Community Brag Posts

I used the Rustic x coffee table plan and modified the top. I used 2x2's to make a frame and a router to make notches for plywood under the letters and glass to fit inset on top. The letters are antique letterpress blocks that I obtained on ebay and at antique shops.

My daughter needed a new bed and I really liked Ana's Hailey Storage Bed plans.  I adjusted Ana's plans to fit a full size bed and I also made a different headboard and footboard.  To see how I made the headboard and footboard follow the links below:

Headboard:  http://www.betterwhenbuilt.com/diy-headboard/

Footboard:  http://www.betterwhenbuilt.com/diy-footboard/

I made this in a few minutes. The kids were too excited to try it out; they didn't want me to fill and paint it. I made it out of scrap wood.

These ledges are incredibly versatile and will easily grow with any child.  Books for the younger ones and then a gallery wall for when they grow.  They are so easy to build that literally, a child can do it, as you can see.  This was her first build that she completed by herself.  After the boards were cut of course.  Thanks Ana, this is a great plan and it was an AWESOME  day for the girls!

I found the table to be pretty wobbly so I reinforced it with some triangulation and I moved all the legs into the centre so the triangulation wouldn't get in the way of people sitting on all sides. 

This is the new outdoor kitchen I had been working on - finally finished! It was inspired from the kitchen island plans - I like the slats, and thought they would work well outdoors for air flow and water drainage. I worked around the existing grill, and it is all modular, so it can be moved if necessary (such as painting or treating the deck). It includes cupboards underneath the bar, dorm fridge and sink with storage under the countertop. The cooler stand raises the cooler up to 'user' level (no more bending!). Because I'm an avid recycler - most of the products used were recycled items. All told (not including the already purchased grill) - this kitchen cost me a total of approximately $95.00 (I had a lot of the materials already). This project took me approximately 5 weeks working on it part-time after hours. I built one cabinet at a time, then the countertops.

This is my take on a few of these I have seen. It started out seeing the retail version of this table at a large furniture store with a $2k price tag on it. I really like the look of it so I decided to build one and searched for additional pictures and found these plans.

I used the plans as a guideline for overall dimensions for the table. I was using reclaimed oak fencing from an old Kentucky horse farm (who uses oak for fencing!!). This stock came in 5/4" x 6" x 7' boards so I had to get creative with the dimensions, etc. It was a mixture of red and white oak and this stuff was HARD!

The boards also came painted black with years and years of build-up and weathering. On a side note, if you ever work with reclaimed wood that has been painted or stained, please test it for lead. Lead based paint was banned around 1973 and you don't want to be planing or sanding on this stuff unless it is safe. Fortunately, I had this tested using a kit from the local big box. Most of my time was spent planing the boards down enough to show the oak but also leave some character as you will see in the pictures.

I like the look of knots and this wood had a few of them so i left the knots exposed on the support frame, however, on the top, I used a clear epoxy to fill the knots. This allowed the top to be smooth but you could still see the depth and character of the knot on the surface of the table. I did some mild distressing on the table top but nothing too dramatic as the wood really was cool. I also added the bolts near the tops of the legs and used threaded rod and turnbuckles for an industrial look.

The stain is a dark brown, almost ebony color. This went will with the black paint that was left in the saw marks after planing. I finished the table with 2 coats of satin polyurethane and and additional 3rd coat on the table top.

I have built furniture in the past but this has to be my favorite for both the history of the wood and the character.

My beautiful wife and mother of my two 3-day old sons asked for a changing table. I deviated from the plans quite a bit for her tastes and added strength; it still turned out really well. The top is removable when we're ready to turn it into a book shelf or toy station. Stain is Sedona Red.

My wife says it makes her feel wealthy to have her own changing table. I know I'm wealthy because I have a beautiful family (and a great changing table)!

I liked the variations of the simple table. Kept the same dimensions as the plan. Made chairs based on simple Harriet chairs

I started by searching Ana’s website for a vanity plan, and found a really great jumping off point with this plan. The problem was that it was for a single sink in cabinet size. But I was looking for something about five feet long that would incorporate a drawer and countertop area so my little miss will have lots of space for makeup and hair products and all those other girly things. I added a shelf to the cabinet, made the top 66" long and added a drawer and some spindle legs to give it the extra length it needed as well as a vanity area. I also incorporated Ana's genius idea to make the kickplate into a pull out step stool with drawer slides and some scraps. My blog post features the modified cut list as well as my step by step assembly for it. I love this vanity and am so proud to say I built it all by myself!

We used old dock wood for the surface of our X table for a nice beach house beverage center (sand bar!).  We adjusted the size to fit our space (a little longer and wider) and used additional studs for the shelves instead of 1" shelving, glued and PH/PS together.  To cut the X pieces I just held the 1x1 on the end of the table where it goes and marked the lines. Then I clamped a guide board at the correct angle on the table saw to make all the cuts, starting a bit long and shaving off until it just fit.  

With all the pocket holes and screws I wouldn't consider this a beginner project. Some additional steps and pictures in your description would help also.  End result is really nice.

A neighbour was giving away this home made "blanket chest" the lid lifted up to a 6" deep compartment with a lower compartment having a fake draw front. After debating on how to transform it I cut off the legs & attached them to one side, stood the unit up vertical & turned it into a jelly cupboard with the lid becoming the front door & the fake draw front becoming a side door. Made & attached the top to the cabinet. A little chalk paint & project done in a weekend of free time.

Whew! This was a challenge. Yes, it should have been easy - Ana's plans are really straight forward and seem easy enough to follow. I think I just have a hard time following directions! First, the table needed to be small, so I was going to have to tweak the plans anyway - why not make it just a bit different? Well, because then it's not so simple!
Almost finished with my first plan, the table boards started splitting. I had to make what I had work, so back to the drawing board, and the end result did turn out beautifully.
The chairs were a challenge because I really didn't want to use my husband's BIG circular saw. I bought a new cordless, lighter saw - and it wouldn't cut through the 2x4s. After butchering the first set of legs, I dampened my fears and pulled out the big saw. How silly I was - it was easy to use and cut right through those 2x4s with ease! Once I had the legs cut it was pretty simple to put the chairs together. I would suggest that you sand and finish all the pieces before you begin putting them together. And, attach the seat slats before attaching the seat to the back piece! I ended up adding an additional 2x2 across the seat so that I'd have something to nail the slats to (Thank you to my son for that idea!).
I had the table and 4 chairs sitting on the lawn waiting for my son to pick up, and had quite a few people stopping by to ask about them. I always tell everyone that I've found this wonderful site just full of beautiful furniture plans waiting to be built - thanks, Ana!

About three years ago I made my first project from Ana's plan for the Super Easy Little Tricky Ladder Table. It is the one on the right in the opening picture. That little step stool (that is what it is used for) has stood the test of my 175 lbs and the terrors of two grandkids dragging it around for all sorts of mischief. Since then I have made another version of that same stool but a little wider and shorter for more stability and I like the new proportions

I have also made one of Ana's Vintage Step Stools and that is the one with the kid standing on it in the bathroom. Perfect. The last picture shows my knock-off of a classic Shaker step stool except I hinged the top to add a small amount of storage under it. That is not me in the picture. Its a co-worker.

I encourage everyone to build these stools. My family has found them to be very very useful in the kitchen, in the bathroom, reaching high places in closets and I even use them to paint rooms. Easier than dragging a step ladder around.

My only caution is to use the best grade of pine or a stronger wood and to overdo the strength of the lower step connections. Do NOT build these out of furring strip wood. I did and it collapsed immediately. Not the joint but a leg below the lower step connection.