Community Brag Posts

Hanging Organizer

Submitted by Coopernest on Mon, 09/12/2016 - 07:57

After following Ana for a couple years, I finally got to build something. This was made after watching the you tube video, I used old redwood fencing that was salvaged from a friend headed to the dump. I decided I wanted mine wider so I adjusted the measurements. It went together great, I hung it up before the metal was attached and found it looked funny being so wide. With the pocket hole construction, it was super easy to undo, trim and redo. Then the metal was added and walah! Done! Lovin it. I also made a TP storage hanger to fill the extra space. I will now be making them for 3 friends who have asked for them.

Estimated Cost
$15 is about what I spent for the metal bar and hooks and screws. The wood was reclaimed.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
sanded to allows the chippy paint to come off, but not all the way. I like the weathered look and sealed with 2 coats of Valspar clear matte sealer spray.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Bay Window Standalone Desk

Submitted by jonnymac on Sat, 07/19/2014 - 16:16

This is a bay window standalone desk. The desk has an enormous top and fits snugly into the bay window. It did not have to be attached to the wall. There are four pieces in total: the top, 2 base units and a support that spaces the desks at 36" and further secures the top.

The base unites are built from the File Base Classic Wall Storage System and the top is glued up 2x12s that were planed down and straight edged.

Estimated Cost
$175.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The bottom was painted with Chalk paint from Lowes and the top is stained with one coat of Jacobean. Both top and bottom were sealed with a Minwax Protective top coat.

This was my first desk to build and learned a great deal. Looking forward to my next project!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Hamper

My family is expanding, which means more laundry! (I am 39 weeks pregnant now) So I decided to build a big enough hamper for us (two adults, one toddler who constantly dirties his clothes). For finish, I tried to mix two stains "weathered oak" and "dark walnut" and I think it came out really nice! I must admit I love my new hamper!

Estimated Cost
$40~50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
weathered oak : dark walnut = 2:1
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

momkanof6

Wed, 04/01/2015 - 05:00

I liked this design of hamper you made. After looking at your photo and doing some figuring I started working on my own yesterday. So far I like it, although I think mine maybe taller. Again I really like your idea here.

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/27/2020 - 12:15

Modified the plans of the outdoor sofa and sectional piece to create this set, then added cushions from IKEA.

Finish Used
SuperDeck Cedar Tone Natural

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

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

Andrea's Sewing Table

Submitted by Ben Ben on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 18:07

I built this table for my wife and I love how much space this table saves when it's all folded up.

More pics and details on our blog: http://bendrea.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/andreas-sewing-table/

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 09:22

I really like the way you used the brackets instead of legs. I've wondered about the legs getting in the way, too. Obviously when you changed the measurements to fit your space you also made the "wings" of the table top shorter than in the original design. How big are they? What is the finished width/length of the tabletop when it is opened up?

Ben Ben

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 18:34

Yep, I made the table a bit smaller to fit our place. I only made them 12in x 24in. But if I had more room, I wouldn't hesitate extending the wings to 18+in x 24in. The brackets are very stable and could easily handle larger leaves. The table fully opened up is 39.5in x 24in.

Cabin Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/23/2017 - 07:40

Spent my time home from work building this for the cabin this summer. will be using coushions from ikea that are water and uv resistant as well as double sealed with removable covers for washing. 

Estimated Cost
120 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
dark walnut and an oil based varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Desk

Submitted by LelandM on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 14:34

I found the Fancy X Desk plan and loved it. I shortened the length to 4 feet and added a little monitor stand on top so I could put stuff under my monitor and not have to sacrifice desk space.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax Kona stain for the bottom. For the desk top I used Primer and Satin paint sample that I found for $3 at Lowes. The sample was plenty to paint the whole top and I still have half of the jar left over.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Baby Cradle

Made this from typical dimensions of other cradle plans online and designed it off the cuff. Years ago, my dad made a cradle for me. I thought this would be a fun project to make for friends and family for their new little bundles of joy. The bottom is braced with the idea that older children will probably be playing in it. It was tested up to 65 lbs. All for approximately $60 with the mattress. Hopefully the recipients like it as much as we enjoyed building it. 

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Light Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

My First Project

Submitted by loniwolfe on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:23

Summer 2010 My first building project!
I did not intentionally leave the bottom shelf off. When I bought the lumber, I didn't realise you could buy 6' boards. So I ran a little short. Woops, lol. But I think I like it better this way.

I selected beginner project because it was my first project and it turned out great! the only thing I ran into was that I bought the wrong length of boards so I didn't have enough to finish the shelf. lol.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
After Cutting all the wood but before putting it together I used a white outdoor stain/sealer first and then painted it white. I don't remember what kind of paint I used though.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Storage Cubbies

I used 1x8 instead of 1x6s and added an extra column to fit the exact space I wanted my cubby. It is perfect for storage of my Sizzix dies! The more corner clamps you have, the faster this will go.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Homemade chalk finish paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fillman Platform Bed and Headboard

Thanks to www.shanty-2-chic.com for these amazing Bed and Headboard Plans! My daughter had got to the age where a toddler bed was to small, so thankfully I was able to stumble upon this great plan! Needless to say she LOVED it!!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Providence Bench - Heavy Timber Version

Submitted by sawduster on Sat, 10/28/2017 - 15:37

My wife saw the examples of the Providence Bench on this website and thought we could use one on our front porch.  We had some heavy lumber from a huge pin oak tree that we had taken out of our yard, and that was used in the construction.  In one of the attached photos, you can see the cross-section dimensions of the two top boards are 6-3/4" x 3-1/4".   The legs, main beam, and angle braces are rough cut, full dimension 2 x 4's.  Due to the lumber dimensions not being the same as standard commercial lumber, I had to vary the dimensions slightly.  Because of the dense, thicker lumber, construction took longer than it would of had I used pine or other softer wood.  I used a Kreg jig attachment to drill the holes for the screws.  We painted it with Sherwin-Williams 1021 Hi-Tech Black exterior grade acrylic paint.  The final weight is about 105 pounds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $100; I used lumber from a tree that was removed from my yard, and a friend with a sawmill milled the lumber at minimal cost.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams 1021 Hi-Tech Black exterior grade acrylic paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday