Community Brag Posts

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

Large Entertainment Center

Submitted by rmseama on Sun, 01/24/2021 - 17:28

My Biggest build so far. We have a large living room and needed something large for that wall. I really had fun on this one. It took longer than I wanted but in the end, I’m really proud I finished. This was my first time to use the router and learned how build shaker style doors. -Instagram.com/theorthfam

Estimated Cost
1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

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. :)

Rolling C-Table

Submitted by JessKrev on Sat, 12/27/2014 - 18:57

I built this for my sister in law this Christmas from Ana's plans.  I can't wait to make a second one for myself!  The overall build was easy and I would consider myself a beginner level.  Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the final product before I gifted it, but I distressed it to allow some forgiveness in the white paint detials and hand-painted decal on the top.  It turned out great and they loved it!  

Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades in Espresso. The details are simply acrylic paint in an off white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Scrappy armoire

Submitted by Triskelle on Sun, 03/26/2017 - 22:13

Made this out of a ton of scrap wood I had laying around. On the downside it made the project more difficult, but on the upside all I had to buy was hinges and handles...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Some off white paint I had lying around
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

Entryway Bench and Storage Shelf

Used your plans to do these for our mudroom I just remodeled.My wife loved them.Took the original plan and modified it to fit the corner.The bench ended up being white with a grey top.And for xmas my step mother made cushions for it.Love your plans.Thanks

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Gloss white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Balustrade Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 16:29

Balustrade Coffee  Table made of cedar and pine wood. Approximately 49.5 length. Stained in special walnut and white painted chalk paint base. Used dark wax to distress base and legs. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of special walnut stain for top. 2 coats of polyurethane for top. Base has white chalk paint base with dark wax to distress.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Lovin the Drawer dividers

Finished this in no time and wow did it create a lot of space. I was able to get rid of my knife block because there’s now room for my knives in my drawer. Thank you Ana for sharing your wood work with us! This was well worth the $25 I spent!

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

Craft Table

Submitted by 3grlsmom on Thu, 01/01/2015 - 16:47

We modified the original plnas to convert one set of front shelves into thread storage.  We used  1/4" wooden dowel cut to fit 2 spools of thread on each.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint (not finished in picture)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tennessee Titan themed helper with horn and wheel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/30/2017 - 18:16

Made this for my 14 month old, this was my first ever attempt at making/building anything! Hand painted and assembled with inspiration from the Tennessee Titans. My son loves standing in it by the window watching the trucks go by our house so I added his own jungle gym steering wheel and bike horn. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$150. The paint bumped up the cost and time
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Gloss paint with a polyurethane finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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.

Harriet Higher Chair

Thank you so much Ana for this plan. Our 2 year old is too big for a high chair and will not use a booster seat. He wants to be like his older sibilings and use a real chair. This was perfect because it is a real chair (no booster seat) and then we put a Mickey Mouse  on the back and he absolutely loves using it now. 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30 I think. Used some scraps for back and seat so probably a little less.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint and then just used a mickey mouse cookie cutter we had to trace and then painted black.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Thank You for this Great Doll House Plan!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/02/2017 - 19:32

What a fantastic plan.  I made one for my granddaughter.  It has two advantages over the doll house I made years ago.  (1) It can be unstacked and shipped.  This one will be shipped.  (2) It allows the child to restack and rearrange rooms.  My grandaughter loves to rearrange things.  It is an "engineering inclination" according to her mother.  Well, she can rearrange these rooms as many times as she likes.

 

I made only one change to the published plan.  I expanded the rooms to 8" wide, 8" high and 16" long in order to accommodate a piece of furniture my son-in-law had already made.  Maintaining the 2-to-1 ratio keeps everything fitting together well.

 

Thank you again.

Estimated Cost
I used materials already on hand. No cost.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Acrylic Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Birds and Soap cooler with a twist

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/22/2021 - 05:30

My dad has been looking to buy an outdoor soda cooler for the summer, and when I came across this plan I knew I had to make it! The design is so pretty, and the plans are very easy to follow. It is time consuming to complete but the end result is worth it! The biggest challenge I found was getting the spigot to attach to the cooler. Make sure your cooler lid is glued in level too because I learned the hard way it is a pain to fix after the fact! I personalized it to my dad's favorite soda and photo shopped him into a vintage moxie ad because it's something he would get a kick out of! He loved it! Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$150-175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a dark stain with polyurethane finish. I wanted it to look rustic so the stain was applied a little messier for an uneven look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ana White Admin

Mon, 02/22/2021 - 11:30

The sweet build and customization is what building is all about! Thank you for sharing, he is a proud father indeed.

Rural School Bus Shelter

Submitted by Medeek on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 09:02

Rural Bus Shelter with 3/12 shed roof, designed to keep your kids out of the elements as they wait for the bus. Shown with log siding and 2x trim. Can be constructed on a slab on grade or remain portable with pressure treated runners and wood floor as shown.

Upgrade further with electricity and insulation for those really cold and dark climates (ie. Washington, Oregon, Alaska, B.C.).

I will make the plans for this shelter freely available to all that are interested.

Estimated Cost
$1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Very good idea to stain and treat the siding which will greatly increase its longevity and attractiveness.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

4x4 Truss Table

I loved this table the second I saw it and knew I had to build it. The only modification I did was adding an additional 2x10 to the table top to increase the width. It is a pretty substantial table but the table top is a really good size (makes folding laundry awesome!). 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American with belting sanding all over after the final coat. Matte poly applied in several coats to protect.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Antique Corner Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/05/2017 - 11:52

Wife wanted something that matched the comforter colors but looked a little antique-y. So I made her this!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint with antique wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Table [Modern Farmhouse Collection]

Submitted by vcollin2 on Fri, 02/26/2021 - 13:43

This coffee table was my second woodworking project. I changed the dimensions for a square instead of a rectangle. New dimensions are approximately 40in x 40in. I had to use 1x8x8 kiln dryed boards instead of 1x10x8. As I am new to wood working , it was a learning curve that the 45 degree angles were a beveled cut and not mitered. Overall I thought the plans were easy to follow.

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Briarsmoke
This stain turned out much darker than Ana’s table. It is a much darker grey.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate