Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Becbud on Thu, 05/05/2011 - 11:47

We shortened the length of the table to 5 1/2 feet. Took me bits and pieces of 3 weeks to build working around rain days and napping children.
Around $80 in materials, not counting the new orbital sander (which I wanted for a while).
Looking forward to building 2 benches next month. A sturdy table for my family of 7. (Including 3 boys!!!)
This was my first project. I see the flaws, but overall, I'm very happy. I built mostly myself, but hubby had to help with the hauling indoors/outdoors, kids held wood while I used the saw, stood on boards while I attached. It was fun for all of us and we are thrilled with the results. Even the scratch in the tabletop photo below was done by my 2 yr old and I call that his little touch!

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Formby's light walnut stain (found in my basement)
applied, wait 5 min, and wiped off
Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane in semi-gloss
(2 coats on base, 4 on table top)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids table with chairs/storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/27/2021 - 19:33

I love woodworking and trying different techniques...Thank you Ana for the detailed plans!..My niece loves it

Comments

Modern Outdoor Chairs (2x4s & 2x6s) w / Matching Tables

My mother had a cheap particle board sofa style table on her back porch that was coming apart. She said she'd like to replace it, so I told her I would her one.

I decided to make her a few end style tables to go with it as well.

Finally, I had seen these chairs and decided to make her a few of these also. I liked the Ana White plan, but I didn't like the idea of seeing all the screw holes, so I developed my own method using Kreg and my own assembly method that allowed me to make them strong, without seeing all the screws.

I (and my mother) were very pleased with the final project.

Estimated Cost
~$200 (Cushions cost me ~$80)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympic Stain (1 coat white), slight sanding, wiped down with Minwax Dark Walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TerDickison2

Mon, 06/10/2019 - 18:49

Thank you for posting this! I built the chair as is from the plans but I realized it really needed a backrest. I like how you added one and if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to “borrow” your idea. I lucked out on the cushions-I got mine from Home Goods for $40. I don’t think everyone has a Home Goods near them though. Love the tables too!

Batmobile full Bed

Submitted by bbcarey on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 10:12

My son had a 'lightning Mcqueen' toddler bed- but we needed to get him into a little bigger bed.  We had a spare full bed, and Batman is his current favorite... Since there aren't Batman full race car beds- time to start planning and building from sketchup!  Took me about 2 weeks of evenings (after the kids go to bed) and about $110 in materials.  The model is available in the sketchup warehouse at:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u6b750a53-37a4-4d52-9d31…

 

For the wheel covers I ordered online at Amazon for $25 for a set of 4.

For the Wheels both HD and Menards make a 18" wood table top for ~$7 that I just cut the middle out  with my router to fit the wheel covers.

The slats to hold the bed (made to fit both box spring and mattress) were just 1x4 pine boards from menards.

The body was made from 3/4 MDF, though you could of course use plywood. 

I used a projector to project the image from sketchup onto the board to get it transferred- else it would have been 50+ pages if printing..

For the logos I just used a minila folder as my stencil and cut out the logo.  Needed to touch up the 'tabs' to hold the logo in the circle after pulling off the stencil.

Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High gloss Latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Ana White Admin

bbcarey

Fri, 01/29/2016 - 21:18

I give you credit when people ask how I got started in woodworking because until I found your site and my first project (library cart) then 2 helper stands for my kids and other friends kids and it just went on from there. The skils taken from this site and learning Sketchup have brought a lot of nice furniture to our home as well as a sense of confidence to me!! Thank you!

MoxieMan13

Sat, 09/12/2015 - 19:10

My son really wants this and I promised him that I would make it.  Do you have a PDF or anything of the outline of the batmobile?  Thanks! 

Woodlandfox

Sun, 02/21/2016 - 14:29

Thank you so much for the greatest idea ever!  We stumbled on this and believe it will be the perfect next bed for our son, however, we cannot download any of the files.  Do you have a PDF of the measurements or any other form you can upload so we can make this bed?  Thanks in advance!  Great work!

SDonahue9807

Tue, 12/06/2016 - 07:23

I apologize if I am just missing this, but... do you have step by step instructions on building this bed? I see the pictures of each part and its corresponding dimensions, but I cannot located instructions on assembling the bed. 

 

Thanks!

Shark Shack

I had my eye on this clubhouse bed from the Pottery Barn kids catalog and was so excited when I came across this plan and my hubby offered to build it for my 4-year-old. I think it actually turned out cuter than the Pottery Barn version! Thanks so much, Ana!

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Eggshell Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Single Sink, Double Vanity

I started by searching Ana’s website for a vanity plan, and found a really great jumping off point with this plan. The problem was that it was for a single sink in cabinet size. But I was looking for something about five feet long that would incorporate a drawer and countertop area so my little miss will have lots of space for makeup and hair products and all those other girly things. I added a shelf to the cabinet, made the top 66" long and added a drawer and some spindle legs to give it the extra length it needed as well as a vanity area. I also incorporated Ana's genius idea to make the kickplate into a pull out step stool with drawer slides and some scraps. My blog post features the modified cut list as well as my step by step assembly for it. I love this vanity and am so proud to say I built it all by myself!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Oak stain and three coats of Rustoleum Spar Varnish (an outdoor varnish as this is a humid and wet environment) to the base and five on the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X beach beverage center

Submitted by one wolf on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 06:52

We used old dock wood for the surface of our X table for a nice beach house beverage center (sand bar!).  We adjusted the size to fit our space (a little longer and wider) and used additional studs for the shelves instead of 1" shelving, glued and PH/PS together.  To cut the X pieces I just held the 1x1 on the end of the table where it goes and marked the lines. Then I clamped a guide board at the correct angle on the table saw to make all the cuts, starting a bit long and shaving off until it just fit.  

 

With all the pocket holes and screws I wouldn't consider this a beginner project. Some additional steps and pictures in your description would help also.  End result is really nice.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Patina wood from an old dock for the surface and the base is painted flat gray.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

L-Shaped Triple Bunk

Submitted by mommy to 3 on Sat, 09/01/2018 - 20:21

We recently had our 6th child and needed to rearrange our kids' rooms.  We decided to put our 3 oldest girls together and wanted a triple bunk.  We used the classic bunk plans, but increased the height to allow for a middle bunk.  We wanted L-shaped to give each child some headroom.  We used pine wood, common board and select pine.  We finished it off with two coats of Behr interior latex paint/primer in one, satin finish.  Finished dimensions--height from floor to base of bottom bunk, 10 in.  from floor to top of top rail, 79.5 in.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350 for wood/screws
$40 for paint
~$500 for tools--this was only our second build and our last build only required a drill.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr interior latex paint/primer in one, satin finish. Color is "classic silver"
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bcheese06

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 20:41

This is exactly what my boys need in their room. I'm having a hard time grasping how you did the middle bunk. Is it just the top bunk chopped right before the horizontal slats of the bottom bunk? tia

Rustic X Console

Modified to have more of a modern style. Removed shelf and half the X. Also, lengthened it to 11ft. Love!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Garage workstation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/21/2018 - 20:11

Still a work in progress

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ten Dollar Ledges Fancied Up

Submitted by ipassat100 on Fri, 07/29/2011 - 22:55

I added crown molding to the bottom of my ten dollar ledges to add a little fancier look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ramie (not verified)

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 14:38

I have two that are ready to hang, but need to paint the wall first. Might add to them before I do.......thanks for sharing!

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 16:00

so cute!! I want to make these!

loniwolfe

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 19:54

This looks great! What a wonderful idea! I have a question, Other than the moulding on the bottom, did you follow the plans exactly (Like used the same dimensional boards Ana said to use)? Just asking because yours came out looking so much better than mine (which very well could be the paint job and moulding fooling my eyes into thinking the other boards look smaller, lol)

Great job and thank you for sharing!

Becky Darrington (not verified)

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 10:16

I did use the same size boards that Anna said they just might be a different length.

Merbear (not verified)

Fri, 01/13/2012 - 12:15

I love the finished look! So classy!
Is there an added piece on the bottom of the moulding?

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 01/26/2012 - 20:02

wow that's amazing. I so need those. LOL everything you post is very stylish and functional. You know I work at a high school. I could see getting the art class (which makes projects like these) to do these for my classroom :)

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 08:50

Where are the instructions posted?

mparks100 (not verified)

Wed, 02/15/2012 - 11:23

This is great as I am a photographer and love to switch up my photos often. Saves the walls from holes and is just a great idea! I also did not see all the instructions but will have my husband duplicate.

Charmaine (not verified)

Wed, 04/11/2012 - 15:07

This is great. I made the ledge and plan on adding the crown molding. How exactly did you hang them?

Gradyne (not verified)

Tue, 07/17/2012 - 13:11

I have high ceilings. I have been trying to figure out what to put at some of the windows to dress them up a bit. I think I may add them to the den area. Photos would be out of the reach of all the grandchildren, but photographs could been seen without cluttering tables.

sdaguinsin

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 09:00

Has anyone tried using a 1x3 for the back instead of a 1x4? Can anyone think of any reason it would not work?
Also thinking of making it deeper since the crown molding will provide extra support. I want to add more depth so that I can install a power strip under shelf, behind molding so that I can turn it into a charging station. Any thoughts on this? Would love to hear other opinions on this before I start building and then realize the problems that may exist in my plans.

Emmy Soren

Thu, 09/15/2016 - 18:54

I feel so stupid... I have never used any sort of molding before. How do you use it? I went to lowes tonight and I don't know where you get the edge piece. My husband (who doesn't build things except for computers) says he thinks you just use part of the long strip and cut at a 45° angle. Is that how?

then what do you use for the bottom portion to cover the gap?

sandy.p56

Sat, 08/12/2017 - 10:50

I found Ana's site a few years ago and have been dreaming about things I want to build for just as long.  I'm finally ready to get started, and I thought these ledges would be a great way to start.  I love the moulding on the bottom, but I have no idea what combination of pieces to use to get this look or what sizes of moulding to use with the 1x4 and 1x2 boards.  Can somebody help me?

Tsu Dho Nimh

Tue, 08/15/2017 - 13:21

Sandy - take the picture to any lumber molding department ad start trying combinations.

 

The original pic was using some crown molding, but a fancy baseboard or other molding would look good too.

Camp loft bed

Submitted by dmather82 on Sun, 08/25/2013 - 18:15

My first build... Not perfect but it has led me down a new path... Thank you soooo much Ana! More to come and a plan of my own in the works!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Platform Bed with Shoe Trundle

Submitted by vendo on Tue, 11/22/2022 - 08:08

We had some bulky items that needed to be stored. So I came up with dimensions for a low platform bed so the bows could slide under. I decided to build a faux drawer to conceal the bulky items and added shoe storage into the faux trundle drawer. Of course I used one of Ana's plans for the basic idea and modified from there! 

bed with trundle storage bed

bed legs

bed frame 2x4

inside bed frame

bed support

Small Cedar Fence Picket Storage Shed

Submitted by Pembat on Sun, 10/06/2013 - 20:37

Built this in a weekend, took about 1.5 days. I ended us using 2x4's instead of 2x2's, I think it resulted in a much stronger frame. I also built a base for it to sit on. I got pre-stained cedar fence boards, and overlapped them 1" instead of a 1/2". Pretty easy project, I ended up siding the back on the ground, installing it, and then adding the side walls without the siding (just the framing), and then sided them in place. The doors work perfectly. I took my total inside dimension between walls, made sure the opening was square, and then divided that by two to get the width of each door. I then took another 1/4" off that, so each door had an additional 1/8" gap, it worked perfectly. When I set the doors, I put them on a piece of roofing closed as I screwed in the hinges, and then opened them and removed the roofing. I opted to run the door siding horizontal to use up a bunch of waste wood. I'm happy with the outcome. I also found some 6" self starting lag bolts and lagged through the back of the shed into studs (through the siding) into the garage behind it.

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

Faux fireplace mantel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/11/2023 - 06:14

Took the faux mantel a step further and created a faux brick interior by cutting into the wall and building a simple wooden "hearth" to rest the candles on. I've had many people over to my house and they all thought that this was a real (although out of commission) fireplace. Faux brick panels were purchased on Amazon which comes in a plastic-y kind of material. Not quite styrofoam, but some type of foam that is easy to work with. Came in a white color, but I simply rubbed it with shades of beige and gray paint to achieve the look I wanted.

Comments

Dress Up Storage & Puppet Theater

This is a great way to double up on space & creativity! My dad and I built this dress up storage/puppet theater for my daughters using Ana White's plans with added inspiration from The Picky Apple's post about their own top shelf and theater hacks - you can view it here: http://www.thepickyapple.com/blog/2011/03/24/dress-up-storage-bin-and-p…. We added hinges and magnetic catches to the front so that the storage center can be turned around and opened to lay flat for access to the puppet theater.

 

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
primer then two coats of Valspar semi-gloss (in some pink I can't for the life of me remember or find the chip for!)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

tua16273

Sun, 10/04/2015 - 12:44

Hi, I read you tweaked the plan and then did not know the dimensions of anything in the beginning. Have you gotten them since?

Garage shelving unit

We made this peace 12 feet long, the hardest part was to find straight boards at home depot and adjust the feet because of an uneven garage floor. It was my first big project and hubby helped so I can't take all the credits :)

Estimated Cost
$126
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Book Ledges { $10 Ledge Plan }

Submitted by Shorty on Fri, 10/25/2013 - 14:58

We used a pocket hole jig to build the ledges (to practice using our pocket hole jig), and loved how easy it was to put these together. We made each ledge 32" so we only had to use 1 1x2 and 2 1x4.

Turns out these ledges work perfectly to "house" or baby's books (and a couple of our own in the mean time). Love this build –and so much cheaper than buying (or building) a bookshelf!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr's Swiss Coffee in Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project