Community Brag Posts

Glow in the dark Cedar Chest

Submitted by mahouna on Sat, 09/02/2017 - 18:15

I had this  idea, cut  approv 150 plus slivers of 4 x 4 and glued and nailed them on. Always wanted to try 

the glow in the dark powder, yes it works!!

Estimated Cost
not much, already had chest and old timbers.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
sealed with Rustoleum Matte Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chicken coop and run

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 11:01

I followed the Shed Coop Plans to make this chicken coop and designed my own run. Because I wanted to view the chickens coming in and out of the coop, I moved the chicken door to the front and built a little covered area to shelter the coop door so I did not have to have the entire run extend over the front. I also made the access to the layer boxes be accessible from the front rather than the top so that my kids could more easily access the egg boxes. I thought these were great plans to follow and easy to adapt to fit what I wanted in a coop. I also ended up adding a lean-to storage on the back with an inside access so I could easily refill their feed.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Mail Box

I used Ana's plan to make this mailbox for my daughter. I altered the plan a bit from the original. The hardest part was cutting the curve at the top sides, and putting on the door with a toddler helping! This piece is VERY LOVED by my daughter, and gets LOTS of play!

Estimated Cost
about $20 including lock and hinges (I used scrap wood pieces.)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint, decoupage
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy X Picnic Table

Submitted by kayleenwj on Wed, 05/29/2013 - 18:52

My husband built this loosely based off the plans and scrap wood we had in the garage. I stained it with Minwax in Winter Sky. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Winter Sky Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Emily Dresser

Submitted by Eyad on Sun, 04/26/2015 - 13:57

Emily Dresser

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Large Rustic X Bench

We love this bench!! It was so easy and cheap to make. I spent $15 on the wood.

Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I spray painted the entire bench with Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze. Then, sanded the bench to expose the wood. I brushed on MiniWax stain in Provincial and wiped it off. The stain darkened the painted areas and stained the exposed wood for a very rustic look. Love it!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Pedestal Farm Table

Submitted by abrowncoat on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:53

I used the Triple Pedestal Farmhouse plans, but that table would have been much too large for the space we have for a table; so I shortened the length a bit and only used two pedestals.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 - $150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Antique Walnut Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My New Office Media Center!!!

These pieces are perfect for my home office. I desperately needed storage. I have tons of room to spare.  I love the design, although I used different molding. Couldn't find small enough crown. Thank you!!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Hgtv Sherman Williams porcelain and flower lei
Johnsons Paste Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Coffee Table

Submitted by Malka on Wed, 09/13/2017 - 00:52

Really liked the design of this, but I just prefer the look of wood over concrete. Used 2x6 rather than 2x4 for the base, as it gives it a more sturdy, modern look. Used 2x10 and 2x6 for the tabletop, which was biscuit joined and then given artificial seams with a router. Stained in Jacobean, and given a gloss poly finish.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean stain and Minwax Fastdry Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Doll X picnic table and bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/07/2021 - 12:53

Using the plan,I used (3)1x3’s for the top and (3) 1x2’s for the top so would have a similar look. I also opted for Select pine boards. This table I left plain. I have also made them and painted them. Love the plan. I typically glue and use a Brad nailer to finish.

Another cube bookcase

When I find clothes I like, I buy more of the same. Apparently this habit applies to furniture, too. This fall I built two cube bookcases for my 8 year old's bedroom. Last weekend, I built another, this time for my 6 year old. What can I say? The first two worked out so well I needed another!

For this bookcase, I had the lumber (at least the big boards, not the 1x2s) cut at Lowe's. The cuts were precise and square -- everything I want in a cut!

Just as I did with the first two bookcases, I used the Kreg Jig to put this one together and then I topped it with 1/4" MDF, attaching mitered cove molding underneath. At some point this winter I realized that my miter saw was out of square. I'm not good at fixing mechanical things, so my husband did me the favor of squaring the saw for me. Wow, what a difference! My cuts are so much more precise now that the saw is square again. Whew!

One change I made from the first two cube bookcases I built was in the finish. Instead of building and then finishing, I painted the surfaces that would end up on the inside of the bookcase before assembling the whole thing. Last time it was a bit of a nightmare getting into all the corners and inside tops of each cube. Painting the inside ahead of time was much simpler. Once the unit was put together, I sanded and painted the outside, touched up the inside, and then added two coats of poly to both the inside and the outside.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ralph Lauren "Aged Mint" paint in a flat finish followed by two coats of satin polyurethane. I sanded lightly in between all coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Framed Chalkboard gift

Submitted by bhoppy on Sun, 06/02/2013 - 21:31

I followed Jamie's tutorial from "That's my letter" on how to make this frame fit an existing chalkboard piece.

It was easy peasy. Finishing took longer than building.

I had all the wood, just had to buy the chalkboard from Hobby Lobby and the chalk markers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
7$
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustolem early american and 3 coats polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Herringbone Barn Door

Submitted by susanshamp on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 22:25

This DIY Herringbone Barn Door is used over a simple hallway opening to separate the maing living space from the kids' bedrooms. I searched this site and Pinterest for inspiration, and loved the herringbone and chevron patterns that I found. This door was made of reclaimed barn wood and wrapped in raw steel channel iron. Hope you enjoy!

Estimated Cost
$150 for the wood and steel, not including the rolling hangers and track
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Upholstered Stool

Submitted by Anners on Wed, 09/13/2017 - 18:30

I followed the plans with 3 modifications.

Modification #1: To add more structural support, I used 6 more 2x2s. 3 of them went directly under the 1x3s that made up the seat. 3 of them went at the bottom, flush with the lower 1x3s at the base, right by the legs. I did not pre-cut these! I measured the lengths and did the cuts as I needed them because they needed to be a snug fit-had to use the hammer to lightly tap them into place before securing with 2 in nails. For the middle 2x2s, I tonailed in a couple of 1 1/2 nails to keep the 2x2 from twisting/spinning (because I didn't use 2 nails to attach it the first time!) See the pictures for closeups. 

Modification #2: I stained and polyurethaned the legs.  Stain color is MInwax Jacobean (The other stained parts of the stool don't need staining, but mine are because I used scrap wood for this build and they were already stained.)

Modification #3: Padding and wrapping and slipcover - I purchased a 15x17x2 inch foam pad for the top of the stool. I had some 1/4 batting in my craft room. I used an upholstery stapler ($10 at Hobby Lobby + an extra box of staples) to attach the batting. I wrapped it around the sides and top, securing it along the sides of the cube with the stapler. I used a spray adhesive to glue down the foam pad. Then, I wrapped 1 more layer of the batting over the top of the foam pad, securing along the cube edges. I flipped the whole stool over, trimmed the batting edges, leaving enough to fold over and staple onto the base frame. I made the slipcover as instructed in the link provided in the plans, but I had to take the measurements from my stool NOT their measurements, due to the extra bulk created by the batting and foam pad.  I used 1/2 in seam allowances on all seams, leaving 2 extra inches at the bottom. After making the cover and fitting it, I turned the stool upside down and stapled the cover to the frame, making sure that it all looked neat and secure. Tip: Some of the staples didn't fully sink into the wood so I had to use a hammer and a nail set to get them really secure.  I added a felt slider to each leg.

Finished dimenstions are 19 in high, 18 in (long sides), 16 in (short sides).

Enjoy your build and hope it turns out great!

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

Mountain Bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/09/2021 - 02:10

My covid time build . I piece quilt so the mountain seemed natural. The top is a 2’ thick pine with a resin coat. I didn’t have a pattern

Square Kitchen Table (Modified Tryde Coffee Table)

This is my very first project, and I couldn't be more excited! It started with a need for a smaller kitchen table, and after stumbling across Ana's site, I think I will be building many more things for my house now!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain, Fast Drying Polyurethane (Satin Finish)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Chestwick Platform Bed

My husband and I spend a few hours on this. It was our first furniture project and we made our first pocket holes yesterday! We did a platform bed with slats to avoid a box spring. We used Douglas fir and left it natural, just with a clear poly coating. We love it and are addicted to making our own furniture!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear polyurethane. We loved the natural look of the wood!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse queen bed with arch

I was so happy to finish this bed and get it set up today, one month and one day shy of my 20th wedding anniversary.  My husband and I had never been able to agree on a bed but we got a new memory foam mattress after Christmas and found Ana's website through an "IKEA hack" type of page.  We finally found something from Anna we agreed on and was affordable.  : )  I used non-mortising bed rail brackets as well as a center beam support, all from Woodcraft, so that this bed could be easily disassembled if needed.  I used a combination of 1x2 and 1x4 to create slats, 17 in all, about 2-3" apart, placed on cleats, all to hold the mattress and simulate the bed slats from IKEA.  I sanded 80-120-220 then covered with a wipe-on poly product from Watco, which was easier to work with than stains etc that need to sit, since I had to work in my dining room (else risk getting lots of maple "flyers" and pollen in my finish...)  Thank you, Ana, for all your great ideas and encouragement!  One tip: maybe sand some of the pieces, especially in the head and footboards, before assembling.  It was tricky to get into the tight places with the power sander and by hand.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I had to buy pretty much everything new so it cost me probably over $300.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Watco Wipe-on Poly, satin finish; old turtleneck shirts cut up and used as rags
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner