Community Brag Posts

Rustic Computer desk with Shou Sugi Ban and Epoxy Top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/14/2023 - 14:16

I slightly modified the Rustic X Desk plan to make my L shaped computer desk with a monitor platform! The desk surface is Shou Sugi Ban with an epoxy finish. All made from stock lumber and a lot of pocket hole screws. Thanks for posting your plan Ana to give me the idea! Construct for around $200.

Built from Plan(s)

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Entry way Table

Submitted by MikeB on Mon, 11/28/2011 - 09:37

I used the narrow farm house table as my starting point. I added two shelves. I used select grade Pine for this project for all except the 1x12 that was used for the shelves. I didn't want to spend 30 bucks for the select grade 1x12 for the shelves, so I used whitewood for that. I used pocket holes to join the 4 1x4s that makes up the top. I sanded the joints to try to give the appearance that it is a single boards. Can't tell unless you really look close. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. Biggest problem I had with this project was my 10 year old cordless drill. Batteries would only hold a charge for 4 or 5 pocket holes, so this project took me much longer then it should have. That's okay, I used the time waiting on the drill to charge to sand, and measure. That problem has been corrected with the Black Friday sale at Lowes. My next project is a desk for my daughter, I designed it myself, but would never have attempted something like this without this great website!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax pre-stain conditioner, Red Mahogany 225 stain, two coats for minwax Polyurethane clear gloss. lightly sanded with 220 sand paper between 1st and second coat of polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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Simple Bedroom Bench

Submitted by PattiSAZ on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 09:34

I added just a little bit of extras to this bench. I was wanting to match some of our bedroom furniture detail to it. This was my first home furniture project and with Ana White's plan, it was very easy to do. Thank you! Looking forward to what I can make next!

Estimated Cost
100.00 with extras
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Mirawax American Chestnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sliding mirror cabinets

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/15/2016 - 18:42

I made a sliding mirror cabinet for each of my  5 girls as Christmas gifts this year.  I added a stencled back and provided lots of hooks for hanging jewlery and varied shelf distance for hairs sprays, lotions and nail polishes. They love them and filled them full. Thanks so much for the great idea and plans.

 

Estimated Cost
$35.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I sprayed them with a sprayer and used a stencil with 2 different paint colors.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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Patio renovation

Submitted by Tia P on Wed, 05/29/2019 - 19:25

Built these pieces in one day.  I made the chair first and decided to modify plans to do the loveseats for lounging.  The stain is Honey by Minwax and used an outdoor polyurethane.  The seat cushions are 24x24 from Wal-Mart and I waited for a sale at At Home Store for the rest of the cushions. 

Estimated Cost
Just benches were about $100. Total amount of cushions were probably 3x that.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey stain with outdoor polyurethan
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Our new barn door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/20/2023 - 07:49

We had an open pantry that was an eye sore in our updated kitchen. Im 75 years old and I always liked to take on new projects so I thought about building a barn door from scratch. It was a bigger opening than one would think of as a pantry goes (at least I thought as much) . The opening measured 50 x 60 approximately so the door was made 56 x 65. Plenty of door to cover the eye sore. The door was built more or less on our garage floor and up on four saw horses! I had no idea if it was was going to be successful and the staining was yet to come (Gulp) As Ana said just do it. Well the build came out pretty good Squared and level. And I totally suprised myself staining the wood to the color we were looking for. Self help videos are very helpful so Id consider it before starting out. Everything was a process and I took my time. As with some things I have attempted in the past rushing sometimes ended with disastrous results. Oh boy, not to mention a waste of time, materials and money. What I hadnt bargined for with this project was the final weight to this barn door. IT WAS HEAVY. In any event I purchased the hardware for the railing and handles and pretty satisfied the way it came out. I had no plans to work from but settled on a build that I saw from several websites on barn doors.

Built from Plan(s)

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Barn Wood Frame Birthday Gift

We loved the barn wood frame plan, and we just happen to have a barn that is coming down soon, so this project was a no-brainer. The picture is actually a metal sign purchased half off at Hobby Lobby, and was the only expense associated with the project. All he did to the wood finish was plane and clear coat.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None, just a clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fillman toddler headboard

Submitted by brogers67 on Sat, 11/02/2013 - 15:02

Loved this design as was sinple and elegant and easy to execute !! Constructed out of salvaged timber so only real cost involved the screws and paint .

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

JoanneS

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 18:15

What a great bed, this is super cute! Love the decorations for the headboard. Looks better than the PB Kids bed!

Slightly smaller version

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/18/2016 - 20:23

I love how this fits our space. I shrunk the measurements to help use up some of the scrap fence board pieces I had left over. Holding up to the pounding of a 2 year old and his legos pretty well.

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
spray paint, and minimax stain with poly on top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Coffee Table [Beginner/Under $40]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/25/2023 - 03:46

Than you Ana, My first time ever that I have made anything - my coffee table taking pride of place. Looking forward to making my next project from your plans.

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Kitchen Island

Submitted by lbrown on Sun, 12/11/2011 - 19:52

I made this kitchen island for my mom last year by repurposing two cabinets and building a bookcase for the back.

For details: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2011/11/28/kitchen-island-for-m…

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used white paint for the finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Finished the amazing playhouse loft bed

Submitted by gftl33 on Tue, 11/05/2013 - 12:27

My granddaughter is so in love with her loft bed! She feels so special, and she is! Thanks for such wonderful plans.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I created the brickwork by using 1/4 " tape 3 colors of paint sponged on to create 3 dimensional looking "bricks". Added trim at seams, mitered corners around window and door. Fabulous house!,,
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 11/05/2013 - 14:05

Love this project! It is absolutely beautiful! Your paint details and trim work make it a castle! :)

Great Hall Tree Plan!

Our first major furniture build so the great plan really helped out. Positive feedback from everyone who sees it. We ended up building the "3-drawer open shelf simple entry console" next and modified the design to match this hall tree. We couldn't find baskets that we liked so made the custom crates for storage. On the entry console we built drawers with the crate design on the front.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$340
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Min wax aged oak gel stain with tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farm Table for Birthday

Submitted by Docmike on Sun, 06/23/2019 - 20:15

This table was for my wife's birthday present.  I followed/modified the simple and pocket hole farmhouse table plans.  The table top is 1x12 pine as I couldn't find any cedar that wasn't cupped or warped after several weeks looking and wanted a wider board top.  Then we used the easiest padded bench plans, adding height as suggested to the legs and using 3 cedar 1x6's for seats.  All tops were sanded and sealed before 4 coats of marine spar poly were used.  

Thanks for the plans, Ana.  

Estimated Cost
$300 - $400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pro Polyurethane Spar Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Little Kids Picnic Table with Umbrella

Submitted by Handy Andy on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 11:35

My daughter was given this umbrella at Christmas, but needed a table to go with it.  Ana's plans for the preschool sized picnic table worked perfectly.  I built it using one standard sized shipping pallet and even got to try out my new router!  Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Small Cedar Chest

My husband built this for his grandma as a Christmas present. The frame is made of white pine and then the slats are cedar.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain in Provincial on the pine, and clear coat on the cedar.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sunshine Art

I used wood glue and scrap 1 x 2s (yellow pine). Cutting the 1 x 2s, 9 inches long (there are 5), I sanded them and then glued them together with wood glue, leaving them clamped together overnight. The following evening, I stained the piece with a light wood stain for the rays. The next night, I used painter's tape to create my version of the sun, so that my son, who wanted to paint it, didn't feel pressure to stay in drawn pencil lines with a paint brush. My son picked out the colors and where to paint them from my Lowes oops paint collection. After the paint dried, I sanded very lightly to give it a bit of an aged feel before applying 2 coats of Polyurethane to seal it, lightly sanding between coats. A self leveling picture hanger finished it off. The finished product was not too much bigger than my IPad.

I was inspired by two other bloggers' bigger projects.
http://www.iammommahearmeroar.net/2013/10/how-to-create-giant-art-for-g…
http://www.inspiredbycharm.com/2012/01/from-wood-to-wall-the-making-of-…

I like a bit of the sun on the wall.

Estimated Cost
$4-$6
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Pecan, 3 different oops paints, 2 coats of Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Play Vanity

Submitted by tcalford on Fri, 01/22/2016 - 13:59

Last year I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Ana White's website when researching play kitchens as a Christmas gift for our little girls. I had never built anything previously, but the plans seemed simple enough, I enjoyed making their gift, and they love playing with the kitchen set. I looked for something to continue the Christmas gift tradition this year and found the play vanity plans shared from That's My Letter. It turned out great and was again simple for someone who doesn't have many tools or experience. The girls have enjoyed playing with vanity very much, much more than I imagined. I look forward to finding something to continue the tradition for next Christmas, and hopefully to have time for a few other projects in between! Thanks for all share these plans.

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

Deck sofa

Love the fact that I can build just what I want for my deck furniture! I built this two seasons ago, and since I hate refinishing furniture, I used deck paint to finish it. It leaves a little rougher surface, but since I made cushions it really doesn't matter. The paint looks almost the same as it did the day I painted it after two years of winter snow and hot summer sun.

Estimated Cost
$180 including cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Deck Over paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic X for the win!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/10/2023 - 16:57

This was my first Ana White plan after lurking for awhile! I’ve dabbled with other DIY furniture and woodworking plans but this my first one for indoors that required some more meticulous finishing. Super happy with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)

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