Community Brag Posts

Storage Step Stools

Submitted by Radcrafter on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 19:23

These storage step stools are super easy to build. I've built several over the couple of years. The first was for my daughter and then several more since, including one for the Make Two Challenge.
The functionality of these little stools is what really makes them great. My daughter is able to carry it from room to room with her toys stowed away in the little hidden storage area.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
less than $20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of paint and 2 coats of spray on clear coat for protection.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Triple Pedestal Table

Submitted by Celeste808 on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 17:18

I modified the length to fit my dining room. Very easy to build and finished in a weekend. Total cost for wood was about $105. Best project I've built yet! Working on the matching bench this weekend.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
3 step stain process:
1. Tea/Vinegar & Steel Wool Stain
2. Minwax Ebony Stain
3. Minwax Driftwood stain while ebony is still slightly damp.
Sealed with gloss polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Treehouse Bed in the Wild

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/04/2019 - 21:33

My boys LOVE this bed. I am making one for my other son who shares the room next so there will be two matching. They take up almost the whole room but they look so cute and double as play space in and under the bed so it works!

It took about 2 days to build and I had help from my husband and friend to make construction easier and cuts and staining more efficient.

One problem I had at the end was screwing in the roof boards. I hadn't thought about the fact that my ceilings are low on my old ranch house and could barely get the screwdriver in the space above the bed, so I had to tip the bed over to make it easier. Next time I may predrill the screws til just before breakthrough so I can fit the drill above.

Also those boards around the bed are probably the most expensive piece - if I didn't want the second bed to match exactly I would wonder if 1x6s wouldn't have been more economical.

I did sand and stain before assembly which made things much easier. I used my standard weathered grey stain.

The sheets are Pillowfort : Rustler's Ranch twin set. The sign and banner hung on the bed I got from Hobby Lobby.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Ana White

Sun, 08/04/2019 - 21:54

Thank you for submitting!  This is awesome!

That is a smart suggestion to swap 1X6S for the siding that could save a lot of money.

very much appreciate all the photos and the details!

2x4 Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/03/2023 - 12:04

My husband whipped this up in one day using Ana’s plan. This is my new favorite spot to relax.

Comments

AWESOME Barbie Dollhouse

Submitted by Jules_F on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 11:36

My husband and I modified the lovely Miss Ana White's dollhouse bookshelf plans to create this awesome Barbie Dollhouse for our 2 and 4 year old daughters to Christmas. They love it, and I love that it will last for years! Thank you Ana, for your amazing talents and your giving heart...your sharing your talents means the world to me and my family!!

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

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Tue, 01/03/2012 - 20:50

I want one of those for my Barbie dolls, and I'm 52 years old!!! It's probably a good thing I don't have the room for this or I would make one just for me.

Fancy X Desk

I needed a desk for in the finished basement. It's not the nicest of spaces but I am trying to class it up a bit while saving money. This desk was pretty easy to build and is one SOLID piece of furniture. This is something that will last a lifetime (or two, or three). Couldn't be happier with how this turned out. I followed the plans to the letter. The shopping list on the plans was one 2x4 short but other than that it was spot on. Love your site Ana! Thanks for all you share!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
70.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Brushed on Minwax Bombay Mahogany Satin Stain & Finish. Also did 4 additional coats of poly on the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Breakfast bar with reclaimed top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/24/2019 - 19:36

Our son was moving into his first college apartment. The dining area is small and he thought a breakfast bar would be perfect in this spot. We built the base using Ana’s Counter Height Farmhouse Table for Four plans. We modified the plans to to fit the table top - which was originally the top of a desk. We purchased the desk at our local Habitat Restore. We planed to use the base of the desk for another project- so using the top for this breakfast bar was perfect! The breakfast bar was a perfect fit!

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and poly on bass. Gunstock stain and poly on top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Bed and Nightstands

Submitted by kwlogue on Sat, 05/06/2023 - 18:28

Fun and rewarding projects to finish. Took me way too long to finish, but 2 sever TBIs will do that to a person. Made a few modifications to the original King and nightstand plans but worked out fine. Thanks for these plans Ana!

Comments

Stacy Daybed

We recently changed our daughter's room around since she is getting close to being a teenager. She wanted a "more mature" room. I think that this daybed fits in perfectly. I changed some of the plans up, and instead of using 2 x 2 for all of the horizontal and vertical pieces, I used 2 x 4 for all of the horizontal pieces and 2 x 4s the front legs and 4 x 4s for the rear legs. I felt that the larger lumber would add a significant amount of strength to the bed. I am very happy with how it turned out. Lots of angles and lots of thinking!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Miller Premium satin pure white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Francoise

Sat, 11/23/2013 - 08:27

I know just how hard the angles makes things. Congratulations on finishing something stylish, different and difficult.

Ana White Counter Height Pub Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/08/2016 - 09:29

Built this counter height pub table from MAPLE PLANKS. Did the base using 3" * 3" * 36" MAPLE turning blanks (for making baseball bats) and all 3/4" maple 1 * 4's for the stretchers and the top was edge glued 1 * 8 and 1 * 10 planks ( with 1 * 3's glued and screwed underneath). Ran 1 * 3's 360 degrees around the edge .. giving a solid 1.5" surface to attach the 1.75" * 1.75" maple trim pieces. Top is HEAVY ... finished with a light cherry stain and General Finishes waterborne polyurethane. Table turned out better than I had expected. Built over 2 weekends. Used a drill press to do all of the counter sink holes the same depth. Bought the press for $125 at Lowes .. nice tool to have on hand. Makes precision drilling .. especially in hard wood .. a snap.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400 in lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil based stain and General Finishes Water Borne Polyurethane .. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a genuine sprayed on / oil / wax type warm finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Woven Back Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/09/2019 - 09:01

A version of the woven back bench, resize to fit a standard cushion, painted to match the house trim.

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My DIY Kitchen Drawer Organizer

Submitted by sandrabees on Sat, 01/07/2012 - 20:21

I am so thrilled that I did this for my large kitchen drawer! I was able to get all of my cuts from 1 piece of 1x3... It was $2-3 at my local blue store. I did purchase the mini kreg jig to use for this and absolutely love it! I have also used it for another project and am totally hooked to it!

I didn't screw to my drawer it self but they fit snug like a tray...

my 4 year old helped and we had it done in under an hour!

More on my blog link

Now which drawer is next!!!

Estimated Cost
$3
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

kristen

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 18:20

I was just eye-balling some of my drawers last weekend for this very thing. Yours looks great and it might just be what I needed to get into gear at my house :)

Shoe Cabinet

Submitted by mamaof4 on Mon, 11/25/2013 - 20:30

I made this to fit in the entryway of our 99 year old home. It's the perfect size for it and it helped alleviate the clutter of shoes that bombarded our entryway. I saw another member on here made this cabinet in the apothercary style by using 1/4" plywood on top of the 1x8s and I loved how it turned out so I had to copy it. I then painted it black with a stained top and distressed edges. water based poly on top.

If you are going to build this I strongly suggest chain bolted to the studs (don't ask me how I know ;)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
antiqued black
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/11/2016 - 19:16

I built this bed for my 10 year old son. I only made a few changes from the original plan. I increased the height so my son could easily fit underneath the bed. I did make the stairs, but we decided not to use them to save on floor space. I also added metal L brackets under the side 2x6's for support. It was a fun project and fairly straight forward. I finished each piece individually and then assembled it in his room. The sanding, staining, and varnishing was very time consuming, but worth it in the end. He absolutely loves it and so do his siblings and friends!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax stain and polyurethane This is very high in voc's. I recommend a respirator mask even with ventilation. I have since started using finishes lower in voc's, which can be found online.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Queen Farmhouse Bed

Built this bed for my wife and I in our starter home. It has been a pretty easy project with good instructions. Id change up my order of operations to prevent the wood from cupping as bad as it did in places as well as be more strict with my wood selection but im very happy with it over all. I braced it up a little more than instructions called for since this was my first bed build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300 built and finished
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark crimson M140-7 paint with special walnut stain. Multiple coats with sanding for surface prep.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Front porch table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/22/2023 - 07:30

My father in law was a very good woodworker. He had a great shop with all the power tools anyone could want. He passed away 2 years ago and one day I went in his shop and remember thinking this woodworking could be sort of fun.
I searched the internet and came across the Ana White instructional site. Your site and instructional videos have helped me so much. The photos attached are my first attempt at furniture making. I used and modified one of your plans for this piece of furniture. It was SO helpful. Thank you for making these videos and plans available for those that are leaning this craft.

Built from Plan(s)

Zebra shelf

Submitted by Lady Goats on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 11:11

When I saw Ana post this shelf to Facebook, I stopped what I was doing and got to building it. I think it was about 3 hours after she'd posted it that I had this thing built and ready for the first coat of paint (and I cooked dinner during that time). It's perfect for the big kid's jackets/backpack/shoes when she comes home from school (I hung it at kid's console table height so she can hang her stuff and access the top). So far it's worked perfectly, and she just LOVES it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$3.20 for the hooks
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Lowe's super cheap-o spray paint (like $0.98 per bottle) left over from another project, and zebra pattern painted on with acrylic paints/sealed with poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner