Community Brag Posts

Train & car table

Submitted by Jrich on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 12:58

We customized the train table a bit and laminated the top into one solid piece so that we could paint a car map of our neighborhood on the underside. It's heavy! But with two boys in the house it's never really on anyways! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

mswendsen

Thu, 03/06/2014 - 22:26

I was wondering how you made it possible to lift and what the process was to do the map? I am wanting to do something like this for hot wheels for our friends son so he has something to play with when they come over.
Thank you

DIY Pergola

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 11:15

I built this pergola in 3 days and added mason jar solar lights.

Vonda Jones

Built from Plan(s)

$25 2x4 Hall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/21/2018 - 15:39

Our small entryway was in need of some sort of bench or coat rack. Since the space is on the smaller side, I was looking for plans that were simple and would not overwhelm the area of the house.  When I came searching for plans on Ana White’s website, these plans were JUST posted! It was meant to be! This was my second build ever. Very simple and straight forward. I used Special Walnut for the stain and a satin polyurethane for the top coat.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut & satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

dress up station

Ive made a couple of these dress up stations now, for presents for my daughters friends. I plan to make her one next!
Plenty of room for storing all their fancy dress items :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
wallpaper and paint, rubber lace lining for the shelves, wooden ball feet, decals, mirror, name, hooks
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft bed

Submitted by jbyler on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 09:19

Husband built the loft bed plans for our oldest daughter. She said this was he was the best dad in the world!

Estimated Cost
$300 with mattress
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We painted the wood 1 coat with a little touch up, gives it a "pink stained" wood look
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jbyler

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 09:20

We are so excited to complete this project for our oldest, but of course the middle child is wanting a bunk bed too-guess we'll be building one of those soon.

Sandbox with Seats

I built this sandbox for my kiddo's because we have cats! It was great. Easy to build, great plans for it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax 2-in-1 in Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sliding "barn" door from reclaimed pallet wood

I saw many different sliding door projects online, so I did my own spin on one. I was able to get several old pallets for free (pine and oak). I went to Lowes and bought a few 2x3s which I used as the frame, and the track hardware which was only $13! Most doors I see are mounted from the wall, but since I have 7' ceilings downstairs I mounted mine from the ceiling. This project only took about 4 hours total and cost about $40 when you figure in costs for screws, stain, etc. The most difficult part was taking apart the pallets. Using a reciprocating saw with a 12'' demolition blade is the best way to take them apart. Thanks for the idea Ana.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

BREATHESMILEBE

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:00

Hi!!
This looks so awesome! I came across this and was hoping to repeat it. You mention that you found the door hanging hardware at Lowes for $13. I can't seem to find it. Do you happen to remember the name of it? I'm entering "hanging door hardware" into Lowes and Home Depot and can't seem to find any hanging door hardware at all. I'd appreciate the help. Thanks!
Tina

Claire's Loft Bed

Submitted by hook Fam on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 10:00

A few months back a friend of my Sister asked if I would build a bed for her 10 year old daughter. I was excited to do it! So I finished up the projects I had already started and then went to work. I had never built bookshelves before. I wanted it clean and "hole-less" on the outside, so we found a Kreg Jig and I started learning. SUPER easy!! I believe it has been painted white. I can't wait to go see it!!
I followed Ana's plans except I used 2*2s for slats and used 16" wide boards for one of the bookshelves and the desk top. I want them to be able to use this for years to come and not out-grow it too quickly.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 11:08

This turned out fantastic! You did a wonderful job.

judee (not verified)

Sat, 02/25/2012 - 05:56

hello just a quick question about the railing. Is it screwed on or is it just sitting over the wood? Very nice bed.

WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 13:35

How many 2x2s did you use? I think I am going to do the same to make sure that I do not outgrow the bed. Also did you have to change the size of the little bookshelves when you changed the desk to 16" instead of 12" ? I'm trying to build the whole set on my own (im 14)

In reply to by WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

hook Fam

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 15:09

I think I used around 20 2x2's, and did use a center beam to add strength. I only changed the one bookshelf to a 16" (the one under the desk). The other one I left as a 12". Good luck building your bed!

WannaMakeA LOFTBED (not verified)

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 18:29

Thank you sooo much. I have left questions in the comments sections and you are the only one who has answered. I greatly appreciate it.

jvanhorn

Sun, 05/12/2013 - 19:37

Hook fam, Thanks so much for your work and for the pictures. I really like how you left the lower back side of the big book shelf off and still included the desk behind. Love the 16" too and I think I will go with that for the desktop but leave the 12" for the shelves. Thanks again! This is now my next project!!!

sectional and chairs!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:57

my husband and I used your plans for the sectional, end tables and chairs I made the pillows thanks so much for the designs we love them

Comments

Our Pacific Northwest Privy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 11:25

We have a small rustic cabin that needed a clean, functional outhouse.  We followed Ana's plans, but with a few modifications to include a Solar gray polycarbonate roof to let in light.  We also decided on cedar board & batten for the siding.   We look forward to many years of use. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr - Cedar naturaltone Weatherproofing. All boards were cut to size and then stained with 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

3 Tier Planter

Submitted by ranlim on Thu, 05/18/2017 - 21:24

Love this planter. Used quality pine. Perfect size for the balcony! I use it for fresh herbs... i have have other people wanting one too!

Estimated Cost
17
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Special walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

chicken boxes that work!

I have tried all sorts of nest boxes. No one ever used them. I decided to make the one from Anna White's site. I used joinery to attach the various pieces. The best thing of all: I find girls sitting in the boxes and take eggs from them. It really is awesome. I got a photo with real eggs and you can also see the wooden eggs to entice them to try it out. Thank you so much! I will build another one for the other side of the the wall.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

$15 Cedar Lemonade Stand!

My kid-o's love to sell lemonade. So, we made a trip to the local hardware store. Because I am terrified to use my husbands electric saw, any wood we purchased would have to be cut with a hack saw and a miter box. And since the stand is to be stored in the backyard, we opted to build it from cedar. We ended up purchasing 8 fence pickets for about $15 total. This was also to be a great way for my kids to apply the some of the knowledge they have picked up this year, our first year of homeschooling. My children, ages 7 and 9, measured all of the boards that needed to be cut. It turned out GREAT! We already had some extra boards, spray paint and screws on hand; so, the grand total was $15.00 for the entire project!

Built from Plan(s)

Cement top modification

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/07/2016 - 00:31

Instead of a wood top I used 2x 3/4" sheets of plywood plus 1/2" backer board to create a thicker top and used Ardex feather finish cement in 4 coats sanded and finished with Mexeseal sealant, recommended 4 coats of semi-gloss plus 2 coats of satin to get a matte finish (recommended by manufacturer) I followed the concrete countertop blog from "Young House Love" but used a different sealant when I contacted the safe coat manufacturer and they recommended their Mexeseal product. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ardex Feather Finish Cement
Safe coat Mexeseal Sealant (4 coats semi-gloss plus 2 coats satin for a matte finish)
Stain on base: Minwax weathered oak and dark walnut
Poly on base: 2 coats of Minwax satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bookcase Dollhouse

We built this for our daughter's 6th birthday! Love how it turned out :D  As you can see we opted to leave the plywood backing off for the time being so she can use it as a doll house and play on both sides. When she grows out of the doll house phase we will either convert it to a book shelf, donate, or sell in a yard sale ... so many options!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$74 wood & white paint
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One quart semi-gloss white paint (2 coats) bought at Walmart. Pink and green colors were left over paints from when we painted the walls in our home.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest Bath Remodel

Submitted by cuznlucky on Sat, 09/20/2014 - 03:03

So we had a pretty hideous bathroom (as seen in the last picture). The toilet was pink too, matching the tub and sink. This complete little bathroom remodel was an experiment to see if I wanted to tackle the master bath and eventually the kitchen. We had a drywall guy come in to fill the holes where the original towel bar, toilet paper holder and medicine cabint were. I actually used the plans from the Kitchen Cabinet Sink Base 36 Full Overlay Face Frame because I wanted a toe kick and a Face Frame. I added my own twists like a hidden toilet paper holder on the right, 45 degree tilt out in the middle, and a sliding shelf in the left drawer. I adjusted the dimensions for the space we had and used a soft close track and hinges. We went with a granite top due to the money we saved on building the vanity. We went with brushed fixtures and accessories like a hotel style towel holder. I want to give credit to my girlfriend and her Mom who did most of the demo work (not really sure why and that's her Mom in the last picture). My girlfriend's step father and I laid the tile (I have never laid tile before) and my girlfriend did all the decorating / finalizing to make it look complete and totally awesome.

Estimated Cost
Total bathroom under $2000, but we went with a more expensive granite top, nicer tile that extends through the hallway, tub resurfacing and paid a person for drywall work.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Black Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kim Wester

Fri, 02/27/2015 - 09:38

Nice job customizing the plan. I'm attempting something similar -- modifying the kitchen sink cabinet to fit our vanity top, and adding drawers.

jsherwin

Sat, 07/25/2015 - 13:21

I love your finished vanity with all the little extras. Wish your plan was available! I'm not confident enough to do that much customizing yet. Great work!

Workbench

Submitted by jaimej on Sun, 04/28/2013 - 18:38

This is our 2nd project - we liked building the bookshelf so much, we decided we're gonna keep going and need a good workbench. Got these plans from the Family Handyman Website (http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Woodworking/Workbenches/how-…). They claim the cost to be $50, but it was closer to $80 for us - still a GREAT project and easy to put together with the nail gun.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Patio couches

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/27/2023 - 19:14

This project was fun to build with hubby said the shopping list and the cut list was perfect! Love all your designs! King bed is next!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Murphy Bed

Submitted by bjhoove on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 21:58

I used the Murphy Bed Plan that Ana had on her website. I modified it so that it would look more like a dresser and would fit into the space that I have. It is perfect and I have used it myself just to see if it was comfy. It was!!! :)

This project took me longer to do as I had a creativity issue that you can read about here .. http://joy2journey.blogspot.com/2012/04/m-is-for-murphy-bed-its-finishe…

Estimated Cost
100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Jacobean Stain and a clear Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Sun, 04/15/2012 - 11:37

What an amazing job! Really looks just like a dresser. The lock closure is a great idea for keeping it securely closed. Beautiful finish, and the fabric and stencils are so creative!

redhead_61

Sun, 04/15/2012 - 14:15

Yeah this is pretty much awesome. It looks like a piece that should be there not something that is there to provide additional sleep space. LOVE it.

CharlesJr (not verified)

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 03:36

Things derived in this material will surely have some impact on the process of making of a classical overview. You should bookmark this page and http://allfreepapers.blogspot.com for the future. The question about it is a very important for the contemporary society. They have become proclaimed national standards recently.

MeganBurrell

Wed, 01/08/2014 - 12:28

You did a fabulous job on your murphy bed. Good to know it can be made horizontally too. Thanks for the inspiration! =]

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