Community Brag Posts

We wanted a narrow console table that would fit next to the bed in our guest room. This accent table is less than 12 inches wide. I came across a stair baluster plan and made it my own. The balusters and top are red oak, the aprons and bottom shelf are poplar. I used white semigloss for the body and red mohagany stain for the top to try and match the doors in the room. Came pretty close! I'm very happy with the two toned look and the project overall. This is my third furniture project! I'm addicted.

Based my design off the shoe bench version of dresser. Used old leather belts to keep bins from falling out. Am considering adding legs but currently without legs the dresser doesnt fall forward when bins are open. Added a third support in the middle - dresser seems strong enough to seat 1 person but the idea isnt that its extra seating, more like another surface for a lamp and some plants. Used a long nail on either side of bins to keek bins aligned when open. A hinge would work better though, I got lazy. Great way to store shoes!

made from scraps, the only purchase I made was for the drawer pull and the paint.

I really wanted to add a layer of depth to the front of our house, and my favorite option was adding new shutters! I used fence boards to keep cost low and to be sure that the wood would stand up to all weather conditions. I protected the wood with an oil-based sealant made for exterior use. I attached the cross braces with chunky screws and painted those black. I love how they turned out!

Moved our 3 year old into her big bed and she needed a stool. I loved the Rustic X Bench design and simply shrunk the measurements. The legs are made from 2x2s and were compound cut with the 5 degrees off center and 5 degree bevel. I used 1x2s for the aprons and other supports including the "X" support. Topped with a 1x12 cut 14" in length. Joined all together with countersunk 1 1/4" screws. Only added wood glue for the top piece. Stool measures 9 3/4" high which gives a nice 1/2" clearing to push under her bed when needed.

This was pretty easy to follow based on the instructions. It took me a little longer than expected becuase of the weather, I had to run back and forth to cut the wood from where I was building it.

I saw this chair and was looking for something for back yard BBQ's I just beefed it up by using 2X3's instead of 2X2's left the measurements the same. I was playing around with Minwax Express Color to see how well it does and I like it helps control Blotching very easy to use except be careful when squeezing the tube or you like me will have a permanent shirt for staining

This was a great plan. My wife loved the finished product. Made a few variations to accomodate for the size of scrap wood that I had. 

6'x3' Farmhouse table.  Top is made of 2x8's, stained with MinWax natural oak. Legs are 5"x5" "husky" legs found on Etsy.com.  Side aprons are 1x6 pine.  The base has a basecoat of mahogany stain, covered my antique white milk paint and distressed with an orbital sander.   

I was hoping to get the same "old world chipped paint" finish that Ana did on one of her tables, but I couldn't get it to replicate.  But I'm still happy with the results.

I used the longer book holders to make these. I painted it in a flat light pink and bought craft wood letters that i painted with Martha Stewart Glitter Turquoise craft paint and glued them to the front. Not only does this hold books that are in arms reach once its bedtime but its a nicer way to have the alphabet shown on the wall everyday to help my 3 year old learn her letters.

This was one of my first DIY projects - while the "perfectionist" in my is not overjoyed by the final product, I think it's pretty good for a newbie.  It's a gift, so I'm sure my brother-in-law will like it.  Plus, I learned a lot about what do do in the future!

One main change I made was with the drain.  I had a hard time getting a good seal with the plans provided.  So instead, I got a smaller hose (1/2-inch OUTER DIAMETER) and put it through the cooler drain instead of on the outside.  This still caused a seal issue, but I used rubber/putty cement around the inside of the cooler drain & hose, as well as where the hose entered the wood cooler on the inside.  This only allowed the water to exit the drain or stay in the cooler until it passed through the drain.

I skipped the side shelf, but added the little steel bucket to catch bottle caps.  And while I live in Texas, I had to give a shoutout to my Wisconsin roots (notice the bottle opener says "Drink Wisconsinbly".

All in all, I think it was a fairly good project for a DIY newcomer.  Looking forward to figuring out what my next project will be! 

Made these chairs for my 1 year old to use as she is learning to stand and climb!

After discovering a leak, we are in the process of a master bathroom/bedroom remodel. In the bedroom, we had replaced all of the windows, painted and installed crown moulding with rope lighting in the bedroom. Then we looked at our closet doors leading to our walk-in closet, and realized they really needed to go to. They were heavy, mirrored with brass trim and regularly would jump off their track. Unfortunately the leak had caused more damage than we originally thought, and our remodel had expanded to replacing two exterior walls as well so we were over budget. Just to get an idea of how much it would cost to buy new doors, I got online and thankfully I found these plans. Although I used to watch my Grandfather build things in his wood shop, I had never actually built something all by myself. My contractor let me use his Kreg Jig and miter saw. After purchasing the wood, I quickly put together the door frames. Since we were on a strict budget for these doors, I decided to use bead board instead of glass. I bought a 4 x 8 sheet of beadboard and had the store rip it in half. I then attached it to the back of the doors with small wood screws and glue. I painted the doors with white gloss trim paint to match the other doors in the room. Since my closet is a walk-in closet, I did paint both sides. My closet entrance had no trim, so used a piece of moulding and attached it to the bypass door track. We are not finished with the flooring or baseboards yet, but once complete we will be installing guides along the bottom.

First ever building project!!! I am beginner, you can do it too! Got the Kreg Jig R3 for my birthday and conquered my first build! I wasn't about to try the drawers maybe next time! Adjusted the measurements for the length I needed and only have one shelf trying to decide if I'll add the top shelf. I have been reading ana-white for years and finally did it!

Built 3 shelves in pine with the same specs as the original plan. They're finished with a diluted Snow White milk paint stain.

Started with the regular loft bed, and added 10 inches to the height. Then I made a ladder instead of stairs to save room. Enclosed it, then added the finishing touches. Link to the process and my son's reaction is below. 

https://youtu.be/xhOqYV7RkKQ

-John