Community Brag Posts

Rasied Herb Garden - Recycled

Recycled raised herb garden. Simply removed all the innards of an old grill I was going to throw away. Once it was gutted I pressured washed it and touch up the paint. Then I built a simple cedar box and placed it inside. Wa-la added basil, parsley and oregano.

Estimated Cost
12.00 Cedar planks
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Grandkids’ Play Table

Plans were great, thank you. We made our table a little deeper to accommodate 3 to 4 little ones, and purchased some little chairs at IKEA. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Water Based Floor Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Jade’s Christmas

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 12:45

I made this for my 4 year old Granddaughter, and the first time she sat down she said “it’s just my size.”
I made the desk two and a half inches shorter than the plans.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

My version of the Chunky Bed frame, low modern headboard, and take-off of the squared headboard plans.

I've been on a building spree lately, and one of the things I have been wanting to do was change the look of our bedroom. We had a nice, traditional sleigh bed that we had since shortly after we got married(13 years ago), but really hadn't done much with our room since. We talked about platform beds, and I toyed with making the west elm one for a while. Finally hubby went out of town and I could get to work.
I decided to use 2x6s instead of 1x6s for a few reasons:1)It's a king bed and I wanted a heavier feel, 2)the 2xs were way straighter and way cheaper than the 1xs at my local store!
Just fyi--be sure that yo take into account the fact that you are using 2xs when you take your measurements! I was sloppy there and had a few tense moments when I thought I would have to do two sides over, but I made it work. Our mattress fits, but not as it is supposed to.  I should know better by now, but live and learn.

The frame came together great. The legs look like they are separate, but I ended up going with that look and making it deliberate.

Headboard: I used Ana's plans for the low modern cut out, but without the cut out. I used scraps! Yay! The structure is the same, but I used 2x3s for the legs and 2x2s for the interior frame. I happened to have a piece of 1/4" ply sitting around that was the perfect length and used it for the front. Then I used two shorter scraps for the back.

Finish is valspar glossy black spray paint. I like spray paint. A lot. I use it for everything.

Squared art: I originally wanted the squared headboard, but ditched the idea because I lean against my headboard while I have that first life-affirming cup of coffee, and it looked two uncomfortable. Then I picked up the latest issue of the  Do It Yourself mag, and they showed a room where there were two painted decorative screens on the wall very similar to the this pattern. I was super excited, because I knew I had plenty of scraps for this one. I started out with the kreg jig, but then decided that since the piece didn't need to bear any weight, I would use glue. Glue it was, and it went together fine. If you measure, there are some...creative differences in the squares, but most people won't notice. Impatience is my biggest downfall!

Finally--duvet cover is two 8.00 queen sheets sewn on three sides. The small pillows were what sparked the color scheme. I wanted the whole duvet cover to be that fabric, but it came from my stash and has been discontinued. The side tables are my own very convoluted plan, and were also made from scraps(I had a LOT of scraps). The lights are two 2.00 plastic bowls from Big Lots, with a hanging bulb-type fixture that I purchased from Pier One. I'm still on the lookout for a different shade, so those may change, as they are not quite long enough for me.
Now, it's time to turn the rest of the room into the same century and get rid of the mish-mash of broken old stuff that we have. Bookcase and dresser are next up.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~60.00 in wood for frame, the rest was scrap
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table - The Schorr Thing

It's such a solid piece and it's super heavy so I am glad we built it inside, because I am not sure the two of us would have been able to get it inside. Once it was built and the X's were fit in, we moved it to the kitchen to start staining.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$53
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax water based stain in slate, homemade whitewash, sanding and polyuerethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Double Chair

Submitted by cjlaw on Fri, 06/05/2015 - 09:56

I made a few changes. I added walls and a hinge to the table to allow for a cooler to fit inside. I also decided to paint mine. The was a fun project and I love how it turned out.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

trishbacon

Mon, 06/08/2015 - 09:20

How did you go about adding walls and a bottom to the middle? I was thinking about doing this, it seems that the seat slats would need to be shorter to accommodate this, is that what you did? Any information would be very helpful. Looks great!

cveres03

Wed, 07/01/2015 - 05:08

I wanted to add an ice chest to mine as well. Was thinking to close the sides but leave the facade. slip in a couple cross boards at the bottom and that should suffice. Add some hinges on the back end and you should be set.... that's my thought process for how i may make my next one. Would love to know how they did this

Farmhouse style Queen bed

Submitted by cjennin5 on Fri, 12/29/2017 - 16:13

I built this bed frame with the general guidelines for the queen sized farmhouse bed. I adjusted some of the dimensions to better suit our layout.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$160 materials and hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Watco Danish oil finish (Natural)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Only scraps

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 14:14

One of my favorite projects. I used lumber salvaged from my brothers house build and Screws I already had. It was super easy and customizing for my needs was a breeze.

Comments

Laundry Basket Organizer

Submitted by Lovelace on Mon, 04/25/2011 - 07:48

I use this dresser in my walk-in closet to separate dirty laundry...each basket holds either "whites", "lights" or "darks". The size of each basket is perfect for one wash load. I just love how much more room I have in my closet because of it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I lighting sanded all sides and edges then put done two coats of Sherwin-Williams ProClassic acrylic latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rainbow Connection

Submitted by GarrettLee on Tue, 06/25/2013 - 06:23

I adjusted the plans to shorten the table to 70 inches, taking out one of the pedestals in the process.

For the finish, I used 6 different colors of the Miniwax Water-based Wood Stain. Working with 2-3 at a time, I blended them into each other (work WITH the grain!!!). I purchased custom stencils online for the border and used a Polycrylic spray (3-4 coats), then stained over top and wiped off the excess.

Similarly, on the stretcher, I taped off a chevron pattern with painters tape. Then I sprayed with the Polycrylic, and stained over top of it.

We love this table!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Miniwax Water-Based Wood Stains
Polycrylic protective Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MW

Tue, 07/30/2013 - 20:56

Hey! I was wondering where you got the stencils, and how you applied them??

GarrettLee

Fri, 08/02/2013 - 04:17

I purchased the stencils from http://www.stencilsonline.com/. You can enter whatever text you like and adjust the size and font. Each phrase I ordered came in one long stencil. Total cost was about $60 for the two of them.

I taped paper over the tabletop so just the edges were exposed, and then I laid the stencil over the wood. I then sprayed 3-4 coats of Miniwax Polycryclic Spray http://www.amazon.com/Minwax-34444-Water-Based-Polycrylic-Semi-Gloss/dp…. After it dried, I applied the stain (Miniwax Water-based). Then I wiped it off with a cloth. It takes a little rubbing to get the stain to come off the poly. I would suggest testing the process on some scrap so you can get an idea of the process.

Scrap wood rustic boat

Submitted by AndyH on Mon, 06/08/2015 - 19:29

Rustic simple looking boats I have made for my Great Nephews

Chalkboard roof to write their names on and hand drawn windows by my step daughter.

I really like the rustic simple look.

Used A grey stain on the main part first. Then three coats of satin white each time sanding back with 400 grit until smooth.

Used a Forstner bit to drill a hole for the mast. I didnt want any screws or nails since it is being handled by a child.

Estimated Cost
$5 scrap wood and sample paints.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Garage Shelves

Submitted by 2jel on Mon, 01/01/2018 - 10:17

My new garage shelves.  Not my first project, but I really liked the way they turned out.  Used 1/2" plywood at 16" width.   I attached the plywood with wood glue and 2" brad nails every 12 inches.  I used an impact driver to screw the 2x4 into the wall and to attach the vertical legs. Saved a lot of time and wrist fatigue.

Estimated Cost
$72
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 15:19

When my son graduated from the paramedic course in college I asked him what I could make for him. He said that he needed a desk. So I made one using your plan out of 2X4’s. I used my propane torch to lightly burn the wood, then I made a void and inserted, my Cap badge from when I was in the service and coated the top in epoxy . The rest of the desk has several coats of polyurethane

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Farmhouse Table

We used Anna's plans for the farmhouse table. We did a skinnier top but it turned out great!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a white wash paint for the legs and walnut stain for the top!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 12:15

I've always been a fan of the two-tone look. Came out beautiful, but my fav pic is the little one working on it. Adorable!

Shaker Style Dresser with Copper Hardware

Submitted by jhelsel on Sat, 06/13/2015 - 10:32

Definitely a more advanced project, but the end result was pretty nice. I used copper bars and fasteners to create a unique hardware look on this dresser.

A few words of advice for those looking to use these plans:

1. Verify that your plywood is truly 3/4". I used Home Depot's so-called "3/4" plywood, which is actually 5/8" or 11/16" plywood (I forget which). Without a true 3/4", the sides of your dresser will be slightly off. I discovered the problem too late, which meant I had to shim the drawer slides. Trust me, you don't want to go through that exercise!

2. You can recreate the copper look with simple supplies from Lowe's or Home Depot. You just need a length of copper pipe and copper plated steel bell hangers. After I cut the copper pipe to the right lengths, I washed each section using barkeeper's friend to get that shiny copper finish. Then I sprayed each piece with clear paint so it wouldn't tarnish. Still shiny even now!

3. Do NOT nail in the front boards of the drawers from the back! The directions call for 1" nails and when I nailed it in, I blew a chunk of wood right off the front of the drawer. I filled it with wood putty, but still, not a good plan. Just countersink a few 1" wood screws and your results will be much better.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400-$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used Minwax Polyshades, Espresso, Satin. This is a two in one product that has both stain and finish. I wouldn't recommend using this. I had to use two coats and had a lot of dust nibs show up both times. If I could do it over again, I would stain the wood to the color I wanted, then apply a clear satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kids shop

Really enjoyed this project, thanks for the great plans!

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

Comments

King size Farm Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 18:29

One of many Ana White projects my husband has tackled in the last several years...we painted it a grey stain...love it!

Comments

Two basket tower

Submitted by smasumur on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 16:25

I built the two wire basket tower but instead of wire baskets, I used the medium sized fabric baskets from Target. Dimensions are the same as in the online plan. In case you're wondering, the yellow top is actually the donation slip (I made them for my church to auction). The black and yellow one is in honor of University of Iowa and the red and yellow one is in honor of Iowa State.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum gloss red and satin black paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adirondack Chairs -- Bahamian Style :)

Thanks, Ana, for your quick and easy plans. I added a Bahamian touch to these.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor latex
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wedding Presents

Submitted by aceranic on Fri, 06/19/2015 - 08:33

Built these two chairs for a coworker who got married last weekend. I had inherited a wood burning tool from my late grandfather and engraved their last name into each of the arm rests. “Her” chair is written in cursive font and “His” chair is written in old English font. I made some minor modifications on the chair to get everything lined up perfectly. I love these chairs and can't wait to make another set for someone else!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
When I went to Menards I ended up getting material for three chairs including stain, screws and sandpaper for about $60. I would estimate cost to be around $45 for the two chairs.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wine-A-Dirondack by Ana Design

Submitted by DMAC in TX on Sat, 01/06/2018 - 18:37

Thanks for the free plans made some modifications.  Sharing for all....Have the assembly line going as gifts to my Oklahoma University friends...Personally I am Oklahoma State University....but was a Wine-A -Dirondack among friends....

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Official University colors, go to their website...Order Decals online
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate