Community Brag Posts

Queen size storage bed with headboard storage

Submitted by Cranky on Mon, 01/29/2018 - 12:49

There was some deviation from the original plans..  We made the storage boxes a bit taller and the headboard has several new features.

First off, the under-bed storage takes up the whole size of the bed.  So the drawers (six of them) are nice and deep.  One of the drawers is actually the dog's bed now.

The picture doesn't show it but behind the headboard there are cubbies for storing books, tablets, phones, glasses, etc.

On both sides of the headboard there are four electrical outlets plus two USB charging outlets for charging tablets, phones, etc.

There are two reading lamps on the headboard as well.

I did the construction portion while my talented wife did the amazing paint job.

 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
FAT paint, charcoal colour.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Axel

Sun, 06/09/2019 - 04:28

That's awesome! Do you have notes on how you did the modifications and the additional features?

Modern Farmhouse Dining Room table with 2x4 chairs

Submitted by NeekosMac on Thu, 08/01/2013 - 13:28

Modern Farmhouse Dining Room Table (with pocket hole) and 2x4 chairs with plans reposted from morelikehome.net.

Surfed the site for the right plans and dove right in. Thank you for the inspiration all!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Pecan and Poly coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Accidental Sectional

Submitted by JoanneS on Fri, 05/18/2018 - 09:44

This project evolved from us purchasing the wrong foam to go under 4 area rugs.  After it didn’t work for the first rug, we had 3 more rolls of the stuff that we couldn’t take back to the store (we had waited too long to do a return).  I originally had intended to buy an inexpensive sectional sofa for the downstairs family room, but with all this foam staring at me, I decided to put it to use and make sofa cushions.  There was enough foam to do a whole sectional!

 

The sofa frame is based on Ana’s Outdoor 2x4 Sectional sofa.  I adjusted the size, because the fabric I wanted to use was 54” wide, and that would fit nicely around a 22” deep x 4” thick cushion.  Each cushion is 11 layers of the foam (seat cushions: 67 x 22 x 4, backs: 67 x 18 x 4). That length for the cushions fit exactly into the 8 yards of fabric available on the bolt.  The next week I ended up going back for some more fabric for the corner cushion and an ottoman that's in work. 

 

I had the frame assembled and was ready to add the final upper back pieces, when Hubby suggested we give it a slanted back.  That required a little re-engineering and a couple of extra boards on the back and armless end.  Instead of using 2x4s the full length for the seat, I had used some 1x2 furring strips reclaimed from another project.  Also used some of those for the upright pieces for the backs.  Added some 1x6 to top the arms and ½ x 3 ½” craft boards to the front to hide the cut 2x4 ends.

 

The cushions are covered in a polyester faux tooled suede (fabric from Hobby Lobby).  The cushion covers are slightly loose on purpose, to give the nice worn squishy look that a real soft leather sofa cushion would have.

 

It’s surprisingly comfy and we love the look! 

 

 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The finish is 2 coats of Clark & Kensington Satin enamel in Winter Storm. 

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ana White

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 14:47

You are so resourceful!  Love how this turned out!  Thanks so much for sharing such detailed instructions, much appreciated!

Free Farmhouse Table

I got all the wood from the dump. The best way to get a good glue up for the table top is joint the sides flat, and then hand plane the top for a smooth surface. Gorgeous table for nothing.

Estimated Cost
$0.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Non wax Shellac, Walnut Stain, Semi-Gloss Poly, Red Spray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Great Shelves - made to measure!

Submitted by tailspin10 on Fri, 09/04/2015 - 08:54

Thanks for the plans Ana!

I stuck to the design but changed the dimensions to suit the space and the boxes we intend to store. This made the shelves 7.5 feet high by 8.5 feet wide. The timber was supplied in 17’ lengths so this also meant very little wastage. The frame is composed of 2x4’s, the shelves are 4.5 x 1.5’s  - as I wanted the shelves slightly shallower this meant I could get away with three boards for each shelf instead of 4 as on the plans. 

For the short cross pieces I used woodglue and screws – to attach the long shelf pieces I just used screws. I predrilled holes in the first piece for each of the screws, but I didn’t drill a pilot hole in the next piece, the screws were self-tapping and didn’t need one.

The back wall is concrete block and I screwed each upright to the wall using wall plugs and screws. I’ve 2 young children and as the shelves are quite high I was afraid they might climb on them and tip them over otherwise. The attachment to the wall definitely makes the whole thing feel much sturdier – the structure is completely rigid.

The only real issue I encountered was that some of the boards were slightly twisted or warped – and I had to apply some force to keep everything square when I was gluing up. Overall I’m very happy with the end product, and found it reasonably easy to put together. Now its time to put the shelves to good use and start tidying up the garage!

Estimated Cost
$180 including screws - I'm in Ireland and unfortunately wood seems to be more expensive here :-(
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I gave it a quick wipe of some old danish oil I was going to throw out, I'm not that bothered about finish as the shelves are in the garage.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids Chair with Storage / Toy box

Submitted by bozarthm1 on Mon, 07/04/2022 - 18:24

Made from Ana's Kids Chair with Storage. Love these little chairs. I riped up some 2x4's to 7/8th and used a 1 x 12 stair tread for the seats. glued with screws, then removed the screws and replaced with glue and dowels. Made for kids, strong enough for adults.

Comments

Wooden garden tools storage shed

Our last project was building a tiny garden tools storage shed. We used only 1 x 4 boards. We don't have any plans, but you can watch the entire building process on our YouTube channel. We are very proud of the way the project turned out.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Toddler version of the platform bed

We reworked the plans for the pottery barn inspired bed into a toddler sized version. Arms were added near the head to prevent our child falling out in the first year. They ended up being something of a hazard in those early days, as our child kept hitting her head. If we were to recreate it, we would make the arms go up higher or without the finished top. The bed also was not lifted off the ground in as great of a proportion to the original.

The pine is left untreated and unfinished. The only glue used was homemade milk glue.

Estimated Cost
<$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adirondak Chair and Stools

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/14/2022 - 21:00

Plans were super easy to follow. I finished the chairs by using the Shou Sugi Ban technique. I burned the chairs and stools completely, than wire brushed them. I repeated the process a second time. I finished by adding a coat of poly which I believe gave the chairs a little more depth. They are so comfortable and plans were perfect. Thank you Ana!

4 ft table from plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/05/2019 - 22:09

Great project and fun to do. I've actually made 6 tables off this same plan, all different sizes,from 4ft. To 8ft.. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut stain, 3 coats of poly, and distressed paint on bottom.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Drawer Dividers by Hannah McCormick

Simple and great way to get drawers organized, by Hannah

Comments

OceanCactus

Tue, 01/31/2023 - 05:40

Hi Ana! Your work and dedication to your art are amazing! I had a quick question regarding the channels. I looked up "C channel" to order at my hardware store but there seems to be a curve at the bottom where the wood panel would sit. I also saw a "U channel" that's square and looks more like the one you posted in your video. Could you guide me as to which one would be best? Thanks!

Cornhole Boards

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/08/2023 - 18:09

I made one set for my son, the one with the stained top. His friends liked it so much and kept borrowing his set, that he wanted to surprise them with their own and asked me to build them one with the LSU colors. Thought they turned out great! Thank you for the plans!

Comments

Boot Room Before and After

Got bored, built a boot room! Thank you Ana White for the plans!

Comments

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by ghozt21 on Mon, 05/27/2019 - 16:54

I followed the plans as written,  It took me about 6 hours and that includes sanding and staining. Very simple yet offers a very wow finish.  I think in total we spent about $300 for all supplies including cushions which was the most expensive part. I just finished it off with Teak Oil and an Americana theme for our covered patio.  We love it.  

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Teak oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bread Box

I started baking my own bread a few months ago, and storage was an issue. My husband decided to build me an old fashioned bread box and set out designing one on his own to fit in our small galley kitchen. I love it. It is a double decker, so I can fit two loaves in it just fine. The inside is coated with a food-grade sealer.

Estimated Cost
$20: $16 for the food-grade sealer and $4 for the handle, scrap wood used from other projects.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White spray paint, food-grade sealer inside.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 03:49

This is an awesome idea, can't wait to make one for my kitchen. Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing this!

Compost Bin

In my endeavor to be more green and self-providing, I started a backyard garden this past Spring. Thanks to the Texas heat, it was not as fruitful as I would have liked. I won't just blame the weather, but my novice status. I kept thinking I should have done more to amend the soil. So, I have been tossing around idea of composting to make my own nutrient rich soil and have a better experience with my garden next year. So, I found these plans online and I modified them down to a single 2'x2' sized bin. It also had to be mobile in that I could move it around my yard if I need to find a better place for it.

From Plan: Build A Compost Bin www.lowescreativeideas.com
http://lowescreativeideas.com/idea-library/projects/Building-a-Compost-…
Estimated Cost: $20 for Lumber $13 for Hardware Cloth $14 for Galvanized Hinges
Estimated Time Investment: 3 hours
Required Skill Level: Intermediate
Type of Wood: Cedar and Pine
Finish Used: Natural/Matt Finish

I was able to use some left over wood for my project, but the estimate above would represent all wood being purchased. I was not really happy on the price of the galvanized hinges and I used two of them at $7 each.

The plans also called for 2x6's for the bottom, but that sized plank would have made it very very heavy and to me the whole point of having a bottom to your compost is so that you can move it if need be... so I use 1x4's

Since I didn't want my compost to come into contact with pre-treating chemicals, I did not use pretreated wood. Instead, I put a light coating of a matte finish on only the wood that would stay in contact with moisture. Otherwise, I want the cedar to mellow and age.

My final cost was about $40 using some left over wood. In one case, I actually used my Kreg Jig to create a 2x4 of appropriate length with some of my scraps. Worked beautifully. Also used it on the lid, as you can see in the picture.

Standing Outdoor Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 06:42

A friend of mine has issues with her knees but loves gardening so I built this to allow her to continue gardening. She loved it.

I didnt follow any particular set of plans I watched several you tube videos and combined different ideas from the videos to develop my own plan.

Comments

Storage bed

Submitted by Firemedic on Fri, 02/05/2016 - 20:49

First time posting on here, made several items from this site. Thanks for all the plans. I modified this to a twin size for my daughters first bed and added a few features so I wanted to share. Twin is 39x75 so I just made it 21 inches narrower and almost 5 inches shorter. I say almost because I made the storage boxes 75 3/4 so that the drawer boxes would divide evenly into 3 to be the same size. The height of the bed is the same as Ana's plans. A few other small additions I made were webbing stapled to the slats and a small peice of scrap wood at each end to keep them taught so I didn't have to screw them all in. This makes it easier to move later as well. I also attached scrap wood 3 1/2 inches from the bottoms of the boxes so that they can easily rest on the 2x4s from the head and foot board. This makes it easier to assemble, especially if you plan on moving the bed in the future. just rest them on those 2x4's and screw together. My daughter loves her new bed.

Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate