Community Brag Posts

Pet Kennel

Submitted by ecsorah on Sat, 09/17/2011 - 13:13

My dog is very scared of thunderstorms and was always trying to find the a place that she could hide, which was usually under my desk. I decided to build her the pet kennel so that she could have her own hiding spot.

This was my first project and I definitely learned a lot in the process. I learned how to use my kreg jig and that I much prefer using a hand saw over a power saw. I also learned about accent bases. This project probably took longer than it should have but it was my first! The husband and I are very pleased with it (and he can't believe that I enjoyed the hand saw so much!)

Sorry for the poor picture qualities, we have not finished unpacking yet...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around $60 ( I had a few things)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Outside - Oops paint - Glidden Accent base red delicious;
Inside - Oops paint - Sherwin Williams - light beige color don't remember name;
Oil Rubbed bronze Rustoleum spray paint on the hardware
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

loniwolfe

Mon, 09/19/2011 - 16:57

Great job! And I love how you painted it, it really pops! I've been wanting to build this for our dog, and let it double as a bedside table. Any suggestions or things to watch out for in the process?

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 11:27

Thank you for the compliments!

What I learned in making this was when suing the kreg jig, not too much pressure or it will split the wood. I also learned about the importance of predrilling. Make sure you check for square and remember (because i didn't) that the plans don't include a bottom! I had previously made my dog a bed that I had stuffed with two old standard sized pillows and it fit perfectly in the bottom!

AmusingMJ's Fancy X-Leg Farmhouse Table

Submitted by amusingmj on Mon, 09/30/2013 - 05:58

We built a dining room table for some of my best friends. It was our first table build and a year later it is still beautiful! If you want to see a few 'in progress' pictures check out my blogpost on it at www.amusingmj.com/dining-room-table

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Works well painted too!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/18/2015 - 04:21

Came together so well. Thanks to Ana and pneumatic addict for tips and plans

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint varathane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pallet Inspired Coat Rack

Submitted by thehallway on Sat, 02/09/2019 - 15:33

I built the coat rack along with the mail sorter and rustic bench for the long hallway to the garage since our new house doesn't have a mud room. I modified it to a length of 6'.  All but a couple pieces are made from poplar.  I burnt the stained pieces with a torch, then put a quick coat of Special Walnut on them.  The painted pieces are Rustoleum Weathered Wood.  Hooks are from Home Depot.

Estimated Cost
<$100 due to already have wood on hand
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I burnt the stained pieces with a propane torch, then put a quick coat of Special Walnut on them.  The painted pieces are Rustoleum Weathered Wood. The mail sorter has Chalkboard Paint on the front pieces.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Dress up Center

Submitted by Kassidy_D on Sat, 01/07/2023 - 21:19

Made it smaller to better fit my daughter's room.

Comments

Finally!

Submitted by mhob209 on Fri, 09/23/2011 - 15:29

After looking at this for way too long, I finally bit the bullet and built this table. It really wasn't difficult and it's so awesome having a side table on wheels! The stenciling made it a little extra work, but I love the added details.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

4' tall reading lamp

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/21/2015 - 12:09

I made this 4' tall reading lamp by modifying the adjustable height bolt bar stool plans. I had to modify most of the measurements on the fly but I think it turned out well! It's a bit too cold here to stain it, so I'll do that (and tuck the cord away nicely) in the springtime. Love this site! So many great ideas and plans to be found. I recommend it to friends all of the time!

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Krafty Kimmys Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/16/2019 - 17:02

My wife, Krafty Kimmy Paperkrafts, needed a shelf to place in her booth at a local store. Obviously made out of pine, I burned and stained it for her. This weekend I'm making a ladder shelf to match.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Burning and Minwax Golden Oak stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Lisa's 2x4 couch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/11/2023 - 19:29

This was the first time I made a piece of furniture since I was in grade 8 shop class and it won't be the last. It was so kuch fun. I modified the plans slightly to have the back a bit higher. Love it!

Built from Plan(s)

Modern Craft Table :)

I loved this project the minute I saw it. I was using a cheap'o little computer desk that had metal legs and a prefab top for my craft table, I knew how much better my craft room would look with this as well as how much more functional it would be!
The desk went together rather quickly after all the wood was cut, Assembly time was maybe 1-2 hours.
I love it! Now how to finish it....

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet :)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

hoffer5353

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 12:07

That looks great!
That was the first project that I really wanted to do. I haven't had a chance to do it yet but it is on my "to do" list for sure!
Can't wait to see how you choose to finish it!

Spanish Cedar X Base Farmhouse Table with Zinc Top

After craving a zinc-topped X base farmhouse table for our new house's large outdoor space for a while, but not wanting to spend upwards of $1k on one, I asked my husband (T) to build me one as my Christmas present last year. It took us a couple of months to get it done (very spread out over weekends) but I love the result.

I found the plans here for an X base table exactly like the one I had been lusting after, and googling around found several sets of instructions on how to fabricate metal countertops. We ordered the zinc from rotometals.com, and visited our local Woodworkers Source to find a suitable wood. I didn't want to use cheap lumber for a number of reasons.
1. I want the table to be around a very long time, and didn't want to have to stain it over and over
2. I was looking for a high end result that would only look better with wear and tear, which I knew couldn't be achieved with stained cheap framing wood
3. I had heard bad things about how wood wear outside in AZ, and though this is on a covered porch, we didn't want to spend hours making something only for it to fall apart.

We chose a Spanish Cedar, which the helpful guy at WWS suggested as one of a couple of good options. They squared the wood for us and cut it to the exact widths we needed, so T only had to cut to the lengths needed.

Once we were done with the frame, We used a sheet of MDF on a frame of pine to thicken the edges of the top, and wrapped the zinc around this.

We aren't DIY novices but this is the first piece of 'furniture' we have ever built.

We haven't sealed the zinc yet - I want it to patina more before I consider that. I have given the table one coat of oil (no colour) and it's performing wonderfully several months in.

Thanks Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 10/04/2013 - 05:06

Love the mod to this with the zinc top. Beautifully done!

katie0910

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 20:58

I love your table! I live in AZ as well and I would love to build an outdoor table, so thanks for the suggestion of Spanish cedar. I will keep that in mind when we finally are ready to build one.

Above Toilet Cabinet

Submitted by Smokeydog on Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:58

I built this above toilet cabinet for my son and his wife for Christmas. They moved into a new house and wanted this additional storage space.  Turned out pretty good!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$135.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
BEHR Satin Paint with primer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/23/2019 - 07:56

Used 4x4's for the legs to make it more "beefy" and therefore had to add an extra 2x6 on top. Also used a 2x4 for the upper side trip instead of 2x2. Used a dark walnut stain and several coats of clear gloss polyurethane.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50 for the wood, ~$20 for other materials (i.e. screws, sandpaper, stain, poly, wood glue, adhesive felt pads under the feet, etc).
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain; Clear Gloss Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/16/2023 - 11:35

This was so much fun to build. I couldn’t decide on a finish, so I used three different ones.
Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Silverware Showcase

Submitted by hoffer5353 on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 09:02

I had finally had it with the generic drawer organizer that we had. I decided that I would spend a few dollars and make it custom made! I took me aboout an hour and $5. It is amazing how little effort can make your kitchen look like it was a custom created space! I love it!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

oldpaintdesign

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 14:00

That looks great! I definitely envy your organization! I love that the wood on your insert matches the outside of your drawers. Makes it look like it's been there the whole time!

Small Cedar Fence Picket Storage Shed

Submitted by Pembat on Sun, 10/06/2013 - 20:37

Built this in a weekend, took about 1.5 days. I ended us using 2x4's instead of 2x2's, I think it resulted in a much stronger frame. I also built a base for it to sit on. I got pre-stained cedar fence boards, and overlapped them 1" instead of a 1/2". Pretty easy project, I ended up siding the back on the ground, installing it, and then adding the side walls without the siding (just the framing), and then sided them in place. The doors work perfectly. I took my total inside dimension between walls, made sure the opening was square, and then divided that by two to get the width of each door. I then took another 1/4" off that, so each door had an additional 1/8" gap, it worked perfectly. When I set the doors, I put them on a piece of roofing closed as I screwed in the hinges, and then opened them and removed the roofing. I opted to run the door siding horizontal to use up a bunch of waste wood. I'm happy with the outcome. I also found some 6" self starting lag bolts and lagged through the back of the shed into studs (through the siding) into the garage behind it.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

King Storage bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/27/2015 - 18:50

Variation using your King Bed Storage plans. Made from pine plywood and solid pine for the trim. Drawers made from aspen with pine fronts and 1/4 inch pine plywood. Took about 60 hours in my garage. Two large drawers (with bottom sliders) and 4 jewellery trays on the end piece. 2 smaller drawers (Custom fit without sliders) plus an open bin space on each side piece. Contrasting teak wood jewellery trays pop out with magnetic push catches. All joinery is with hand cut dovetails. Total of 144 dovetails.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Pecan stain with 3 coats of polyurithane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modified Grandy Buffet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/01/2019 - 02:53

I had to rescale the Ana White plan to an overall length of 72 inches. All joints are Kreg pocket holes.

The most difficult component was engineering the barn door slides. I used:
1/8” aluminum flat bar for the door mounts
1/4” aluminum flat bar for the fixed bar
Polyurethane spacers from Lowe’s
Lind Kitchen Mute Pulley block from Amazon.com 4 each

The pulley blocks were disassembled and only the wheels and axles were used. Thin poly washers from Lowe’s were used as shims to take up play after being mounted to the flat bar.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Top - Minwax dark walnut stain with 4 coats satin Varathane
Base - indoor stain blocking primer then two coats of Antique White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

The Console Table

Please tell me I’m not alone…!! I must admit that I have found myself (on more than one occasion) just staring at a room for what seems like an eternity…trying to figure out why the space isn’t functional or just feels a bit “off”. It was during one of these “I dare you to blink before I do” staring sessions that I decided to build a table for my guest room.

Lucky for me, I can always count on Ana’s plans to rescue me from decorating madness! Well at least when it comes to the furniture part. (For everything else…I probably need lots of therapy!)

But seriously…anyone else get caught up in the time-warp-room-stare?! I can’t be the only one… :-)

My console table's complete story: http://gleeinspired.blogspot.com/2011/03/console-table.html

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Minwax Jacobean stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 10/15/2011 - 21:49

How did you go about finding the wood that you purchased? I'm a newbee and all i have are Lowes & HD around me, also since I'm just starting out I don't have a saw- any suggestions?

claydowling

Sun, 10/16/2011 - 02:22

Lowes and Home Depot both sell wood. However, it's worth finding a local lumber yard to get a better quality of material. Trying to build a table with material from a big-box store will be an exercise in frustration, because it will warp on you, and your nice flat table will develop some interesting twists that will probably keep all four feet from touching the ground at once. I've been there plenty of times, and it's very frustrating to tear something apart to replace wood that warped after everything was assembled.

If you go to a lumber yard and ask for #2 pine, you should get something pretty stable.

You'll also definitely need to pick up some tools. Anyplace that sells lumber has a saw that they can cut material to length with, but none of them will make cuts accurate enough for building furniture. The only cuts you want made for you are those necessary to get material into your vehicle.

There are hand tools of acceptable quality sold at Lowes and Home Depot (well, mostly acceptable quality: nobody sells a decent chisel). They're cheaper and a lot less intimidating than the power tools, and with a little practice it's easier to do accurate work. The downside is that you'll have to hunt a little more for resources to learn how to use them.

brookieanne (not verified)

Thu, 10/20/2011 - 15:03

I love the table - it looks great!
And the time-warp-room-stare??? Yep. That's why I'm on Ana's site! We just moved into a new house about 2 months ago and I need some furniture to help pull some rooms together!

Sandbox with built-in seats

I modified this a tad from the original plans to suit my needs. I will eventually be adding a platform with attached slide and swing set.

Plans were easy to follow. My store didn't have 1x8's so I stacked 1x4's and used my Kreg jig to join them together and then I added extra bracing.

I had seen this on Pinterest a couple years ago and thought it was the coolest thing! Io excited I was able to build it myself!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet. I will stain and seal everything when I get the entire play set finished.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner