Community Brag Posts

Desk / nightstand combo

I took the plans for the Farmhouse X Desk and combined it with a (slightly) modified nightstand since I liked the 1x4’s better than the plywood base and also wanted a drawer instead of 2 shelves.

Also, I milled the side and took about 1/8” off the rounded 2x4 edges so that the squared sides fit together MUCH tighter. The joints were a lot easier to sand putty and sand seamlessly flat/smooth.

Very happy with the results and my brother and wife both want me to build them one now!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

PB & Ana Inspired Hampton Bed

This started out a project driven by inspiration. I wanted a bed similar to the Hampton Bed in the Pottery Barn Teen Catalog, and I wanted a handful of beds from the newest Crate and Barrell Catalog. So, I sat down with a piece of paper, and a felt tip marker, and sketched out the bed. I had just built the farmhouse bed, and knew it was strong, so thats how I designed the frame. Then I used plans from the Simple Bed to get another reference point and for full size dimesniosn. Then I built it. I journaled each step of the way on my blog, if you want more info on how building went, or the learning process. I am truly very proud of this bed. Thank you Ana for giving me the courage to do this one without step by step instruction. You rock. 

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes Water Based Stain: Walnut
General Finishes Polyacrylic top coat, 4 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Church Pulpit

Submitted by BBLinda on Sat, 06/08/2013 - 10:34

A good friend of mine, a pastor of a local church, asked me to build a pulpit for their recently finished church up in the countryside of Grenada. She showed me a picture of what she had in mind and based on that, I drew my own plan in SketchUp, and then built it out of Yellow Pine boards and Plywood.

Note to the dimensions:
After I drew the plan, and just when I was at the lumberyard to have the plywood and boards cut, I thought I might have had it estimated not wide enough, so I decided on the spot to make it 2" wider and the top panel 2" wider and deeper too. So if you'd like to build based on my plans, please consider if it's wide enough for your purposes.

This is what I used (corrected measurements here):

2x 2x8 26" long YP Boards (Base)
1x 18 1/2" x 6 1/2" Plywood (Base Support Panel)
1x 26" x 16" Plywood (Top)
1x 18 1/2" x 9" Plywood (Shelf Panel)
2x 45" x 9 1/2" Plywood (Side Panels ) - these are cut angled, see plans
1x 44 1/2" Wood Moulding (for the "stopper" on the top panel, and the "back" of the top shelf.

Estimated Cost
~ US$ 115 (material is very expensive here on the island, and I guess you could build it for about half or 2/3 of this in the USA)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MINWAX Polyshades / American Chestnut Satin (375)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Built in Desk

Submitted by rosiejane on Mon, 05/11/2015 - 23:38

This desk is massive at 3.4m long (over 11 feet). Initially it was going to be a homework station for the kids but my husband decided that he'd like to use it as his office.
I'm somewhat embarrassed that this took well over 12 months to complete and I was easily distracted by other projects along the way. I made many mistakes but I learnt something from every one of them.
I modified plans to suit my space and used sketchup to plan it all out.

Estimated Cost
AUD$750. (incuding all paint and hardware) Drawer slides alone cost $180.
Finish Used
walnut stain & varnish
aquanamel semi-gloss - vivid white
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

amandabc123

Thu, 01/30/2020 - 09:19

I love this!  Do you have more information on how you did the top?  It looks like one solid piece, and I'm just curious where you purchased the panels and how you built the top to look so nice.

Fancy X table

Submitted by Lukilla on Thu, 10/28/2021 - 17:01

We had a good time building this table. We made it smaller (6 feet) than the original plans, and also changed up the breadboard a little bit. We are a military family so made it so it assembles/disassembles with carriage bolts instead of screws. Hopefully that helps it hold up over time with frequent moves.

Varythane golden oak stain on the top and rustoleum charcoal chalk paint for the base. Sanded lightly and a light touch of the paint on the tabletop to create a distressed look.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

I love reclaimed wood!

Submitted by melaniesue on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 21:45

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
FOR FREE
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I made my own version of milk paint and stain and stenciled a bird I drew, then heavy sanding to create the, "old look". I have tons of pallets, my neighbors are always dropping them off at my house, my RV pad is a WRECK from all sorts of old wood, and pallets. I love it, but I am looking like a hoarder, I.AM.NOT!

I also made this table out of an old shutter my neighbor dropped off for me, I took it apart, and that was the hardest part, other than the sanding... so much sanding! I finally got out the belt sander, which I really try not to use. The table is not quite finished, it's still wet in the pics, and not attached, I am painting the bottom white, and adding one more coat of stain on the table top. My number one rule, sand, sand, sand!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic Sideboard

Submitted by Chopper on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 18:59

Rustic Sideboard Project.

We had so much fun doing this! Took about 3 weeks with significant effort.

We only made it with the center drawer. The cabinets were enlarged on the outside to account for this.

We didn't tack the backing on. We routed in 1/4 inch in the back to inset the entire back. Very simple and easy.

The finish was fantastic. We did the following (Sanding heavily between each step):
-Minwax Provincial Stain
-Miss Mustard Seed Luckets Green (1 coat)
-Minwax Furniture wax.

We used the same hardware as on the website. Lowe's and Home Depot don't care a lot of inset hinges and I was concerned about ordering on line.

The plans were great and the project came out fantastic. Thanks for the plans and guidance!

Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
-Minwax Provincial Stain
-Miss Mustard Seed Luckets Green (1 coat)
-Minwax Furniture wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic X End Table

Thank You Ana White and The Friendly Home for making the Original! These end tables are a little different because I decided to make an "X" with 2 1x2s on each side (from top to bottom), to give it a little different look and depth. It was pretty easy to make!

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

Corner Desk for Craft Room Sewing - DIY

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/23/2017 - 11:02

 

We made this sewing/craft table by combining plans from the modular office. It was a big job but SO worth it! We love your plans and use them all the time!

Submitted by Candace Ann Williams

Comments

melkaye

Wed, 02/19/2020 - 13:49

Could you tell me how much extra did you add on to the one side? And how did you fit your sewing machine in there? 

Farmhouse desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/05/2021 - 16:02

My first “big” piece of furniture! I have over the last year realized I had a little sawdust in my blood! My dad is a 3rd generation carpenter, he is the youngest of 5 boys and he is now 79. I started with a couple of quilt/blanket ladders for my daughters, then graduated to a headboard. Then last Christmas I surprised my dad with an oak bookshelf (because oak is the best 😉) I knew that’s what my dad loved. It brought him to tears! So, then my daughters began showing me pictures of desks, tv chests, etc and I gained a little confidence with each piece.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Three 4'x8' Raised Cedar Beds for $45 total.

Submitted by amberhibbs on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 13:41

I finished these last weekend and finally took pictures.

I found 44 5' cedar pickets on craigslist for $30 and built these raised beds. I built them according to Ana's instructions except I made them bigger (4'x8'). Since my boards were 5' long I couldn't span the entire length and went with a brickwork style overlap so there wasn't one seam in the center or a weird off-center seam. And, of course, I blogged about it.

Estimated Cost
$15 per bed, $45 total
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Master Bedroom closet organizer. Before and After.

Submitted by jmtlaw5 on Tue, 06/11/2013 - 08:40

The closet had a divider when I moved in. I removed that. It opened up the room nicely. I modified the master bedroom closet plans just a bit to fit my needs and space. The closet divider had to first be removed which opened up the room nicely.
It is roughly 94 inches wide, 18 deep, and approximately 84 inches tall.

I used Soft-Close drawer slides. I also installed motion lights under the top to both add a touch of something special and simply because it was kind of dark with the floor being black wood and the closet system stained black. I sanded it to 400 grit smooth by hand. It soaked up over 4 coats of minwax polyshades ( black) applied with a brush and then rubbed smooth with a soft cloth.

Estimated Cost
master bedroom closet
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
polyshades by Minwax, black.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Our finished project

Submitted by Jmetom on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 12:11

For the grandkids

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Building-At-Home-Mom

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 06:08

This project is awesome. How did the grandkids like playing on it? Do you have building plans for this?

Again, great work!

Planter

Submitted by Kravgirl on Sat, 11/11/2017 - 16:48

Added an X on the sides and a mitered 3 inch top frame.  Added some color to make it fun and tropical for the lanai.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used home made chalk paint for the color and then used three coats of polyurethane on the chalk paint to seal it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chunky square coffee table

Submitted by Lukilla on Sun, 11/14/2021 - 11:16

We decided it was time to upgrade our coffee table situation. We absolutely love the chunky series Ana White has, and can't wait for the other pieces to be released.

This great easy build basically took about a morning to complete. Special walnut with espresso accents.

Happy build8ng!

Comments

Farmhouse Night Stand

I got lucky with this one. Most everything came from a broken dining room table that i got for free. The legs are old staircase spindles from a salvage shop that i got for 8 dollars. So 8 dollars plus the spray paint put me at about 20 dollars for this. Not bad.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Black spray paint undercoat and red spray paint on top sanded down
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Wood Cooler Box made from Pallets!

Watch the video on how I did this project here: http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

For this week's woodworking project I'm building a Rustic Cooler Box from used Pallets. The project was a lot of fun to do and pretty simple! By just using some old Pallets that were free I was able to build something that will get a lot of use. Plus, by using the Pallets I think it turned out really cool looking!

How to video http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 for cooler and accessories. Pallet wood was FREE.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor Polyurethane. Wood was left natural.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wounded Marine

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 05:14

That is way to cool. I love your idea for the sides. It adds a lot of texture and cleans up the look of it. I enjoyed watching your videos. You have a lot of talent and I like your work man.

Stevens

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 04:02

Awesome way of doing a pallet cooler. Keeping the cost minimal your way of finishing it was really good. Personalizing such coolers would be interesting!

tedgray86

Fri, 10/17/2014 - 10:30

Cooler looks amazing!!  Well done!  What is the black ring inbetween the hose bib and the cooler?  I am looking for something similar to hide the PVC coupling as its white and my cooler is stained.

 

Thanks

Ice cream cart

Submitted by Markb25 on Mon, 11/22/2021 - 23:52

A friend wanted a tatty old chest freezer turning into a traditional looking ice cream cart for her business. The freezer itself was way to heavy and not really fit for purpose but, after a week of tinkering about with a couple of design changes here and there to accommodate the weight, I don't think I've done too bad a job.

The internal frame is Nordic fir, half lapped at the joints and secured in place with 38mm oak dowels, the cladding is 6mm birch ply finished with paint from the French chic Al fresco range, the writing proved a little challenging on the the eyes and my hands aren't as steady as they used to be but she's happy.

Comments