Community Brag Posts

This was my first build and I learned a lot, like it’s better to just invest in some decent clamps at the beginning of the project rather than waiting until near completion. Anyone with any experience at all and with more than 2 clamps could have finished this project in a fraction of the time. However, I enjoyed every minute of it. This project took a week to complete only because of the wait time between finishes. The bookcase itself went together surprisingly fast, especially once I got more clamps. The hardest part was making it square. This plan was the perfect solution for my thermostat placement problem. I had been searching high and low for DVD storage to fit within the confines of my space. It had to be low profile to leave the doorway clear and it had to allow the thermostat on the wall to be accessible, yet big enough and wide enough to fit all our DVDs. This puzzle design couldn’t have been any more perfect. I was so excited to find it. I just made a smaller version. It expands to exactly the space I need. Many thanks to Ana and this wonderful website! I have spent countless hours studying and reading on this website. I am now thinking about building in every spare minute I have!

My family needed a new outdoor dining table so my husband and I made this DIY Restoration Hardware Inspired Farmhouse table with Salvage Grey Wash Finish! I combined two popular RH table styles, the rectangular X-base Table and the Brickmaker’s Table, to come up with this distinctive innovative design: an X-base bottom with an industrial bolted plank table top! This will blow your mind....this table cost us only $157.00 to make, just a small fraction of the the RH $4690.00 price tag for their tables! We started with Ana White's Farmhouse Table plans, added inset lag bolts to the planked top and then gave our table a customized salvage grey wash finish to add a touch of gorgeous grey to a dark walnut base layer. We've had many fun dinners on our large farmhouse table with family and friends! See my blog post for all of the steps and materials!

My daughter asked of I could make cubbies for three grandchildren, and the single unit on this site seemed perfect. After I made the first two we could see that there was not a good way to fit three into the designated space, so I decided to make a corner unit and bolt them together. They love it!

My mother lives with me and we loved the Pallet Shelf Project and made a back door shelf/coat rack. Then, task maker that she is, she decided we need a spice rack in the kitchen, and viola. Still needs another coat of minwax, but should be ready to hang tomorrow! Thanks Ana!

I stained the top with american walnut and used chalk paint on the bottoms.

Built from discount 70% off lumber from Home Depot. I planed and cut down to size with a Ridged planer and table saw, then screwed together with kreg pocket screws. Since I will be kneading bread on it, I used a natural coffee stain and then butcher block finish..

My first build.using these plans I had to convert to u.k. Sizes and alter slightly but it turned out really well
Built for upcoming event.

I was planning a carnival birthday party for my 4 year old son and just *had* to have a ticket booth. The Library from Grace's Town was perfect! The ticket booth doubled as a photo booth later in the day. It was my first time building anything and it was fairly easy for a first-timer although I will admit getting a little bit of help from my brother-in-law and father. :-)

Enjoyed building this for my wife for Christmas

this project is our first ever try at furniture building. It took us two years to finish! Not because it was hard (although it is a bit fussy) but because we had a medical set back of a year, and we only work on this project on weekends.
We used a cheap table saw, and have learned our lesson, none of the cuts were really straight. We have since bought an expensive good one, and so think our next projects will go faster, more easily.

We modified the finish details on the drawers to put beadoard faces on things.

We will be designing a headboard to match, and I will be glad to share photos of that when it is complete (give us another couple of years!)

Anyway - the bed is verysturdy, and the drawer capacity is HUGE. we have had it in our room for 8 hours so far, and we love it. Can't wait to go to bed tonight - but not untilI fill those drawers. :-)

I have lived in my house for over 9 years and have never done anything to it until recently. I have made the commitment to move away from plain white walls and boring "plug-n-play" furniture. I discovered Ana's site a few months ago and have been a daily visitor. I made this dining room set with the confidence Ana's instructions gave me and I am forever grateful.

I made a few adjustments to the Parson Chair, making it longer in the back and used 5 degree angle instead of 15 and made the seat wider for our hefty hips and I used all 2x3s for the "chair bones".

Followed exact steps but messed up on the alignment of top piece. Still came out great!

Thanks Ana!

As soon as I opened Ana's new book I fell in love with the bench on page 33. When I met her in Chicago she said she was going to draft a new set of plans, and of course she didn't let me down! I followed her plans to a T! The size was perfect for my "mudroom" and this was technically my first project since I insisted on not having my husband's help. It was also my first time going to the hardware store and purchasing the wood...I think that part will take some getting used to!

After I had it built I decided that I wanted to make everyone in my family a "cubby" inside the storage area. I just used some scrap 1x3's and glued them into place. I then stained it with Minwax Dark Walnut stain and then used oil based poly (3 coats). The entire family loves the new bench and my toddlers LOVE their "cubbies". Thank you again Ana!

Custom built media console with distressed black finished and chestnut stained top. features adjustable shelves and full-extension drawer. This is not a build from one of ana white's plans. I built it from scratch but just wanted to share.

- Brad