Community Brag Posts

Floating Bunk Beds and Desk

This little girls room needed a little happy birthday!  I planked the wall with birch veneer, made simple box frames for the beds and desk, and attached them to walls with heavy duty cable.  Then my friend added her designer touch, and made it cozy and  girl CHIC!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fire Station Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 09:53

Fairly easy and fun build! We followed the plans almost entirely and spent a few hours each day throughout a week working on it, painting it was definitely the most time consuming part. It came together very easily in the bedroom and was done just in time to surprise our 3 year old for Christmas, he loves it! And I love that we can fit another twin bed underneath to turn it from a loft to bunk beds in the future.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Gray primer, Red door&trim paint, White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Clubhouse Bunkbed w/Climbing Wall

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/08/2022 - 12:08

This is my first Anna White project that I built almost 10 years ago when I was a new grandma. Much to my surprise, it has endured and is still a fun place for 4 grandkids. I revised the Clubhouse bed plans by raising the loft and building it into a bunk bed (I have 10 foot ceilings making this possible), with one end covered by a 4x8' 3/4" plywood climbing wall (with toddler climbing set hardware) painted in seascape that allows them to climb up and over rather than using the removable ladder. I also added a tri-fold latching "baby gate" to the loft for safety if I was called out of the room while the littlest ones were up in the clubhouse. I also added a bucket on a pulley system to let the kids "deliver" items to the clubhouse window from the ground and a "flood level" measuring stick to let them measure their growth progress. To cover the backside of the plywood climbing wall and the hold screws and make sure all was nice and smooth, I added a 1/4 MDF sheet on the inside and painted with a porthole to simulate a submarine when the curtain is closed.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Ana White Admin

Wed, 11/09/2022 - 10:11

You have to be the sweetest grandma around, this is so awesome! Love all the added details and growth chart, thank you for sharing.

Adirondack stool or table

Submitted by takahler on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 11:20

This was my first project to tackle alone. It twisted a little on me not having another set of hands to hold things square, but it stands straight and doesn't wobble! Good enough for me. Plus it is an outdoor piece of furniture. The plans were easy to follow and I added 3" to the height of the legs so it was the same height as my arm rests on my chair.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Scraps from adirondack chairs ($0)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double pedestal breakfast table and bench

Submitted by Lschnell19 on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 09:24

Thank you Ana for yout amazing plans for the triple pedestal table and bench! I modified it to work for the dimensions that I needed which brought it down to a double pedestal table and bench. It ended up as a 3'x5' table. I attempted the antique coffee stain technique but it wasn't taking so I just used the stain that I used on the table top instead of the coffee. I LOVE how it turned out!

Leah

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed the legs and then added two coats of latex paint. Sanded the edges and corners and then applied dark walnut minwax stain over the entire surface wiping it off quickly! For the top, I did two coats of dark walnut minmax stain. I finished everything off with two coats of polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Reclaimed Wood Look Bedside Table

Submitted by PhilCo on Sun, 11/29/2015 - 12:08

Having recently completed the Californian King size Bed, I needed matching bedside tables, these were an obvious choice, but due to the size of our bedroom, I had to downsize on the plan. Although I kept to the spirit of the plan, I made a few changes, other than just size. I made up the table tops and side panels, prior to assembly, much as I did with the bed, I pocket holed and glued the planks together to ensure they stay that way. I also decided to use hardwood runners, and not buy metal slides, because I had plenty of mahogany scrap, and the drawers are small, so it was easy to do. The drawer knobs were obviously bought, but to ensure they never come off, which is usually my problem with store bought knobs, I fixed them to the drawer face, using epoxy to glue the knob to the bolt, before attaching to the drawer carcase. I built these from pine and used a matt oak varnish to match the bed. The full build and more photos are on my Blog

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Matt Oak Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic X coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/19/2019 - 15:40

First coffee table build. Plans were perfect! Built for $50, sold for $255

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Platform Bed with Shoe Trundle

Submitted by vendo on Tue, 11/22/2022 - 08:08

We had some bulky items that needed to be stored. So I came up with dimensions for a low platform bed so the bows could slide under. I decided to build a faux drawer to conceal the bulky items and added shoe storage into the faux trundle drawer. Of course I used one of Ana's plans for the basic idea and modified from there! 

bed with trundle storage bed

bed legs

bed frame 2x4

inside bed frame

bed support

King-size stratton storage bed

Submitted by melanieann on Sat, 09/03/2011 - 14:53

This was our first time building furniture. We built our new bed over the course of four days. We don't own any power saws so opted to give the cut list to our local hardware store who only charged us about $50 for all the cuts.

Day one consisted of picking up all the lumber, sorting into the three sections and labeling all the pieces. Day two was the longest day, lots of drilling and measuring and screwing and gluing and even the first two coats of shellac. On the third day we built the drawers, and finished coating everything with shellac. The last day was the installation of the drawer hardware, including the slides.

We're quite happy with the quality of our work, and appreciate the directions and plans. Though we aren't fine furniture makers, and probably none of our corners are 100% square, we finished in the time we thought, pretty close to budget, and with the satisfaction of doing it ourselves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
shellac dyed a bright, happy blue.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack chairs

Submitted by Debbie742 on Mon, 09/23/2013 - 17:43

I've made 4 of these awesome chairs. The first two I did the same as the plans called for, and also made the stools to go along with them. Then I seen where someone had made the arms larger and added an extra board along the bottom to give it a more finished look, so I did the same and love these even better. Thank you for the plans.

Debora Cadene,
Atikokan, Ontario

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used stain to finish them along with lots of sanding for a smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Recycling and Garbage Cabinet

Submitted by DIYMomof4 on Wed, 01/23/2019 - 15:16

We needed a place for our garbage/recycling bins that would look nice and was inaccessible to our dogs.  I decided to make two drawers for the bins and two drawers for storage.  I found a set of 10 drawer slides on Amazon for around $50.  They are heavy duty and full extension.  I measured our garbage bins and built to size.  The total height of the cabinet is 36" including the countertop.  The cabinet width is 35.5" and the depth is 20".  The butcher block countertop(25" by 48") was purchased from Home Depot for $98.  I only had to do a light sanding, router the edge, and apply a finish.  The cabinet will be located along a wall and have room for a counter height chair.  This will allow my youngest to have a snack while I work in the kitchen.  Although I didn't use a specific plan, I used ideas from several of Ana's designs.  Thank you for the inspiration Ana!        

Estimated Cost
$300, but I have leftover wood and drawer slides
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The stain is a mixture of Varathane Traditional Cherry 3X and Minwax English Chestnut.
I used Waterlox sealer/finish VOC compliant on the whole cabinet. For the countertop, I only used the Waterlox. Waterlox is really beautiful, but you will need a respirator mask and plenty of ventilation.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana’s West Elm Emerson by Lindsay Watson

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/03/2022 - 05:28

Ana’s West Elm Emersen Plan stained in Aged Barrel
Love it. Matches the bar I made

Comments

Super Simple Lid and Pot Rack

Submitted by twsnowman on Wed, 09/25/2013 - 19:57

Super Duper Easy

Built in 2 hours including time to change outfits on my daughters' poly-pockets, feed the baby dinner, and pick up kindergarten carpool.
and yes, I did it all on my kitchen table.

I was trying to find plans for a pot-rack that also holds the LIDS!!! By the time I reviewed half a dozen designs that didn't work, I had thought of one myself that works brilliantly. I can reach and store the lids from the ground (yes I'm short) as easily as I can the pots. I hung mine over the kitchen sink so it doubles as a pot/lid drying rack as well.

If you want details on steps I took, materials used, or mistakes I made, message me.

Happy building!

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever. I just painted with interior semi-gloss tinted to match my table.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Christmas card frame

Modified Ana's plans to omit the chalkboard and make larger.  Measures 75"h x 36"wide.  All 1x2s, cuts are 2 @ 75", 2 @ 34 1/2", 2 @ 73 1/2", 2 @ 31 1/2".

Estimated Cost
$20 (4 - 1x2x10)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
The Real Milk Paint Co. flag red, dark wax
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Walnut top farmhouse Table

Farmhouse table with walnut top and breadboard ends.  Edges of boards were put together with tonque and grove.  I use a router to do that and I used a router for the breadboard ends.  I have the ends held in with three dowls. The walnut made this an expensive project.  The wood for the top was around $600. 2 by 6 pine boards could be used instead for a lot less money.  I wanted to try something that required more advance woodworking skills such as tongue and grove and mortise and tenon.  It took awhile and I had plenty of mistakes tyring to get it right. I have built similar tables using pocket hole screws but I found that the boards tended to seperate and or crack over time. I did not use glue on this table top as I want the wood to be able to expand and contract without splitting. 

Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Clear wood protector.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

A Gift to Grow With

Submitted by melissa2 on Sat, 09/10/2011 - 16:33

Though I'd spent a few months crocheting a baby blanket, my mother also wanted something special and lasting as a gift for a future new family member. She tried to think of something unique, but kept coming up empty. I went online to help her, and looked for newborn items. Unfortunately, I just kept running into toys, toys, and more toys. Ones that would be "grown out of" quickly, too. It was late at night, and very quiet, the time when your brain is calm and sometimes things just dawn on you.

Why not a toy BOX? (And one already "worn in," so that it could take a lot of play throughout the years.) I knew right where to look for a plan--Ana White's website! It ended up being a gift for him from both of us, and while he's a little too young to notice it now, we hope it grows with him and brings him years of joy.

Thank you, Ana, for sharing your talent and helping us (and so many others) create something truly special. That old blanket can wait until Christmas!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 or so (with some toys)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1) Paint on primer, and use a roller to smooth (with all paint coats); 2) Paint on Painter's Touch or American Accents by Rustoleum in "Heirloom White"; 3) Sand; 4) Paint; 5) Spatter on black craft paint; 6) Sand edges down to bare wood, and some surface areas; 7) Put water in brown craft paint, and use as a stain in sanded-off areas, wiping off excess with paper towels. Use some to make stains on other areas; 8) Hammer in random spots with a meat cleaver; 9) Varnish with one coat of semi-gloss. ~ The bird on the bottom right is a wood applique, purchased from a craft store and added before finishing.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

mikejillnelson5 (not verified)

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 04:36

What a wonderful idea! As baby girl gets older it could become a hope chest (not a common thing to have nowadays but still useful and appreciated). For the cuddly boys, a storage locker for sport jerseys, memorabelia, etc. A gift that truly lasts a lifetime!

melissa2

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 18:42

mikejillnelson5, those are great suggestions! Another one for boys as they age is to use it as a place to dump sports gear (basketballs, baseballs, bats, etc.).

Kids as they age can flip the toy box around, so that anything that becomes "childish" to them--like a name or added detail--can be hidden against a wall.

Farmhouse style bed

Submitted by mindogas on Sat, 09/28/2013 - 23:53

Modified Farmhouse style bad. Used lighter wood for headrest and footrest. Changed measurements for Lithuanian size of mattress (200x160cm). For headboard panel were used pallets wood so it was necessary to paint it right. Also Added some trims for decorating edges.

Estimated Cost
~200$
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Water based Champagne Sand color paints.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bclute

Sun, 09/29/2013 - 06:37

I wish I would have seen your plan before I built my bed. Your head and footboard bases make it a lot easier to attach the side rails. Paint color and texture look good too. Did you use a satin finish?

mindogas

Sun, 09/29/2013 - 08:25

Thank you for your opinion.
I used glossy paint and its over. No final polishing or lacking ant the end if you asking this.

Sweet Pea Garden Bunk

Lots of modifications - first, from a safety standpoint, I wanted more exits on the lower bunk. I built two versions of the front, so they can get in and out on both sides. I also added a ladder on one side because I'm not going to build the stairs for a few weeks. I have a firefighter friend who has warned me of some safety aspects, including not to put this up against a window. There's 3 feet clearance from this bed and the window. So, still to paint and decorate it, but that will happen later.

Estimated Cost
500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Non toxic, zero VOC milk paint (eventually)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner