Community Brag Posts

DIY Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/13/2023 - 09:23

I made this for my daughter. She placed it at the end of her bed. I was really happy with how it turned out.

Queen Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by cwilliams on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 14:05

We ended up going with a combination of pine, cedar (posts - from Ace Hardware) and regular ole 2xs. We ordered our hardware from Rockler ( http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10).The bed can be easily disassembled down to the headboard, footboard, side rails, support beams, and platform. It's a quirky combination of woods, but overall we are happy how it turned out. We thought of painting it, but have really been enjoying it as is.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Our Monkey Farm

Tue, 05/01/2012 - 13:40

This is so beautiful! I agree with you, the woods beauty is best as is, without paint hiding it. You could put a coat of poly to seal and preserve the wood without losing any of its natural beauty. Great job!

MonicaP (not verified)

Thu, 10/25/2012 - 07:25

I clicked the link for the rockler hardware that you used. I noticed that it required mortising. Did you find that difficult to do? Did you use a router to mortise the wood?

L Shaped Wall Shelf

I was inspired by an A shaped shelf I saw on this site. My wife and I were expecting our first child on January 18th of this year and I decided that I would make a shelf for her nursery. We decided on the name Laney so I figured it would be very easy to make. And it was.

I started out with a couple sheets of 1 x 6 x 8s of pine from Home Depot. Not very expensive. I decided on a size and then cut the pieces to length.
I then set it up to see how it would line up and once I saw it lined up I cut each ends to 45 degrees to match up nicer.
I glued the ends together and then hammered finishing nails into the ends.
Once it was together, I added to shelves, put L brackets on the back side to add stability, and attached some hangers.
Finally, I painted it white to match her nursery.

Laney was born on January 23rd and we are so excited to have her in our lives.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

J m Cormier

Sun, 08/28/2016 - 19:22

Hey! I just love this shelf! My sons name is Nathan, is there a Chance you have the plans for the letter "N"??

Queen Cassidy Shim

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/27/2016 - 19:26

My take on this bed. My wife said she wanted me to build her a bed after I built the toddler helper tower for my daughter, also from this amazing site. And when your wife asks you to build her a bed, you build her a bed. It was a fun project aside from the shim work. It was very tedious but well worth it in the end. I made a few changes but not many and discovered a few tips along the way that might help someone else. In the pictures you can see a more detailed picture of how I layed the shims out. Staining before you attach the shims is a must. And I decided to stain the shims themselves before I attached them as well. I did that because I wanted a more "weathered" look to them and didn't want them all one uniform color. They each have one coat of stain. Just applied a little thicker to some. 

As for the rest of the frame it has two coats of Minwax polyshades in Satin espresso. I'm curious to see how it holds up but so far I love the way it looks. So when I bought my 4x4's they had rounded corners. In retrospect I should have not made everything on the head and foot boards flush but instead pushed it back 1/4" or so that way theres not a gap where the rounded part meets the panel trim. 

Back to the shims, after testing and debating with myself, I decided that attaching them with hot glue worked best for me. Wood glue curled the edges causing them not to sit flush. Nails would be too much of a pain as every hole would need to be filled. Hot glue seemed to do the trick and they feel solid. OK enough for me. Thanks Ana for the plans. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades satin espresso. 2 coats on the frame. One for the shims.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Thank you!

Submitted by cm18lajo on Mon, 01/20/2020 - 17:16

Thank you so much for the plans and pictures!! This table was the first piece of furniture I've built. Your designs made everything straightforward. Couldn't have done it without you. So far the family loves it. I can't wait to share memories around it for years to come. 

We have a a fairly large and long dining room, and have a lot of family over for dinners, so I adjusted the plans to make the table 108" long and 46.25" wide. Should fit 10 comfortably and we can squeeze in 12. 

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shanty Sideboard

My wife and I are very happy with this piece. It was challenging but not too difficult. The plans were very easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Miniature Channing Desk with Hutch

Submitted by ElleMay14 on Fri, 04/20/2012 - 14:08

Miniatures are a cute and easy way to see your project before you start the full sized version. And if you know someone who likes minis, you have a nice gift for them later! (or you could start a new hobby)

http://www.the-art-of-dollhouse-miniatures.com/miniatures-scale-calcula…
This is the link I used to find my measurements in mini. Just in case you guys might enjoy trying a smaller scale.

Its a good idea to very lightly sand your pieces, I used a metal nail file.
After adjusting your measurements, follow Ana's instructions for the desk. For the drawer to actually work, I used mini 1x's and made old-style slides that are mounted to the underside of the desktop. these support the drawer and guide it also. Similar idea used for the extra desk space via the pull out. For the hutch doors, I made simple paper hinges. Make sure you use cardstock or layers of regular paper.

The full size hutch is screwed to the desktop, but the mini needs more support, so spare parts make good braces. I also used spare bits of wood for the handles on the doors, and half a wooden bead for the drawer handle.

After making this mini version of the Channing Desk, me and my husband were able to adjust add-ins like the pull outs (my full size will go above the drawer) and even thought about making the whole section of drawer/shelves detatched for more manuverablilty in a tight corner space.

I can't Wait to start the full size version!!

Estimated Cost
$10-$15 unless you already have craft paints
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the brown stain I used a Walnut gel stain from Americana craft paint, 3 coats. After letting the 3rd coat get tacky, I used a slightly wet brush and wiped it back in different places to lighten the stain's color. This gave me more variations in color since Basswood doesn't show as much grain as "full size" wood.
I used a base coat of white for the rest of the desk, then 2 coats of a pretty Turquoise from Creamcoat craft paint.
I varnished the whole desk with 1 coat of satin from Creamcoat, and gave the stained parts 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic bookcase

Submitted by kschuck on Sun, 02/02/2014 - 15:41

This was the first project my husband and I built from scratch. We experimented with our brand new Kregg Jig for a little while until we felt comfortable with it, and then nervously got started. Surprisingly, the only mishap we had was that we (ok, I) accidentally bought 1X10's instead of the 1X12's. Nothing a quick trip to Home Depot won't fix! We followed Ana's directions exactly, and definitely recommend the Kreg Jig! Our neighbor is a contract worker, and he was pretty impressed at how sturdy the bookcase was. The only part that gave us a little trouble was that our planking on the back (from Lowes), was a little too wide, so we had to trim it down a bit. This was also my first time staining, but thankfully I was going for the rustic look, so I just sanded off the corners and any weird spots.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Rustoleum Dark Walnut and finished with Minwax finishing paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Perfect playhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 06:37

Perfect little playhouse my husband built for our girls.   It took about a week to build by himself, but worth every minute.   He did a wonderful job.   Such a good daddy!

Estimated Cost
1400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

COOLER BOX

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/27/2020 - 10:56

Wanted a place on my porch to put a cooler to hold ice for pool party.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior stain and three coats of exterior poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Glass Top Display Side Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/19/2023 - 10:58

I made two of these side tables for my niece and her new husband as a house warming gift. I dropped the top down 1.25 inch and added a glass top so she could display items. They are going to be a surprise, so I left them bare. She can stain or paint them whatever color she wishes.

Donna Cox

Comments

Apothecary Media Console- Dark Version

Our version of the Apothecary Media Console features 4 cabinet doors, oak front faux drawers, finished in satin espresso brown and dark mahogany stain with oil rubbed bronze knobs.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum American Accents Satin Espresso Brown, Old Master's Wiping Stain in Dark Mahogany, MinWax- Polycrylic Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Storage Bench

Submitted by scokenour on Wed, 02/05/2014 - 16:53

I pretty much followed the plans for the Alexia Bench except I didn't put sides on the top. I made this bench to donate to a silent auction for a fundraiser. I even used the same cute hardware that the ladies at Shanty 2 Chic used (I had to go to a few different Targets to find it).

I was very happy with the finished product & hope to raise some funds for a good cause! http://www.sendbrandon.com/about-brandon.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I had LOTS of "scraps" from previous projects, so only had to spend about $40 in materials.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
first stained using American Walnut by Rustoleum (what I had on hand - any would do), dry overnight, then a wash with off-white latex paint, light sand, then after that's dry, light sand and a quick coat using Amy Howard's Luxe Grey. After that is dry and lightly sanded, I finished off with a coat of clear wax. I've learned that the only way to get the layered look in finishes, is to layer! ;)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

My Brother-in-Law killed it, 1st Build!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 16:58

This was my brother-in-law's first build and he killed it. I love this sturdy piece. Best thing in my house right now.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chunky Coffee Table

Submitted by Malka on Sat, 02/01/2020 - 15:17

Chamfered the bottoms of some 4x4 douglas fir, and used 2x6 douglas fir for the top. Stained in Minwax Dark Walnut/Special Walnut. 

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
MInwax stain and Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Storage Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/25/2023 - 11:58

Needed something to hold an antique scale. The sides have pop out drawers to house bags and tags.

Darren

Dog bed

Submitted by Flowerchld on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 15:38

I made the doll farmhouse bed and altered it into a dog bed. First one done for my German Shepherd. The second, finished one was for a friend's smaller dog.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JB (not verified)

Fri, 04/27/2012 - 09:21

Greetings!
As a guy, I tend to overlook the child stuff on this otherwise great site! But the idea to turn the child stuff for a pet is just great and a fine example of outside the box thinking. I am a dog trainer and think this is awsome! It's also a way to get a useful product out of a test run before you go full size! Again, superb!

Flowerchld

Fri, 04/27/2012 - 09:48

Thanks JB! I wanted something more stylish than your typical fabric covered mattress pad (which is what I threw in there until I get motivated to sew one that fits). He loves it so I think I'm going to do another one for the bedroom because 125# is a lot of dog to share a bed with! :)

momofour09

Fri, 08/17/2012 - 19:51

I was looking at dog beds and they can get pricey fast. For a little more money I can make her something that is more durable and stylish. I figure if it fits your dog, mine should be perfectly fine. Love the way it turned out :)

2x4 end table

Simple end table made from 2x4's

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Full over Full Bunk Bed

Full over Full bunk beds. Adjusted for Full from a twin measurement. only 1" off floor for more head room.extra rail bar coverage upstairs for my daughter who rolls out of bed regularly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
used common board mix and a few premium cuts. Pine was more costly. @$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White primer/paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bjerfr

Sat, 07/11/2020 - 10:12

What measurements did you use to adjust to a full size?

Dress up center

Submitted by jim7sf on Fri, 02/07/2020 - 11:44

 I Purchased Kitchen cabinet handles to use for the ribbon so that the girls could put their bows on there I also got 1 inch wheels 2 of them with breaks on them from amazon. Between the vinyl letters and added bonus I spent about 110$

Estimated Cost
110$
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hall Tree Modified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/02/2023 - 10:29

My variation of the hall closet. Dark stained bench and top shelf, it is taller (5'6") and skinnier (30") and doesn't include the venerated X's.

Jeffrey Knotts of Black Boots Woodworks

Built from Plan(s)
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