Community Brag Posts

Thank you!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/06/2016 - 17:12

Thank you for the plans!  Love the shelves! 

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by Mack1447 on Sat, 11/23/2013 - 09:52

This was my first build and I am so happy with how it turned out! The instructions were easy to follow and I learned a ton throughout the process. I had a little bit of trouble getting the angles right for the X's. I ended up just placing the boards against the wood at the angles they needed to go, scribing with a pencil and then angling the wood/blade to match the cut as someone described in the comments. It's not perfect, but pretty close. I originally planned on staining the table, but thought it looked a little to dark so I ended up painting it white. I can't wait to make the end tables now!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I started out by staining the table with Minwax Special Walnut. It looked beautiful but just wasn't right for the room, so I painted two coats of Glidden Antique White paint on top of the stain. I then hand sanded the edges to give it a distressed look (and let some of the stain show through) and applied two coats of Minwax Polycryclic in satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Full size loft

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/01/2019 - 18:46

Built a full size loft bed for my kids but wanted something safer than having them climb up and down a ladder so used the Camp Loft Bed plans to add the platform and stairs. It is much easier for the kids. Going to finish by covering the platform and stairs with carpet.

Estimated Cost
180
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Comments

Sandbox with Cover

The cover is a tonneau cover for a pickup truck. It's for a 6.5' truck bed so if you notice, I had to ad a 2x4 and one more picket on top to accommodate the extra length. 

The cover would add a ridiculous amount of money to the project but it was repurposed.  I found it on a truck that was in an accident and going to the scrap yard. I think it it came out great and my grandson loves it.

John

Built from Plan(s)

Garden Tool Storage Rack

Submitted by kwildman on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 20:45

This isn't an Ana White plan but I've learned so much from this site that I designed and built this garden tool rack. Its pine 2x4 construction. I love it!

It is 84" tall x 72" long x 26 wide (opening) and 48"wide for garden tool hangers.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse table, table extension, and bench

My wife and I recently built this farmhouse table with her grandpa. It was a lot of fun and we are really happy with how it turned out. The table is 80 inches long, 43 1/2 inches wide, and 31 inches tall. The extensions are 15 inches long and 43/1/2 inches wide, and the bench is 61 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 19 1/2 inches tall. 

It tooks us about 4 weekends (around 32 hours) to finish the project and the included rebuilding the base of the table after our first one cracked. 

We modified the plans a bit. We used 4x4s instead of glued together 2x4s for the legs on the table and bench. 

We also used the plans on this blog (http://tommyandellie.com/?p=2582) as a guide. 

This was the first time my wife and I have tired a DIY project and we had a ton of fun. Her grandpa had some experience with wood working and had all of the tools we needed but you can certainly do this without any extensive wood working experience. 

 

Sorry for the duplicate post. This is my first time on the website and the first time I posted it came across as 'guest'

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We put on one coat of minwax pre-stain wood conditioner. Then we added two coats of stain of a custom mixed stain from Sherman Williams. We started with the Wood Classic Rustic Gray. The store then tinted the stain until we found the color that we liked. Note - the table looks grayer in person than it does in some of the photos. Finally we applied 3 coats of minwax water based oil modified semi-gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Sports Cards Sorting & Storage Cabinet

So... I am a pretty dedicated baseball card collector as well as a new found hobbiest in wood building. It's been an ongoing issue in my household with my baseball cards and boxes cluttering up our dining room. I decided to resolve the issue while still being able to keep my cards in the same room with even easier access without being an eye sore! This just might have saved my marriage! I searched for months for plans for some sort of baseball card cabinet but they just did not exist. The closest I could find for what I was looking for was a storage bench plan here on Ana White. I liked the idea of a top opening for hidden storage. It was too small for what I needed. I then came across plans on another site for an aquarium stand cabinet. I figured the combination of these two projects was what I was looking for. After a week of planing and drafting and 3 weeks of construction/finishing in the little spare time I have, I created what you see. People in the card collecting forums I'm a member of are begging for plans or for me to build them one! Problem is, this is the first thing I have built following my own design and plans. I could pass these on but no one in their right mind would be able to follow my scratches on paper but myself! I'm extremely proud of the outcome but am looking for a way to come up with plans I can share! Hope you all like, and if I can come up with a way to make follow able plans I will share! This was all assembled using the kreg jig system, wood filler to hide the knots and lines where the wood joined and lots of sanding!

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Black satin interior high def paint, wood conditioner & gunstock color stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

CSaintD

Tue, 05/27/2014 - 08:38

Nicely done! How did you make the top? Is that a project board? It's very smooth.
I believe Ana uses "Sketchup" which is a google program to do her designs.

BadgerBen82

Tue, 05/27/2014 - 17:37

The top was a 24x72 edge glued alpine board I found at lowes. Just cut it to size and a little extra sanding. Awesome cut of wood and for only $37.

Jessee

Mon, 10/12/2015 - 17:19

Would you be willing to share some basic dimensions such overall size width, depth, and height and door measurements to get an idea?

Rustic X Kitchen Island with 4x4 Legs

Submitted by Rich2727 on Fri, 06/20/2014 - 10:52

In order to make this island a little beafier I used 4x4 wood for the X as well as the the top and bottom braces. Top is made up of glued up 1x3 maple wood. It looked really good raw, but decided to stain it to give a more uniform look. I bought the rustic handles and the bottle opener on Amazon.com. I used lag bolts and washers for the finishing accents...similar to the pottery barn island. Painted them with Rustoleum oil bronzed paint and then dabbed it with a paper towel to give it a rougher finish to it and then sprayed the casters as well. This was a fun project and are getting a lot of use out of it. Thanks goes to Anna for the plans and inspiration for this island. Rich

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mriddle

Fri, 06/20/2014 - 11:44

i keep debating if i should do this, you did a great job. i like the 4x4 sides.

Susan Hubbard

Sun, 06/22/2014 - 08:25

Rich, I love the changes you made with the 4x4's. You made a gorgeous piece of furniture! Can you share with me where/how you attached the drawer/shelf sides? I'd like to follow how you made this, but can't tell from the pictures. On the original they look inset from the 2x4's, but your space is taken up by 4x4's. Would you mind sharing??? Thanks!

Rich2727

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 16:36

So, I ripped the 4x4 cross pieces down by 1/2" so that the side panels would rest inside the rectangle and flush with the 4x4 frame and up against the X.

Did that make sense?

Susan Hubbard

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 18:28

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. I'm going to make one similar to yours :)

Susan Hubbard

Mon, 06/23/2014 - 18:28

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. I'm going to make one similar to yours :)

Beautiful steps

Directions worked like a charm, thank you, Ana for what you do!

Comments

Baby Ray's New Closet!

Submitted by Katurn89 on Wed, 11/14/2018 - 08:24

This was the second building project I've ever completed. I had to make a few adjustments to make it fit the size of ray's closet, but it was totally worth it. most of the work was in the measuring, sanding, and sealing of the wood. Ftting the frames can be a little tricky if your planks aren't perfectly straight. Otherwise, this project was pretty straight forward and can be done in just a few days depending on how much time you have to dedicate to it. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Early American stain and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Sectional and Pallet Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/20/2016 - 17:56

Hi Ana! 

My husband used your plans to build the 2x4 outdoor cedar sectional :) He did it in 1 day and it couldn't have been easier! He even tried first time working with pallets to make a small table and it came out perfectly too! Can't wait to enjoy family time on our new back porch.

Thanks Again & Love From Austin ❤️

Kathleen 

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

meredithl

Thu, 10/24/2019 - 16:35

Hi, your furniture is beautiful.  May I ask:   Where did you find your cushions?  And what color/ brand stain did you use?  Lovely job.

Seasonal And Holiday

Console Table

Submitted by kcragun on Sat, 08/16/2014 - 21:36

The Tryde Console table was the inspiration piece. Used kreg jig to join the top boards and connect the legs and aprons. The bottom stretchers were similar to the Farmhouse table plans. I plan on using this outside for a grilling table. I am not going to apply a finish - I want to see how the wood changes when exposed to the elements - hopefully it gets a nice Restoration Hardware-type finish.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Router table w/ rockler table, fence and lift

Submitted by 1n4001 on Fri, 11/02/2012 - 08:19

Built Patrick's Router table and added a rockler table, fence, and lift to finish off.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$90 in lumber and hardware + ~$460 for table top, fence, and lift + $170 for bosch 1617evs router
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
raw, probably sand and spray some poly on it in the near future.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Patrick Hosey (not verified)

Fri, 11/02/2012 - 09:10

Yes! Enjoy. It'll be the most valuable tool in your shop trust me.

patrickhosey

Sat, 11/03/2012 - 19:28

Here's a tip for that 1617 router. Try putting a bandaid over the on/off switch. That thing will get gummed up if left uncovered. It's annoying.

jimssolidwoodp…

Sun, 03/05/2017 - 21:13

My question for Patrick is when he built the top section for 2 small drawers and middle section for the router access..

Did Patrick put on top a 3/4" pc of plywood then the router table top.

Can l attach my router table top to the top pc if 3/4"plywood then my table top is 1 3/4" thick that it would be to thick could you email to let me know please.

Jim

Farmhouse Style Toy Box / Blanket Chest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/17/2017 - 11:17

I built this for my daughter after Christmas sinse she had the living room covered in toys. The dimensions are 37" x 18" x 20" 

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Watco Danish Oil - Medium Walnut (2 coats) with a light sanding between coats with 220 grit, I allowed 24 hours between each coat to dry. To protect the surface I used water based polyurathane matte finish (3 coats) with a light sanding - 400 grit.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jwelch

Wed, 01/18/2017 - 13:06

Great job! Can you share more about how the legs were constructed and joined? Was this project based on Ana White's "Simple" toy box plan? Any info appreciated.

jgreaff

Tue, 01/09/2018 - 05:51

HI Anna, 

Can you provide more pictures or instructions on how you assembled this toy box? i want to make one just like it! 

 

Thanks!

apezz

Wed, 03/10/2021 - 16:31

Looking at the wall panels they look like the long edge of each panel has a small bevel cut on it. This gives each panel edge a more pronounced or well-defined edge? Is this true? Was it done with a router?

Christmas Tree Shelf

After building myself a Christmas Tree shelf for 2019, friends and family wanted me to build them one for 2020. Three people wanted a smaller tree so I scaled down the plans and used 1x4's ripped to 3 inches. I also included cup hooks (3 or 4) and an aluminum french cleat hanger I found on Amazon for about $5 each when you buy three.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10-$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Various stains. Including mahogany, pecan, oak, special walnut, and white. Three clients wanted theirs unfinished.
For a top coat I used spray lacquer on one of white-washed trees and clear Krylon on another. No top coat was applied to the other trees.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by wabilinski on Fri, 11/07/2014 - 13:04

Wanted to build a couple chairs to place around the fire pit and enjoy roasting marshmallows on crisp fall evenings.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$40 each
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-Valspar Duramax Exterior Matte Tintable Latex-Base Paint and Primer in One
-Cabot Satin Spar Varnish Aerosol Spray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

American Girl Closet

Submitted by katecreate on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 20:54

Built this American Girl Wardrobe from Ana White's plans for two of my daughters and my niece.  They turned out absolutely adorable! I used scrapbook paper for the back of the wardrobe to mimic wallpaper and modge podged over for durability.  I built all three at once!  Put all three wardrobes together in one night, but took a few weeks for caulking and painting, filling and sanding.  Think I paid around $45 each for supplies when all was said and done.  I think they are going to love these and are built so well I am hopeful they pass them on to their kids some day.  Love the idea and plans, spot on!

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Had wood cut at Home Depot and measurements were perfect from plans.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner