Community Brag Posts

This was my first real project. I started with the base instructions from this site and plugged them into Sketch-Up. From there I modified them a bit to fit my space better and to accomodate my PC and Audio/Video equipment. The desk fir perfectly in the room. My wife and I put the flooring in plus new baseboards, window sills, and paint. I also used some plans for floating shelves from another site and incorporate lighting to complete the look of the room. Can't wait for my next project!!!

This project took us about one week to complete. We spent two days building the vanity itself and added a shelf on the bottom. Staining it took a while and so did the topcoat. The Kreg Jig is amazing to work with, it made building this thing so much easier! The sink is purchased from Amazon along with the drain, together ran about $100. The faucet is from Costco ($70). We are pleased with the result and couldn't believe we were able to do it ourselves. I find myself popping into the bathroom just to make sure it's real!

This was the first time I have built drawers!  I love how it turned out!!  This website has given me the confidence to build things I never thought I would.

We have 6 children and needed a dedicated area for coats, backpacks and other outdoor items.  I loved how I could modify the smiling mudroom plans to fit my needs.  I used plywood for the bench and 1" x 12" pine boards for the shelves and dividers to minimize the cuts.

I bought some cool Parson Chairs to use with my grandparent's 1950s style porcelain top table. Unfortunately, the chairs were way too big to fit between the legs of the table. My friend said she was surprised I didn't build my own chairs in the first place... that's when I remembered seeing a Parson Chair plan on Ana White! I liked the overall design of the chair in the plan, but I wanted to make some changes to make it my own. I made the chair narrower to fit between the legs of my table, changed the angle of the rear legs from 15 degrees to 10 degrees, increased the rear legs from 2x2s to 2x3s and made the back taller. This was my FIRST sewing project and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out!

First Brag. Solid pine in 2 X 8s obtained from dumpster diving behind a boat store. This wood is from boat shipping crates. Milled down with table saw to usable sizes. Not hollow like the WE Emmerson table. Very heavy and solid with NO wiggle! 

This was my first furniture project and only my 2nd woodworking project, the previous one a cubby house over 20 years ago, so I was a bit nervous. I did lots of planning, research and designing before the first cut. I incorporated ideas from Ana projects as well as from other sites and learned how to use a drop saw, various sanders and the pocket hole jig.

We wanted a tall table because when sitting a a regular height table the view is blocked by the deck railing.

I decided to make it out of hardwood for durability in the Australian outdoors and also because we get sea air where we are. The hardwood (Blackbutt) was challenging to work with - extremely heavy and difficult to drill into, but the finished product is SO solid and will outlive us all. Due to the weight and density of the timber I overengineered as far as joining went, using more pocket holes than usual.

I saw the idea of the built in ice troughs years ago and was keen to incorporate them into my table. I also made the legs detachable so that the table top could be moved out onto the deck once it was finished and the legs added in situ. Once it was set up my husband put big screws into the legs just in case but it would really take an earthquake to move this thing.

I managed to build it over 3 weekends and finished it just in time for our family Christmas party but it only had 1 coat of stain on it at that stage. I finished it off later and we also decided that the ice trough covers would look good in a contrasting colour so did them in charcoal. If I made it again it would be a much quicker project as there was alot of 'firsts' and learning along the way.

The dimensions are:

2660mm long (about 8' 9")

1150mm wide (about 3' 9.5")

1165mm high (about 3' 10")

The legs are solid - 140 x 140mm (5.5")

It seats 10 - 12 comfortably and 14 at a squeeze.

We got the bar stools 2nd hand for an absolute steal - 12 for $200! They are handmade hardwood too and look great.

The timber was quite expensive but I was able to use the work account so got it at trade price. This would be a very expensive table to buy but all up it cost us about AU$1100.

This project was not exactly easy but I would class myself as a novice. With the right planning and preparation (plus stubbornness) anyone could do this :-)

Wanted a proper dining table for Thanksgiving. I worked on it during my son's naps and in the evening, so it took longer than normal. I used pine from Menards.

First I used the straightest 1x6's I could find and attached 8 together with my Kreg Jig on the bottom to make a sold tabletop without space between the planks. Then used a chisel to rough up the seams to make it appear that there is space between planks. I then beat the table with a chain, chiseled out chunks, used an awl to make cracks and used a wire brush on my drill to make it look worn.

I did some figuring and made the extending version of the table. The leafs are just 3 1x6's that rest on two 2x4's that pull out.

I made the legs out of 4x6 poplar, because that was the only untreated I could find in that size. I just didn't like the look of the 4x4's.

Some of the wood is a little warped, but what can you do. i t just adds to the character.

I used plumbing fixtures to attached the turnbuckles to the table and sprayed all the hardware black with rustolium flat spray and primer. The rods are just black pipe from true value that I had a welder attach to the turnbuckles I bought online.

Final dimensions: 72" long (closed) 108" (with leafs) 42" wide.

Got to see the Pottery Barn in person and I like mine way better.

The garage loft bed was inspired by the plans on your site. I beefed up the framing with 2xs and found siding panels at my local big box. 

Dark walnut table top. Weathered 1x4s on the bottom shelf in place of 1x12

After looking at the price of kitchen sets I decided to make this one for my daughter last Christmas.

The Sink:
I made the sink and the stove identical. I then stole one of my wife's dish towels and stapled it in front of the shelves. I took an aluminum bowl for the sink and cut it out with a jigsaw, I then put clear caulk around the bowl. The faucet was from a hardware store, i found some pipes and put them together until they looked like a faucet. The knobs were from Michael's, I painted them black and put a nut/bolt so they could be turned.

The Stove:
In order to make the burners, i put painters tape on the top of it after it was painted. Then I used a bowl to trace and cut circles in the tape, i then peeled that tape and used black spraypaint on the circles. The burner knobs were also from Michael's.

This project took a while, maybe 2 weeks of working a couple hours every few days, but i was surprised and impressed with my work after I was done.

First of many outdoor projects. This collection from Ana is awesome. 

Full Tutorial with a LOT more photos on the Blog HERE

We had measured the garden space so we could build this frame to fit the space. The deck frame was made to be the correct height for the slide that we would attach later.

Once all the boards were put onto the frame I added some rails for safety of course. Then stained everything....

PS This IS a beginner project! I promise!!!! I am a beginner and I built it, it's still standing so you can do it too! I promise!

Harriet chair with modified back. Back made with 1x2 and 1x3's. Plenty sturdy but if I was making them for someone else, would probably use a wider stock for the backs but I love the simple but unique design. Chairs were easy to build, but I liked them better before I badly upholstered them :)

When designing the layout for my husband's home brewery/man cave I needed seating that would fit in the narrow space. I looked at several plans and used pieces from a few. The final support design was suggested by my brother-in-law. I am in the process of making cushions to fit as it is definitely not something to sit on for long with any comfort!