Community Brag Posts

Modern Farm Table at cabin

Submitted by jehenslee on Mon, 05/04/2015 - 10:38

I pretty much just followed the plan. It did not take long to build, but I spent quite a bit of time on the finish. I sanded and sanded and sanded. I was going for a restoration Hardware type finish and got pretty close. This was the first piece of furniture I built. Recently moved to a farm so have been building farm needs projects and finally had time to build some furniture.  I purchased the bench cushions. 

Thanks for the awesome plans, information and site Ana! I love it!

 

Janice

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the colors and process from this post:
http://ana-white.com/2013/08/rustic-yet-refined-wood-finish
I wanted my table darker though so I used more of the darker stain. Started with the gray, then dark, then a mixture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Funky Step Stool

I kept coming across photos of this step stool plan in the brag pages and felt very envious that I hadn't seen it before I built the other set of steps!  So I decided I likely had enough scrap wood lying around I could make one for our upstairs bathroom too!
I used two pieces of pine rough barn board for the sides and for the treads I used 1x4 scraps I had, two pieces that already had an edge routered in them from some trim I did for my sons World Map Mural. 
I used my Kreg Jig for everything except the treads which are nailed.

I'm thrilled with it!  It's nice and light and easy to move around and holds up my little guy with no trouble!

Estimated Cost
Free! I used leftovers!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
miniwax colonial maple rubbed on with a rag, no topcoat. (we'll see how it wears... didn't want a slippery finish.)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Upholstered Bench

Ideally we would’ve loved to have found a nice thrift shop coffee table and added a nice upholstered top to make a cheap and cheerful bench for the dressing room.

Unfortunately, no such table was to be found. So we did what DIYers do. We built one ourselves. Of course, as usual, we had big dreams and no clue where to start. In theory it seemed easy enough. Wood, nails…put them together.

After visiting Ana White’s amazing site, we came across this plan. Come on, it has the word EASIEST right in the title! It was perfect for us. Our bench is tweaked somewhat from Ana White’s.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
ProClassic latex paint from Sherwin Williams
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Afternoon bench

Submitted by Colindidit on Thu, 05/07/2015 - 19:11

I went this up this afternoon after seeing the plans. It's only 3 feet long because I only had one board that was salvaged from a friends garage. I could not bring myself to use another piece of lumber I went this up this afternoon after seeing the plans. It's only 3 feet long because I only had one board that was salvaged from a friends garage. I could not bring myself to use another piece of lumber different

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Chair Bench

Very nice bench.  I have now made three.  This one is grey washed red cedar.  

Estimated Cost
170.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Grey Washed Flat Exterior paint, mixed 50/50 with water. Varathane Satin finish. Practice on scrap wood wiping on/off the grey paint to get the desired look. Polyurethane has a yellow hue, the varathane is crystal clear.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Folding Workbench

Submitted by suzeet305 on Mon, 10/18/2021 - 18:32

I'm a beginner DIYer and I knew one day I was going to have to make a workbench. I made mine 24x48 so I wanted a little more support to hold up the drop down leaf. I searched your site and found another plan with these gatelegs and knew this is what I wanted. I love the way it came out. What do you think?

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

First Build!

Submitted by jamilwest on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 11:02

The actual plans themselves came together REALLY well, and several times I found myself saying "How smart is SHE!?" when I would see how beautifully things were put together. 

 
The build was easy, but the finishing was hard.  I had to redrill sink holes a few times, putty the mess out of it, and I just couldn't get it sanded smooth enough to suit me.  
 
We ended up finishing it with Minwax Polyshades in Ebony.  Started out with foam brushes but ended up using the power sprayer.  Not recommended.  It was hilarious but very very messy!  We ended up with black stain all over ourselves, including our noses. :D
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades in ebony gloss, put on with a power sprayer. Very messy!!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tryde media console

Submitted by Lmunro11 on Sat, 06/08/2013 - 07:34

This project was greatly inspired by another user's version. The extra 1x2s on the front and the color scheme. Also, in the plans you are told to use plywood for the back, I ended up using hardboard because it is less expensive and also much lighter. I found the console to be quiet heavy already so this really helped. Finally, the other user stained the top with English chestnut and I used "special walnut".

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painters choice white paint/prime- 2 coats each
Mini wax "special walnut"- 2 coats
Varathane diamond wood finish gloss- 3 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Holly's DIY Storage Bed

My daughter talked me into making her this custom full size storage bed, with a power center and a night light.

Estimated Cost
$300-$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tryed Coffee Table and End Table

Submitted by mike5287 on Wed, 10/27/2021 - 12:00

Oldest is moving out into their own apartment so thought I would help them save some money and built a Tryed/Tryde Coffee & End Table, although both are slightly modified:

- Coffee table I added the lower section
- End Table I did with pocket holes vs how the plans had it laid out.

For the end table , which I started after the coffee table, I "jointed" the table top pieces on the table saw - very slightly as I wanted to keep the more rustic looking individual boards. This worked really well and I wish I had done it on the coffee table too.

For the finish, which to me always starts with lots and lots of sanding (started at 60 grit down to 400 grit), I used a mix of Varithane Red Mahogany (4 parts) and Dark Walnut (1 Part), then several coats of Clear Satin Polyurethane. For some reason the end table was VERY glossy so had to use some 0000 steel wool to reduce the gloss.

So hooked on the pocket holes now going to upgrade my Kreg jig to the 720 :)

Comments

Kid's Playhouse and Slide

Submitted by docfin02 on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 18:56

I LOVE these plans. This was my first project, and although it was a big one to start with, the plans were easy to follow. If I can do it, anyone can. I added the rock wall. My kids and I love it. Total cost for me (including all lumber, nails, paint, slide, etc.) is about $850.

Estimated Cost
$850
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 coat primer, 2 coats paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Bunkbed with bookshelves, stairs and storage bins

Submitted by ECAAC on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 17:45

We needed bunkbeds for our 4 and 2 year old before baby 3 came along. We used the basics of the side street bunk bed, combined it with modified plans of the playhouse stairs and then added bookshelves as the headboard and storage bins underneath. It took us about 4 different weekends plus to finish it. We used mostly 2x4s and 2x6s for pieces holding it together and 1x6s for most of the sides. We absolutely love how this turned out! Both kids have plenty of room for books and animals on their headboards. There are skinny shelves at the foot of the bottom bunk for books and the storage bins are awesome for cars, dolls, dinosaurs, etc. The stairs store blankets, toys, misc (there is alot of storage under the bottom bed too...just more difficult to get to...we cut 3 pieces of plywood for bottom bunk so we could access things underneath). The boards underneath the top bunk are 1x10s. The stairs were the most difficult part of this project. Hopefully this bunkbed will be passed down to grandkids! We had a great time building it! VERY sturdy too.

Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

melodyshurkey

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 15:44

Is there a place to download plans for this bed? I would love to make this for our boys!

AlaskaSoul

Mon, 03/03/2014 - 15:53

Hi Ana!
This is an AWESOME bunk bed! I need to build two of these. Is there any chance that the plans will be uploaded soon? Thanks for everything that you do!

kcjumper

Fri, 05/09/2014 - 07:02

Curious if these plans had been posted anywhere? Looking to build this style for my nieces this summer.

mconnelley

Thu, 08/07/2014 - 08:40

This is a great design and I would love to build it for my kids. Has anyone gotten the plans by chance?

Ac13

Sun, 09/07/2014 - 22:31

I would love to build this for my kids, any access to the plans?

pcianciulli

Fri, 09/19/2014 - 13:15

Looks fantastic would love to make something similar for my twins. Are there any plans that are out for this bed. Please let me know thank you.

 

Ana White Admin

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 07:02

Thanks for your request Bauertravis. We are unable to commit to plan requests at this time. Thanks for your support and understanding!

annechatman

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 17:55

Hi! These beds would be perfect for our girls! Are you able to provide the plans for this?

Thanks!
Anne

Rustic X Consule

Thank You Ana White for posting the plans to make this great project! Mine is a little different without the "X" on the sides....maybe mine should be rustic ( / ) consule....

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

Wood Stained Farmhouse Bed with Trundle

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/23/2017 - 10:59

 

My husband built this twin farmhouse bed for our son. I stained and poly'd. We modified the plans slightly to fit our needs. We also added the trundle.

Submitted by Jennie Wood

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Chunky Leg Kitchen Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/05/2021 - 14:39

I loved the Chunky Leg Coffee Table and thought it would be perfect as a kitchen table! I made a few modifications, but it's solid and everyone loves it.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Cubby Storage System

Submitted by beckysnest on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:04

This was my first building project ever! Even though it took longer than I expected to complete (I have four tiny kids and snagged an hour here and there during nap time over the course of many months), it was absolutely worth the time investment (and wait)! Hanging the doors was tricky (my awesome husband tackled that part), but other than that it was easy to put together. Finishing it was the hardest part by far. If I were to do it again, I'd probably do some preliminary sanding of the boards before putting them together and I would most certainly not use oak (I was talked into it by the HD guys) especially since I ended up painting it. I think it would have turned out just as great if I'd used a cheaper wood or MDF. Thanks for the plans Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Started with two coats of Behr Ultra Interior Satin (paint w/primer) color matched to Martha Stewart Barn Red (sanded between coats). After one final (light) sanding to distress, I finished with one coat of Ralph Lauren Glaze in Tobacco that I had on hand (brush on one side of surface and then quickly wipe away excess with an old rag--moving the rag in the direction of the wood grain). The glaze brought out the wood grain more and helped tone down the exposed wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by KatieC on Tue, 06/11/2013 - 08:25

This was my husband and mine's first DIY project! We started off using a miter box, and quickly caved and bought a miter saw. We also had trouble getting the X's to fit correctly, so we redid them and made it in a different order than Ana--we lined them up on the boards they would be attaching to and drilled in there. So we didn't make X's and then attach, but rather did it all at once. This made sure everything fit together!

Also, we didn't stain the top pieces of wood before we assembled, and it was hard to get in-between the boards, definitely recommend at least one coat of stain before attaching the top!

Had a great time making this bench, and love it!! Everyone that sees it is so impressed!! We made this one for outdoors, but we are thinking of making another in nicer wood for our indoor dining room table....

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

Single Wine Hutch

Submitted by Shane15 on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:31

Wine hutch with added trim to give a finished look.

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Oil based red walnut. with a semi-gloss oil based poly-urethane coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate