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This was the first thing my husband has EVER built. He's the kind of guy that's better with his mind than his hands, so this is a huge accomplishment for him.  We truly love this piece and are proud to have it in our home. 

We would like to add crown molding to the top in the near future. Also debating on adding a shelf in the middle to raise the TV so that the TV will sit in the center of the opening. 

Potting bench with a few modifications to fit our space.

Bill N

After 3 years staring at the empty space beneath my dining room window, I decided it was time for a buffet end table. I went to Pintrist for some ideas and found this awesome design by Ana White.

I decided to modify the dimensions and do a multi-stain pattern to give the table a more bohemian look.

Here's a link to the step by step instructions:
http://rusticcedar.blogspot.com

I used the armless chair plan, and altered the one armed plans to make two chaises. Then I increased the size slightly to accommodate the 25x25 pillows I bought. This took about 12 hours with one person working. I am super proud of it! Finished today, and will eventually stain after the wood has dried out a little. Thank you, Ana, for making straightforward plans that gave me the confidence to do my first woodworking project!

Andrea in Michigan

My first attempt at woodworking

Using the 4x4 Truss Bench plan (http://ana-white.com/2013/10/plans/4x4-truss-benches), we built this bench using entirely reclaimed lumber. (We had removed an old patio and part of a fence.) We already had all of the lumber, screws, etc. so the only cost to us for this project was the cost of the stain.

We modified the plan slightly, using 2x4s on the ends.

My husband is obsessed with decking screws. Thus the entire bench is held together with 2 1/2 inch decking screws. (Unfortunately, we purchased our Kreg Jig a day following the completion of this project.)

Because the lumber was very old and weathered, there is a lot of character to the wood. There were some incredibly soft spots which made sanding a challenge, and some of the boards were somewhat warped. However, we still really like the way it turned out.

I sanded (and sanded and sanded) using 60 grit, then 80... then 120... then 220. I filled the screw holes with wood filler (and sanded again). I then conditioned the wood with Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner. I used Minwax Early American oil based stain on the entire project. I then went over the top only with Minwax Weathered Oak. After about 36 hours of drying time, I used 2 coats of Minwax Fast-Drying clear semi-gloss polyurethane.

This bench is a beast! I'm sure it weighs over 75 pounds. It is extremely solid, and quite beautiful in our dining room. The plans were easy to follow, and the whole thing went together fairly quickly. (It would have been completed even more quickly had we had our Kreg Jig at the time. Lesson learned.)

I loved he Hannah canopy bed for my daughter but felt like it was missing something. I decided to tuft the headboard and I used rhinestone buttons to give it that girly look with a small pop of glam. The tufting took probably 12 hours in total but totally worth it. We then followed all the instructions on how to build the bed with the exception of having any screws go in through the sides of the fabric on the headboard. We used plates to hold the headboard in place and screwed around the edges. It was time consuming but we love how it came together.

I have my husband working hard . 💙💙💙

To build:
2 x 4s
1 1/4" dowel rods - x3
2 1/2" wood screws screws
1 1/2" PVC pipe (for spacers) - cut at 3/8" thick - x2

Needed:
Hole saw kit
powerful 3/8" drill or 1/2" drill
Jig saw
Miter saw
sandpaper
wood filler
paint

Was a great project! Was surprisingly easy to put this together. Modified the plans slightly and used all 1x3" boards for the edges (instead of 1x2"). Made the top out of left over walnut from the truss farmhouse table we made earlier in the month. Painted off-white (fledgling). Highly recommend buying decorative hinges as it made a big difference in the look.

Ana Whites site is always my first stop for inspiration, she always has good designs and diagrams. I usually use her plans as a rough guide, and then tweak them as needed.

For this table, I made it 42" square, and adjusted the height. 

The main difference is I built this from PT pine, and cedar as this is going to be an outdoor table, and I would like it to last.  I painted the frame with 3 coats of exterior semi gloss paint, and used Helmsman spar urethane for the top. I did not stain the wood, as I love the color variations of natural cedar.

I also used galvanized carriage bolts to connect the legs. This increased the costt, but I wanted to be able to remove the legs.  For more in depth connection details see my blog.

The table turned out quite well, is very sturdy and has gotten quite a few compliments, thanks Ana for the inspiration to build cool stuf! I love building STUFF!

We looked for coffee table to fit our sectional, couldnt find a size that seemed right so wife tasked me to male one. Table turned out so good she requested end tables i followed an Anna White plane for basic coffee table but added the decorative top.

This was my first attempt at building and I learned a lot such as if you drop pine, it cracks in half - and - when cutting with a jigsaw, cut inside the lines....you can always trim more off, but you can't put it back - and - my dogs can distress a piece of furniture faster than I can if I put it under "thier" window....whether I want them to or not!
This was a great beginner project and gives a fast, satisfying result. As you can see, it has become the cat's bench...can't get a picture of it without him, he lives on it!
Just a couple of notes: I cut the legs more according to the plan diagram than the pretty cuts Patrick made on his...I wasn't ready for that. Also, I didn't have my glasses outside with me, so my measurements on the legs are probably not right. I made the top shorter because I wanted it for a specific space (which didn't work out, see note about about dogs and distressing....ugh!).
Also, this probably should have taken me just an hour or so, but I had my Kreg jig set all wrong and first had shallow pocket holes (see note above about pine breaking when dropped) and then made them too deep (learned to use wood filler)! That's when I finally got my butt into the house to get my glasses to read the dang directions (again!).
Thanks Patrick and Ana for giving me such a great, easy beginner project!

This was one of my first builds ever! I'm hooked! 

This was my very first project since I took wood shop in high school more than 20 years ago. It’s absolutely no where near perfect, But it was easy and fun. I made it for my mom for Mother’s Day. She LOVED it! Currently figuring out my next piece for Father’s Day! 😁

Building the desk was pretty straightforward. I actually saved a little money going with the 2x6s (4 of them was under half the price of a pine project panel) rather than the panel which I actually brought home first. I went with the 2x6s instead because it felt sturdier, and the straightest panel I could find was a little warped (which I didn't want to force).

My biggest piece of advice is, if you don't have a wood planer, DO NOT use a Kreg Jig to assemble the top first. 2xWhatevers just don't seem to "lay" the way you want them to if they're all connected together. I built the legs, added supports and then used glue and 2" finish nails to secure the top, butting them up as close as I could (there's only very minimal gaps, ~1/16 or less) It is SOLID. I filled in the nail holes with Elmer's stainable wood filler. After staining, I used a tiny artist brush with the stain on the filler so it could penetrate a little longer. Worked like a charm!

We decided to go with a color stain on top because it's going in a craft room/office so we wanted it to be bright and fun to get our creative juices flowing. The walls are a light gray so we figured we could afford some color :)