Community Brag Posts

DIY Convertible Bar / Pub Table

Submitted by susanshamp on Thu, 07/30/2015 - 16:38

This rustic modern version of a pub table has multiple uses - it can rest along a wall to make a 16 foot long bar, or rolled together to form an 8 foot long pub table. It is standard counter height 36" and will accomodate seating for 8-10 counter stools. If you don't have live edge wood slabs, you can also use construction lumber (2x8s or 2x12s) to achieve similar dimensions and versatile use in a more cost effective way.

Estimated Cost
Using construction lumber, approx. cost is $50 per table
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Poly on slabs, distressed black paint on base
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kev117s

Fri, 07/31/2015 - 04:10

Awesome idea! I think I will have to try for a dining table version of this table. Do you happen to have a way to lock the 2 pieces together? 

Bookcase

Submitted by paul42 on Mon, 02/26/2018 - 21:30

Took about a week working an hour or 2 a day, but for my first woodworking project I think it turned out pretty well!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwood gunstock
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Dress Up on Wheels

Submitted by tatifl on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 14:13

I've wanted to make this dress up storage since the moment I saw it; I planned to do this as my first building project. I finally got around to getting all the supplies and then I asked my father to assist me since i never really built anything like this before - well, he's not a patient man and he ended up building the whole thing without me (boo!) ... but I at least got to paint it! I absolutely love it and it looks fantastic in my girls' playroom.

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

Comments

Garden bench

Submitted by Tamra on Wed, 07/24/2013 - 14:51

I used Ana's garden bench plan and had a blast finishing this project. The plans are well thought out and finished very square and sturdy. I altered the depth of the bench to 18 inch seat supports as I am short and felt the 24" span would leave me feeling like Edith Ann. (This also required shortening of the armrests to 24") I also was inspired by an abandoned headboard that had nice detail and some Oak spindles. My son, bless his heart, carried it on his back about 6 blocks so I could make this. (He knows how to stay on my good side.)
I spent more time painting the project than cutting out the boards. I prepainted all the pieces before assembly. I wanted it to withstand the Wisconsin weather so I diligently primed it and then did two coats of outdoor latex paint. I elected to tint the primer as I was not sure how much paint I might need. One quart of Zinsser 123 primer and one quart of Dutchboy Maxbond semi gloss paint in plum mauve was enough. The dark paint is Rustoleum spray paint in purple. If I thought it was cost effective I might have spray painted the whole thing but it was summer and I didn't want to deal with the fumes. Of course, I picked the hottest two weeks so far this year to do this project. My sewing room became my painting station.
The width is close to 62", seat height 20" and seat total depth is 22". I trimmed about 3" off the leg post of the headboard.
I am eager to pick another project from Ana's plans.
My cost is higher as I had no scraps to work from and needed all the screws and paint. I also bought $90 in cordless tools and some collapsible sawhorses. All of these items I will use again for other projects.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi Gloss exterior paint Plum Mauve over Zinsser 123 primer. I tinted both paints the same color. I spray painted the spindles purple, then protected the spindles by wrapping them in plastic wrap and then just taping it in place. It is not perfect but I like the details.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 07/25/2013 - 05:02

Great job of recycling and incorporating it into a new build. Had to laugh at the Edith Ann reference. I did the same recently with a couch my hubby and I have on order as it's quite deep. Ha, I'm not sure Ana and those in her age group will get the reference. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it!

Little girls Jr. Loft Bed

Submitted by TamiJ on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 22:26

I built this for my little girl's room and she loves it! She loves the play area underneath especially. The build did not take that long, but the finishing (sanding and painting) took many hours. It is very sturdy. My girls sleep up there together all the time, and we have even had adults sleep up there. We didn't have a corner to put it in, so I built wider steps along the same wall as the bed. 

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Antique white with a satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Janeece

Wed, 09/16/2020 - 19:25

I am interested in this design, but would like to have it with a full size mattress. How would I alter the plans? I would also like to have the stairs be storage drawers/stairs. Can you help me with this?
Thank you!

Outdoor BBQ-help table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/21/2022 - 12:43

I love you and your site and have learned tons from it. Last week I picked up this old bookcase on a website for free. I then worked on it to turn it into a BBQ-help table. I'm very happy with it and hope the weather in Norway will soon be hot enough to get out in the garden and BBQ!
Love and best wishes,
Pauline

Comments

Simple Outdoor Lounge Chair in Coral.

I built this chair for my sister. I added small 2X2 support for the front legs and the arm rests because the pocket holes split. It was a little tough building this one since I had to rely on the HD staff's cuts, which are not always exact. But I'm happy with how it turned out, and my sister loves it too!

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats of paint, and will be putting poly on soon.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 06/25/2011 - 15:17

These chairs look great! I got all my wood cut and ready to build two of these chairs and went to access the plans but have found they disappeared. Anyway they could be reposted?

Wedding Guest Book Bench from Modified Fancy X Bench

I was honored this past March to be Matron of Honor in one of my best friend’s wedding, and as a gift to the happy couple I made them a guest book bench. I wanted this one to look extra special. I started out with Ana White’s Fancy X Bench plans and made a couple of modifications. I reduced the overall length to 54″ to sit at the foot of a bed or under a table, and used only 2 pedestals instead of 3. To make the top better for signing, I decided to substitute the planked 2×6′s for a pine 3/4" thick “hobby board” that was 15″ wide, purchased at Lowes. I framed it out with some 1×2′s to make it look chunkier. Once it was built I gave it three coats of white semi-gloss latex, and then drew up the art for the center. It’s the same font used on the wedding invitations. I wish I had thought to take a photo of the signed bench at the wedding! But I was a little bit busier at the moment. I’m really proud of this pretty little bench. As I received in one of the messages on my own wedding bench, I hope it sees the butts of many friends for years to come!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
three coats of white semi-gloss latex. As it was going to be signed with paint pens, I left it unsealed for the bride and groom to seal later
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

brookifer86

Sat, 07/27/2013 - 09:15

I design the art in Adobe Illustrator, though I'm sure word would work just fine too. Then I print it out at the size I want (tiling the pages if I need to and taping them together), tape it down in place, then trace over the letters with an unclicked pen to make an indention in the wood. I use that to fill in with paint. Here's an old tutorial I made about it http://www.killerbdesigns.com/wrapping-it-up/ . Though I skip tracing the back with pencil now, it's just a redundant step.

Linda7

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 15:24

Brooke, it's over a year since this post, so I hope you'll see my reply. I built a wedding bench for a dear friend's daughter using your mods for Ana's plan. Thanks so much for the details, especially on your blog. It was a big help, since I don't wing anything! The bride loved her guest bench. I am posting on Ana's blog if you'd like to see it. Thanks again.

My version of the Madison dresser

Submitted by Medickep on Sat, 08/08/2015 - 22:37

I made this dresser to replace two cheesy dressers my wife and I had when we first moved out on our own.  The style was taken from the Madison dresser design.  I added two more drawers as we were condensing two dressers to one and  I wanted to ensure I was able to use it!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr marque paint. Advertises one coat on any surface but I did two coats to sand down grain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Makeup table

Submitted by kgclark31 on Thu, 04/21/2022 - 18:02

Made this table for my sons girlfriend for her makeup and to use as a table for her laptop.

Comments

Farmhouse Bed

King Size Farmhouse Bed

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm Style Dining Table

Submitted by petesveen on Mon, 07/29/2013 - 09:45

I absolutely love this table and couldn't believe how easy it was to build. It was a weekend project and gets so many compliments.

For the finish, I mixed steel wool with vinegar and brushed it on. The table really darkened up nicely and made the distress marks in the wood come out. I then applied walnut stain and followed up with 3 coats of poly.

In my post I have pictures of the finishing process and a video showing how to distress wood and apply the vinegar solution.

If you are looking for an affordable table that looks great, I'd highly recommend building Ana's table.

Estimated Cost
$90 or so for the wood
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Vinegar / Steel wool, Distressed with hammer, nails, chains, and walnut stain from Minwax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 08/12/2016 - 07:28

Hi Smith8ar,

2x4, 2x10 and 2x8 stud type lumber and untreated 4x4 post is what most folks are building with to get this distressed look on their farmhouse tables for that low cost.  Stud lumber also takes that vinegar stain very well.  Local lumberyards will probably have nicer and straighter studs than the local big box stores, but you can find them there if you pick through them for the nicest ones.  Our local Lowes calls them common boards, and I've also seen them listed as SPF (spruce/pine/fir) - - here's an example of what is in our local Lowes: 

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-Common-2-in-x-8-in-x-8-ft-Actual-1-5-in-x-7-25-in-x-8-ft-Lumber/4082914

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Common-2-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-Actual-1-4687-in-x-3-4687-in-x-7-9375-ft-Stud/1000074211

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-Common-2-in-x-10-in-x-8-ft-Actual-1-5-in-x-9-25-in-x-8-ft-Lumber/4082924

Our Lowes doesn't carry 4x4x10, but I found a 4x4x8 douglas fir untreated post:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Timber-Douglas-Fir-Lumber-Common-4-in-x-4-in-x-8-Ft-Actual-3-437-in-x-3-437-in-x-7-937-Feet/1000028817

:)  Joanne

 

Kendal Extra Wide Dresser

Submitted by Fulton610 on Mon, 03/12/2018 - 09:34

Overall I am very pleased with this project and I deviated from the plan with the drawer fronts and the slides as well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
used walnut stain with general finishes flat poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shutter Entry Table

Inspired by a photo online and Ana's cheap and easy console table, I decided to make an entry table out of salvaged materials. I found a shutter at a thrift store for $5 to make the top, rescued some legs from an old kitchen table left on the side of the road, and some leftover barnwood from my rustic cooler project. I used the Kreg jig to put it all together, and now have a simple, rustic table that's the perfect size for my entryway!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats semi-gloss white latex
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jloftus18

Sat, 06/18/2011 - 12:36

Hey Brookie

Love your table! It was a really neat idea to use a shutter...

Bye!,

Jessica

trukinranger

Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:03

Cool idea.. and definitely a way to save money and feed your hobby at the same time!

Creating a Kitchen Island

Submitted by JoA on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 12:49

I made these shelves to connect to a vintage sideboard that with a new granite top will become our kitchen island. Since the sideboard was dark and highly carved I wanted something chunky, sturdy and with a bit of style. Use links in the original post for all the building details.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $100 (not including new tools we purchased)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax English Chestnut over Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner. After the stain was totally dry, I waxed with tinted Briwax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Console

Submitted by leojtv on Sat, 08/15/2015 - 13:11

This project was for a wedding gift... My wife gave the young couuple some ideas to choose from and after seeing these plans on Ana White they loved it. Thank you Ana for the great plans!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White Vinegar/Steel Wool Mix and a polyurethane to protect it.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments