Community Brag Posts

Christmas Tree Decor

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 13:03

I made four of these wood Christmas trees from Ana White pattern. I am polished them by adding a cup hook at the top hanging a Christmas ornament and then gluing on these cute little presents. I gave them to each of my four grown children and their spouses.

Beth Belflower

Seasonal And Holiday

2x4 Outdoor Sectional Sofa

Submitted by lknolan2 on Sat, 04/18/2020 - 20:19

Great Plan! Loved how easy it was to build and how little the cost was.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor deck stain by Valspar in Canyon Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jwood4

Sun, 08/01/2021 - 18:40

Looks amazing! What method did you use (pocket holes, dowels, deck screws, etc) to join the visible portions like the arms?

Seasonal And Holiday

Matching Stools for Kids

This was my second project from Ana White, and overall it was successful. I used a miter saw for the cuts (struggled with the bevel because my 12 inch saw isn't a slider, a kreg jig to attach everything (struggled to attach the 1x3s to the legs due to the angle of the dril and tight space), but everything eventually was held solidly together and it's really very sturdy. My husband is about 160 and he was able to jump on it with absolutely no give. 

 

The paint is just small samples we had on hand from home depot to coordinate with other projects in the kids' rooms, and I handpainted the letters. I finished it with a double coat of polycrylic. 

Estimated Cost
$20 total for two stools.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
paint and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Square Farmhouse Table

From the Modern Square Farmhouse table.

Estimated Cost
Around $5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Kids Farmhouse Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/15/2024 - 18:10

Thank you so much for your design plans for the Brookstone desk! Made it a tad smaller to fit my daughter's needs but overall kept with the same design as yours. White paint used on the bottom with an antique white stain and poly used on top.

Chad H

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Modified Simple Outdoor Dining Table

Submitted by DD5.1 on Sat, 04/26/2014 - 20:00

I didn't make any changes , his orginal design was great. Hope these pictures help others. I tried to link to the modified-simple-outdoor-dining-table but wasn't able too.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
make sure you stain as you go
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DD5.1

Sun, 04/27/2014 - 14:06

Found the plans "modified-simple-outdoor-dining-table" and I built it. Very nice table, I posted more pcitures to help others

DD5.1

Sun, 04/27/2014 - 14:06

Found the plans "modified-simple-outdoor-dining-table" and I built it. Very nice table, I posted more pcitures to help others

Vintage Doll Cradle

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/27/2016 - 09:59

I used leftover plywood (1/4 inch) instead, but would only recommend it, if you plan to paint the cradle (due to splintering when you make your cuts). I also used my nail gun instead of screws, which worked fine since the wood is a lot thinner and lighter. The cradle is very sturdy and my 4-year-old loves it. Thanks for the awesome plans!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/23/2020 - 21:10

Just followed the plans, and am in love with the finished look!

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Grade Paint/Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic Dining table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/07/2016 - 09:28

Took the plans from Ana white and made my own twist to it! Came out awesome and the person loved it that I made it for! Kona stain on table top and Navajo white on the bottom. Did the same for benches and chairs to match! Thanks for the great instructions! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kona stain and Navajo white, clear gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bathroom Vanity

Submitted by boxermum on Sun, 07/29/2012 - 18:18

We purchased an unloved Victorian Farmhouse in 2008 and have been working on it ever since. The latest project is the main bathroom. It started out really small and dark. Like most rooms in the house we had to gut the room and start from scratch and like most projects the cost was much more than we anticipated. We had to come up with some creative ways to get what we wanted on a shoestring budget. Part of that creativity involved building our own bathroom vanity. I knew I wanted marble to compliment the marble floor we installed. I took to Craigslist and found a marble slab for 75 bucks. Then we scoured for plans and made modifications that would work with our ideas and dimensions. We still need to install the vessel sink and the wall-mount faucet to complete the vanity, but we are really happy with what we've created, and I don't think we could have found exactly what we were looking for anyway. I'm so grateful for this site and for the support everyone here offers!

We created the legs out of 3 - 1x3's that we glued and clamped together. We decided on a slat bottom shelf to help with any moisture issues that might happen in a bathroom. The drawers were probably the trickiest part of the build, but my husband says even those were not overly challenging. We just primed and painted to match the custom beadboard my husband also created in the garage. He also replicated and created period moldings for around the windows and doors. Finally, we built a custom built-in medicine cabinet that I will be posting in another brag post.

The bathroom really turned out better than I could have imagined and it was all built using materials from Home Depot - no special orders here!

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We topped the vanity with Cararra white marble, primed with Kilz and painted Behr's Silk Pillow in Satin finish. The chrome hardware is from the Martha Stewart line found at Home Depot.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

my first project :) a workbench for all my other projects!

Submitted by lucywilson on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 08:23

* I have tred EVERYTHING to get this picture right side up!!! So sorry it is upside down! This was my first every woodworking project and I am very pleased with the result. I have used it many time since for other projects now too. The plans were easy to follow and although it took me some time it was easy to make. Very sturdy and a great size to work on. I made it out of wood from orange and stained it with weathered oak stain.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
weathered oak
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tryed Side Table- Pallet Redux

Submitted by haystacks2 on Wed, 08/15/2012 - 17:38

Made these side tables for our master bedroom using the wood from 3 wooden pallets. The pallets took about 45 minutes each to disassemble and the plank sizing required us to ripped the boards to 3 different uniform widths.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jaclyn Lieneck (not verified)

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 15:06

Do you have a blog? I commented on someone's blog and they sent me to this site, but now I cannot find their blog!!

Modern farmhouse side table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/29/2020 - 06:22

My first project since getting a miter saw! I'm so proud of how they turned out. We needed sturdy side tables so our toddler can't pull them down onto herself & these fit the bill. I dont have a brad nailer so had to pound in the nails by hand, which made it take a lot longer.... overall for me was a week & a half long project with 2 littles to care for at the same time. I used walnut stain, 2 coats. Can't wait to do another project!

Estimated Cost
$150 (for 2)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
walnut stain two coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grill Station

Submitted by JDillen on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 15:32

Grill station

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

18” Doll Bunkbed

Submitted by ewebrat on Fri, 07/24/2020 - 13:12

Awesome plans, Ana. Had to fight with not being able to get nice straight 1”x2” boards, and refused to go buy anything bigger to rip from. But overall, it turned out super nice and my granddaughter loved it. Already have a request for another one from her cousins 😊

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
CIL Semi Gloss - Vintage White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Outdoor Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 12:30

I am 64 years old living in South Africa and recently taken to woodworking. Converted my garage to a workshop and thoroughly enjoying it. Wife want to move my bed to the garage now. Lol.

Ana White's plan on the her website was easy to follow. Something I learnt in my short time in woodworking, your project doesn't have to be 100% perfect. As long as you happy with the end result that what counts. Thank you Ana White. I enjoy your website for making easy for us rookies.

Farhad Coovadia

Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Adirondack Chair, Super Sized

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/21/2020 - 10:39

Am a big fan of Ana's work, and have used several of her plans in prior builds including the more traditional Adirondack chairs. Those stayed with my old house, and I wanted something different for my new house. Really liked her Modern Adirondack design with the floating arm rest. However, plans are like recipes to me--a guideline. I wanted the back boards to run up and down, and I am a bit more robust than the lovely and petite Ms. White, so they would need to be wider after I built the first one at 19 1/2" wide per plan. The next three I made 22" wide and that worked well without throwing off the geometry and angles of the other parts. Since I ran the backboards up and down, I needed some cross beams for stability and to give an attachment point for the middle of the boards. Cut some 2x4s at 15" wide, drilled pocket holes in both ends, and attached in between the back supports with the pockets facing up to be hidden by the back boards. All of the 2x4s were leftover cut-offs from the houses being built in my neighborhood. Since the frames were free, I splurged and went with cedar boards for the backs and bottoms. With the wider frames, I had to use 1x12s ripped down to 10 3/4" to get the right look (about a board's width in between). Needed some color, so I painted the frames Teal Seaglass from Menards. Cedar was stained with a natural deck stain from Sherwin Williams. I experimented with salt paint (mixing unsanded grout with the paint) to give a heavily textured and weathered finish but this was unecessary--the wood was distressed enough and I am a terrible painter. It also toned down the color so I skipped that step and just went with 2 coats of plain paint. It looks like outdoor furniture should up close. As always, am pleased with Ana's plans. Thank you for doing all the hard work!

Estimated Cost
about $200 for all 4 chairs due to cedar and paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint - Pittsburgh matte exterior with Dutch Boy coloring Teal Seaglass
Stain - Sherwin Williams Superdeck stain, Natural finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Stain & Paint Finish

Submitted by ajstormy85 on Sun, 08/24/2014 - 18:19

Did the multi-finish on the step stool. On the steps, I used the Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner, followed by Minwax 'Early American' stain and then Minwax clear gloss polyurethane. The rest of the stool was painted with DIY chalk paint. The paint is 1 cup flat paint (Valspar Jungle Thicket) mixed with 1/3 cup plaster of paris and 1/3 cup water. The chalk paint portion was finished with the Minwax Finishing Paste Wax and gave the flat paint look a nice sheen.

Finish Used
Minwax products (pre-stain conditioner, Early American stain, clear gloss polyurethane; DIY chalk paint (1 cup flat paint, 1/3 cup plaster of paris, 1/3 cup water); Minwax finishing paste wax on chalk paint part
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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