Community Brag Posts

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

rustic farmhouse kitchen island

Submitted by shawnkirk on Fri, 12/27/2019 - 10:48

My wife wanted/needed a kitchen island for more storage and prep space. After seeing the prices online of nice kitchen islands, I decided to take the time to make her this one. I would mark this as advanced due to the numerous cuts, joinery techniques, and sheer prep time it took. The build was a success as on Christmas morning once she saw this she cried out of joy! It took the better part of a month because I Hand Hewed with an axe the legs, the whitewash finish is of my own design(a 6 step process), all pieces were sanded, finished, and distressed before assembly. For the butcher block, I used Anna's rustic-x coffee table top design- I only wish I had a jointer so I could have the slabs flush, but I did plane and sand all the way from 80 grit to 240 grit to create a smooth finish. Then all pieces were treated with multiple coats and buffings of citrus wood wax.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400- lumber was around $300, stain and hardware added maybe another $60-70
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax antique American walnut gloss stain, Behr semi gloss white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Reclaimed wood coffee table

I had a bunch of extra wood sitting around the garage, so I decided to build this. Reclaimed wood 41 1/2 long by 17 1/2 wide and 19 inches tall. I used natural stain so it could keep it's beat up charm.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free wood, money spent for stain $8.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural Stain with 2 coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Porch Swing

Submitted by KeCarnahan on Thu, 01/23/2014 - 07:44

My first project!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

A.Natasha

Fri, 01/24/2014 - 22:16

Congrats on your first project! Looks great. I will start my first project as well in the next few months. I am guessing that the edges were well sanded to avoid splinters?

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

Cherry dresser

Submitted by tnaudio on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 10:14

I built this dresser for my wife. When we moved in, we got new furniture for my 2 boys. But didnt have much for ourselves in our room. She deserves a nice peice like this to put her clothes in. Its built from 1" solid cherry boards. Finished is a simple boiled linseed oil with shellac. 

Vertical Garden

Submitted by imlewer on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 07:47

We don't have a ton of space in our back yard thats in direct sunlight. Also we have an ugly old chain-link fence. I saw a lot of vertical gardens and decided that would help two issues, maximize sun space and obscure part of that ugly fence. It's super easy to put together and was pretty cheap as well. I took some inspiration from the cedar raised beds on the site and built all the planter boxes out of cedar fence pickets. I added some extra supports so that the weight of the boxes wouldn't rip down the planters.

Estimated Cost
$120 (including material, posts, cement and hardware)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

greeneterp68

Sun, 07/08/2012 - 10:32

Thanks for this great idea and the photos of the details. What did you decide to plant? (Btw, all you need for that fence is a few cans of black spray paint!)

My work bench

I'm so excited. I have my very own work bench! Thank you Ana for the sturdy work bench plans. I've added drawers and some curtains to keep the dust out. My brother did most of the work on this but I did some of the build at the end and all of the painting. Even though this will be stored in the garage, I wanted it to look like a piece of furniture found inside the house. I love the distressed look and I think I've succeeded in making it look old. I've made a few of your projects which I will post later. Right now I'm enjoying my new (old looking) work bench and I think it's really cool that it looks like it belongs to a girl.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Color paint: A day at the jewelers from Lowes. Minwax Gunstock stain mixed with a glaze for distressed areas.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Val Manchuk

Sun, 01/26/2014 - 00:12

Never thought I'd say this about a workbench, but it's very pretty!
I'd be so tempted to keep it in the house! Have fun with your new
Workbench!
Val @ artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

nicholaix

Sun, 01/26/2014 - 09:38

Now I am going to have to pretty up my workbench to be as fab as yours. Maybe it will keep the guys outta my tools(fat chance!)

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

Grandy Barn Door Corner TV Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/08/2020 - 12:46

I couldn't find any corner TV stands with the barndoor style that were big enough, so I decided to design and make my own using the Grandy buffet design.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200-300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Satin
Wax paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modified Toy Box with upholstered lid.

My daughter's school needed a personalized item, (a class gift) to be auctioned off at the annual Spring Gala. The project needed to be personalized by the children in the class. I used the plans from Ana's toy box project plan, changed the footer to bun feet, and added a lid. The lid is also an upholstered top that can be used as a bench. I used two slow close hinges, one on the left one on the right, then two regular hinges to hold the lid on. We sent in blank tiles for each of the children (4 year olds) to paint in class. They turned out pretty abstract but cute. The tiles on the front are supposed to be bee's, the school's mascot. It turned out great! Having a hard time uploading other pics of it, specifically how I did the lid inside and attached it to the box.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Satin ivory whitish paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 12:36

This is super creative and so beautiful! Love the kids' artwork and cute bun feet. What a wonderful piece! I'll bet it makes a bundle at the auction!

michelle weihing (not verified)

Fri, 12/07/2012 - 10:36

I love the addition of the lid! Do you have those plans to share?

Butcher Block Kitchen Island

I built this piece from ana white's plans. I modified the shelf design and also the dimensions to meet my needs. Instead of using 2x6 douglas fir for the top, I built the top out of hard maple. The top is built by ripping down several strips of hard maple 1.75 inches wide, turn the strips on there edge and gluing all the strip together. This is what is known as a edge grain cutting board. I finished the top with mineral oil and bees wax. The top is food safe and knife friendly. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. - Brad

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cream brulee paint by behr
early american stain by minwax
mineral oil and bees wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

romanweel

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 18:42

Did you use a planer to level your top and bottom surfaces here, or just lots of sanding? I've been told not to attempt butcher block construction without a planer...but I'm thinking of maybe going for it!

timberandsoul

Fri, 01/31/2014 - 23:01

I did use a planer for this top. But because my planer is only 12 inches wide I had to glue three individual boards together leaving two seams that I could not plane but instead had to sand out. Just sanding those two seams took a long time, I cannot imagine sanding 20 seams. I would not suggest attempting without a planer.

Calmly

Mon, 04/10/2017 - 18:45

is it possible for you to share your measurements.  I need a smaller island. Thank you.

Biff Loman

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 17:25

I'm curious how you joined the stretchers to the legs. The construction appears different from the plans. Did you use pocket screws or something more advanced like mortise and tenon?

timberandsoul

Fri, 02/07/2014 - 16:58

I am not sure exactly what you mean by stretchers. If you are referring to the shelf frame, yes it is different than the plans, I modified it. I felt the shelf design on the plans was not enough for the weigh that was going to be place on top. I used simple pocket holes to joint the frame to the legs. Hope this helps, have a great day.

voorheisb

Fri, 08/12/2016 - 10:41

Thank you Brad.  This is a really nice piece.  I recently picked up an old table from a college.  I discarded the base and plan to use the heavy butcher-block-style top to build something similar to this.  Do you have plans you could share?   Thanks again, Brian

Handmade by Kathryn Michelle Powell

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/24/2016 - 18:02

Plan for this table was easy to follow. Loving me new table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Ebony Rustoleum Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic half X Hall Tree

Submitted by danj4fsu on Wed, 01/15/2020 - 18:59

Just finished this tonight. Decided to make it a little wider than the plans. Added bead board on the back. I also made the top shelf a little larger so I can come back later and add some LED lights on it. Because I made the top shelf bigger I wanted to add the angled supports. That’s why I didn’t do an “x” on the bottom so the shelf support would mimick the slanted piece in the bottom.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Marquee semi-gloss white
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/13/2023 - 09:23

I made this for my daughter. She placed it at the end of her bed. I was really happy with how it turned out.

Queen Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by cwilliams on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 14:05

We ended up going with a combination of pine, cedar (posts - from Ace Hardware) and regular ole 2xs. We ordered our hardware from Rockler ( http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10).The bed can be easily disassembled down to the headboard, footboard, side rails, support beams, and platform. It's a quirky combination of woods, but overall we are happy how it turned out. We thought of painting it, but have really been enjoying it as is.

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

Comments

Our Monkey Farm

Tue, 05/01/2012 - 13:40

This is so beautiful! I agree with you, the woods beauty is best as is, without paint hiding it. You could put a coat of poly to seal and preserve the wood without losing any of its natural beauty. Great job!

MonicaP (not verified)

Thu, 10/25/2012 - 07:25

I clicked the link for the rockler hardware that you used. I noticed that it required mortising. Did you find that difficult to do? Did you use a router to mortise the wood?

L Shaped Wall Shelf

I was inspired by an A shaped shelf I saw on this site. My wife and I were expecting our first child on January 18th of this year and I decided that I would make a shelf for her nursery. We decided on the name Laney so I figured it would be very easy to make. And it was.

I started out with a couple sheets of 1 x 6 x 8s of pine from Home Depot. Not very expensive. I decided on a size and then cut the pieces to length.
I then set it up to see how it would line up and once I saw it lined up I cut each ends to 45 degrees to match up nicer.
I glued the ends together and then hammered finishing nails into the ends.
Once it was together, I added to shelves, put L brackets on the back side to add stability, and attached some hangers.
Finally, I painted it white to match her nursery.

Laney was born on January 23rd and we are so excited to have her in our lives.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

J m Cormier

Sun, 08/28/2016 - 19:22

Hey! I just love this shelf! My sons name is Nathan, is there a Chance you have the plans for the letter "N"??

Queen Cassidy Shim

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/27/2016 - 19:26

My take on this bed. My wife said she wanted me to build her a bed after I built the toddler helper tower for my daughter, also from this amazing site. And when your wife asks you to build her a bed, you build her a bed. It was a fun project aside from the shim work. It was very tedious but well worth it in the end. I made a few changes but not many and discovered a few tips along the way that might help someone else. In the pictures you can see a more detailed picture of how I layed the shims out. Staining before you attach the shims is a must. And I decided to stain the shims themselves before I attached them as well. I did that because I wanted a more "weathered" look to them and didn't want them all one uniform color. They each have one coat of stain. Just applied a little thicker to some. 

As for the rest of the frame it has two coats of Minwax polyshades in Satin espresso. I'm curious to see how it holds up but so far I love the way it looks. So when I bought my 4x4's they had rounded corners. In retrospect I should have not made everything on the head and foot boards flush but instead pushed it back 1/4" or so that way theres not a gap where the rounded part meets the panel trim. 

Back to the shims, after testing and debating with myself, I decided that attaching them with hot glue worked best for me. Wood glue curled the edges causing them not to sit flush. Nails would be too much of a pain as every hole would need to be filled. Hot glue seemed to do the trick and they feel solid. OK enough for me. Thanks Ana for the plans. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades satin espresso. 2 coats on the frame. One for the shims.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Thank you!

Submitted by cm18lajo on Mon, 01/20/2020 - 17:16

Thank you so much for the plans and pictures!! This table was the first piece of furniture I've built. Your designs made everything straightforward. Couldn't have done it without you. So far the family loves it. I can't wait to share memories around it for years to come. 

We have a a fairly large and long dining room, and have a lot of family over for dinners, so I adjusted the plans to make the table 108" long and 46.25" wide. Should fit 10 comfortably and we can squeeze in 12. 

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate