Community Brag Posts

I know there are a hundred brag posts of the $10 ledges, and I have used them before (and posted them) but I am so happy with how these turned out!

Its too bad I don't have a good before picture, because the things I love most about these are the colors and the interchangability and it would be easier to explain with the before picture!

I have had pictures in cute matching frames on the one wall for years, but the frames were too light for the wall color, and the floor and furniture, so I needed to darken them up. Additionally, we got a black tv stand even though the floor and couches are dark brown. (TV is black, so it works) So I made the shelves black to pull that in. Then on the shelves closer to the tv, I used black and silver frames, and on the ones above the brown couch I painted all my light wood frames darker.

As for the interchangability, its a lot easier to pull the frames down and change the picture when you don't have to worry about how they look together - I can just move them around on the shelf. I've always had a hard time getting a "gallery" look just right - something will always hang lower than I want or whatever. So I finally got it perfect with one 10x13 of the kids together in the middle of 4 8x10s (one of each) and a few little ones to mix in. Then we had to go and have #5 and mess my whole system up! :)

So he's 16 months now and his picture is finally on the wall, and was taken last May - so sad..

But my other set of shelves has pictures of everybody - even me, yikes! I decided they look better full so I used all the frames I had, and got some cheap ones and thrift store frames and put them all together. "controlled chaos" just like the rest of the house/life!

Thanks Ana for giving me the confidence to know that I can make it myself, I never would have gone out and spent the money to buy matching frames, but knowing I could just do it myself I was able to get it done for cheap!

We completed this project over several weekends, but that was mostly because we only worked on it for an hour or two. I was THIS close to purchasing a $499 coffee table from Crate and Barrel, when I saw these plans. I wasn't sure how the drawers would work, since we couldn't find short enough drawer slides, so we kind of had to improvise by making our own. This way, we avoided the extra weight from a third piece of plywood on the bottom-most level. We had the sanded plywood cut at Home Depot, and amazingly it fit perfectly! We used the Kregg Jig on almost everything, except for the plywood, because our screws were just a touch too long for 1/2". We definitely had to measure each drawer individually, because they were not the same! (Can you tell? I hope not). It's a good thing I was going for the rustic look, because every time I had a bad spot, I could just hammer it around a bit and make it look worn. We finished this project with a stain and sanded off the edges to keep it from looking too perfect.

We had a great time with this project, and are trying to refrain from starting on the console table!!

Loved how this entry table/ sofa table turned out! 

To contribute to an upcoming family wedding, the mother of the groom asked me if I could build the couple a guest book bench like the one we had at our wedding. We only had a few days to build, so instead of using the same Rustic Bench plan I chose Ana’s 5 Board Bench. I had some spare 1×3′s so I decided to add a shelf to the bottom for added stability. It turned out to be a really cute bench! The little details were fun to add. For the art on the top, i traced their last name and wedding date in Cecilia font onto printer paper straight from my computer screen since my printer is out of ink. I taped it in place on the bench, then traced over it with an empty mechanical pencil which indented the outline on the wood. I filled it in with a silver metallic Elmer’s Painters paint pen. The guests used a fine tipped paint pen to sign it at the reception. A bench is so much more fun than a plain old book! Now they have something to display and use in their new home together!

Built this in the summer for my son's birthday, so I don't remember exact details or costs, but it was my first build, ever. It took a few hours to build the bed. Many more to sand, prime and prime. Then I glazed the cracks with an antique glaze, valspar brand I think, for a more rustic look. Sanding and finishing was about a week while waiting for coats to dry properly.

I made this project for my gentleman friend.  He didn't have much of a childhood, so I made him this toybox and then filled it with toys from the 80's as a birthday present.  These plans were perfect for the occassion.

I certainly spent more than the estimate.  This was likely because I used select pine boards, and my finish was rather complicated including some pretty pricey hardware.  However, the thing I like most about being able to make my own furniture is that I can make it exactly how I want it, and sometimes that ends up costing more money.  In the end, I have a table that "looks like a Leonard project" according to my uncle, which is pretty much the highest compliment that can be bestowed on such things by any one of my uncles.

I also spent more time than was mentioned by others.  All told, I spent about 24 hours on the project over a four day stretch.  I did the project on my own, and my process for filling holes and sanding is rather laborious.  I actually went through that process twice even though sanding is, by far, my least favorite task.  The finish was also quite time intensive.  

Speaking of the finish, this was done in all water based since I live in a condo with very little ventilation.  I started with Minwax waterbased stain in American Walnut.  I then applied two coats of white wash before sanding it down to reveal more of the wood grain.  I'm so pleased with the finish!

However, the thing I'm the most proud of is how square this thing is.  Math teachers could build accurate trigonometry word probems off of this thing!  I decided to reverse engineer the most important bits in order to ensure squareness.  For example, I built the table top first.  I then drew out a perfectly square outline on the bottom side.  I then used counter sunk screws to attach the frame to the bottom side as well as the Kreg jig to fit the pieces of the frame together.  Similarly, I cut the bottom piece of playwood perfectly square, and then I attached the 1x12s to the plywood to ensure everything stayed square.   Those 1x12s are just too swervy otherwise, which can become rather unweildy.  

All told, I am very pleased with the finished product.  I love having the ability to build high quality furniture that will live on for a long time to come.

This was my first project. I actually made 2. One for my niece and one for a friend's daughter.

This is my first completed project. I repurposed an old four poster bed frame. I used the posts for the legs (they are a bit skinny). I spent about 10 dollars on the slats. Everything else was from my garage. A pocket hole jig and an orbital sander would have made this a lot easier. Sorry about the photo rotation. I can't seem to change that!

I came across the plans for the pate rack and realized it would be a perfect fit in my dining room. My house is just shy of its 100th birthday and I have been tackling renovation one room at a time. I have been trying to find new ways to use all of the materials that have been removed or replaced during my renovation. I was able to use the damaged shiplap and warped baseboards from my first room's renovation and create a plate rack shown.

Thank you for the plans!

Beautiful fall planter front porch by farmhousewifey on Instagram

I made this for a friend who just didn't want to spend upwards of $600-1000 for a large 42"x42" coffee table. Hmmmm... I wonder why?
I'd seen Ana's plan for the turned leg table and thought I could make something nice that would be more in their price range.
I always tell the people I build for that they'll have something pretty and functional - unless or until they decide to add it to their burn pile. So far, there haven't been any fires.

We needed storage for my son's room, and this project provided the perfect shelves for all those legos.

used a keg jig so all screws are hidden underneath. Lots of sanding, but was worth it for the finish though. 

Measured 3'6"W X 8'L X 30"Tall, seats 6 to 8. Built it entirely from red oak. I built and upholstered these 8 chairs to go with this table. All the wood I used on all of these dining room furniture you see on this photo came from trees damaged or felled by the April 27 tornado outbreak near where we live.