Community Brag Posts

Grill Station

Submitted by JDillen on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 15:32

Grill station

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

For my soon-to-be niece

Submitted by mikeanddad on Tue, 12/20/2016 - 07:46

Thanks for the great plans! I built this toy box with my dad for my soon-to-be niece.

We followed the plans closely, but added four additional parts:

1) Added 3 inch foam, batting, and fabric on the top of the toybox

2) Lined the interior. We used 1/8 inch harboard. We cut the harboard to size, used spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the harboard, and then attached the hardboard to the toy box with loctite adhesive.

3) Added two handles to the side

4) Used a vinyl sticker pruchased from Etsy with my neice's name on the front

We used semi-gloss paint and finished the toy box with sem-glass polycrylic (brushed on, not the spray can).

Enjoy!

Best,

Mike

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Custom Garage Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/12/2024 - 09:44

This is a combination of the Ultimate Garage Shelving Plans (https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/ultimate-garage-shelving…) and the Best DIY Garage Shelves (https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/best-diy-garage-shelves-…). We mostly followed the Ultimate plans but didn't add the metal supports. Instead, we had shorter spans and were able to attach the shelves to the upper part of our metal storage shed. Simple plans, easy to understand, took a weekend for two adults to complete.

Seasonal And Holiday

X - Farm House Table

I modified this plan just a little on the ends, and I can not tell you how pleased I am with it! I did run into some issues with lining the boards up properly due to imperfections (and not laying the boards out ahead of time in the store because I was rushing at closing time), but in the end, I decided to add a wood filler in between the boards and everyone just raves over it. I could not imagine it having come out better. I would not do it any other way. 

Thank you Ana!! 

PS... I have a wonderful idea for a loft bed, but the plans are not provided. I know you would do it justice.. how do I submit the photo????

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Satin, Custom mixed stain, stainable wood filler, sander.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

jeffross

Sun, 01/07/2018 - 07:22

My appologies if I'm missing it but are there build plans for this table.  I would really like to build this for a friend but I'm not sure my skills will enable me to free style this. Thanks in Advance.  Jeff

cjtrunk21

Fri, 05/29/2020 - 11:50

Did plans over get posted for this table? Love the design. Thanks.

Extra tall bar stool

Submitted by Jbonacci3 on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 12:18

I built a breakfast bar into an existing wall shared between our kitchen and living room. I built it on the taller side of average since I wanted to have room to install new electrical outlets above the counter on the kitchen side. After the project was done we went to buy bar stools to use with the new bar and found that even the "tall" stools were too short to work. Research into extra tall stools showed that what we needed was going to $400-600 each! Luckily my wife found these stools on your site and we were able to make three of them for around $115. Also, they are much sturdier than anything we looked at to buy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted frames with Valspar paint + primer (black). Padded and covered seats with a canvas material.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Breibee23

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 23:53

This is a saving grace... We didn't want to spend 600-1400 on extra tall bar stools that actually look good and this plan rocks as a stand in :)

Drop Leaf Kitchen Island

Submitted by Boab on Wed, 03/01/2017 - 19:01

When I recently moved into a space with a kitchen and living room attached, I quickly realized that I wouldn't have room for a full size dinner table. I had seen extendable kitchen tables but none fit the bill, I was looking for something more compact. I also liked the idea of a bar / island with storage underneath, and I had noticed some had a drop leaf on 1 side which would be useful – but why not have 2 leafs for more dining space? When I decided to build my own table to fit these requirements it was difficult to find any plans out there, especially with drop leafs. Through lots of experimenting and research I finally built what I had envisioned: a kitchen island / bar with cart storage and two folding table leafs which expand to about 31/2 feet squared of eating / drinking area. I went through this trial and error process so you don’t have to, find more pictures and instructions here: http://bacheloronabudget.com/diy-drop-leaf-kitchen-island-cart/

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-Minwax Special Walnut Stain
-Minwax Wipe-on Poly
-White Paint (I used Rust-oleum Linen White)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Engine 23 Fire Truck Bed

Submitted by brandon1 on Sat, 02/16/2013 - 22:54

I have always been interested in some kind of projects and just to see what I can do with my hands. I am a father of 3 and hardly have the time to sit down must less pull off a huge project but I set aside some time and worked on this late at night after the kiddos went to bed. I came across this site when my wife was on pintrest one night and have been hooked ever since. I was at work one day and saw all these different projects that I wanted to do and that's when I ran across this bed and I could not wait to start working on it. I called my wife and sent pictures of the plans and said meet me at Lowes we got a project to work on lol. I had a blast working on this and yes I did run into a few problems here and there but overall it came out great. When I went in I originally was going to follow plans to a T but decided that I would make changes here and there as I went. Due to height contstrictions in my son's room I lowered the overall height by two inches which worked out perfect. I did build the steps but I also made the back where it would come apart for east movement. I only used actual pine boards on the steps and the rest is 3/4" MDF board. I ripped everything on a table saw to exact width and length and drilled all my holes with a Kreg Jig. Alot of people are afraid to use MDF but believe me I could shake that bed as hard as I can and it doesn't even budge one bit. It is heavy duty built for a monkey child like I have. The project overall took around 30 hours from start to finish. My only suggestion would be to paint every step of the way instead of waiting to paint until the end like I did. If you have any questions about the build feel free to ask and I will help out the best I can. Thanks Ana for the plans and thanks to atouchofarkansas for the original inspiration for you guys have gave my son years worth of enjoyment. Can't wait for the next project to start.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
375.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Premium Paints
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Window Shutters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/05/2017 - 09:33

I really wanted to add a layer of depth to the front of our house, and my favorite option was adding new shutters! I used fence boards to keep cost low and to be sure that the wood would stand up to all weather conditions. I protected the wood with an oil-based sealant made for exterior use. I attached the cross braces with chunky screws and painted those black. I love how they turned out!

Estimated Cost
About $45 for the wood (my shutters were just tall enough to need a full fence board each - you may be able to double up) and about $36 for the chunky screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used the oil-based Varathane Satin sealant - not stain color required.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/05/2017 - 13:31

Great bench

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Blanket ladder

Submitted by JMG on Fri, 06/24/2022 - 21:04

I built a ton of these as Christmas gifts and they were a huge hit! I used 2x3's and made them in different heights. Thanks, Ana!

Comments

Christmas present from my husband!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/03/2019 - 18:03

My husband made this for me for Christmas. He changed the size a bit but overall stuck to the plans. He used Jacobean stain by Varathane and 3 coats of matte poly by Varathane as well. He used an HVLP sprayer to apply the poly and I think that made a huge difference in the smoothness. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Jacobean by varathane 2 coats on top with paint brush and used rag to wipe away.
Matte finish by varathane for poly. 3 coats with HVLP sprayer.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Faux Fireplace

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/29/2022 - 05:37

Small space faux fireplace. Thank you for the plans for the faux fireplace. Easy to make and has been used for every holiday.

Comments

Dog Kennel Coffee Table

Submitted by JanetK on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 09:28

I love this project. My dogs Goldie and Chloe love their new house. They are sisters who just have to sleep with each other. They had their own metal crates but when Chloe was a puppy she would always go in with Goldie and they would snuggle. It was a tight fit for them as Chloe got older but they still had to snuggle. Now they are in heaven with their new bedding and house.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Ebony Stain
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 09:42

This is beautiful! Trying to convince my husband that we should do this so I can get that grey plastic dog crate out of our living room. Maybe this will show him how much better it would be to build one.

Loni (not verified)

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 20:54

Great minds think alike! I want to build one for my dog, but as a bedside table. Beautiful job! That top with that grain is just stunning!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 13:48

Where can I find the plans for this?

pinkfox125 (not verified)

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 12:08

What did you use to seal the stain to make it look so shiny? or what brand of stain did you use? that looks incredible! I'm thinking of some wainscoting on the sides as well for my project...

jessestond

Thu, 07/03/2014 - 12:43

Your post inspired me to pursue this project with some left over walnut and it turned out great! I think my post is on page 10 if you're curious. Thanks.

Ziva n me_ goi…

Thu, 07/31/2014 - 03:41

I'm going to try to make mine larger as my fur baby is Grt Dane/Lab mix & needs a bit more room. My idea is to put it at end of my king size bed like you would a cedar chest/hope chest. Wish me luck!

Rolling Workbench with "Drill Holders"

Submitted by Joni on Sun, 03/18/2012 - 11:03

Given that I work out of my garage, I desperately needed a rolling workbench in order to roll out, make the sawdust mess, and roll back in. I had already made Michaela's island for another purpose inside my house, and I loved the sturdiness of the 4x4 posts as legs. I had industrial-type locking castors, but they only screwed in with a threaded post. Thanks to my engineer dad, he determined the best way to attach a screw-in castor to the bottom of the 4x4 (and did all that work for me!).

The size is modified from Michaela's original plan to include a 3 1/2" overhang all the way around for easy clamping (and top is 6' x 2.5'). I also cut a 2' piece of PVC pipe into 3 sections and attached for my drill storage. I put full-extension glides on the drawers and made some dividers from scrap wood.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
4 coats of Spar Urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

birdsandsoap

Sun, 03/18/2012 - 13:29

This is beautiful. If anything you create ON this table looks nearly as beautiful as the table itself, you have found a new profession. Good job!

Rustic X console

Submitted by Chriss_lee on Sun, 04/17/2016 - 19:51

Our very first DIY furniture piece my husband & I made. We absolutely love it & will definitely be doing more DIY projects together.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Perfect playhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 06:37

Perfect little playhouse my husband built for our girls.   It took about a week to build by himself, but worth every minute.   He did a wonderful job.   Such a good daddy!

Estimated Cost
1400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full over Full Bunk Bed

Full over Full bunk beds. Adjusted for Full from a twin measurement. only 1" off floor for more head room.extra rail bar coverage upstairs for my daughter who rolls out of bed regularly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
used common board mix and a few premium cuts. Pine was more costly. @$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White primer/paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bjerfr

Sat, 07/11/2020 - 10:12

What measurements did you use to adjust to a full size?

DIY Electric Fiireplace Bump Out

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2023 - 11:23

“She believed she could, so she did!” ~ R.S. Grey

Christmas fireplace of my dreams is now a reality!!

Really surprised myself with this project in the best way! It was a stretch of my skills, involved lots of critical thinking and modifications to fit my space. But I absolutely love how it turned out and it’s always a good day when you get to play with new tools!

Whitney Metts on Instagram

Seasonal And Holiday
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