Community Brag Posts

X Console Sofa Table

Followed the Rustic X console plan except did not go for the rustic stain look. I am happy with how it turned out, even though this is my first wood furniture type project. I am not much of a handyman. 

 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$130 (wood, stains, paint, screws)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Miniwax Clear Polyurethane (top boards) Used 3 coats on the 2x6 boards (top)
Miniwax Clear Polycrylic (all other boards) Used 2 coats over the top of the painted wood.
Sherman Williams Latex Paint - "Pacer White" color. Used 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Three story doll house

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/06/2019 - 13:53

I built this American girl doll house for my daughter. I wanted to give her something to keep her youth alive! 

Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Light grey paint for all the walls and ceiling. Classic grey stain by Minwax for the floors. I also added baseboards to all the rooms with some small trim I found in the window trim section at Home Depot.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tessa2009

Sun, 01/06/2019 - 21:46

Thanks Ana! This is her momma that built it for her. I wanted to tackle something on my own and challenge myself. Your plans were amazing to work with. Thanks for taking the time to make these plans so easy to understand and follow. She is very happy with the doll house! Happy New Year! -Abbey

Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/10/2022 - 07:15

Thank you so much for sharing your plans!! You are so generous! This is my first attempt at building furniture!

Check out my TikTok at - https://www.tiktok.com/@floridagirl092/video/7152573909735427370?is_fro…

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Sarah's Easy Build Headboard in King

Probably one of the most popular plans, and possibly my favorite...maybe I am biased because it was my first Ana build. Being my first Ana build, and my first carpentry project in several years it took a little longer than I hoped. Mostly nerves I think, and the fact that I am a perfectionist...what others may call picky =0) I really enjoyed building this piece, frustration at times included. It was great to be back in the shop after so many years of apartment living and no space or tools to speak of. A word of caution - once all my hard work was done it almost didn't make it out of the basement, not enough clearance. I was ready to shorten the legs but thankfully after some careful pivoting and ingenuity (my father in laws, not mine) it found its home in our bedroom...and I couldn't be happier! Having been 1 of 4 girls in a high school house carpentry program full of boys it is so inspiring to see so many women building, creating, and loving every minute! Thank you Ana for all you do!

Estimated Cost
$125.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut & Gloss Poly

Some of the wood already had some flaws which helped to add to the reclaimed look, and I took liberty and added some gouges with a variety of tools, hitting the wood with the claw and nose of the hammer, screws for scrapes, etc...a great place to take out the aggression I built up when I ran into snags while building.

I sanded and sanded, added several coats of Minwax Dark Walnut stain, and then coated it with two coats of poly gloss. Then I hit the piece with steel wool to cut back the finish slightly and even out some inconsistencies.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor sectional couch with reclined back

I designed and built this sectional for some friends, and then wrote a how-to about the process! There are free plans for it, and a time-lapse video of it being built at http://www.iliketomakestuff.com/outdoor-sectional/

Estimated Cost
$150 in Lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Will be painted once the wood has time to dry out
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Curtin rod and shelf over the window

My husband has some cherished knick knacks and I am hoping to give our little home a little charm. 

The most difficult part of this project was lining up the dowel holes for the shelf. 

2-1x6's cut to the length of the window 

2-1x6's cut to 6-1/4" for the sides

1-1x6 cut to 4-3/4" for the center support

Fostner  (sp?) Bit at 1" for the dowels, I centered them and put them 2" down on each side and the on each side of the center support

Then I sanded, sanded and then sanded some more.. .

I used the 1/2" fostner  bit and spaced the holes 3 3/4" apart on center for the rail and the top. 

I cut a 1/2" dowel into 2" pcs. 

The rail is a 2x2 that I trimmed down on the table saw, it finished out at 7/8"x1-1/16"

Lots of glue, more sanding and it was complete

Added 3 hillman heavy duty hangers to it and hung it over the living room window. 

Estimated Cost
$16
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Left raw for now
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Chunky Leg Bed Frame slightly taller

Submitted by nagariz on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 01:06

First time really building anything out of wood. Getting a kreg jig was probably the best decision I made on this project. I made the legs slightly taller (7") for a bit of underbed storage and used a 2x4 brace instead of 2x6, so I could sit the slats down a bit lower but still keep a gap above the legs. The mattress sits 3" below the edge of the bed. I put a few legs under the center support, but they probably weren't necessary for the queen size bed. I spent about $150 for the lumber ($50 just for the bigger slats for my memory foam mattress), and about $50 for the kreg jig jr. and screws. I did not use any glue so I can take it apart later, and so far it seems pretty sturdy with no creaks. Thanks so much for the plan Ana!!! On to a headboard and bedside tables...

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ebony Minwax stain one coat for 15 minutes
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

VelvetSky

Sun, 08/28/2011 - 20:16

I love this! I am looking to build something like this, so I can get rid of my box spring.

Larissa (not verified)

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 13:11

This looks awesome for a first timer! Good job and I agree about the Kreg...it is a wonderful investment for any future projects. I have memory foam too so will probably do the same with having wider slats.

Adirondack Chairs made from Pallets!

Submitted by m_jonesrn on Wed, 09/18/2013 - 17:36

Built these two adirondack chairs from pallet wood that I had at home. Made the perfect seating area for my fire pit. Can't wait to enjoy the fall evenings in my $0 chairs!

Estimated Cost
0
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rhyan End Table - Turtlecove Variant

Submitted by watsonam on Tue, 11/24/2015 - 05:19

What I really liked about this plan is its versatility. Relatively easy with pocket hole joinery and inexpensive materials, I used paint to match existing furniture and solid wood tops and drawer fronts to add just a touch of elegance.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
one can green spray paint and General Finishes Top Coat gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 07:47

We had to change to a slightly different size wood as the sizing of the original plan would have been very expensive in the UK. 

We also had to adjust to a different mattress size (90x190cm). 

We also had to work around a radiator. We left no gaps on the platform. 

Huge hit and very pleased with the result. 

Estimated Cost
£150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varnish/stain in teak
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ladder Desk

Submitted by Ltjj2004 on Sun, 11/06/2022 - 12:33

Absolutely love this desk. We changed the shelf heights just a bit and made the center ladder more to my height needs. We burned the wood before staining.

Comments

Adirondack chair

Submitted by takahler on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 10:53

My fiance and I built 2 of these chairs. He took one to his house and one is at my house...for now. Picked up 2 cushions at Walmart on Clearance. I sit in it quite often. Great plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut and polyurethane (2-3 coats)

We stained the boards before putting the chair together. It takes a lot longer to build this way, but maybe it is easier in the long run.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Console table

Submitted by Bpcreel on Sat, 11/28/2015 - 18:43

Loved building this table. This was my first time building anything! I have a lot to learn but I think it turned out great!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mission oak stain on top and chalk paint in kid gloves color
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Master Bedroom Closet from mess to the best

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/19/2019 - 11:03

We took the original plans and made them work for our 5’6” x 11’ closet. We added a ft to the top because we have tall ceilings. We made 5 towers to create a u shape with shelving on the top. I also left one small bar long to hang dresses and the rest we double hung. We adjusted cubbies and drawers based on where we needed them. We were able to save by using old drawer slides from a falling apart ikea dresser. (We cut them down with a grinder).  We had an overflowing closet mess and now we have a beautiful closet. I wish the directions had a little bit more detail like average clothes hanging heights and bar distance from the wall. There was also no link to the suggested drawers or cubbies but we found them with a simple search. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a satin paint in the color trim of our home. I used satin I stead of gloss because that’s what I had on hand but It created a great sealed cleanable surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Adirondack Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/19/2022 - 03:24

Easy build, turned out great. Our first project like this. We built 4!

Comments

Farmhouse Bedside Table

My take on the farmhouse bedside table. I found it difficult to get this square, and I think it suffers because of that. Also, I found that the drawer is much harder than I thought it would be; with that being said, it looks great and is sturdy; I enjoyed the challenge of this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used 2 coats of Minwax English Chestnut stain and 2 coats of Minwax Gloss Polyurethane. I used a simple brush for all 4 of these.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Poolside lounge chairs and umbrella stand

We just moved to Texas three weeks ago and really needed some poolside furniture to help us enjoy the last bit of summer. We immediately jumped into Ana's projects. It took us about two weeks on-and-off, probably entire project completed in about six days (two days for each piece of furniture). We caught a sale at Lowe's and BBB and finished the project with the cushions and umbrella respectively. Now we can start enjoying the pool to its fullest!

Estimated Cost
$100-125 (just wood and screws)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
After sanding, we used the brush vacuum to clean it off. Apply wood conditioner. Then two layers of dark walnut stain, and finally a single layer of semi-gloss clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Wooden Slat Entry Closet

As the days have gotten shorter and the nights have grown colder I’ve found myself breaking out the winter coats and boots. The problem is, I didn’t have any place to store my coats or shoes. My house doesn’t have a coat closet. And in the past I’ve had a problem with scarves, shoes and winter gear clogging my front entryway. So I set out to come up with a solution. I needed inspiration. I needed guidance. My entry closet needed to be aesthetically pleasing because it would be near the front door and visible from the great room. So I went to Pinterest to search for a solution. I found these plans for an Industrial Style Wood Slat Closet System with Galvanized Pipes by Ana White.

Estimated Cost
$20 - I used wood I had in stock. So the only thing I purchased were the wooden dowels and screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Use what you have and make it work. Sometimes you can create the look for less by recycling items found within your workshop or home.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Douglas Fir live edge slabs supported by industrial black iron pipe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/22/2019 - 19:42

I began the project by ripping 6” strips of sanded pine plywood. I attached those to the walls using brad nails and wood glue. Filled the holes with glaziers putty and sanded lightly once dry. Primed and painted to finish.  

I then had a local mill rough cut the lumber for the shelves. I stripped the bark (except one which I loved so I left it on) and sanded at 120, 180 and 220. I drilled 1 1/4” holes to fit the pipe through and finished the wood with 4 coats of Varathane Diamond Finish clear coat. 

I used Varsol and some elbow grease to remove the black coating on all the gas  pipe. 

Finally i pieced it all together! 

Estimated Cost
$800 CDN
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Diamond Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate