Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse King Bed

Submitted by J_hebert on Sat, 03/28/2015 - 20:22

We finally built the #1 Project on my to do list. Took about 3 Days total with finishing and all. Love it so much, defintately my fave project to date! Have to do nightstands next!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
One Coat Minwax weathered oak ( Canadians can find it at Rona) One coat Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

one wall project

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 08:54

 My kitchen is huge but has little counter space since I pulled out two oversized peninsula(6'x3') island things in my kitchen that had no storage. I also found out there was an outlet behind each one. The only outlet on the wall I am showing was covered. I was relieved to find it. I decided to build the Farmhouse Kitchen Island & Bar Plans and put a few shelves over it for coffee and tea. I made one drawer and one flip down drawer face. I put a large bowl in the cabinet below the drawer to catch coffee grounds. I alos made the cabinet 4 feet instead of 6 due to the space. I also trimmed a 1x3 down to cover the bottom foot plate so stuff doens't collect under it. I also added wheels so I can move it out if we have a lot of company for extra seating. The drawer faces are recycled barn wood from my sisters property. They are clearing out what was a 100+ year old barn that had fallen over. The shelves are from the same wood (I used bronze spray paint to paint the brakets on the shelves). I sanded it down just enough to get the splinters off. I used 4x4's for the bar side and bought a pre-made butcher block from Menards for the top. I stained it with carrignton stain from rustoleum except the barn wood I just clear coated. Oh, I added 12 in drawer slides to the drawer. The mail sorter plan is from http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2016/02/rustic-chalkboard-mail-organizer.h… I made it bigger to fit the space. The organizer took a day the shelves to a couple hours and the Island took a week off and on. The secretary is an antique passed down to me along with the chair. I am planning on making the full size Island later on, with a few adaptations.

Estimated Cost
5-6 hundred

Butcher block was $80, wood was around $350 and hardware was another $50-60.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Carrignton stain from Rustoleum, clear coat, Bronze spray paint, Butcher block oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Deck Chairs and Loveseat

Submitted by c.winks on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 12:59

Love, love, love your projects and plans! I have made 3 of the Modern Outdoor Chairs so far, as well as the Modern Outdoor Loveseat and they are amazing. I purchased both the seat and back cushions for my chairs before realizing that the back cushion had nothing to lean against, so I modified the design and gave the chairs alittle more personality. Keep those plans coming, I can't wait to try more.

Comments

Lee and Beth's Simple Nightstands

Submitted by community-cont… on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 10:39

we’re back with another furniture project. This time we built the Simplest Nightstand. Actually, we had enough lumber that we were able to build two of them! It was a little more difficult than the coffee table and side table, but still wasn’t bad once Lee figured it out. The hardest part was getting the drawer to fit right. The first one Lee built, he didn’t get the drawer bottom square, but the second time around went much smoother. The first time, he cut all of the pieces out at once, but the second time, he cut and fit each piece separately. This proved to be very helpful. For the side pieces, we used plybead instead of plywood, and nailed trim pieces underneath the table top. Also, instead of using two separate pieces on the table top, we used the top off of an old tv tray that we weren’t using anymore. It was the perfect fit, and looks really good! Both tables cost us 50 dollars and took about 6 hours to build both of them. The first table took 4 hours to build, but the second one only took 2! We absolutely love your easy to use plans, and can’t wait to try another one! There’s so many great plans to choose from, we’re not sure what to try next!!

We love our new tables, thanks again for another great plan! We’ll be back!

Read more about Lee and Beth's Projects.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25 Per Nightstand
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bookshelf/Wall Seperator

I made this for a friend who needed some separation of 2 rooms. It works well as a see through wall/storage. I seen a photo of this and made it to the specs of that. It is 65" x 31.5" x 11 1/4". It turned out really well and very sturdy. The boxes are 12"x20". Bottom shelf is 7" from the bottom. I used all shelving wood which I would change now if I knew how much it chipped away and how heavy it is.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mostly Kreg jig the project and painting before assembly would have been a better choice looking back.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Table Complete!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/01/2017 - 20:10

I've very happy with the results of my "Fancy X Farmhouse Table" project.  I modified the dimensions to fit our space; this meant making the table thinner and re-sizing the "X's" proportionally.  Also, for trimming the edges of the "X's", I came up with a combination of base board pieces at the end of the 2x4's.  I hadn't used wood stain in over 20 years because I had gotten such blotchy results.  This project reintroduced me to stain and I'm glad it did.  Turns out, the secret is proper sanding AND the use of a "pre-stain" product that sets up the wood for good(even) absorption.  Polyurethane was used as a sealant, while the base frame got white semi-gloss.  Cheers, good luck on all your projects!

-Robert
 Bellingham, WA

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain, Minwax "Early American" Wood Stain(2 coats), Minwax Polyurethane(2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:22

Cedar planter boxes made largely from fence pickets.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Modified Apothecary Media Unit

We started this project when Young House Love agreed that I should paint the old, dated brick wall. Then we bought new couches. Then we needed a TV stand, and a coffee table to match.

This started out a project for me. I was in love with those 16 little drawers. My husband .. not so much. I saw a way to secure all my stuff from my soon to be crawling little one. Hubs saw 16 little blocks. So, after it was all done, we tore off the drawer faces, and started over.

I decided to not to do the doors. I was too worried about baby smashing her fingers, or me tripping over them and breaking the hinges, so we went with bins. They have a metal frame for durability, but are wrapped in a durable canvas to make them safe for baby. They’re a perfect fit for the center, and the feet side effortlessly across the paint. (There’s no polyurethane on mine yet!)

Extra Info:
The smaller baskets are from Target. ($12 for both)
The large baskets are from the Container Store. ($20 each)
Lumber was from Lowes of Streetboro, OH. (About $80)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100, w/o accessories
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The blue paint is Olympic's Lava Grey ($16 @ Lowe's)
The stain: "mistint" Autumn Harvest (.49 cents @ Lowe's!)
The knobs are from Ikea (Elizabeth, NY). ($17)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Kid's country bench

This was my first building project from scratch! I have modified some thrift store finds, but this was the first from lumber. I learned to countersink! I was amazed at how easy this was, and I'm so excited that this bench will sit by our front door for my three boys to perch on when they put on or take off their shoes. I went with 3 cubbies to hold three pairs of shoes. It also works great for a couple of kids to sit on at the table for when we have guests and need some spare seating.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oak stain (one coat) and polyurethane (2 coats).
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic entertainment center

Built for a bike shop. 90L x 20D x36H

Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Entertainment Console with Barn Doors

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/04/2017 - 12:03

This was an easy project. It turned out great. I made my own hardware from using the video on Shanty 2 Chic website. That's for posting the plans. 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Classic Grey stain and Dark walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full size bed size

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:47

Loved your plans for building a bed frame- easy to follow.

Comments

Liberty Wall Art

Submitted by kari on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:05

When Ana posted plans for this I immediately fell in love with it. I had a friend visiting, and I thought this would be a great project for us to do together.
A lot of time spent on this project was taking apart pallets, not an easy job. My poor friend did that part, she is great! I think the old pallets really made this look as good as it does, they were already so rustic.
The pallets were free and collecting free pallets was an adventure of it's own. I found a large piece of particle board in the depot's scrap bin for 51 cents! Can't beat that.

Estimated Cost
cost of paint
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I chose paint samples from the depot and had them mixed in the cheapest paint they had, which was Glidden. I just got the flat.
I used a drybrush technique to let some of the wood texture show through.
I had to cut out my own stencils to get the stars just right, but I love how it turned out.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My 3rd build off this site

Submitted by psilver on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 08:13

I modified the dimensions slightly and opted to not mount the fold down doors as I figured they would always be open anyway.  I built this mostly from solid red oak save for the bottom panel and the middle panel, which are plywood.  I crafted the top out of 5 pieces tongue and grooved with mitred corners on the front.  I also tongue and grooved the doors with glass insets.  I finished it in Minwax red cedar under poly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax red cedar
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Dining Room Table

Submitted by ceconzett on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:28

We needed a large dining room table for our space and couldn't find one we liked that didn't cost a fortune.  We adjusted the plans to make the table 9 feet long.  Also, around the edge of the table we added a 1.5 inch frame.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Espresso stain on top, Light Navajo White paint on base, and Water based Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Storage bench/ coffee table

Submitted by DianeS on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:59

The storage bench/ coffee table, customized for a small room to hold my son's lap top, and game controllers.
I cut it down from 48" to 36" and it worked great!

Estimated Cost
40.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax goldon oak with 3 coats of poly clear satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bunk Beds with a Maine Cottage twist

I built these bunk beds for my almost-10 year old twins this spring! These were modified from the Side Street Bunk Bed plans to accommodate the longer Twin XL mattresses. I took inspiration from the Maine Cottage bunk bed collection for the end panels of the beds, and added furniture feet as finials on each post. It was a fun build, but pretty time intensive as I built both sets at the same time. This was my first major build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar premium paint+primer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Becca trunk

Submitted by bzhayes on Mon, 04/06/2015 - 06:42

I adjusted the measurements to make it longer and wider. I also looked the original Pottery Barn trunk and tried to copy the multi color finish. I had so much fun building this!

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

Comments

Linda7

Tue, 04/07/2015 - 21:21

This is indeed beautiful! Would you mind sharing where you found your handles? Any words of wisdom on the finish? Thank you!

In reply to by Linda7

bzhayes

Tue, 04/28/2015 - 12:07

The handles are from Ace hardware--I had to spray them antique bronze since they only had them in silver. I stained the trunk is dark walnut from minwax and then used diluted paint in barn red and teal to spread some color here and there. Finished with some polyurethane in satin (spray). That's it!

Linda7

Wed, 05/06/2015 - 17:39

Hi Beverly,

I just sent you another email, and then found your comments here. (I forgot we had communicated before. Old-timers disease! lol) Just checking on the hinges. Thanks, Linda

saomkinar

Tue, 12/25/2018 - 19:42

I don't know if you will check the comments on this brag post since you posted almost 3 years ago, but I'm also curious about the hinges to use. I have watched some youtube videos that show how to chisel out a space for the hinge, but I know there must be an easier way and an easier hinge to put on this box. 

Thanks so much ,

Apryl