Community Brag Posts

Modern Deck Chairs and Loveseat

Submitted by c.winks on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 12:59

Love, love, love your projects and plans! I have made 3 of the Modern Outdoor Chairs so far, as well as the Modern Outdoor Loveseat and they are amazing. I purchased both the seat and back cushions for my chairs before realizing that the back cushion had nothing to lean against, so I modified the design and gave the chairs alittle more personality. Keep those plans coming, I can't wait to try more.

Comments

Sarah's Perfect Bookshelves

Submitted by community-cont… on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 10:54

My husband is an aeronautical engineer and reads plans all day as a part of his job–even he thought your plans were fantastic. Great job! He did the building and I did the painting of the shelves. I did request that he add a back onto the shelves, so he left the trim off the backs of the shelves and fit in a piece of 3/4 MDF. It worked beautifully! We spent $75 on these two shelves–it would have been more like $50, except the additional MDF (for the shelf backs) added to the cost. Our only suggestion after doing this project is to go to a lumber yard for the pine. Ours is from one of the big box stores and, even though my husband went through a lot of wood, all of the choices were pretty bad. We went ahead and used this subpar wood, but I think our end result would be even better with better quality wood.

Thank you SO much for designing these plans for us. We’ve been planning on bookcases for quite awhile, but my husband hadn’t had time to come up with plans. When I found these plans on your site, I informed him that this was our weekend project! Soon he’ll be building a bed and trundle for our little boy–using your plans, of course!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50 without backs
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Santa is a cool guy... (Modified Train Table)

Submitted by TatafuFam on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 14:06

Santa decided to get come to Ana this year for some help with a train table instead of getting one from (insert big box toy store here). It ended up being pretty easy and a lot of fun, and our boys loved it! Santa decided he needed as much room on top as possible to put train and didn't need it to hide away so we skipped the cutting the top piece of plywood in half and left out the middle peice. We then added a track set and a few extras and painted the top. Thanks for the plans Ana! -(Santa)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Brush on primer and some Oops Valspar from the store, forgot which color!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

transitional bath room vanity

Submitted by Texalyn on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 07:14

I changed the height of the Connor Side Table to that of a bathroom vanity and added an apron to hide the underside of the sink.  I carefully built the vanity to be level, then discovered that the underside of the sink surround is wavy (apparently they are made by being poured into an upside down mold, hence the wavy surface).  I added trim at the top of the vanity to hide the shims stabilizing the sink top.  Thx to Rogue Engineer for the well-written plans, and thx to Ana White for your Kreg pocket hole jig video.  It made me feel confident I could pull this off!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Golden Oak stain, two coats of MinWax Clear Satin Polyurethane, with light sanding with fine sandpaper between coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Table Complete!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/01/2017 - 20:10

I've very happy with the results of my "Fancy X Farmhouse Table" project.  I modified the dimensions to fit our space; this meant making the table thinner and re-sizing the "X's" proportionally.  Also, for trimming the edges of the "X's", I came up with a combination of base board pieces at the end of the 2x4's.  I hadn't used wood stain in over 20 years because I had gotten such blotchy results.  This project reintroduced me to stain and I'm glad it did.  Turns out, the secret is proper sanding AND the use of a "pre-stain" product that sets up the wood for good(even) absorption.  Polyurethane was used as a sealant, while the base frame got white semi-gloss.  Cheers, good luck on all your projects!

-Robert
 Bellingham, WA

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain, Minwax "Early American" Wood Stain(2 coats), Minwax Polyurethane(2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cleaning Caddy

I wanted to build a cleaning caddy. Normally when I go to clean – I want to do it all at once. We have a bigger house – so I’ll be upstairs in the kids room – and realize I left the Windex downstairs – get upstairs – I left the paper towels downstairs….SERIOUSLY. So – hopefully this will stop that from happening!!!

So – here we have my Cleaning Caddy!! It was actually pretty easy to build. I had everything on hand. I had the dowels from another project – so that is how I based everything.

I took two left over pieces of MDF and made a design, cut it out with a Jig Saw. I wanted to make sure it was tall enough for the cleaning bottles.

Then I screwed the dowel to each side of the MDF sides.

I then measure the length I needed for the sides – I used scrap base molding we had laying around – I don’t even know where it came from!

Then came the bottom – I measured out the sides – and then I wanted it long enough to hold a roll of paper towels.

Glued and nailed everything in with the nailer (always use glue too – this thing is kind of heavy with all the cleaning supplies)

I screwed the dowel in from the bottom for the paper towels.

I painted it many times with white trim paint – used many different types of wood so I wanted it to look uniform.

Then for the finishing touches – I went to my abundant scrapbook paper collection – Mod Podged it all up. Love that stuff!!! On the front – I cut out “Cleaning Caddy” with my Cricut. And on the sides I trimmed it out with cording I had on hand, just used hot glue and did about a 6 inch section at a time. I hot glued buttons where my screws were on the outside tops. My counter sink bit was the wrong size, so they stuck out a little. Now it’s a nice decorative element.

Estimated Cost
Free
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanding, priming, painting, mod podge
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Counter height planter

Submitted by h.abbott on Sat, 05/11/2013 - 18:40

We needed extra garden space this year and I thought adding one of these planters would be a great addition. So far it has. It allows me to easily weed, which is my most despised gardening job. Added bonus that the dog can't dig it up, and bunnies can't nibble on my plants. It also makes a great art canvas for my son's chalk drawings.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Janettx

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 04:25

Great job, glad you were able to follow my lame attempt at giving instruction! beautiful job!

pattyf50

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 12:55

Hi I live in north Dakota we get about 10 ft of snow every January, I am planning on making the counter height garden boxes, but how do I keep the snow in winter from crushing them. Patty

pattyf50

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 12:55

Hi I live in north Dakota we get about 10 ft of snow every January, I am planning on making the counter height garden boxes, but how do I keep the snow in winter from crushing them. Patty

Growth chart

My friends are all having kids these days, and I had a lot of scrap 1x6 kicking around. 

After applying a stain on the boards, I printed the letters and numbers as large as I wanted them. I used ''French Script MT'', size of font 185 and I cut them out to make a template.

I happened to have some chalk board paint, which gives it a nice mat color. 

I recommend to leave enough space for baseboards, in my case Ive started numbering the charts at 8'' high. A picture hook is set in the back to hang it on the wall, you could also simply screw it on the wall. 

Its quick to make and doesnt require a lot of cutting!

Estimated Cost
the price of a 1x6 board, about 6 feet long.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
The darker color is Minwax ''Colonial American''.
the lighter color is Minwax ''Natural''. I like it a bit better for these boards as I think it will be easier to see the lines that the family will draw to mark their kid's height as they grow.

I used a black chalkboard paint to paint the numbers and letters, I free-handed these after drawing them with a pencil, using a template for reference.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Entertainment Console with Barn Doors

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/04/2017 - 12:03

This was an easy project. It turned out great. I made my own hardware from using the video on Shanty 2 Chic website. That's for posting the plans. 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Classic Grey stain and Dark walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full size bed size

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:47

Loved your plans for building a bed frame- easy to follow.

Comments

Outdoor Bench

This was my very first project I tackled from Ana's site. I wanted to see if I could do it, so started with something easy. I think it turned out great and looks great in our flower bed in front of our house.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I primed it, painted it red then sanded it down in spots and rubbed stain to give it aged look.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Mini Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by danicarby on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 06:59

I built these side tables with a friend. We under estimated the time it would take by a long shot! We estimated that with the both of us it took 15+ hours to complete. We spent $120 on all the wood, paint and hardware for both. It was a lot of work and the most time consuming part was the finish (sanding, painting, sanding, painting, clear coat, sanding, clear coat, sanding, clear coat). In the end, it was worth it! They turned out so cute!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Creme Spray Paint, Ebony Minwax Stain for top and shelf, and Spray Polyurethane. We sanded in between all the layers for a smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse storage bed - double the storage

Queen sized storage bed in width for  a full sized mattress. I wanted this against the wall, so i put both sets of drawers on one side and hinged the footboard for access underneath. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bdrez33

Thu, 04/08/2021 - 08:26

I just finished building the same bed and designed it with a second set of drawers above... I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS FIRST!! What an ingenious design with the step built in. I made a step stool for my daughter to get into the bed, but this was really a fantastic idea. Well done!

Farmhouse Dining Room Table

Submitted by ceconzett on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:28

We needed a large dining room table for our space and couldn't find one we liked that didn't cost a fortune.  We adjusted the plans to make the table 9 feet long.  Also, around the edge of the table we added a 1.5 inch frame.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Espresso stain on top, Light Navajo White paint on base, and Water based Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Key table

Submitted by DianeS on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 13:13

This is a variation of the cabin collection nightstand, I have a wall that needed a catch all, so we throw keys on top of it and junk in the drawers!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax golden oak w/ poly clear satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

X console

X- console

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Truss 4x4 Dinner Table

Submitted by cbos09 on Mon, 04/06/2015 - 08:15

4x4 Truss beam dinner table with matching benches.  Benches are modified to fit under table to save on space when not needed.  This table is large and in charge and demanded a large space to fit in.  Luckily my friend had plently of space in his home to fit this table! 

Estimated Cost
Table: $150
2 Benches: $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weather Gray stain
Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish (2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor Sofa from 2x4s for RYOBI Nation

Submitted by BuilderJ on Thu, 07/13/2017 - 16:45

We've been wanting to tackle some outdoor furniture for a while and finally took advantage of a coupon to get a bunch of outdoor cushions. With a big mound of cushions taking up space, we had to force ourselves to get to it. We spent more time talking about cushion and stain colors then it actually took to cut and screw it together. This is a great solid project to start with. Don't be intimidated by it. We can't wait to start on some chairs to go with it. 

Estimated Cost
The cushions are from atHome. It's hard to say exactly because we bought a lot of them (for some upcoming projects) when we had a 20% off coupon. For these three sets and accent pillows, probably $125. Probably $25-30 for the lumber. $29 for a gallon of Behr deck coating (used maybe 1/4of it). $9 for a box of deckmate screws (used 75% of them).
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Deckplus solid color waterproofing wood stain in cordovan brown.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Bathroom cabinet with epoxy counter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 15:35

This is my first bathroom cabinet. I'm a beginner in this carpentry thing. And using the plans to create the Cabinet I was able to do it

Comments

Kid-sized reading loft and desk

This project is a modified version of Ana's loft bed. We shortened it and made it a bit more narrow to fit our space and because we only needed a place for our eight year old daughter to read and work, not a place to sleep. We also added a desk to the bottom, making it a full-service work station for our elementary school girl!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams ProClassic white followed by Minwax Polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate