Community Brag Posts

Awesome and super sturdy bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/10/2017 - 06:10

The plans are easy to follow and the result is a very sturdy pro looking bench that seats quite a few people. Great starter or beginner project

Estimated Cost
Around $35.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax espresso stain for indoor and outdoor
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Garden bench and table

Submitted by Phil7979 on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 01:51

This bench and table are based on Anna's plans, which I modified slightly to make them more distinctive. Hope you like them. Thank you Anna for your generosity.

Estimated Cost
About £50.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2xcoats of Sovereign Building Timber treatment, Brown, applied with paint brush and roller.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Farmhouse table - painted!

Submitted by bettenmv on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 11:57

First project from Ana White, and loved it! Building more as we speak. We loved this table but wanted it in painted finish. We chose to fill in some of the gaps to make it look a little more finished. Very happy with the result!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
90 dollars not including one time purchases of Kreg, nail gun, etc.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
white paint and brown glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

orangesugar

Tue, 02/05/2013 - 12:12

This table is gorgeous! Do you have any more information on the paint treatment, wood you used etc....

bettenmv

Tue, 02/05/2013 - 18:44

Thank you! It was our first attempt at a glaze. We shortened the table length wise and then used 3 2x10s instead of 4. For the finish we painted the table Navajo White Behr color from home depot. We then mixed about 1 part of a Minwax espresso stain with 4 parts of Behr Faux Glaze. Then we just rubbed it on with rags and waited a little bit and rubbed it off.

Jamaunzie

Wed, 02/06/2013 - 15:29

WOW Extremely nice I am from Arizona and the color you have chosen is just perfect nice job and finish congratulations on being the proud owners of a Very Beautiful Table

wannabuildit

Mon, 02/18/2013 - 17:39

Great job! Beautiful finish. I have yet to build anything, but this is my favorite plan from Ana White and I will be starting it as soon as the weather cooperates :/
Nicely done!

worrow

Wed, 06/05/2013 - 18:58

Nice job, I just finished mine and followed plans 90% of the way. I altered the legs to look beefier. I have not finished mine yet. I spaded the top and will be using it outdoors so unsure what I want to do for the finish. But thanks for sharing.

Mudroom closet

Submitted by bozarthm1 on Mon, 01/04/2021 - 07:26

Converted this entryway closet to a Mudroom. Came out pretty good. Had to put a board stretcher on the top shelf after I cut it twice, to get it back to the original size. Still plan on making the rolling trundle drawers for underneath. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$70ish
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
primer and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic Console Table

Submitted by amac on Thu, 02/07/2013 - 19:39

We had to narrow the width of the table so that it would fit in a hallway. We distressed it..a lot and then washed a stain over the paint. Soooo pretty and rustic. Love your website!!!

Finish Used
Paint and then stain rubbed over the paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Apothecary Media Console

Submitted by griffsci on Sat, 12/13/2014 - 14:24

This was my second-built project after finding Ana's wonderful site - the first being the Rustic-X coffee table.  After learning how to use a miter saw, jig saw and kreg pocket hole jig for the first time by watching Ana's video tutorials as well as several others available on the web, I built up the confidence to attempt a media console for my three video-gaming boys. 

I pieced together a design plan for the console using the general design of Ana's Apothecary Console Plan, together with the incredibly helpful plans and instructions detailed on 2Crafty4myskirt.blogspot.com.  Kind of like mixing together pieces of different recipes, I was able to create a design that had the length of Ana's console, plus 2Crafty's wonderfull side-storage doors for all of the boy's video games.

As set forth in detail below, I used Ralph Lauren's Carbon paint for the entire unit, and Minwax Red Chesnut Wood finish to distress the edges.  I used Pecan Minwax Polyshades Stain & Polurethane for the table top.  One of the most helpful pieces of advice from 2Crafty was to leave attachment of the back and top of the unit until they are separately painted and stained.

I finished the false fronts with antique copper (bronze) cabinet label holders (2 1/2") which I purchased online at D. Lawless Hardware online.

As a beginner, I had a steep learning curve in learning how the tools worked (safely), and so it took me about 40 hours all in to finish the project.  While my sons helped along the way, my husband didn't actually set eyes on the project until it was complete.   He was stunned at how beautiful it was - and that I had in fact created what he calls the "center-piece" of our family room from a pile of lumber purchased at Home Depot.  He is full of helpful suggestions of what I should make next!

Thank you Ana for providing me with the tools, skills and confidence to produce a piece of furniture that I am very proud to point to and say "I did that!"

Estimated Cost
$150-175.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I painted the exterior of the entire console in two applications of Ralph Lauren's Carbon (semi-gloss), and then used a 220 sanding block to lightly sand all along the edges of the front of the unit and false-drawer faces. To created a softer, weathered look, I used a cloth to dab Minwax Red Chesnut (232) wood finish on the sanded areas, and wiped off the excess after 5 minutes. The pine top was stained in Minwax Polyshades Pecan Satin.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Faux Fireplace Mantle with Hidden Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/14/2017 - 15:06

We were given this fireplace insert and need something to house it. After searching the web, we decided that Ana's faux fireplace design was our best option. We modified the measurements to fit our needs and added a wood stained top to serve as our "mantle". We are thrilled with how it turned it!

Estimated Cost
Less than $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyshades 'Espresso' stain on mantle top
Behr white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack chair

Submitted by coulll on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 06:31

This was my first furniture build. Some things I would change next time, but overall very happy with the results.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Kept bare cedar.

Comments

ten dollar ledges

theses are the $10 ledges, i used 1 1x4, 1 1x6, and 1 1x2. i made a total of four which measured 2ft long. it was very easy to do, and was pretty fast, and really cheap

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
rustolium dark walnut spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

rhettar

Sun, 02/10/2013 - 19:58

I see you are saying you made them a little wider... I like your empty frames too...

Man Crate Mini

Submitted by JoanneS on Mon, 12/15/2014 - 18:48

This is a miniature version of the Man Crate, measuring 6” x 6” x 4 ¾” tall, made from 1/2" and 1/4" scrap birch plywood, with added hinges to make a lift-up top. 

This is going to be a gift - - I’m going to send it filled with candy.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Wood: $0 (scrap), $5.08 for hinges and screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
This one is unfinished (except for a little wood filler in the nail holes). Lettering was traced on with a pencil, and then filled in lightly with a ballpoint pen.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Playhouse Loft Bed

The girls and I are all in! We just started our build for the Playhouse Loft Bed. Wish us luck!

 

AlphaPilot

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Killz Primer
Valpraso Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Added rock climbing wall

Built this for my 6 year old daughter, she loves it and now want climbing rocks up her wall with monkey bars on her ceiling with another rock wall across her room!

Little Mancave for Noah

We absolutely LOVE this clubhouse bed. Not sure who loves it more, my litte boy or his parents! My husband has zero wood working skills, but his dad has a few wood working skills, so together they made this happen. We bought half of the lumber-cheapest whatever we could find, and my father -in-law bought the other half -the much more expensive stuff. We probably could have made this around $150-$200 using all the cheap stuff. We added a window box to hold little super heros and a shelf on the opposite window, we also added a shelf half way up on one of the post at the bottom to hold a lantern. We raised the bed 4 inches higher to give more room at the bottom. We used ply wood for the bottom of the bed rather than slats. We used a cherry 223 Minmax -1 coat and then put a clear coat on it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minmax 223 Red
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

43" Rustic X Coffee Table

This was my first build of this Rustic X Coffee Table and I really liked how it turned out! This one was modified to 43" long, same height and width. I love all the Rustic X pieces in this collection! They have been a favorite.

I finished the table using black tea, steel wool and vinegar, followed by Minwax's Dark Walnut stain and topped off with a Satin oil-based Polyurethane.

To see my other projects, make sure to visit my facebook page (only after you have spent enough time on Ana's site!)
www.facebook.com/simplyrustik

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Pre-Stain: Black Tea followed by Steel Wool and Vinegar Solution (7 days old)
Stain: Dark Walnut (Minwax)
Varnish: Satin Polyurethane

Distressing: Physical distressing performed before Pre-stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

adk_native

Fri, 01/23/2015 - 06:49

Hello,
Great work on the table. Was the tea and vinegar step not get dark enough? I was just wondering why you added a dark walnut stain afterwards.

Console table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 13:48

Made this to match the Tryde coffee and end table I made for my other half. She loved them, and loves this. We added the bottom piece which wasn't part of the plan. Using the 2x4 in different direction gave it a unique look. We love it.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut with poly finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wagon

Submitted by gbyrne on Sun, 12/21/2014 - 17:22

Based this wagon on plans found on Ana White's site. I built this for a 2 year old girl of a co-worker. She is right now using it to pull around her dolls.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tv console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/22/2017 - 08:30

Sliding barn door tv console. Created the metal hardware from aluminum i bought from home depot ($80)

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

The Best Floating Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 09:15

These floating shelves were so simple and are so strong! I decided to not attach the tops because you can’t see up there anyways. So will make a good hidden storage spot for small items.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Pine was stained with minwax Early American and layered with Mineax weathered oak.

kids' lounge bench

Submitted by JennyInGex on Sun, 02/17/2013 - 00:33

My first project besides some simple shelves. I wanted to use old sturdy wood I had from parts of a bed so I used the ana white plan but improvised quite a bit. I also accidentally made it much higher but like it this way. I am going to paint it a deep bright greek blue in the spring. I am happy with it!

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

Comments