Community Brag Posts

Adirondack Stool or End Table

Submitted by Clang on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 19:45

I love making this table, my take on the Patriotic theme. Sanding and Painting always add time, this is a fairly easy project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Dining Room Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 06:31

This table was made out of Pecan. The legs are pine. I think the basic plan was from Ana-White.com but I am not sure.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Adirondack Chairs

This took me 2 solid weekends of work - one weekend to measure, cut, sand, prime, and paint both chairs and another to assemble and finish them. I had a small amount of trouble (wood split) with 2'' deck screws on the seat slats and ended up using 1.25'' screws there, which seem to have fastened the pieces adequately. The stringers were the most challenging part, but they don't have to be precise, as long as they are the same size. These are very good plans; I built these two chairs as a gift for my parents. I hope they'll get years and years of use at the cottage 'Up North' in Michigan. Thanks!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Exterior primer/sealer, exterior flat white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Entry Table

This way our first project! It took about two hours to complete the table and an additional two hours for sanding and staining. My husband and I had a great time making it and are already planning our next project.

Estimated Cost
$85.00 with stain
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We used pine to make the table and Minwax dark walnut stain. One coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Play Vanity

Submitted by tcalford on Fri, 01/22/2016 - 13:59

Last year I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Ana White's website when researching play kitchens as a Christmas gift for our little girls. I had never built anything previously, but the plans seemed simple enough, I enjoyed making their gift, and they love playing with the kitchen set. I looked for something to continue the Christmas gift tradition this year and found the play vanity plans shared from That's My Letter. It turned out great and was again simple for someone who doesn't have many tools or experience. The girls have enjoyed playing with vanity very much, much more than I imagined. I look forward to finding something to continue the tradition for next Christmas, and hopefully to have time for a few other projects in between! Thanks for all share these plans.

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

Rebuilt outdoor bench

Found a bench on a second hand site for $5. The wood was rotting and the metal was rusted. Brought it home, took it apart, cleaned the metal parts and cut pine 1x3s to size. With some black Rustoleum paint for the metal, stain I had on hand, and an oil based top coat, I have a beautiful new bench for my front porch. 

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

New bed for my youngest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/10/2023 - 15:45

Moved into a new house after a fire destroyed almost everything, rather than buying new beds for my kids, we decided to build! They turned out beautifully, and the kids love them! Decided to modify the camp loft bed, removing the stairs and using the foot of the bed a ladder style.

Comments

little blue box

This was my first project. I used my jigsaw to make all of the cuts because I hadn't worked up the courage to use my circular saw...so it is far from perfect, but it is very sturdy.

I modified mine a bit and used 2 1x8s in place of the 1x4 but still used a 1x4 for the lip.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Mythic Paint in Seaside Reflections
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Desk

After obtaining two file cabinets, I painted them my desired color (which matches a futon cover in the room a well). I bought 1x6's of wood and 1x2 to drill underneath and secure.

Pretty easy job. Money saver.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Mirror hidden shelf

Submitted by Bread0186 on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 17:52

Built 2 of these for some friends. One of them plans on putting it in the wall! Loved the build and they love the product.

Comments

Weatherly Sofa

Submitted by astcgirl on Mon, 11/11/2013 - 14:25

Just wanted to show my Weatherly Sofa (Sectional) that I built recently. I've been drooling over Ana's plans for months now, I waited patiently until I could get a good deal on a Kreg Jig since so many of Ana's plans use it. I purchased my cushions first, I really wanted Sunbrella fabric since they will be outside in my Lanai so they need to stand up to the Florida elements, I was so excited when I found the seat and back cushions for $40 a set discounted from $98, however I kept watching them after I purchased them and they eventually dropped down to $20 a set (called Lowes and they refunded me the difference), so total for all 8 seat and back cushions was only around $170...the problem with them however was that they were 25 x 25 and not the 24 x 24 that Ana recommends in the plans. I just modified the length of the sofa's by adding 3" and With by 1" which did increase my cost of wood since I was short certain pieces however I really wanted them to fit and not look squashed in there. The extra 3" made them fit perfectly. I also have 8 matching back cushions but they are a little too puffy to keep on there so I just use 2 on the ends and stored the rest. The small cushions I also purchased were on sale for $4 a set of 2. This was a relatively easy project. I was a little intimidated to use a compound miter saw to do my cuts so instead I just purchased a Stanley Clamping Miter box that was able to do the 30 degree cuts to make the x's. Total cost was $470 with all the cushions. I used Behr Weather Proofing Wood Stain & Sealer Semi-permanent in COFFEE which gave it a driftwood beachy look. It is so comfortable and sturdy. I love it and considering it was my first build from Ana's site I'm now hooked....Thank you Ana

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Weather Proofing Stain and Sealer Semi-permanent (Coffee) they didn't have quarts so I just got 4 sample cans and only ended up using 3.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Window seats built by my friend David Ward

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/29/2016 - 19:07

So I didn't build it myself but I just wanted to brag anyway. David built these for my sunroom. We changed the dimensions a bit on the shorter bench and didn't put a back on them. He also cut a corner piece so there's not a hole there. I love them. I will paint them, gray with orange and blue accents.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

dog kennel night stand

For my son's new black lab pup. Started with rough cut maple.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

baby doll crib

Submitted by hopester76 on Mon, 12/26/2011 - 16:49

I made my daughter the doll crib with drawer from the pattern provided by Ana. I wanted to give my daughter a special baby for Christmas but couldn't imagine giving it to her without a crib. I cut and assembled the crib with the help of my neighbor, and then made the bumper pad, mattress, and quilt for the baby. I also made matching nightgowns for her and her baby. My sister also made an afghan to go along with the ensemble. There have been huge smiles at our house since she opened her gifts Christmas morning. Thank you for such an easy plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
paint, I used a high gloss paint to finish the crib. I really struggled getting a smooth application, but I believe it was due to the cold room I was working in.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Board & Batten Banquette

My family needed a seating area for our tiny kitchen and a built-in banquette solved our spatial design problem perfectly! I basically built it like a short and wide freestanding wall with a board & batten design and plywood top for seating. More details on my website post...

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
board & batten with latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Bench, storage shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/01/2016 - 20:18

I made this taller and added and extra shelf. I also didn't add the angle cuts and for the front pieces. It was so easy and I built it within three hours with my 8 yr. old son.

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I finished the shelving part with 2 coats of white leftover ceiling paint and varnished the top with 2 coats of a pecan polyurethane blend.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Farmhouse King Size Bed

Ever since we moved into our current home, our master bedroom headboard has been at the top of our my project list. I knew I wanted a beautiful farmhouse style headboard. What I didn’t want was the heavy retail price tag. I searched high and low at places like Target, Wayfair, Amazon and even Walmart without finding an affordable option for us.

There is this perfect vantage point of our bedroom from the glider in my son’s room. I remember staring at that empty wall space above our bed for years, it felt like, while rocking our son to sleep. Just willing a headboard to appear. I wanted it so bad I could taste it. Something about looking at that same view, night after night, and waiting, waiting, waiting for it to happen just makes me appreciate it so much more now that it’s here, as so often happens in life.

This project inevitably got put on hold over the years after one thing or another got in the way. Either we didn’t have the time to devote to it, or we always had something else to put our money into. Untilllll I stumbled across Ana White’s Farmhouse Headboard Plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~ $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar off the shelf white in semi gloss applied with paint sprayer in several, thin coats with sanding in between.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Stick on organizers for dresser drawer

Submitted by Ana White on Thu, 04/27/2023 - 12:58

I used the stick on drawer organizer tutorial to divide a giant dresser drawer

With the divider, the drawer can hold more and is so much neater and easier to use

i love there is ZERO planning or sourcing of dividers with this method  just have the basic materials on hand, open up a drawer and get it done  

 

 

 

Toy Work Bench

Submitted by cdswhite on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 18:09

I made this work bench for the Make Two Challenge but haven't found someone to give it away to yet. We did have fun building it though. Check out my blog for more details!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5 - I had everything but the 1x4s on hand and even those I got for a steal
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
The stained parts were Old English stain, the rest has one coat of primer, a couple coats of Mystic Forest (more green than the pics show) and a couple coats of spray poly in satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project