Community Brag Posts

Modified console table

I'd been looking for a similar table for months but couldn't find one that I liked and that would fit at the bottom of my stairs. I found this pattern and changed the dimensions by removing just one of the top boards so that the final depth is 10.5" deep rather than 14". It's exactly what I wanted and get to brag about it!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Christmas Chalkboard

Submitted by Sue Hill on Sat, 12/24/2016 - 07:12

I made this craftsman frame to fit a 16" x 24" chalkboard. I followed the plan, using 1x3's and 1x2's, attached with a Kreg Jig which made it easy. Oh, and glue. I usually buy full sheets of plywood and paint them with chalkboard paint but time was short and I used a 24" x 48" prepainted panel. I cut three 16" x 24" chalkboards from this panel. 

I allowed 1/2"  all around the inside dimension in order to glue and staple the chalkboard to the back of the frame. I decided to paint them all with a barn red paint sample. Cheap enough and they're going under the tree to three family members!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 for all three
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Barn Red Sample Interior Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/04/2020 - 18:52

Thanks for sharing this project. I made a few adaptations knowing my friends, family, and monkey grandkids would be climbing all over the table. Everyone loved the table and we have broken it in with a great party.

Changes:
I added a second bottom stretcher that also serves as a footrest and ran them between the bottom legs rather than on top.
I added on 2x6 to the table width which required changing the leg dimensions.
I also ran an extra 2x4 middle support brace.

Results:
This table is a tank! Thanks!
I used the Danish Oil and the Thompsons to seal.

Now I am ready for another project.

Thanks Ana!

The Martin's

Estimated Cost
$75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Danish Oil (Natural) and Thompsons (Natural)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Ten Dollar Ledges

Submitted by solomonson on Wed, 11/21/2012 - 21:42

After a floating shelf fail, I threw this one together with scraps. Time investment below includes waiting for paint to dry and hanging it up.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Antique White, latex.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids Picnic Table

Submitted by MandaA on Sun, 09/07/2014 - 10:36

Excellent plans, fit my 15 month old nephew and 8 year old daughter! Easy to follow plans

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None as yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy Sliding Door Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/27/2016 - 02:52

Sliding door console built by Kathryn and Scott Winkler of K & S Coastal Home Furnishings. Kathryn added her own unique chippy finish to set this piece off!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chippy Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy x farmhouse table

Submitted by Keldani5 on Mon, 09/07/2020 - 03:50

This was a weekend job, had a lot of angles and I had to scribe a lot of them

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
145.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
for the top I used a carbon gray poly stain. The bottom was just a satin white
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Custom size bathroom vanity

Submitted by Eliyahu on Sun, 11/25/2012 - 13:02

Hello, this is my first post and i wanted to thank Ana for this great website. my wife and i bought a new house and we renovated one of the bathrooms. i looked all around for a bathroom vanity and i could not find anything that was simple yet classic and elegant that would fit the place and compliment the space. so i started by ripping down a 4 x 12 beam that i bought from a salvage yard and turned it to the vanity. the vanity measures 38" x 24 "x 34.5" and it has a full size pull out shelve and a soft close hinges and it has an open bottom shelf. the finish is dark walnut and high gloss polyurethane. if you have any questions feel free to ask. Thank you.

ana white bathroom vanity

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
materials about $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
dark walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Carra (not verified)

Tue, 11/27/2012 - 08:51

The vanity is very nice but I LOVE the shower!

Coffee Table

Submitted by MBuckson on Mon, 09/08/2014 - 11:52

This was my first project and it turned out way better than I expected. One of the most time consuming parts was finding pieces of wood that were not warped from Home Depot. The Xs really make the table look amazing, and even though mine are not perfectly symmetrical, I think I did pretty well since my compound miter saw will only cut up to 45 degrees. I had to use a jig saw for the 60 degree cuts, which was kind of a nightmare. 

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jayheedan

Tue, 09/09/2014 - 09:46

MBuckson, nice job on the table, it looks great.  A 60 degree cut is the same as a 30 degree cut, cut backwards.  Because Miter saws work with a straight line (180 degrees) the middle postion is 0 (90 degrees) depending on which way you flip the board your are working with.  So the 45 degree postions are half of the 90 degree (0 postion).  If you want a sixty degree cut add fifteen degrees to the 45, which you would actually subtract the 15 to get 30 degrees since you are flipping the board and cutting it backwards.  Or atleast that is how I understand it.

dbscott1

Wed, 09/24/2014 - 16:37

I used the 2x2 with the max length of the opening and just scribed it after clamping it down. I then duplicated it 3 more times (which included the half pieces for the X) for for the same length. I then scribed two that would be cut up... found it easier to cut the mini X pieces in half for easier handling on the mitre saw. Jays version works well also.

D

Modified this to fit my bunny!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/28/2016 - 15:48

I used Ana's plans, but switched things around a little as I went. I wanted something fancy for my bunny to hang in when I'm not home. The biggest modification I made for a bunny was the bottom. I wasn't happy with the stability of the chicken wire even though my bunny is just a few pounds. I used a more solid plastic called plaskolite ( you can find it in the lighting section of Lowes) We are planning on adding levels for the bunny as well as a cloroplast tray to fit the bottom since bunny poo can get stinky. We took about 2 weeks to complete this project and it was definitely a learning experience! We also tried to cut costs by getting some of the wook and backing from Habitat for Humanity! 

 

We also made the little bed with the leftover wood from this project :-)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used a chalk paint and painted everything BEFORE we added the doors and hardware. Then we distressed it a bit with some sandpaper.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Antiqued Farmhouse Console Table

My wife wanted a table for the entry way; so, of course, I showed her plans from this site. Wasn't hard to build at all. Since I knew she wanted an antique look, I left the screws exposed for a more rustic look.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Antique White Chalk Paint
Behr Clear Decorative Wax
Behr Dark Decorative Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

4x4 Outdoor Furniture Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/16/2024 - 08:03

We recently built the sofa, two chairs, coffee table farmhouse table with two smaller benches. Everything is so comfortable. Thank you for the plans and advice about purchasing the cushions first in order to build to the size of the cushions. My husband built it all super fast. I stained everything and selected what to build. It all is so nice on our new covered & screened in porch that we built our. - Nancy & Bob

Daughter's Loft Bed

This is my first big Ana White project!!  I built this bed with the basis of the Camp Style Loft Bed for juniors, but decided against the large stairs and reused some stairs i had built for our pop-up trailer.  They were smaller and took up less floor space.  I used all reclaimed wood from a house construction site (trash) except for 5 2x4s and the book shelf 1x8.  Because of this the project took significantly longer than her 'weekend' plans called for, but it was fun.  I spent probably 6-8 hours sanding/cleaning the wood.  You can see all the dimples or angles in the boards which give it a pretty cool look in my opinion.  I wanted to stain the wood to see all the pretty grain and knots, but my wife wanted a princess castle smiley so she won out.  

 

My mother help sew the super cute castle wall curtains.  We used Ikea lighting for under the ledge, and Ikea chandelier, and Ikea curtain rods to keep the project cheap.  Hope you like it.

Estimated Cost
lumber would have been $60-70
kreg screws $5-10
Ikea accessories were about $60
Curtain - priceless :)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
paint (I'll need to look up the colors)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Cassidy king bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/31/2016 - 09:10

My first grown up furniture, I didn't start small lol...The picture is not great, but I love it! I took advice from other comments, I sanded and stained each shim individually. Took ages!!!!! But well worth the effort.I used a gel stain and a glossy finish. I made matching nightstands as well using plans from another site.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax gel stain 606
Glossy varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Love Seat

We wanted a simple loveseat that used standard-sized cushions (that I found at target.com) that we could put on our narrow screened-in porch. The cushions were about twice the cost of the lumber! I modified the plan by changing the outsides from 2x3's to 2x4's and I made decorative panels of our State's flag using a stencil I created from an image on the Internet. I then cut the stencil out, marked it and cut it out using a scroll saw. The pattern is on 1/4' plywood framed in with 1 x 2's on the sides and 1/2" quarter round on the tops and bottoms of the patterns on both sides. This was fun and quick to build and it met our needs perfectly! I'm even designing some matching end tables for it! Since we're in Charleston, SC we used a color called "Charleston Green", it's nearly black but in bright sun you can see a little green. We barely get to use it though as the cat has taken it over! Thanks for a great plan!

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympic 2 in 1 Waterproof/strain Charleston Green
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Child's Bench with Arbor

Submitted by jennibee on Sun, 09/14/2014 - 08:57

This was a weekend build made from plans right here on Ana-White's site. There were a few changes made to make it sturdier since several (older) rambunctious toddlers were going to be using it. If anyone is interested in how much weight it can hold, two adults sat on this and it held up great. We have had this in the back yard for over a year now and it looks just as it did when it was first built.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $100. Not sure about actual cost since we had wood, primer, and paint on hand.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed and painted with exterior paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

All by myself!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 19:26

This project took a few days longer than anticipated.  I was having an issue with my screws and stripping the heads.  After EIGHT trips to Lowes I found out that I needed a drill with torque and mine didn't.  Total costs: pipes & screws= $150.00.  Wood and stain = $170.00.  2017 pricing!  Amazing closet!  And for the record...I am a complete novice! 

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