Community Brag Posts

First project

Submitted by reidev275 on Wed, 09/18/2013 - 20:31

modified the plans by making the top from 4 1x6s and adapted the legs to use 1x6s instead of the 2x4s. The wood I used was higher grade pine than what is called for, but because of the reduced size (2' x 4') I came in at the same price.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American with clear semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Easy Heavy Duty Sawhorses

I build these from the plan for Heavy Duty Sawhorses. I preferred these for the thickness to match my butcher block desktop. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Navy Blue paint applied with roller and brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Over Bed Fort to fit a queen size mattress

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 12:35

This is my first time building anything, and it was so fun, minus the million trips to home depot! I had to modify the original plans to fit over a queen size bed, and I actually built the roof that is part of the plans, but we decided to use fabric for the roof to let light in. For now, it's a convertible fort, ha! 

 

I also added shelves along the back wall, similar to the onces done by Jamie Costiglio. I thought it was a good way to incorporate storage for some action figures. Plus, I left a space in the front open so that my son could jump from the fort to his bed. Underneath I strung up some lights with small command hooks and they're connected to a smart switch so we can ensure they aren't left on all the time.

 

This took me significantly longer than it might take a skilled builder because it was my first time. It was a solid 3 days of work - a full weekend and then one day the next weekend. 

 

Overall this was such a fun build - now to add a rock wall on the side! :)

Estimated Cost
$300-$350 - but I had to buy a kreg jig and I used significantly more wood to make it fit a queen size bed. I had to buy wood - I didn't have much on hand.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I didn't add any paint or stain. I wanted it to feel like a tree house, so I thought the natural wood would work best.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack stool or table

Submitted by takahler on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 11:20

This was my first project to tackle alone. It twisted a little on me not having another set of hands to hold things square, but it stands straight and doesn't wobble! Good enough for me. Plus it is an outdoor piece of furniture. The plans were easy to follow and I added 3" to the height of the legs so it was the same height as my arm rests on my chair.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Scraps from adirondack chairs ($0)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double pedestal breakfast table and bench

Submitted by Lschnell19 on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 09:24

Thank you Ana for yout amazing plans for the triple pedestal table and bench! I modified it to work for the dimensions that I needed which brought it down to a double pedestal table and bench. It ended up as a 3'x5' table. I attempted the antique coffee stain technique but it wasn't taking so I just used the stain that I used on the table top instead of the coffee. I LOVE how it turned out!

Leah

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed the legs and then added two coats of latex paint. Sanded the edges and corners and then applied dark walnut minwax stain over the entire surface wiping it off quickly! For the top, I did two coats of dark walnut minmax stain. I finished everything off with two coats of polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 Desk

Submitted by new2wood on Sun, 11/29/2015 - 20:26

Modifications adopted from two other posters.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$37
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Leaning Desk and Bookshelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/19/2019 - 21:22

Used a handheld propane torch to “burn” the wood and it turned out amazing! 

Estimated Cost
$100 I didn’t have any wood on hand so had to buy all of it. The rest of materials I already had.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Propane to burn the wood
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grid Mirror

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/25/2022 - 06:05

Thank you Ana for your amazing easy to follow plans and videos! I’ve had so many compliments in the mirror and goes great with the table from Shanty2Chic. I went with 8 x 8 mirror tiles. We love it!

Comments

King-size stratton storage bed

Submitted by melanieann on Sat, 09/03/2011 - 14:53

This was our first time building furniture. We built our new bed over the course of four days. We don't own any power saws so opted to give the cut list to our local hardware store who only charged us about $50 for all the cuts.

Day one consisted of picking up all the lumber, sorting into the three sections and labeling all the pieces. Day two was the longest day, lots of drilling and measuring and screwing and gluing and even the first two coats of shellac. On the third day we built the drawers, and finished coating everything with shellac. The last day was the installation of the drawer hardware, including the slides.

We're quite happy with the quality of our work, and appreciate the directions and plans. Though we aren't fine furniture makers, and probably none of our corners are 100% square, we finished in the time we thought, pretty close to budget, and with the satisfaction of doing it ourselves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
shellac dyed a bright, happy blue.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack chairs

Submitted by Debbie742 on Mon, 09/23/2013 - 17:43

I've made 4 of these awesome chairs. The first two I did the same as the plans called for, and also made the stools to go along with them. Then I seen where someone had made the arms larger and added an extra board along the bottom to give it a more finished look, so I did the same and love these even better. Thank you for the plans.

Debora Cadene,
Atikokan, Ontario

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used stain to finish them along with lots of sanding for a smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Dining room table and bench

Although I didn't use a plan from this site, I do have Ana to thank for giving me the confidence to go alone and build this from a drawing that my wife drew up. All of my previous builds were from plans on this site so to make this from scratch without any help makes this my favourite build to date.

Table

Top: 2x12s

Aprons: 2x6s. Trim purchased from Lowes

Legs: Purchased from Lowes

Fake drawers: 1x4 ripped to size. Knobs purchased from Lowes

 

Bench

Top: 2x12

End sections: 1x10 (may replace with 2x10)

Aprons: 2x4

 

Chairs were purchased separately. (I'm not that confident yet)

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey stain and 3 coats of polyurethane for the table and bench tops. 3 stage latex chalk and wax for the 'shabby chic" finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

gpsmith

Sun, 12/06/2015 - 06:03

Hi,

 

This looks lovely, just what I'd like to do. Do you mind sharing where you found the plans or if you're a creative whiz, send some photos of the underside so I can see how you constructed it?

 

Thanks,

Mike Millington

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 07:38

I didn’t use any plans for this. My wife sketched out the design she wanted and I decided to go it alone. This is the first time I’ve built something from scratch without help and it was surprising easy to put together.

This is completely put together with the Kreg jig. The table top is made up of 3, 2 x12s attached together with pocket hole screws. I cut the 4 aprons and attached those to the legs also with pocket hole screws. To give extra support I attached 2, 2x4 cross braces between the longer aprons. The table top was then screwed in place with pocket hole screws through the aprons and 2” screws through the 2 braces.

For the fake drawer fronts, I cut them to size and routed the outer edges to round them off. I then attached the knobs and screwed the drawers in place through the back of the aprons. Finally, I attached trim to the bottom of the aprons. The knobs and trim were bought from Lowes.

The bench was made in a similar way. The top is made from a piece of 2x12, 2x4s for the aprons, the end sections are 2x10s and I used a jigsaw to cut out the arches. All attached together with pocket holes. I then added a 2x2 support beam through both ends and attached matching trim to the aprons.

Hope this helps.

Factory cart coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/24/2019 - 04:20

Awesome plan, used 10” boards and 6” wheels to add height. Also added hinges so that the top opens up for storage. Found some hardware to give it some personality. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut & gray stain, layered.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra Long Buffet Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/03/2022 - 19:29

My husband and daughter worked on this project together. They modified the extra long buffet cabinet to include a drop leaf on the backside. This project adds extra storage her tiny apartment while also providing a space for them to eat.

It still needs painted, however it looks amazing.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Super Simple Lid and Pot Rack

Submitted by twsnowman on Wed, 09/25/2013 - 19:57

Super Duper Easy

Built in 2 hours including time to change outfits on my daughters' poly-pockets, feed the baby dinner, and pick up kindergarten carpool.
and yes, I did it all on my kitchen table.

I was trying to find plans for a pot-rack that also holds the LIDS!!! By the time I reviewed half a dozen designs that didn't work, I had thought of one myself that works brilliantly. I can reach and store the lids from the ground (yes I'm short) as easily as I can the pots. I hung mine over the kitchen sink so it doubles as a pot/lid drying rack as well.

If you want details on steps I took, materials used, or mistakes I made, message me.

Happy building!

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever. I just painted with interior semi-gloss tinted to match my table.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Bristol Blue Jean Lounge Chairs

Submitted by Ekoed on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 11:13

This was my first build, and the instructions were great. I ended building two of them for our porch. The strength of the chairs following the plans is perfectly fine. We have used them every day for the past 6 months and have had no problems. The base cushions were re-claimed from an old couch someone was throwing away. We ripped the old covers off, and my girlfriends mother sewed $9.00 shower curtains over top of them. (Purchased at walmart) The backs are just 4 inch foam purchased from Hobby Lobby. The stain was "blue jean". We love these chairs. Thanks Ana.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Blue Jean
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table, take 2

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/31/2019 - 10:07

Made from leftover wood from other projects.  Adjusted the plan to accomodate the lengths of wood I had available.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax antique walnut, layered with Rustoleum Weather Gray. Minwax hand-rubbed polyurethane finish (2 coats) and 1 coat of wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/21/2022 - 07:42

We desperately needed more counter space and storage in our kitchen, so we turned to Ana for inspiration. This island is based on the Simple Kitchen Island plan. We purchased a 30" x 48" butcher block countertop and adjusted the dimensions to fit. We also added a second shelf for additional storage. We used materials we had on hand (2x4s and 1x4s for the frame, and MDF for the shelves). We're fairly new to DIY projects on this scale, but the complete, detailed instructions provided on the website gave us the confidence to make the adjustments we needed to make our kitchen island a reality. Thank you, Ana!

Comments

A Gift to Grow With

Submitted by melissa2 on Sat, 09/10/2011 - 16:33

Though I'd spent a few months crocheting a baby blanket, my mother also wanted something special and lasting as a gift for a future new family member. She tried to think of something unique, but kept coming up empty. I went online to help her, and looked for newborn items. Unfortunately, I just kept running into toys, toys, and more toys. Ones that would be "grown out of" quickly, too. It was late at night, and very quiet, the time when your brain is calm and sometimes things just dawn on you.

Why not a toy BOX? (And one already "worn in," so that it could take a lot of play throughout the years.) I knew right where to look for a plan--Ana White's website! It ended up being a gift for him from both of us, and while he's a little too young to notice it now, we hope it grows with him and brings him years of joy.

Thank you, Ana, for sharing your talent and helping us (and so many others) create something truly special. That old blanket can wait until Christmas!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 or so (with some toys)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1) Paint on primer, and use a roller to smooth (with all paint coats); 2) Paint on Painter's Touch or American Accents by Rustoleum in "Heirloom White"; 3) Sand; 4) Paint; 5) Spatter on black craft paint; 6) Sand edges down to bare wood, and some surface areas; 7) Put water in brown craft paint, and use as a stain in sanded-off areas, wiping off excess with paper towels. Use some to make stains on other areas; 8) Hammer in random spots with a meat cleaver; 9) Varnish with one coat of semi-gloss. ~ The bird on the bottom right is a wood applique, purchased from a craft store and added before finishing.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

mikejillnelson5 (not verified)

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 04:36

What a wonderful idea! As baby girl gets older it could become a hope chest (not a common thing to have nowadays but still useful and appreciated). For the cuddly boys, a storage locker for sport jerseys, memorabelia, etc. A gift that truly lasts a lifetime!

melissa2

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 18:42

mikejillnelson5, those are great suggestions! Another one for boys as they age is to use it as a place to dump sports gear (basketballs, baseballs, bats, etc.).

Kids as they age can flip the toy box around, so that anything that becomes "childish" to them--like a name or added detail--can be hidden against a wall.

Farmhouse style bed

Submitted by mindogas on Sat, 09/28/2013 - 23:53

Modified Farmhouse style bad. Used lighter wood for headrest and footrest. Changed measurements for Lithuanian size of mattress (200x160cm). For headboard panel were used pallets wood so it was necessary to paint it right. Also Added some trims for decorating edges.

Estimated Cost
~200$
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Water based Champagne Sand color paints.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bclute

Sun, 09/29/2013 - 06:37

I wish I would have seen your plan before I built my bed. Your head and footboard bases make it a lot easier to attach the side rails. Paint color and texture look good too. Did you use a satin finish?

mindogas

Sun, 09/29/2013 - 08:25

Thank you for your opinion.
I used glossy paint and its over. No final polishing or lacking ant the end if you asking this.