Community Brag Posts

A place for all my wife's Fiestaware

My wife wanted a built in shelving unit for all of her Fiestaware.  I couldn't find anything that worked so I looked for large hutches instead.  I found a nice design on Ana White and saw some other modifications from other posters - came up with what you see here.  Turned out well.  I never worked with Blum hinges before so that was a learning experience.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
The glass was the most expensive component at $260 for 4 panes. Total cost was around $600.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Olympic One Paint and Primer in One - Semi-gloss with Snowstorm Tint. Door glass pattern is called Wicker.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Round Side Tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/16/2023 - 18:39

I first made a set of these for my wife to use on the deck. She liked them so much that she's using them in the living room! (Second photo.) These were made from rough lumber left over from a building project so took a fair amount of time to cut and prep. I don't have a planer so the belt sander outside was put to good use. Then, to make them them fit well, I recut the sides, and rather than pocket holes I glued them into a plank before cutting the rounds with my table saw. That also gave me a tight flat top.

Her friend saw them and wanted a set, so here they are. Again I recut the sides and glued them to create a smooth plank. This time I used the router and a circle jig to cut the tops, giving me a much nicer finish. They will be stained mahogany and finished with multiple coats of polyurethane.

The large one I simply upsized from the original plan, roughly scaled. It is 22" tall, made with 2x8 lumber selected and purchased at the box store. My wife's friend is totally delighted with them! Thanks Ana for the inspiration.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

American Doll Bed

Submitted by angiemicn on Sun, 02/05/2012 - 03:50

this is a staple of mine, one that I love and my nieces do too. Every time a niece, so far 5 have got them, I have them all ready, built, sanded, primered, and an activity that we do together, is paint the beds whatever color the girls want. They love it, we also sew a mattress, 2 pillows, and they get a crochet blankie to take. Really great bonding time! Also made 2 for the make one, take one campaign of Ana's. These are the cutest, sturdiest beds I've ever seen. And yes, every niece has climbed into their beds to "test" them out :)

Estimated Cost
25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Kilz 2 waterbased Latex, and bubblegum pink Behr Ultra Premium
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by jsc81979 on Mon, 12/16/2013 - 07:16

Great plan!! Easy to build and very sturdy. The only modification I made was to use 1x8's for siderails and raised the frame about 3 inches to make more room for storage. Thanks!!

Finish Used
Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Barn Door Console

Submitted by JHardaway on Fri, 02/26/2016 - 15:15

So this project took quite a while for me to finish, but I didn't cut any corners and expanded a bit on the basic plans that were offered.  Some notes on changes to the project:

 

  • Instead of leaving the gap in the bottom and middle shelves, I used a second 1x10 and ripped it down to the exact width I needed so that it would be flush (this was done for the bottom shelf and the middle shelf.
  • I added 3 supports in Step 5 at the back to provide additional support for the middle shelf.  
  • For the top, instead of 2 2x10's, it is 3 2x8's ripped down to 6.25" each, then edge glued.  A brace was then added to the bottom and used to attach the top to the main unit.  See the pictures for a better description.  
  • I also edge glued the doors out of 1x6's in order to get the dimensions I wanted.
  • I used a 1x3 at the bottom to give it more of a sturdy look
  • OK, so the big part that people complained about the original plans were the lack of information on how to do the rails.  I cheated and contacted a metal fabricator to make them for me.  Pricing was consistent with what you would find online for similar barn door hardware, but it definitely turned out better than me trying to do it myself. 
  • The stain is Minwax "provincial" and I used a wipe-on poly to coat it.  For the top, I used 400 grit sand paper between coatings, and let me tell you, you can see your reflection in the finished product.  Turned out really well!
  • My only regret is that I used project boards for the two end pieces, and so they don't quite match the remainder of the project.  I would have edge glued them just like I did the doors given the chance to do it over. 

Anyway, enjoy!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
OK, so cost was more than I expected. I probably spent around $500 on wood, supplies, stain, etc. The metal hardware was $250. So overall, probably around $750, but still way cheaper than something comparable would have been from a big-box store.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mentioned above, but Minwax Provincial stain. I used a rag to hand wipe it on, then wiped it off after 3-5 minutes. Three coats of wipe-on polyurethane were used, with 400 grit sand paper in between each step.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 05:40

I have a friend who had a dream to have a Thanksgiving table that would seat her whole family! She asked for Two extra benches for the ends. She loves her new table, and I loved building it for her!

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pool supplies storage shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/25/2023 - 18:50

I was looking for a shed to keep pool towels and other deck and pool items. This shed hit every feature I was looking
for. My husband loved the plans. He's always saying he can build anything with a measured drawing and a
cut list. The only thing we changed was the roofing material. we were given some metal roofing by a friend.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Doll Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by angiemicn on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 02:41

I love this design and have made several for family and for sale. This was the one I made for Ana's promotion, Make one, take one. This is the one that was given to charity, Wings. this is a house in our area for battered women and their children. As an ER nurse who sends patients there, I realize the importance of a well made doll bed, (Doll given as well) 90% of the time these kids have to leave their homes with nothing, no toys, no clothes, and I hope seeing this doll bed would help some little girl forget about the trauma she's been through, if only for a little while, and let her be a little girl again.

Estimated Cost
45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
sanded smooth, 2 coats of Kilz Primer, 3 coats semi gloss Ultra White, Polyurethane coat on top
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Doll Bunk Beds

Started by making these bunk beds for my 9 year old and then I made another for my 6 year old. I couldn't help myself, so I made 12 more for other people to give as Christmas presents. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none or spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Vegetable Bin

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/29/2016 - 10:55

I had a great time with my first project being this vegetable bin. I did have to have some help with the actual construction and I know it's not perfect. It's uneven and has flaws, but I think it gives it a little character.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bunk Beds with Climbing Wall

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/08/2019 - 13:26

I built this bunkbed for my boys bedroom based on Ana's plans with a slight modification to make it more fun for them- a climbing wall on the end instead of a ladder! I followed Ana's plans which were easy and clear to understand and the result is super sturdy and strong! We had IKEA bed slats already and they fit perfectly on the cleats to hold up the mattresses. I simplified the guard rail a bit and used a dark teal paint to finish. A 10 pack of climbing wall hand holds was purchased from Amazon (link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CM4DBN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asi…)- I needed slightly longer bolts than what were provided to go through the 2x6s but found what I needed at a big box store. My boys (6 & 8) absolutely love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

doll bunk beds

doll bunk beds painted tangerine with bedding

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
1. Prime
2. Two coats Glidden sunbaked orange
3. distress
4. seal with clear satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse table

Submitted by Ejnikolich on Sun, 12/22/2013 - 06:28

We started out practicing on end tables. Take your time carefully picking out your lumber. We ended up with a slightly warped 2x10. There is no give in a big board like that so it put us behind. The picture shows it stained with minwax "Provincial" and one coat of minwax satin. More coats for the top are in progress.

Estimated Cost
$90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial and satin clear.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Scroll Legged Console made by RW Creations

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/02/2016 - 12:01

I found these amazing plans from Ana's website here.  Couldn't be easier!  I modified mine a bit to fit the space and used recycled pine wood for my project!  The Scroll legs I used my jig saw to cut them out with the great stencil provided in these plans.  I was really happy with the result, as I only had minor sanding to do to make them match up when I glued them together.  Since I was painting this piece I used dry wall mud over the seams on the legs to hide the joints (a lot less expensive than wood filler).  Since it was all recycled wood I had to do a lot of sanding but it saved me a lot of money!  So very happy with this project!  Thanks for again for the amazing plans!!!

 

Randi Wolf

RW Creations

Estimated Cost
$150-$200.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I stained the piece with a dark walnut stain. I then painted it a Chalked Ivory. Sanded the edges to bring the dark weathered look through and then sealed it with Varathane Triple thick polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Downsized Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/11/2019 - 10:25

This table was modified because my dining room is really small. So the table is 71"long x 35" wide. This was actually my second attempt on the table top. The first attempt I only used kreg screws and no glue. To say that it warped is an understatement. This second attempt I used kreg screws and biscuits. For the breadboards I tried something new and used Rocklers Beadlock system. I also used Z- clips to mount it to the base so that as the wood expands and contracts it will hopefully not warp. So far it's remaining pretty flat.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General Finishes Graystone, General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint, General Finishes Flat out Flat Topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondack Chair as Housewarming Gift

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 11:18

Just delivered these Adirondack chairs to my son and his GF as a housewarming gift for their first home. They selected the colors and they turned out perfect! I used a countersink for the front screws and filled with plugs so it looked very polished!

Bookshelf for our nursey based on your terrific Channing plan

Submitted by Astern on Tue, 12/24/2013 - 14:24

Great, simple bookshelf for our nursery

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 for wood, $150 for paint and tools I needed
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Flat wall paint -- the same we used for the trim in the room.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My gigantic bed!

Submitted by ThiaD on Sun, 03/06/2016 - 07:45

Thank you so much Ana for providing such good plans! I use your Mom's Fancy Farmhouse Bed plans and added drawers underneath (a girl can never have too much storage!) using your Under Bench Trundle Drawers plans. I made it look a bit different than yours so it fits with the desk I already have in my room and used Mortise Bedlocks to assemble it, so it will be easier to take it apart when I move next time. This was my first project using your plans and my Kreg Jig and I'm hooked!

Estimated Cost
600 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Narrow Farmhouse Table - first build EVER :)

I built something!! I really want to build a bed for my son, but wanted something a little simpler for my first project. This table came together very easily. I can't wait for my craft room to be done and get all my sewing machines set up on it - Thanks so much for your site, Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
primer/paint/spray polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

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