Community Brag Posts

Paper towel rack

Yea, I know these were posted way back in 2013, but I only recently found them. Was looking at some kitchen organization ideas and I knew I wanted to make a paper towel rack. I liked this idea and went with it. My variance from original was to use a dowel rod for the paper towel holder and I cut 45 degree angles in place of the radius.

Comments

My first build

This is the simple outdoor bench. Was my 1st build ever and what started it all :)

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
stained w/gunstock and 3 coats of poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Breakfast Nook

Submitted by grovesteen on Mon, 07/15/2013 - 12:42

I made this breakfast nook by taking apart an old teak outdoor dining set, sanding all the boards, and turning the chairs into benches. For the full story and more pictures, please see my blog post on crunchyurbanites.blogspot.com entitled, Our Teak Breakfast Booth. Just click the link below to navigate to my blog. Happy Woodworking!

Estimated Cost
The cost of this project was purely in TIME - A LOT of sanding!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Table top- three coats of polyurethane
Benches- Teak Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Made with 2x4s and barn wood top

Submitted by Misterskw on Wed, 07/15/2015 - 17:35

I made this table for my wife. The top is some oak barnwood attached with table buttons to allow for seasonal changes, and the bottom is two by fours resawn to fit. Thanks for sharing this plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Roughly 40 since the top was reclaimed
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax English chestnut and polyurethane. 3 coats each.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rolling Side Table

Submitted by Bradnag on Sat, 02/03/2018 - 13:04

I had a bunch of scrap 3/4" MDF, so I used that instead of wood. The result is still as sturdy but a bit heavier than if I'd have used pine, which has added to the table's stability. I added a cup holder, but otherwise kept to the base instructions with no extra mods. I put an extra thick layer of polycrylic on the top surface, to protect the MDF from absorbing any spills. This was just a test run, so I didn't bother filling any of the visable pocket holes. Given how cheap and easy this was to build, I imagine I'll end up making 2-3 more.

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Dutch Boy primer+paint, Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bunk Beds

Submitted by hook Fam on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:24

I had so much fun building these beds! Thanks Ana for providing the plans for these. My boys absolutely love them. This was my first furniture build and now I can't wait to tackle some more. The bottom bunk is using an odd-sized mattress, so I had to change the plans a little, and the ladder has since been attached as well.

Estimated Cost
$250-$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Dark Walnut and Clear Finish. The finish is what took the bulk of the time building this. The bed itself went together incredibly fast.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse X Table

Submitted by LoriWing on Wed, 07/17/2013 - 07:01

My first project! Used the plans on the website, but tweaked the top a bit. Made the top from maple plywood with maple 1x2 edge, so I would have a smooth top. Also changed the length to 86" to fit my kitchen. Assembled the base with glue and screws, sanded and filled the holes, then painted it. Attached the top with pocket hole screws. Worked on the project for around 10 hours, but took me 10 days to finish because the kids are home on summer vacation!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 for wood, finish supplies, and screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Base is painted with 2 coats white high-gloss paint for easy cleaning. Top is stained with 2 coats Bartley Chestnut Gel Stain and 3 coats Zar Satin Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Farmhouse King Bed Plans

Submitted by lampertg on Sun, 07/19/2015 - 04:26

I'm from Israel, and i love your site.
i've already built several projects from your plans, but this one was the most challenging one.
I wanted the bed to support a mattress (without a base), so i had to modify the plans. I've added 2X4 to the siderailes, between the headboard legs, and to the footboard, and also one in the middle (see attached photos) to support the thin 1X3's that are the base for the mattress.
I painted it using a water based yellowish cream collor (I know that water based color in not the best choice, but it's just so easy to clean ).
I used a Wagner electric spray painter/gun to paint the bed, and the result was very satisfying.

the wood i used was pine.

Estimated Cost
300$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Water based
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kentwood Bookshelf

I had a few days a week to work on this project.  I needed to modify them by the following:

Size was 92" H x 47" W x 14" D.  I had two football helmet cases to place on these shelves and they had big cases above the standards shelf size.  The top of the case did not overlap the project.  I cut it to size.  I used Cherry Stain and did not varnish it.  I am not a fan.  One thing I would change is the wood.  I would have paid double for the premium select wood so that I know it is cut straight. 

This was my first project and it didn't turn out bad.  I never used the Kreg, but I think I became a pro after this one.  I would recommend going out and buying all the size pocket screws and have them on hand.  Also, buy the vises that you will need.  Trust me, they will come in handy.  I hate having to drive back to the store for things I should have had. 

Overall, I paid about 240 for the wood.  Since I only had the Kreg and no screws, I ended up shelling out a lot of money for the big buckets of screws and vises.  Total for the both came out to about 350, from wood stack to finish.  I would have paid more for one smaller piece at a store. 

Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cherry Stain. Did not use any finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/14/2022 - 10:09

Built this exactly from your plans. Used aged barrel for stain. I love it!!!!

Comments

Stackable kid's chairs

My daughter needed chairs to use at her art/play-dough table. I used pallet wood for everything except the legs of the chairs. The legs were from some scrap wood that I had. I made two chairs and plan to make two more. They are each a different color.

Estimated Cost
free
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Can of oops Mint green Behr eggshell finish water-based paint and some leftover light blue spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Man Crate for Grandson

My Grandson Brax is staying with me for a few days this summer and I thought I'd get him invloved with a wood project. We decided on building him a "man crate" to keep toys & other boy stuff in. He was a great help, and got to have a lot of fun while learning to build a DIY project.

Maybe one day Brax will love to build things out of wood like his Paw-Paw.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshield "Espresso"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Entryway bench

Entirely made of reclaimed wood.  Sanded with 220 on a random orbital and applied two coats of polycrylic finish

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polycrylic clear matte
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

I built a table O_o

Submitted by kiki on Wed, 06/01/2011 - 06:34

I haven’t done woodworking since jr. high and that was only making a plant stand and a turtlebank, so it’s been a while since I last used wood tools and came out with a useable product at the end.

Estimated Cost
Including taxes it ended up being around $51dollars. See my blog for breakdown.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tinted outdoor stain applied with a brush; two coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Entertainment Center

Submitted by Dadx6 on Sat, 07/20/2013 - 08:53

This fun project was only my third piece of furniture I've done. I took my time and worked on it a couple hours during the work week and got a most of it done on a Saturday.

I appreciate the projects here on ana-white.com. They are easy to follow, clear, and use basic tooling and cuts.

Estimated Cost
~$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona Wood Stain
Rustoleum Spar Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Trash Bin based on Ana's Plan

Submitted by Scottcs42 on Sun, 07/26/2015 - 20:39

Trash bin based on Ana's plan

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wheat stain, poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dining Table SC

Submitted by bhoward7 on Fri, 02/23/2018 - 08:28

It took me a good 6 months to finish this since I started before summer, but it got too hot here in SC very fast. So I just finished it in January this year. It turned out great! Longest part was the finish work since many days it was too cold to put Poly on it. The actual building of the table went quick.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Minwax Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bed+ entertainment center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 13:02

This is your storage bed and entertainment o r media center flipped upside down. I am self taught thanks to you. Thank you for making it easy to do and follow!

Comments

Closet Door and DVD Storage

Since we moved into our house over a year ago, we had no closet doors for our TV room. Just a giant gaping hole in the wall. Filled with 2 boxes of DVDs. Needless to say, it was really unattractive. I saw someone on the Knock-Off Wood facebook page building her own closet doors, and I was inspired. I drew out a quick sketch and got to work. They were really simple to make, but because they were so bulky they were a bit hard to manage. (The husband never helps out with my "buildy" projects, but I definitely needed an extra hand getting these into place!) I also built the behind the door storage to go on the larger door for all of our DVDs. What turned this project into a "Weekend" project rather than a "day" project was really the bulk and the finishing. While I am normally the self-proclaimed queen of spray paint, I took the time to do a really nice hand painted and glazed finish on the doors. (The DVD storage, though, went back to my area of expertise with the spray paint.) We LOVE all of this extra storage! We definitely have room to grow our DVD collection now!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the doors, I used General Finishes Milk Paint in "Snow White" with a coat of "Van Dyke Brown" glaze. For the DVD storage, I used 4 cans of Rustoleum spray paint in "Dark Grey" gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

teembee

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 17:00

hi I was wondering you had plans created for these doors...I "need" these doors!!

Debi_G (not verified)

Sat, 07/07/2012 - 19:37

Bypass doors drive me nuts, so I'd love love love to see a how-to about the doors you built. They look great!

Eco office work space

Submitted by solomonson on Mon, 07/22/2013 - 13:35

We (my husband and I) were in desperate need of a better work space, and this was perfect.

Estimated Cost
$150 (for the whole desk)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Bases - Valspar's paint+primer in one in Antique White from the oops bin. Desktop - General Finishes water based stain in Espresso. Top coat - I used Minwax's spray-on polycrylic for the bases and GF's water-based polycrylic in Gloss for the top. Contact paper from Blue for the insides. Paint was rolled and brushed, stain was applied with a rag. Polycrylic was rolled and brushed. Use good brushes (I used Purdy) and you'll never see a brush mark.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate