Community Brag Posts

I had my eye on this clubhouse bed from the Pottery Barn kids catalog and was so excited when I came across this plan and my hubby offered to build it for my 4-year-old. I think it actually turned out cuter than the Pottery Barn version! Thanks so much, Ana!

These were my first two Ana-powered pieces. They're not perfect, but I love them! We altered the size a bit since the 10" lumber was a bit more affordable than the 12"

I was too tired after building them to paint them, so "rustic" it is!

I built this twin bed with drawers for my daughter and I LOVE all the storage the drawers provide.  I slightly modified the plans it was based off of--you can find more info and see details from the build on my blog House Becoming Home.

This was my first building project. It turned out better than I thought it would!
I used the reclaimed wood headboard plans. The only things that I did different was added a decorative trim piece to it & did some wood filler to areas to fill in. I painted it a cream color, then antiqued it. The stuff I used was folkart antiquing medium that I got at a local craft store.
A few things that I learned...
*Make sure the wood you buy it straight. Check it at the store that it lays flat on the ground.
*Don't take a 4 & 5 year old with you to the hardware store!
*For some areas screws work better than finishing nails. AKA the top pieces of the headboard (pre drill a hole a little so that the screw head will fit in. When done add wood filler after to fill in the hole)
*measure your bed frame rail to make sure that the headboard will fit where the holes in the frame are.

Had some old skis I've been wanting to make into a chair.   The Home Depot plans worked perfectly for the base.  Cut the back brace a bit longer to fit the skis

This counter height farmhouse table fit my space perfectly. I made it narrower than Ana's table but the same length, 48" x 27".  Instead of a 3/4" plywood top, I joined five 5/4" x 6 pine boards for the top. The stools fit exactly under the table when I want to use it as a workspace. I can also use both sides of the table if I pull it out. 

Used the easiest upholstered bench plans as a start. I modified it just a little so that I could use what I had on hand!

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.