Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse table with fancy legs

Submitted by KellyRyan on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 13:47

I started looking for a farmhouse table months ago at antique stores and on Craig's list but never could find exactly what I was looking for at a reasonable price. A friend had pinned an Ana White plan on pinterest. I sent my boyfriend a link to the plans for the fancy farmhouse table and he decided to build it for my birthday!!! It took him a few afternoons and turned out exactly how I wanted it. It was fun to build and not too hard. We shorten the length to 6.5feet to fit in the dining room. I used Minwax dark walnut 2716 as the finish. I topped it with two coats of poly. It fits perfect and looks amazing!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax prestain, then Dark Walnut and poly. Two coats of the stain and poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Garden Box with Trellis

Submitted by JenFarrell on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 07:13

We wanted a small garden to fit on the back patio stones and this plan fit well. We reduced the height because we have 3 small children to "help" water the plants. The trellis was hoping that we could extend the amount of produce we could grow. They're very heavy, sturdy and straightforward to build. Thanks very much!!

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

TV console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/03/2016 - 14:03

Super simple plans that were easy to follow for first time builders.  We really love how it turned out and are working on an end table of the same style now. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidized finish darkened and sealed with tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Octagon picnic table.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/07/2020 - 17:15

I ended up going with the suggested 4 inch extension for more leg room. The outer boards measured out around 41 11/16". Two more 2x6x8's were used to do this along with a 2x4x10.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Counter Height Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/11/2024 - 11:31

Hello everyone,
I collected unwanted wood and I put them in a good use. Transform them into planters . Many people throw excellent wood . Either, they aren’t aware or they purchased new furniture.
Thank you Mrs. Anna . She has inspired me with her excellent ideas. God bless you
Jean Abinajem

 

Farm House Table

Submitted by SamVT on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 21:17

I Got my inspiration from ana's website here. I have a 200+ year old house and I just redid the dining room so I figured now would be the time to make a table for it. I did not use standard pine lumber, this was done all in Vermont walnut that was cut about 4 miles from my house and milled on site. I like to keep a stock pile of local lumber (mostly red oak and walnut when it pops up). My only advice if you are working with rough cut lumber is to invest in a good planer and joiner (I know easier said than done). If anyone would like the exact plans I used I would be happy to send them to you.

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

Comments

Home is Where the Shelves Are

I built five of these bookshelves for my living room. I wanted them to fill the one wall, so I just divided the length of the wall by five to determine how wide to make each shelf. Also, because I was building several to be pushed together, I didn't want the bulk of 2 by SPF, so I used laminated pine shelving. Two eight foot boards were needed for each shelf, and that left very little waste. I love how they turned out. I blogged more about them (including dimensions) here http://skonkers.blogspot.ca/2014/07/home-is-where-shelves-are.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I primed, then painted with CIL Artesian White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Texas Flag Adirondack Chair

Submitted by pacificslu on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 06:37

Built from scrap lumber during my deployment with the US Navy to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa, and brought home to Texas on my return Sept 2016. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Since I used reclaimed wood from construction projects around the base, the cost of the project was almost zero. Paint, screws, and some clear-coat. That's about it.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray paint and clear-coat. Now that I'm home, I plan to sand it and apply a coat of polyurethane to protect it from the weather.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fully Functional Arcade Cabinet

Submitted by lehmanna36 on Fri, 07/10/2020 - 08:18

Didn't use plans for this, so I eyeballed basically everything. Certainly made for a more frustrating build, but I have to say I'm happy with the end result!

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

Comments

Cottage Oars

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/13/2016 - 11:52

I actually made 2 sets of these oars as wall decor for our cottage.  This is the second set - I love them!  The kids chose the numbers which are completely random :)

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
1st - stained with Minwax Dark Walnut
2nd - stained with Minwax Classic Grey
3rd - wiped on Minwax White wash pickling
4th - 1 Coat Minwax Water based oil modified polyurethane to seal
5th - Painters tape & stencil for the details with white acrylic craft paint from Michaels
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Balustrade Coffee Table

Love this table! Created from Ana Whites Balustrade Coffee Table plans. Looks just like the table from RH.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
First coat SW New Ebony Stain
second coat Varathane Briarsmoke
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Preston Nesting Tables

After building my new coffee table, I needed new end tables to match! I love that I can store the little tables underneath, or use them around the room during a party. After the coffee table, these were a lot simpler to build, though took longer due to the fact that there are four of them!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Chestnut stain and Oil based Poly for tops, high gloss white paint for sides
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Mud room bench

Submitted by TempoTours on Thu, 07/10/2014 - 13:00

My wife wanted a bench to put in the mudroom as a place to sit when you take off your boots in the winter. I came across this project on your website and decided to try to tackle it.

it turned out pretty good, in my opinion. Only a few small things learned. One, is that if you're changing the space of the gap from 1/4" to 1/8", the boards should be resized to accommodate the change. And/Or at the very least, put the boards on the outsides first and work your way in. Then, at the very least the sliver needed to fill in the gap would be in the middle. ☺

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Love it!

Submitted by mkscalf on Mon, 10/17/2016 - 18:14

We love the final product, but can't say this is a beginner project! The plans aren't detailed enough for that. For instance, the only instructions on the stairs was "they are easy! just 45 degree angles" but we had to work through some strategy with them. It also didn't say how to attach the cleats just "we also attached the cleats in this step". What size screws? how many? We learned our lesson when the cleats and bedding came crashing down b/c we used 1.5 inch screws. Problem solved with 2.5 inch screws... but we sure are glad it was a soft landing.... And now I can't say I fully trust the design after watching my husband and two kids break it. However, it is sturdy enough for our 3 year old for certain! I'm glad we made it and over-all it was worth it and a great project and learning experience. Just wish the plans were made with more detail for true beginners! 

Estimated Cost
wood $100 or so. Additional supplies (screws, sand paper, stain, poly, brushes, etc was another 60-75 for us)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We sanded, stained with Early American color... I don't know the brand. Finish with semi-gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Patio couch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/14/2020 - 14:03

This was my first solo woodworking project since 7th grade shop class in 1997. This was so easy to put together! I added "slats" from left over lumber to keep my pillows from squishing out. Thanks Ana White for creating easy to follow instructions! I've now got the woodworking bug!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique lace chalk paint and polyurethane seal
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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