land of Nod outlet.

This is a pretty easy project to build with the right tools. For the backing, I used beadboard plywood that I had leftover from the headboard of the toddler bed. The one tricky thing was how to actually hang the bookshelf. The weight of wood for the shelf is somewhat heavy and that's before anything even goes in/on top of it. After a few trips to the big boxes, I decided on using a heavy duty mirror hanger, which so far, has worked great. 

Outdoor Couches made from the plans on the website.  Added 2 2x4's on back top to add support when leaning back.  Also added vertical supports on the back to help with added weight.

Stained and Sealed with Natural Cedar Stain and Sealer