Community Brag Posts

Jewelry Box Retirement Gift

Submitted by JoanneS on Mon, 04/20/2015 - 17:19

This jewelry box is a gift for a friend at work who is retiring.   It is a variation of the Easy Jewelry Box, with the following modifications:

Hinged lift-up top with mirror

Overlay drawer fronts from ¼” craft wood (Gold stencil on top false drawer front, and drawer boxes are 1/8” shorter than the shelf from front to back, to ensure the fronts sit flat against the box front and drawer back doesn't touch the box back at all)

The bottom is 2 pieces thick, to allow space for the drawer overhang and attaching the bottom moulding.

Solid wood back (instead of plywood)

Top and bottom edged with mini stop moulding to make the overhangs, and added feet made from lattice

Removable drawer divider tray and 2 heights of removable dividers for the top, made from dentil, lattice and screen bead mouldings

I really took my time on this build to get everything just right with the build and the finish.   Probably spent about 6 hours spread out over the last few weekends. 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Cost: 1x8 and 1x2 Lumber and finishes were already on hand (left over from other projects) and I spent about $25 for the mirror, hardware, felt, mouldings, and craft board.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats Clark & Kensington semi-gloss paint + primer in Crushed Peanut, sanded between coats. Stencil: 1 coat Americana Gloss enamel metallic in glorious gold. Soft wax on the shelf and drawer bottom.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Linda7

Tue, 04/21/2015 - 18:57

This is your best one yet, Joanne. Love it! :-)

JoanneS

Wed, 04/22/2015 - 18:29

Hi Linda, thank you for the nice comment! This was a fun build, and I'm very glad to say the gift was a big hit! :)

Chair Build with Loveseat Modification

Submitted by Joshh81 on Sat, 09/02/2017 - 12:26

Built the 2 chairs according to the plans, and then modified it for a bench that's 48" (our cushions are 23.5 x 23.5). Worked really well!

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

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse Coffee Table and end tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/08/2021 - 06:58

My dad and I built these amazing coffee and end tables during a Christmas last year. We modified the ends to for a “M” instead of the traditional farmhouse “X”. Our last name is Mayberry-so the M was fitting. Sadly, my father lost his battle to cancer and this was the last project we did-one that will forever hold precious memories! Thank you for the fabulous plans!

Comments

Rustic X Farmhouse Table

We were able to finish this table after work one afternoon and stain it the next day. (we have a 16 month old also, so you can do it! :) ) I wanted a similar style I had found at World Market that retailed for $700 we were able to complete this entire table for $100 including all hardware and stain. LOVE it so much and get SO many compliments on it. Thanks so much!

Shelby
The Dandy Lion

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
A satin poly with espresso stain in one
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Low Activity Table

With three little kids we needed some place to put the loads of toys that we have.  The first time I saw this - I knew I had to build it!

This project was quite the task.  For me building is a breeze - it's the painting that is the process!!!

 

I started working on this on Sunday last week - it was built in about 3-4 hours.  Painting took forever, and three colors!

 

Love for you to check out my blog post with all the details, even my painting flub up.

Estimated Cost
$108...$70 in wood, $30 in Wheels, $8 in paint.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded...primed...sanded...random painting experience...ended with Rustolium Kola - Semi-gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

inside corner wall cabinet

First cabinet in my kitchen remodel.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwood by Sherwin Williams. Special purchase 5 gallon minimum. Water based lacquer. Dark Mahogany stain, HVLP sprayed on lacquer.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pantry Shelves

Submitted by DIYAZMOM on Wed, 12/29/2021 - 09:03

We enclosed an unused wet bar and then I built the shelves to make it into a pantry.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

My Parson Chair

Submitted by LeaG on Mon, 07/08/2013 - 17:55

I loved the Parson Chair plans on this site and wanted them for my dining room! I modified the plan simply by making the chair 2" narrower and the seat back 2" taller. I also made the slipcover removable (and with fringe), so that I could change it up as I wish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75 for two
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Farmhouse Dining Room table with 2x4 chairs

Submitted by NeekosMac on Thu, 08/01/2013 - 13:28

Modern Farmhouse Dining Room Table (with pocket hole) and 2x4 chairs with plans reposted from morelikehome.net.

Surfed the site for the right plans and dove right in. Thank you for the inspiration all!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Pecan and Poly coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Accidental Sectional

Submitted by JoanneS on Fri, 05/18/2018 - 09:44

This project evolved from us purchasing the wrong foam to go under 4 area rugs.  After it didn’t work for the first rug, we had 3 more rolls of the stuff that we couldn’t take back to the store (we had waited too long to do a return).  I originally had intended to buy an inexpensive sectional sofa for the downstairs family room, but with all this foam staring at me, I decided to put it to use and make sofa cushions.  There was enough foam to do a whole sectional!

 

The sofa frame is based on Ana’s Outdoor 2x4 Sectional sofa.  I adjusted the size, because the fabric I wanted to use was 54” wide, and that would fit nicely around a 22” deep x 4” thick cushion.  Each cushion is 11 layers of the foam (seat cushions: 67 x 22 x 4, backs: 67 x 18 x 4). That length for the cushions fit exactly into the 8 yards of fabric available on the bolt.  The next week I ended up going back for some more fabric for the corner cushion and an ottoman that's in work. 

 

I had the frame assembled and was ready to add the final upper back pieces, when Hubby suggested we give it a slanted back.  That required a little re-engineering and a couple of extra boards on the back and armless end.  Instead of using 2x4s the full length for the seat, I had used some 1x2 furring strips reclaimed from another project.  Also used some of those for the upright pieces for the backs.  Added some 1x6 to top the arms and ½ x 3 ½” craft boards to the front to hide the cut 2x4 ends.

 

The cushions are covered in a polyester faux tooled suede (fabric from Hobby Lobby).  The cushion covers are slightly loose on purpose, to give the nice worn squishy look that a real soft leather sofa cushion would have.

 

It’s surprisingly comfy and we love the look! 

 

 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The finish is 2 coats of Clark & Kensington Satin enamel in Winter Storm. 

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ana White

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 14:47

You are so resourceful!  Love how this turned out!  Thanks so much for sharing such detailed instructions, much appreciated!

Free Farmhouse Table

I got all the wood from the dump. The best way to get a good glue up for the table top is joint the sides flat, and then hand plane the top for a smooth surface. Gorgeous table for nothing.

Estimated Cost
$0.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Non wax Shellac, Walnut Stain, Semi-Gloss Poly, Red Spray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Wooden garden tools storage shed

Our last project was building a tiny garden tools storage shed. We used only 1 x 4 boards. We don't have any plans, but you can watch the entire building process on our YouTube channel. We are very proud of the way the project turned out.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Toddler version of the platform bed

We reworked the plans for the pottery barn inspired bed into a toddler sized version. Arms were added near the head to prevent our child falling out in the first year. They ended up being something of a hazard in those early days, as our child kept hitting her head. If we were to recreate it, we would make the arms go up higher or without the finished top. The bed also was not lifted off the ground in as great of a proportion to the original.

The pine is left untreated and unfinished. The only glue used was homemade milk glue.

Estimated Cost
<$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondak Chair and Stools

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/14/2022 - 21:00

Plans were super easy to follow. I finished the chairs by using the Shou Sugi Ban technique. I burned the chairs and stools completely, than wire brushed them. I repeated the process a second time. I finished by adding a coat of poly which I believe gave the chairs a little more depth. They are so comfortable and plans were perfect. Thank you Ana!

Cornhole Boards

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/08/2023 - 18:09

I made one set for my son, the one with the stained top. His friends liked it so much and kept borrowing his set, that he wanted to surprise them with their own and asked me to build them one with the LSU colors. Thought they turned out great! Thank you for the plans!

Comments

Boot Room Before and After

Got bored, built a boot room! Thank you Ana White for the plans!

Comments

Bread Box

I started baking my own bread a few months ago, and storage was an issue. My husband decided to build me an old fashioned bread box and set out designing one on his own to fit in our small galley kitchen. I love it. It is a double decker, so I can fit two loaves in it just fine. The inside is coated with a food-grade sealer.

Estimated Cost
$20: $16 for the food-grade sealer and $4 for the handle, scrap wood used from other projects.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White spray paint, food-grade sealer inside.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 03:49

This is an awesome idea, can't wait to make one for my kitchen. Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing this!

Standing Outdoor Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 06:42

A friend of mine has issues with her knees but loves gardening so I built this to allow her to continue gardening. She loved it.

I didnt follow any particular set of plans I watched several you tube videos and combined different ideas from the videos to develop my own plan.

Comments

kids vanity stool & slipcover

I used all scraps to construct the stool modifying the leg height to 12 1/2" and the seat to a 12" diameter to fit properly at the kids vanity. See the complete details on the slipcover in my blog post link.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
no finish
fabric slipcover
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Washer Dryer Pedestals Bases

This pedestal base for the washer and dryer really created the perfect opportunity to organize and declutter our tiny laundry room. Had to resize it a bit to fit the space but it turned out perfect! I added a super easy top for an even counter space and bought some stock laundry room cabinets to sit in the back for extra storage. Such an upgrade!