Community Brag Posts

Junior loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 09:55

My very first furniture build! Took me about 5 days, but as a beginner I found it very easy to follow the plans. I did buy a Kreg jog for this project, highly recommend it! Other tools used were a miter saw, circular saw, and drill.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ebony stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse nightstand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 12:55

I have built various projects. A work table, a barn door cabinet and couple of Farmhouse nightstands for my grandson and granddaughter. It was fun!!

Comments

Kelsey's Simple Cheap Easy Console Table

Submitted by community-cont… on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 10:43

I just wanted to send in some photos of the simple, cheap, and easy console table that my father and I made a couple weeks ago. It only took us 3 1/2 hours to build, and your plans made it incredibly easy for beginning carpenters like us! We modified the plans slightly by adding a fully functionable shelf to the bottom, and used the Minwax stain in Ebony for a sleek Pottery Barn meets Cost Plus look. The total cost for this project was less than $50, and we still have leftover wood for future projects! Your tutorials are great, they make carpentry not-so-scary for beginners like us!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! For more pictures, feel free to drop by my blog http://www.jamesandkelsey.com/ Thanks again!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sandbox with built-in hinged benches

Submitted by jlhamilton on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 11:55

Gave the plans to my father-in-law who built it for our daughter. Turned out great with no real issues with the plans! I love having the lid/seats built into the design.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Left it sanded but unfinished. No stain or paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fun project.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/01/2017 - 18:30

I'm making this for my wife, I added a little Riser on the back because it won't be leaning up against the house and I didn't feel back was high enough.

If you find yourself in the 6-foot range I would recommend increasing the leg height and adding a 4th 2x6 or even a 5th to increase the bsckrest.

 

Estimated Cost
About $50 in materials the cushion was $65 ( because that's the one she insisted on)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm House Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:22

My daughter found this plan on the Ana White website and now, we have made 3 tables total. Pictured is the 2nd one we built together and is currently in her house now.

Comments

Kitchen set

Submitted by ShannonB on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 06:48

My husband I built this kitchen set for my daughter's 2nd birthday. She just loves it. For the sink I used the same plans as the stove and changed them a little. There is not enough room below but we used the Cute Play Pie Hutch plan too. The double door fridge we use as a pantry. I can't find the plans for the fridge but we used Ana's plans for that too.

Estimated Cost
Under 200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White semi gloss paint and Pink semi gloss paint. We primed it before we painted it.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My Farmhouse Queen Bed

I admired this project the first time I saw it, I thought about building it for a few months and got the opportunity when my Fiance left town. I completed this project in a weekend with a had from my friend (more just to hold the pieces where I needed them). I had previously built her a hope chest out of a Rare and Beautiful tongue and groove pine, I used the same wood for the head and foot board so they would match. Overall these plans were great, I changed a few things to make it a little more what I wanted. I made the foot board 24" in height with a total of 20" of tongue and groove. I also used some wrought head nails to give a little more character to the piece as well, you can find them here, http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1152 . I wont do too much to the piece, more than likely just add a couple coats of shellac to match the previously mentioned hope chest. I hope you all enjoy this project as much as I did.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

liam91

Wed, 07/03/2013 - 08:44

Did you need to pre-drill the nail holes? I am worried the wood will split with these types of nails. Thanks

capecodfarm

Thu, 07/11/2013 - 12:36

Yes you do, I made a jig so I knew all the nails would line up with my wood and be in the same place. The bit was half the size of the nail, they are really just for a decorative look. Good luck with everything.

liam91

Thu, 07/11/2013 - 12:51

I figured out my biggest mistake was not lining up the nails with the grain of the wood. Once i had the nails lined up in the right direction they went in mostly without a hitch. One of the panel boards did split but was hidden by the 1x4 face board. Thanks again for the idea and i'll post pics when completed.

Rustic entertainment center

Built for a bike shop. 90L x 20D x36H

Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ladder Back Chair

Submitted by Dlwj27 on Tue, 07/04/2017 - 11:44

I adjusted the plans to make this a chair that would fit under a regular table. The front legs are 19" and the back legs are 40". Then I followed the plans as written.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained chair with Mini Wax Wood Finish Stain in Provincial #211. Then dry painted Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Timeless. After paint dried I rubbed Steel Wool over the whole chair to give a distressed look. I applied a coat of Mini Wax Polyurethane Clear Satin to finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wedding Arbour

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:43

Hi, I built this wedding Arbour for my daughters wedding a while ago and unfortunately, I have no plans as I built from my head. It now sits in pride of place within thier garden as arch for thier garden.
I built this with a drop saw, hand saw, router, drill and hammer only.
I follow Ana's plans every release and save her plans for when I retire in two years to build for our house as well as try to run a small business from my shed.
Thank you Ana for you continued plans and wonderful advice.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Rolling Laundry Cart

I built this entire project out of the scraps from the closet organizer and a 1×2 that I had. You could use the metal brackets Ana suggests, but the 1x2s are working great for me. The wheels are from an old rolling Target TV stand.
We used two tracks, instead of three, because I do huge loads of laundry in my front loaders. If you want to do the closet organize and this, do the closet first.This will be a free project. That's right, $0 out of pocket! Oh, and the top is scrap wood, just glued, and screwed (counter sunk).It made for a more finished “island” look. This step is completely optional. It's just for looks. I would love to add a towel bar to the side of this and a bracket to hold my iron too. The mini ironing board does fit on top!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0 - Free after closet organizer!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White Olympic paint on the sides and then early grey paint, diluted with white for the top boards.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Carrots and Lettuce Raised Beds

I made these for my Mother's Day present to myself. I painted them the color of Carrots and Lettuce. Working on the third one titled "tomatoes today." Easy to build, fun and quick....

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Lowes Orange and Lime Green Paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

My 3rd build off this site

Submitted by psilver on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 08:13

I modified the dimensions slightly and opted to not mount the fold down doors as I figured they would always be open anyway.  I built this mostly from solid red oak save for the bottom panel and the middle panel, which are plywood.  I crafted the top out of 5 pieces tongue and grooved with mitred corners on the front.  I also tongue and grooved the doors with glass insets.  I finished it in Minwax red cedar under poly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax red cedar
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Love these chairs!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:28

This was easy.   The chairs arw heavy and very sturdy.   I love it. I built two.  I am modifying the plan to accomodate a three cushioned sofa.  Awesome!

 

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

Easy DIY Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 14:32

Ana I’m new to wood working and I really love your plans. They are so much easier to follow than a lot of other plans that I’ve seen. It makes me feel like I can build almost anything. Thank you.

Brandy

Comments

Narrow Farmhouse Table

Submitted by beingbrook on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 13:03

I really wanted a sewing table/desk for my office but wanted something that could be repurposed in a few years when we move. I chose the Narrow farmhouse table plan because it was a really sturdy plan that was easy to modify for our needs and was a timeless enough style that I can use it in another room if need be. I especially loved the look of the legs.

We made our table smaller to fit our space and also made it about 1 or 2 inches shorter because I’m really short and wanted a comfortable place to sew and craft. The top of our table is 58″ by 24″. We used MDF for the top instead of slats because my kids use this as a craft/coloring table when I’m not sewing. I didn’t want their pencils to poke through their papers if they got caught on the slats. We used thin molding for the edge of the MDF to give it a nice finished look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Filled all the nail holes with wood filler. Sanded. Primed and then painted with 2 coats of Sherwin Williams Enamel paint in Dover white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Jr. Camp Loft Bed with Curtain

Check out the details about how we build the bed on my blog: http://www.brightgreendoor.com/2013/05/diy-ana-white-jr-loft-bed.html

Although nothing about it was difficult, it was time consuming, and consumed the greater part of two weekends.

We followed the plans on Ana White’s blog pretty close, other than narrowing up the stairs by a few inches due to a furnace vent that would have been in the way.

We bought all of our boards at Menards which came in just under $100 including the large piece of plywood. I spent chunks of time throughout the week getting all of the boards sanded. Then we spent a Saturday getting all the boards cut to the proper size. Then it was a week full of giving all the wood 2 coats of Bulls Eye primer and a top coat of high gloss cabinet paint.

I also installed the Ikea Kvartal track system around the inside of the bottom bunk. I used leveler clips from Ace to hang Ikea curtains that I altered.

My boys were SO excited the whole time we were building it and love it. My little one calls the whole bed his “top bunk”, even though he sleeps on the bottom. They also have dubbed the area under the platform the “hideout” and think they are invisible when they are hiding in there.

Estimated Cost
$100 for bed, $50 for curtain and track
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Two coats of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer and one coat of Ace Cabinet Paint in Bright White. Painted all wood before assembly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

AmandaAK

Fri, 06/21/2013 - 18:46

These are awesome and I think it's so smart you stained them after you cut them and before you drilled them! Thanks for that time saver! Question? Is the bottom bunk raised or did you raise the height of the planned bed? I want to make ours a bunkbed too, but don't want it to be too tall.
Thanks

Becca trunk

Submitted by bzhayes on Mon, 04/06/2015 - 06:42

I adjusted the measurements to make it longer and wider. I also looked the original Pottery Barn trunk and tried to copy the multi color finish. I had so much fun building this!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
stain and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Linda7

Tue, 04/07/2015 - 21:21

This is indeed beautiful! Would you mind sharing where you found your handles? Any words of wisdom on the finish? Thank you!

In reply to by Linda7

bzhayes

Tue, 04/28/2015 - 12:07

The handles are from Ace hardware--I had to spray them antique bronze since they only had them in silver. I stained the trunk is dark walnut from minwax and then used diluted paint in barn red and teal to spread some color here and there. Finished with some polyurethane in satin (spray). That's it!

Linda7

Wed, 05/06/2015 - 17:39

Hi Beverly,

I just sent you another email, and then found your comments here. (I forgot we had communicated before. Old-timers disease! lol) Just checking on the hinges. Thanks, Linda

saomkinar

Tue, 12/25/2018 - 19:42

I don't know if you will check the comments on this brag post since you posted almost 3 years ago, but I'm also curious about the hinges to use. I have watched some youtube videos that show how to chisel out a space for the hinge, but I know there must be an easier way and an easier hinge to put on this box. 

Thanks so much ,

Apryl

Farmhouse Table for 10(ish)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/13/2017 - 12:43

We wanted a patio table to fit up to 10.  Done with a mix of pocket holes & 1/2" hex bolts. Made small changes to the stretchers. Moved them inside because we liked that aestetic better.  We made the top longer because we didnt want to do the breadboard ends. Used big 4" hex bolts & washers and painted them with "hammered steel" paint to give them a more vintage look.

Will be making the matching benches next. We wanted the benches to fit perfectly underneath the table for storage, so Ill be cutting the bench seats to fit under table leg to leg. 

Estimated Cost
Wood materials including paint, stain & varnish, bolts & deck screws ~<$200.
(i didnt have a kreig jig, so that was another $40 at HomeDepot)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
- Behr Paint & Primer - Ultra White exterior 2 quarts
- Varathane Briar Smoke
- Varathane Spar Exterior - satin (i shoulda used natural/matte, to reduce shine, but its gonna hold up well outside)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate