Community Brag Posts

Queen Farmhouse Bed

Built this bed for my wife and I in our starter home. It has been a pretty easy project with good instructions. Id change up my order of operations to prevent the wood from cupping as bad as it did in places as well as be more strict with my wood selection but im very happy with it over all. I braced it up a little more than instructions called for since this was my first bed build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300 built and finished
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark crimson M140-7 paint with special walnut stain. Multiple coats with sanding for surface prep.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Front porch table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/22/2023 - 07:30

My father in law was a very good woodworker. He had a great shop with all the power tools anyone could want. He passed away 2 years ago and one day I went in his shop and remember thinking this woodworking could be sort of fun.
I searched the internet and came across the Ana White instructional site. Your site and instructional videos have helped me so much. The photos attached are my first attempt at furniture making. I used and modified one of your plans for this piece of furniture. It was SO helpful. Thank you for making these videos and plans available for those that are leaning this craft.

Built from Plan(s)

tryde modified coffee table

Submitted by CoreyS on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 18:16

I built this coffee table for my wife for christmas, it came out really nice. I didnt make it as wide to accomodate our living room space. the plans were really easy to follow and i had a lot of fun building this project. One thing i would recommend for this table is to get a plane of some kind to get all the planks flush with each other. For the legs i used cedar 4x4s because pine 4x4s are not available anywhere around me, that didnt matter too too much because i stained the table dark anyways. We are very happy with this table and thank you ana for such great plans to follow. now hopefully ana in her busy life will find time to post a farmhouse tallboy dresser from pottery barn to match our farmhouse bedside tables

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 in lumber plus stain
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
chocolate coloured stain by varathane then used two coats of semigloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sturdy work bench plus...

Submitted by Jaymar on Wed, 11/27/2013 - 23:32

Added a peg board and a couple of extra shelves... Great design.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Purchased 4 foot fluorescent fixture, electrical wires and switch with box and plate. Used 2x4s
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Home for the Fridge

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/14/2016 - 07:42

I used this plan to build this cabinet space around the fridge. Before this was built, we just had a small dinky counter space and the overhead cabinet. I had to make a few minor adjustments in order for it to fit in the space.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
sanded, primed, and painted - Sherwin Williams Pure White.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Dining room table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/01/2019 - 18:32

Husband and I always wanted a 12 foot table when we moved into our new home. Together, with my father-in-law, we came up with the plan, went to a lumber yard, and put together our beautiful table for all our kiddos and extended family to eat around for years and years

Estimated Cost
1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Provincial by varathane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/27/2023 - 09:15

Sectional painted with Glidden semigloss exterior paint in Phantom Mist. Cushions from Overstock and pillows from Homegoods.

Comments

Modern Craft Table-Aqua

Submitted by beingbrook on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 15:16

Love the Modern Craft Table! It has lots of storage space and tons of workspace on top. We used pine for the shelves and plywood for the top and edged the top with pine.

There is a spot for two counter stools at the opposite ends of the table which is perfect to give kids their own spot to craft/color.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed and Painted with Two coats of Behr's Woodwind Springs. Top has two coats of polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 01/15/2012 - 20:10

I love this table but I wonder how do you use it to sew with? or do you sew on this table?

beingbrook

Sun, 01/15/2012 - 20:24

I don't use this table to sew on. My craft room also has a sewing table that we built using the narrow farmhouse table plans. I use this to craft on and to cut fabric out.

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 10:03

the whole room is beautifull. how many of the other pieces of furniture were built using Anna's plans?

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 10:03

the whole room is beautifull. how many of the other pieces of furniture were built using Anna's plans?

mebohn

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 12:06

This table is fabulous and I'm really in love with the color! Thank you for sharing. So many new ideas for my room now!

mebohn

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 12:06

This table is fabulous and I'm really in love with the color! Thank you for sharing. So many new ideas for my room now!

Lis West

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 17:32

You won't believe this...but today I was shopping for the wood to make the Modular Craft Table, but I did not buy the wood because I was trying to tweek the plans to change the "cubbies" and size. So, I came back to this sight and here is this craft table that would be much better. I want to make it table height rather than counter height so I can sit down and sew at it. I also want to be able to drop the back 12 inches of the table if I do not need it and so it will fit better in my room, wheels on the bottom to pull it out easily so I can extend the 12 inch table when needed. I love what you have done!

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Tue, 01/17/2012 - 11:36

You did a fantastic job on this project! Love the way it looks and the color!

Great job!

Ricci (not verified)

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 07:00

I love this table, but I can't seem to find the directions to make it. Can you point me in the right direction to find it?

Joe (not verified)

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 17:24

Is there a reason you can't sew on this (from what I gathered from a previous comment)? I want to build something for my wife's craft room and love this, but she will need to sew as well. Help?

Brook @ BeingBrook (not verified)

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 17:32

Joe,

It would be hard to sew at this table because the table is counter height. You wouldn't be able to reach the foot peddle to run your sewing machine. You could alter the plans to fit a spot that could hold the peddle foot. I sew on a different table in my craft room and use this for cutting fabric and general crafts.

Brook

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 19:26

at one time I had my sewing machine in a spot that was counter height. I used a wood box to put the foot peddle on. One of anna's steep stool plans or the bathroom platform for kids plan might be good to build with this. It was also nice when I was sewing small pieces that needed lots of ironing to stand and sew at the counter.

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 14:25

I have a modern sewing machine (within last 5 years) and I routinely sew at counter height with no problem. I prefer it because it really helps my back. I cannot wait to make this!

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 02/24/2012 - 22:36

Joe,
I think it would work to mount the foot pedal on the inside of the shelf area. She would use her lower outer thigh to depress the pedal while seated.

Angela Preimesberger (not verified)

Tue, 05/08/2012 - 07:47

I love this table! I'm with Brook and don't sew on mine. Height issue is easily worked around - main issue is usually back support. Sewing at a huge workstation tends to leave you feeling unsupported and sitting on a stool (I have a nice wide comfy one from Target) leaves your back unsupported so you usually slouch (bad! bad!). I sew at my smaller desk in a good supporting chair and use my table for everything else. I use this table for a true work area including cutting. I have an Accuquilt Studio and that sucker is HUGE and heavy!

Michele Crane (not verified)

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 11:22

I just talked my fiance' into building this for me to use as a desk. I need a desk for my work from home position where I can store everything as well as have a large area to spread things out. I loved this the moment I saw it and talked him into building it for me. Can't wait to post the pictures when it is finished.

bbawol

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 16:47

I was wondering if you could tell me where you got the chair from? It looks like it pairs very well with this table and I would love to get one for my wife for her table I just finished.

nkliegel66

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 16:15

My husband made this FABULOUS Craft Table for me last weekend, it turned out PERFECT! Thank you so much for posting this with such detailed directions....

What do you have in your galvanized pails? What do the labels say?

Thank you!

Complete Full Sized Hailey Bed and Storage System

This project was our largest build to date, but the outcome was definitely worth the sweat! The build went relatively fast between my mom and I. I had a little problem assembling the tower bases, but we'll blame the 108 degree heat on my inability to figure out where to place my Kreg holes! I included a picture of how I did the tower base, in case anyone else runs into the same issue.

To accommodate for our base boards we added furring strips to the wall to bring all of the pieces flush. The hutch is secured into the studs with multiple L-brackets and so are the towers.

Finishing was very time consuming, but we'll worth the end result and look on my daughter's face! This system provides an incredible amount of storage. Thank you so much for the plans Ana!

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
*All visible edges of the MDF were sealed with a mixture of white school glue & water, sanded and repeated until they were smooth.
*3 very light coats of Zinsser oil based primer with a foam roller, sanding between each coat
*2 coats of Behr Hi-Gloss lacquer in off the shelf white. Finishing was definitely the most time consuming part of the project.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Industrial Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/16/2016 - 12:24

I was seeing this coffee table everywhere so I knew we had to make it. It's the easiest build ever. I think the only tricky part is the painting near the edge. We like a more sanded/finished top. We tried spray painting the base and then attaching the top, but then we sanded the top and the spray paint on the base near the top came off, so I had to cut in and I'm not good at that.

So we're still working on a way to do this properly. We tried making the top on the ground and then sanding & attaching it. But the top needs to be completely exact/square in order to do this. We live in a old farmhouse, so we prefer to attach it as we go - then sand. We also plane the top for a more exact and modern look. 

Estimated Cost
Under 50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Top stained in our custom beachwood mix. A mixture of Minwax stains, Bottom spray painted in Oil Rubbed Bronze & semi-gloss polyurethane ( two coats )
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Extra large shoe bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 04:39

The plans for this bench fit out mudroom perfectly! All ready for winter now with the boot storage in back ☺️

Estimated Cost
Not sure 🤔 had the wood on hand already
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We stained the top with Golden Oak and the bottom is extra white from the Lowe’s sherwin Williams colors
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mermaid potting bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/02/2023 - 12:26

Made with an ikea pallet and some other stuff.

Comments

Rocking horse

Submitted by jerfer on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 19:16

I made this for my daughter based on one her uncle made for her when she was little.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
mini-wax Bombay mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

hammertime

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 09:00

What a lovely heirloom gift you've created. So much more meaningful (and much more beautiful) than the plastic toys we see these days.

moldah

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 15:32

This is wonderful! I have been thinking of trying to search for plans for a rocking horse to build for a few family members. Looking at this picture, I really like it!

jerfer

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 19:19

I can give you the rough dimensions if you want. I used yellow pine. It is basically a 2x8x8 and a 2x4x8. The head, seat and rocker rails come from the 2x8. The 2x4 pieces hold it all together in the crossbeams. There is also a 1.25 inch dowel holding the two rocker rails together below the crossbeams. A piece of the same dowel is used for the handles.

Storage Bin/"Christmas Basket"

Submitted by stacynabby on Wed, 12/04/2013 - 20:06

Made this project from the Storage Bin design. We have an annual holiday party at work. Since I work in the timber program for Ca Fish & Wildlife, I decided to make a project out of wood, stuff it with firewood and s'mores makings. I applied our logo using the instructions here: http://www.unexpectedelegance.com/2011/09/01/wax-paper-transfer-tutoria…
Super happy with the results.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Mission Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Val Manchuk

Sat, 12/07/2013 - 22:49

What a good idea, a party bin! I built the same one awhile back. It's so handy for storage. I like your transfers, too!

Val
artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

Coffee Bar barn door console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 12:15

Modified Grady barndoor console into a coffee bar with chalkboard upper piece

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Grey paint
Minwax dark oak stain
Chalkboard paint valspar
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ruggedcrosscus…

Wed, 11/18/2020 - 19:01

This piece was built by my hisband Mo Coomer. Our little shop is called Rugged Cross Custom Designs. It states submitted by anonymous.

Outdoor sofas

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 11:24

These were inspired from a few different projects of Ana’s, great fun to build and have transformed our patio area

Comments

Simple Outdoor Bench

Very easy plan to follow! This was my first project and also my first time to use power tools. I made a few mistakes, but learned from them all and was very pleased with/proud of the bench!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Make sure you paint it before you put it together (one of the mistakes I made was to not do this!)!!! Spray paint camo brown and dry brush several coats of red on top. Distress/age with sand block on corners.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Modified Recycling Console - First Build!

We needed to make sure this was strong enough to hold a 20 gallon fish tank.So, we decided to use poplar wood and stained it with golden mahogany. The height was adjusted to 37 inches.

Estimated Cost
$80 for the wood
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Fish Tank Stand. Used Minwax Golden Mahogany Stain, and 3 coats of Minwax Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Corner cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/03/2019 - 06:13

Wanted a corner cabinet for awhile and found Ana’s plans!! So easy and love my cabinet❤️

Built from Plan(s)