Community Brag Posts

Wood Pull Out Drawers

Submitted by houquilter on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 17:56

I bought my home a few years ago. The only thing about my bathroom I didn't like was the lack of storage. The cabinet only had one drawer with a panel below covering a large empty wasted space. I was told by 2 cabinet makers that I would need to replace my bathroom cabinets, but when I saw Ana's success, I thought "I can do this".

My woodworking experience is pretty limited, so things took a little longer than I would have preferred. The first weekend was spent popping the panel and building the shelf out of plywood & luan for the drawer bottom (thank you Home Depot cull section). The second weekend was spent making the drawers using a pocket jig and installing them into the cabinet. You WILL need a 90 degree clamp to assemble drawers, trust me. Third weekend was spent making the drawer fronts and staining them. I had never used a router so I practiced on every piece of scrap I could lay hands on. Since the cabinets were older and not made of solid wood, I had to play with the stains to ge the formula right; remember the scrap wood? It's baaack. The fourth weekend was spent pulling everything together.

When I show my family what I did, they look at me in disbelief. I know they're just drawers, but this is proof that I can make real changes to my home that has long lasting benefits. The bathroom still has a long way to go, but I know now that I don't have to hire someone to do it all.

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mixture of Golden Oak and Cherry by Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Robinwood

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 19:02

We will never know what we are capable of unless we try - bravo for you; good job.

houquilter

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:59

This project was such a boost. I still happy dance when I see it sometimes.

bhoppy

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 19:14

Love the routed edges! It gives it a very polished finishing touch!

We must have had the same bathroom builder because I have that same single drawer with empty space underneath.

houquilter

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:50

Thanks! I had never used a router before so I must have gone through every piece of scrap wood I could find. I even cut down the scrap wood so I could get a new straight edge.

spiceylg

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 07:57

Don't you just love it when you prove the "experts" wrong? Good for you and great job!

houquilter

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:57

I took pictures and showed them to the men I bought the lumber from when I finally finished, to show them how the project turned out. It may have freaked them out a little to have a crazy woman run up with her cell phone, but they were happy for me.

When I showed one of the people who recommended the cabinet makers (the one's who told me what I wanted was impossible) what I had done, they just rolled their eyes at me. Pssh, experts. Deep down, he was impressed. Really deep down;)

Bunnie1978

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 09:51

Just a question. Did you consider/try to use the wood from the panel you removed for the drawer fronts instead of using something new and having to try and finish it?

houquilter

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:48

I thought about that, but it was basically luan with a "wood like" veneer attached to it, so it was about 1/4" thick, and the original drawer front was made from 1" stock.

Mission style entry table

Submitted by Brad Wills on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 16:21

Built for my sisters house. I pulled a pic of a mission style table from the internet and then matched the details to her existing hutch. Color match took some work!

Just a tip for Florida folks. If it is humid and raining...stop and wait for another day to stain and poly. Trust me.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Red Oak mixed with Colonial Maple. Topped with 3 or 4 coats of varathane poly in semi gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

4x6 Version

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 08:00

I made a few modifications that I think people starting this project may want to know. 1. 4x4 box gets a little tight for more than one kid. I chose 4x6 so that the bench dimensions would scale up to 3 slats per section correctly, but the length of 1x4 boards would not have to be lengthened, which would required additional support. 2. As a rule of thumb, any outdoor lumber that may have prolonged exposure to water (IE. Touching the ground) should be pressure treated. I couldn't find 1" thick treated boards, so the box uses 2x10 boards. 3. Used a redwood semi-transparent stain.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Redwood semi-transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Storage Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/17/2019 - 05:45

Beautiful showcase of maple wood. Love the storage

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
No Paint, Tung oil finished to keep beauty of the ambrosia maple

Coffee Table Build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/28/2023 - 14:32

Farm house coffee table. I painted the bottom black and stained the top a dark gray color. I don’t ask happily surprised on how easy it was to build this table and how strong and sturdy it is! From start to finish it took me 9 hours, paint and all. Highly recommend this plan.

Built from Plan(s)

Dr. Seuss Bookshelf

This was a Baby Gift for my sister and her little boy, Xander who was born just a couple weeks ago. I wanted to do something special that would last for my sweet nephew. She found a bookshelf similar to this on cool-rooms.com and we decided to try to make our own version. I've posted about it on my blog if you're interested in the process.

Estimated Cost
$100 (my costs are higher due to where I live)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of red semi gloss and 2 coats of white on the shelves. Then after I had to make repairs after shipment I sanded it all and had to apply two more coats of red paint in a flat finish and sprayed 2 coats of a clear top coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jenny94w

Mon, 02/19/2018 - 06:41

I would like instructions but it will no let me? 

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 03/18/2012 - 19:22

Clever cute creative. Cant stop looking at it. I love it. Thank you so much for posting.

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 03/18/2012 - 19:52

Thank you so much for posting .You did a beautiful job. Your a good sister and a Terrific aunt.

Legomamaof4

Sun, 03/18/2012 - 23:30

I love how you have taken a typical shelf and gave it a spark that is SO ONE of a KIND! WOW! This gives me ideas! There is just not enough time in the day thought.

Thank you for sharing your Awesome creativity. Your Family is SO lucky to have someone as talented as you! Keep up the good JOB!!!

Again AMAZING!!!

LaylasMOM

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 20:38

i love this design and cannot wait to make a pink one for my little girl!

zookeeperjay

Mon, 09/03/2012 - 08:59

I have long thought I wanted cartoon furniture for my kids. Haha. . I'm so inspired! Thanks I have to go get building!

Sheryl (not verified)

Sat, 01/05/2013 - 11:02

Love this ... My son is having his first child and would love to make this . Do you have anymore pics of it . And does anyone have any other patterns ?

Farm House Table

Submitted by Leslie1024 on Wed, 01/08/2014 - 13:54

This is our first project from the site and we are in LOVE with our table. We spent a few weekends building it and another weekend staining. We always wanted a table large enough to seat a big group for holidays or events. We can seat 10 comfortably (4 on each side with smaller chairs and 1 on each end.) Not only was this inexpensive (around $100 total), but it is a great sense of pride in our house. Knowing we built this with our own hands and telling others that we did so is amazing.

http://ana-white.com/2009/12/plans-farmhouse-table-knock-off-of.html

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

Comments

Easy to Build DIY Lemonade Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/30/2023 - 14:54

This is based on Ana's Lemonade Stand project- I made it taller and wider, added casters. It was a hit with the birthday girl and the customers!

Amy of The Navy House Goods Co. @thenavyhousegoodsco

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

DIY So Chic Dollhouse

Submitted by KikiRox on Tue, 03/20/2012 - 08:46

I built this dollhouse for my daughter's sixth birthday. It was a great experience and my first time using a KregJig. I ventured from the plans a bit and built cantilevered staircase with dollar store Jenga-type blocks.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Pantone Low VOC Paint in Gardenia
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Lets make a Bar Table!

I got so inspired by Ana White I just assumed I can make anything just like her :D
But deep inside I knew, I wasn't nearly as good as her :(

So when we needed a bar table of definite length and height and type and color and way out of our budget, I thought to myself "hey girl! you can do this ;)"

So I came up with this super easy plan.
You can read all about it from the link below

http://tinyurl.com/pkntwa9

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

rjbarthel

Sat, 02/13/2021 - 06:51

Hi Anna I have enjoyed coming to your page and have made many things from your plans but your page is so over run with pop up adds that it is jumping all over the place and give me a headace from all the movement sorry to say I must leave

Jons Home Made Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/01/2016 - 05:04

Built from the

Farmhouse Table - Updated Pocket Hole Plans.  I used pine for all the wood, painted the bottom with white

Valspar Storm Coat, and table top with Miniwax Red Mahogany stain. 

It's not purfect but, it turned out great.

Lessons learned

I need is a planer to make the boards straight, Belt sanding took a long time.

Estimated Cost
About $120
60 for wood
20 for paint
10 for stain
20 clear coat
10 for screws
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sectional Sofa and coffee table

Submitted by dspearson on Sat, 11/30/2019 - 10:10

Made the sectional sofa my new patio space. My wife made all the cushions. Easy to follow instructions. 

Thanks!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

DIY Entertainment Center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/04/2023 - 11:41

A media cabinet made from Curly Maple. Used biscuit joints for the corners, and face-frame for the fronts. Sliding glass doors riding on fiber glass rods. And glass shelves too (except on in the middle)

Refinished Antique Oak Dresser

This is an antique oak dresser I recently purchased. I had some rebuilding to do. I replaced the bottom and fixed/rebuilt the dovetail drawers. I did replace the veneer on the top two drawers. It isn't a difficult task. Just ask and I will explain the process. I do wish though that I had gone online and purchased some quarter sawn oak veneer. It would have matched better than what I purchased from a local home improvement store. I replaced all of the hardware. I purchased it from Kennedy's online. The hardware finish is called aged brass. If you have solid brass hardware you can purchase a "brass ager" quite cheaply. There was a mirror attached to the dresser at some time. I am going to build a mirror to match that I will hang on the wall above. I am also looking to build a back splash for the back of the dresser. I think I may purchase an antique oak pediment (decorative door header) to make the back splash from.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The stain is Minwax aged oak gel stain. I used two coats. I wiped the stain down with a cotton rag a few minutes after applying the stain. The stain was brushed on. I used three coats of Minwax oil based polyurethane. This was brushed on as well. I will give the finish about a month to cure and will apply a coat or two of Briwax to protect the finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Table

I built the table to fit my space and made a few changes!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Black Satin Paint
Minwax English Chestnut
Semi-Gloss Poly on table top only
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra long, no middle shelf Rustic X Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/04/2016 - 08:34

We have a huge sectional and loved this table, so we modified it a little to fit our needs. Took out the center shelf, made it 10 feet long, and added breadboard ends to the top. Came out perfect! Couldn't be happier.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
One coat of Rustoleum Sunbleach, allow to dry completely. Really, like one or two days. If the base coat isn't completely dry the following step will lift the first coat right off. Then one coat of Rustoleum Kona with some Sunbleach mixed in to lighten it a little, about a 5 parts Kona to 1 part Sunbleach blend. Lightly wiped Kona mixture back immediately, wipe with the grain, and only once (product is more like a paint than a stain in many ways and will get sticky and splotchy if you fiddle with it too much). I had to move fast on a table this long and I still got some splotches! I wanted it a little rough looking, so to me that was fine.

Finished with three coats of wipe on satin poly (gentle knockdown with very fine steel wool between coats), and finally a coat of clear wax. Buff until arms give out.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wood Art Headboard and wall hanging

Submitted by Pkoldman on Sun, 12/08/2019 - 17:53

King Headboard and wall art I made after viewing Mountain Art on Pinterest. 

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams PreCat Lacquer Hand Rubbed Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cubby Storage Bench - First Project!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/11/2023 - 11:33

This was our first attempt at making furniture and even though the difficulty rating was ‘intermediate’, the detailed instructions made the process less complicated. Our version of Anna White Essential Entryway Bench turned out better than we expected! Once it was built, I stained it grey, painted it white, then distressed it to make it look antique. I added a custom made foam cushion to the top and, voila!

TammyA

 

Built from Plan(s)

Coffee Table

Submitted by Bunnie1978 on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 20:58

This is my second build. I used the Benchright plan but had to modify it for one drawer. The Dimensions are 39 long, 25 wide, and 19 tall. I have heard others comment on how difficult drawers are. I thought I would just jump in head first with the kind of drawer that closes flush with the rest of the table - really had some trouble with making it square. I ended up shimming the face onto to the drawer because even though it opens and closes smoothly, it isn't square with the rest of the table...

I had originally planned to make the 20 second tidy up table for my living room and begun purchasing materials. However, I was let go from my job last Sunday, so changed my plans. I took inventory of all the supplies and materials I had on hand and tried to find a plan that would not require any more spending to build... to sell... to pay rent.... and thus the new table was born. And I love it. And I hate to sell it.

I tried to copy the finish on the 20 second tidy up table, and this is how it ended up. I used Minwax Golden Pecan for the base color and Red Oak for the accent color. The colors got a little blended together through the staining process. I really love how it turned out though because it's a nice warm color. The only thing I don't like is the grain in the pine didn't take much if any color, so it's still a bit yellow, which seems slightly out of place when I look at it. I think it will darken with age and look a little better. Otherwise, this was a super fun project!!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Pecan, and Red Oak. Followed by several coats of semi-gloss poly. Final coat was spray on.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Bunnie1978

Tue, 03/27/2012 - 06:09

I will try to do that this weekend... if I can find some money to get stain with. Hehe. I think it would look really great stained with the same method that Ana used on the 20 second tidy up table... rubbing the edges with a darker color... I love that look.

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 04/10/2012 - 04:58

This is awesome! I love it. You did a great job. Do you by any chance have the construction process on this? I would love to try it for my "first" project!! thank you.

Father and Son Project

The first of hopefully many more projects to come!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jake

Thu, 01/16/2014 - 05:00

Get ready to build more because with each successful project comes the need for another one. The hobby is addictive. You will need stations for your new miter saw, band saw, drill press, and of course tool storage. Looking forward to your future projects.

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