Community Brag Posts

Book Nook Tent

Submitted by rsk9rsa on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 11:39

Only one cut and easy-to-follow instructions make for a kid-sized reading nook that you can build today!

This is a simple project that comes together in an hour or less. You need recycled material for the panels and approximately $20 worth of supplies, assuming you own a drill, staple gun and wrench.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

trundle for bed or storage

This was my first DIY furniture project and I am so thrilled with the outcome that I am already trying to figure out what to make next! I made all my measurements and then had all of the wood cut to size at Home Depot. The assembly went much more quickly and smoothly than I had anticipated.This is a very sturdy piece of furniture. My 6 & 8 year-old girls were so excited to have the trundle put together. They have been taking turns sleeping on it and are even pulling it out to have a comfy spot to read or crochet. Thank you Ana, I am SO HAPPY to have found your site!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wooden Rainbow Toy

Submitted by Iain_K on Tue, 12/24/2019 - 11:14

This is a copy of a creative toy for toddlers seen on Amazon. I glued two pieces of 21mm plywood (400mm X 200mm) together and then using a jig on the band saw, cut out the rainbow shapes 25mm wide. I made up a drum sahnder using circles cut out from the same double layer of plyywood using a hole saw, with a bolt through the middle, to sand the the inner edges. My wife painted the rainbow colours using acrylic paints as this is what we had to hand (I would suggest rather using using a water-based enamel).

Estimated Cost
R100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Acrylic paint coated with a floor sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bar Height Outdoor Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/27/2023 - 12:42

We had this unused lower deck and this bar height table was the perfect addition. We have place now to hang when too hot or it’s raining. My husband and I built it in one weekend and your plans where great.

Julie Moran

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

First Project!

Submitted by katiea40 on Sat, 04/07/2012 - 18:20

I saw this and thought - FINALLY...the answer to my laundry chaos! My husband built it for me this weekend with a couple of minor modifications. He put casters on the bottom, so I can move it to clean and sweep. He also added clear plastic drywall corner protectors over the 2x2's so that they paint is protected when the baskets slide in and out! Pretty clever! Oh, and I thought I was being super creative when I picked the color - and then saw that it is the EXACT color that you painted it! So much for that creative spark - but, I'll work on it! Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed and painted with high gloss finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra Room for Little House

Submitted by masmith38 on Tue, 01/21/2014 - 13:57

I have a tiny house and for additional storage I've been drooling over building this for a good long time. I finally got some extra money that I could dedicate to it. Having to have a major surgery at the end of last summer I knew I couldn't do a garden because of how every day I didn't know how I would feel. I did know that I could work a little at a time when I felt I could and get as much done as possible on a shed. By the end of the summer I had an awesome shed thanks to Ana and her plans. I had to do my own research for the base and how to sit it on the ground. I chose to dig 2 trenches in the dirt, put small gravel in and put 2 pressure treated sleepers to rest my bottom deck on. I also primed the plywood floor to try and help with less moisture through the different cycles of the year. Checked on it last week to put the Christmas decorations away and dry as a bone inside and all looking as good as I had hoped on the outside.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$450-$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Be sure to glue as you are attaching the cedar pickets or whatever material you use to the frame. I chose not to at first and my nail gun staples ended popping out. I went back and glued after the fact. Not a great use of time, but live and learn. I also used on the fir stripping, front and side pickets some 'natural' color BEHR wood treatment. It doesn't have to be removed or treated in order to apply another coat in the future. Gives the wood some good moisture and a tiny bit of color to help it not turn gray.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Ghol on Thu, 04/14/2016 - 10:52

Fancy table for outside barbecues. I built this table out of 100% Cedar. In order to maintain the lighter cedar color, I just several coats polyurethane for outdoor protection.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~ $250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear outdoor polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Double Outdoor Chair with Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/01/2023 - 15:34

Good morning, I took this double chair with table and made it my own. Adding bigger arm rests and table top. This chair is so comfortable and sturdy. Totally love all your projects. Keep up the awesome work. Thanks agin

Entry Table/Side Table combo

I had so much fun on the first entry table I built, I decided to build another one and add a side table to it. I had enough extra wood around the garage to make my weekend filled with fun and building.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Swan White paint, distressed
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X console

Submitted by Chriss_lee on Sun, 04/17/2016 - 19:51

Our very first DIY furniture piece my husband & I made. We absolutely love it & will definitely be doing more DIY projects together.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Hall Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 06:28

My wife got some gift cards for Christmas. Instead of going and buying stuff for herself, she handed them to me and said that she wanted a Hall Bench/Mudroom bench and she wanted me to build it. We've got several of the Rustic X furniture pieces in our home already and she wanted it to match, so this was the natural fit. This was a great project and addition to some of our home decor. I had to shrink it down to fit our space, but that was easy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
<$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams primer and paint

Narrow cottage end tables

Submitted by dmcarwin on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 07:55

These plans were the perfect little end tables for my "sitting area" in my kitchen. I went out and found scraps from my pile in the shed and only had to buy one 1x3! With my kids I rarely have time to do a project in one day. I measure one day, cut and sand another, and then build another. These babies sat unfinished by my couch for a couple of months, and I FINALLY finished them! Yea! I love them! It is my first attempt at painting furniture and distressing, it's not perfect, but I am happy to have a little more confidence! I love the tables! Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Used boards on hand- so approx 15.00 for paint and a 1x3
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I got a turquoise paint from walmart and lost the color sample (sorry)! I stained the top with Rustoleum's Dark Walnut Ultimate wood stain (dries so fast) and you only need one coat. I then distressed the edges and put stain on and wiped off right away. I finished with a coat of water based poly. I used my new command max home right hvlp sprayer! LOVE it! $75 dollars worth every penny!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Airplane Reading Light and Shelf

Submitted by tommybo76 on Sun, 01/26/2014 - 12:31

I was inspired to build an airplane shelf for my son based on the plane old shelf design, and I've always liked WW2 era p-51 Mustangs. So I thought I'd give it a shot. I built this design out of mostly 3/4 plywood scrap. I glued 3 pieces together for the fuselage and routed out the wings for a rounded look. I then thought it would be cool to add some LED lights. That got me thinking, if I added enough lights underneath the wings he could use it to read books at night. There are 12 lights underneath and it seems to be very bright. The prop spins thanks to a few washers and a long screw. Most of my cost was tied up in LED lights since I used spare parts and scrap wood. It took me at least 10 hours to build as I had never tried to build something like this and experimented along the way.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint (separated on and brushed depending on what I had on hand)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Coffee Table

I learned from other project fails to sand down the boards as I go. So my hubby cut the lumber and handed each board to me and I sanded down the boards with 120 grit sand paper followed by a finishing sanding block. Luckily the lumber that we purchased was not super rough so I hand sanded everything down. Once each board was mostly sanded down we put it all together.

Since my hubby countersunk the screws I applied standard wood filler and sanded it once it was dry (about 2 hrs later). I then applied wood conditioner and about 30 minutes later, followed by 1 coat of stain and 1 coat of polyurethane finish. Once the polyurethane was dry I sanded it down one more time with the fine sanding block so it was perfectly smooth.

I must confess: this was the second time I built a coffee table from this plan. The first time I built it I did a HORRIBLE job with the sanding & staining. When my husband and I first built from this plan it took us about 8 hours to build it. The second time it took us 3 hours.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
The lumber was about $35 and I splurged on some much needed staining items (cloths, masks, more brushes, etc.). I spent a total of about $75 on everything.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Wood conditioner, Varathane dark walnut wood stain (1 coat, applied a heavy coat with brush and wiped excess stain with a rag about 3-5 minutes after initial application), and finished with Minwax fast-drying polyurethane clear satin (1 coat).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

One piece play kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/07/2020 - 11:35

I made this play kitchen for my 2 year old for Christmas. She had been talking about wanting a kitchen and I found the plans and showed them to her and she said "Mommy build it?" and so that's what I did. The look on her face Christmas morning was absolutely priceless!

I followed the one piece play kitchen plans, but left off the supports for the shelves to have a more modern look. I used contact paper for the backsplash and counter top areas that I found on amazon. I put matte modge podge over the counter top to protect it. The stove top is painted on with acrylic black paint and some gold and silver paint pens that I traced circles. The sink was purchased at walmart (Spark. Create. Imagine. Kitchen Sink Play Set )for $14 and came with a bunch of different play items. And I turned the "shelf" under the sink in the original plans into a tray by adding handles so that it could be more interactive. I put a motion detector light in the refrigerator so that when the door is opened it turns on and some color changing lights push lights in the freezer (blue), oven (red) and below the top shelf (white). The oven has 2 wire racks that are made from wire cookie cooling racks from the dollar store. I used the longer screws for the knobs on the stove area so that they can be pulled out and twisted. I added a shelf to the refrigerator as well, just a piece of 1x8 for more storage space.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-rust-oleum hammered metal silver spray paint for the doors
- white high gloss paint for inside the fridge and freezer
- sherwin williams satin paint in Mountain river for cabinet
-sherwin williams satin paint in chatroom for inside oven
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Jumbo Wood Dressers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/10/2023 - 13:17

Built two jumbo sized dressers 72 by 36 3/4 by 24 3/4. Painting is still pending. One can see playlist here

 

Rasik

Linen Storage Tower

Submitted by JoanneS on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 12:23

This tower plan was perfect for re-using some already stained 1x12’s I had from another project. It fills up that little square of unused space at the top of the stairs, and gives us extra storage for towels and TP for the 3 bathrooms in our house. I substituted 1x2 and ¼” plywood for the door and used some 1x2 and 1x3 to attach and build it in. This project has been up for a couple of months now, and has come in handy. This was my first attempt at doing something as a ‘built-in,’ and it gave me confidence that we could do our next big project (the pantry) as a built-in. Since the side and shelf boards were already stained, once it was assembled the finishing was easy- all I had to do was stain the trim boards to match, and paint the door and the inside.
Thanks for this great plan, Ana! I’m planning to build several more of these, for my sewing room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot water based stain w/poly (walnut) on the sides and shelves and minwax express color in walnut on the trims. Door is painted with Ace Royal semi gloss in Crushed Peanut, and the inside color is Wishbone.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Back