Community Brag Posts

This was my second project using plans on this site and I loved it - I made this for a friend's daughter who was moving into her own apartment. She and her girlfriends loved it too! It was very easy and quick to build. Wheels took a bit of time and effort!

This was a real hit and I'd love to make more, if I had room at my house I'd make one for myself!

My first attempt at woodworking

Using the 4x4 Truss Bench plan (http://ana-white.com/2013/10/plans/4x4-truss-benches), we built this bench using entirely reclaimed lumber. (We had removed an old patio and part of a fence.) We already had all of the lumber, screws, etc. so the only cost to us for this project was the cost of the stain.

We modified the plan slightly, using 2x4s on the ends.

My husband is obsessed with decking screws. Thus the entire bench is held together with 2 1/2 inch decking screws. (Unfortunately, we purchased our Kreg Jig a day following the completion of this project.)

Because the lumber was very old and weathered, there is a lot of character to the wood. There were some incredibly soft spots which made sanding a challenge, and some of the boards were somewhat warped. However, we still really like the way it turned out.

I sanded (and sanded and sanded) using 60 grit, then 80... then 120... then 220. I filled the screw holes with wood filler (and sanded again). I then conditioned the wood with Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner. I used Minwax Early American oil based stain on the entire project. I then went over the top only with Minwax Weathered Oak. After about 36 hours of drying time, I used 2 coats of Minwax Fast-Drying clear semi-gloss polyurethane.

This bench is a beast! I'm sure it weighs over 75 pounds. It is extremely solid, and quite beautiful in our dining room. The plans were easy to follow, and the whole thing went together fairly quickly. (It would have been completed even more quickly had we had our Kreg Jig at the time. Lesson learned.)

This is my king size farmhouse bed with storage. I also changed the height of the footboard to be even with my mattress. 

I adapted your plans for the indoor playhouse to make a bridge between my daughters’ beds with a landing for their dolls and favorite dresses. Lots of fun painting and used leftover lattice and posts to brighten it up!

To build:
2 x 4s
1 1/4" dowel rods - x3
2 1/2" wood screws screws
1 1/2" PVC pipe (for spacers) - cut at 3/8" thick - x2

Needed:
Hole saw kit
powerful 3/8" drill or 1/2" drill
Jig saw
Miter saw
sandpaper
wood filler
paint

Was a great project! Was surprisingly easy to put this together. Modified the plans slightly and used all 1x3" boards for the edges (instead of 1x2"). Made the top out of left over walnut from the truss farmhouse table we made earlier in the month. Painted off-white (fledgling). Highly recommend buying decorative hinges as it made a big difference in the look.

 I had heard about Ana on the YoungHouseLove podcast and she inspired me to take on this storage bin! It looks great and my 2 year old son loves it!  I documented the process on my blog at 1thing1week.com where I take on one new challenge each week. 

This was my first attempt at building and I learned a lot such as if you drop pine, it cracks in half - and - when cutting with a jigsaw, cut inside the lines....you can always trim more off, but you can't put it back - and - my dogs can distress a piece of furniture faster than I can if I put it under "thier" window....whether I want them to or not!
This was a great beginner project and gives a fast, satisfying result. As you can see, it has become the cat's bench...can't get a picture of it without him, he lives on it!
Just a couple of notes: I cut the legs more according to the plan diagram than the pretty cuts Patrick made on his...I wasn't ready for that. Also, I didn't have my glasses outside with me, so my measurements on the legs are probably not right. I made the top shorter because I wanted it for a specific space (which didn't work out, see note about about dogs and distressing....ugh!).
Also, this probably should have taken me just an hour or so, but I had my Kreg jig set all wrong and first had shallow pocket holes (see note above about pine breaking when dropped) and then made them too deep (learned to use wood filler)! That's when I finally got my butt into the house to get my glasses to read the dang directions (again!).
Thanks Patrick and Ana for giving me such a great, easy beginner project!

This project started on a Saturday and I moved it into the house the following Friday. All that being done with two little cherubs running around and making demands of me every 10 minutes. Super easy build and my first time.

King size, so I added two 1x3 supports on the back. I love it!

Building the desk was pretty straightforward. I actually saved a little money going with the 2x6s (4 of them was under half the price of a pine project panel) rather than the panel which I actually brought home first. I went with the 2x6s instead because it felt sturdier, and the straightest panel I could find was a little warped (which I didn't want to force).

My biggest piece of advice is, if you don't have a wood planer, DO NOT use a Kreg Jig to assemble the top first. 2xWhatevers just don't seem to "lay" the way you want them to if they're all connected together. I built the legs, added supports and then used glue and 2" finish nails to secure the top, butting them up as close as I could (there's only very minimal gaps, ~1/16 or less) It is SOLID. I filled in the nail holes with Elmer's stainable wood filler. After staining, I used a tiny artist brush with the stain on the filler so it could penetrate a little longer. Worked like a charm!

We decided to go with a color stain on top because it's going in a craft room/office so we wanted it to be bright and fun to get our creative juices flowing. The walls are a light gray so we figured we could afford some color :)

This project was meant to be a birthday present for my niece; however, after showing it to other people, there are now multiple people that are interested in having their own, understanding that I will be able to make it for much cheaper than buying an equivalent project from a store. It was a fun project and took little time to complete with minimal resources required....and for cheap

I had been searching for a loft bed for my son for some time but couldn’t find anything affordable until I stumbled across these great plans! I found the instructions to be very easy to follow (though I did spend a lot of time going over them first) and the cut diagrams were great to prevent waste. I also fell in love with hmkeith11 paint job which I copied as well. I used Behr paint in pencil sketch and just a large grout sponge to make the bricks. Super easy and turned out great.

I made a few modifications to the plans. First I made the towers 6ft tall but did not change the height of the mattress platform. I also made the towers one piece and just cut the tops of them to get the “castle look”. I made the towers taller so the rail on the front would be bigger and allow for a more “secure” feeling when sleeping (and to ease my fears of two fearless boys jumping on the bed). I also eliminated the small front piece that connects the slide to the tower. I just made the front door panel longer and attached the slide right to the tower with a few screws. I like the look better and it eliminates a small rail at the top of this small panel giving it clean look (in my opinion). I also added a small door under the stairs since the wall was long enough in my son’s room. Its fun and adds a second exit point. Lastly, I modified the supports for the mattress based on some other brag posts feedback. I rested the support beams on the plywood sides and added a third beam and 2 beams going across tied into the wall studs and the front door panel. I wanted to feel 100% sure my very active kids couldn’t bring this bed down. I also added a piece of plywood on top of the bed supports since we have memory foam mattress, this gave the mattress the correct support it needs.

This was by far the biggest woodworking project I have ever taken on. It took me 2 months of working just weekends for only a few hours a day and some evenings after my kids went to sleep. Perfect size project for me. I’m also a short female, so go for it moms! You can do it!

I had also never cut such large pieces of plywood and didn’t know how to get my cuts straight. I found out how to make a skill saw guide and boom! Problem solved. Just buy a piece of Masonite, rip a 4 inch piece then glue it down on the other piece with the manufacture straight edge pointing in and you got yourself a guide for straight cuts! Here is a link: http://www.provenwoodworking.com/woodworking-saw.html

My son is thrilled with his bed and it was a great challenge to build!

Rustic Industrial Shelf

The Swede in Norway

I built this for a friends upcoming baby shower! She has yet to receive it so I hope she loves it. It was super easy to build, even the fancy scrolling at the bottom of the sides was relatively easy. I can say that only because I'm an experienced builder, but for someone new to this, it could be daunting. Just go slow and try it out on practice boards first!

So easy and fun!