Community Brag Posts

Anniversary wall art

This is my first project! My friend and i were debating what to gift our friends for their anniversary. This was perfect. Good first time beginner project. 

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Classroom wall coat/backpack/lunch rack with shelf

Submitted by jendon on Sat, 08/20/2022 - 20:13

Dear Ana,
I was able to change classrooms and needed a place for my students to hang their backpack, lunch, coat, and snow gear. I used a combination of your ideas and created this. Each shelf is 8ft. Long with cast iron supports and coat hooks. The zinc hooks were too thin and we could bend them. The wood was sanded, stained with golden oak, and routed out the edges. I pocket holed every 8 inches and joined wall board to the shelf. The coat hooks are 6 inches apart. I cannot wait for the class to see it on Monday. Thank you Ana for all the ideas and making me feel comfortable to create on my own.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Comments

Ana White Admin

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 21:01

Thank you for sharing your projects, no doubt everybody is going to appreciate what you've built and use it everyday!

Indoor Daybed without Canopy

Submitted by hfitz1 on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 10:34

We made this for my daughter's bedroom. There was not enough room for a canopy, so we adapted it a bit.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray-on primer, then paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by buffy0506 on Wed, 09/04/2013 - 07:40

This table is SOOO great, and I get tons of compliments on it. It was easy to build as well.

I did have a problem, in that I made it to use outside and outdoor tables are shorter than indoor tables, depending on the chairs you use. I had to cut apart the legs after I had them built, which was a pain, but was completely my fault. 

For an outdoor table, make your leg uprights 18-1/2" - all other leg cuts are the same.
I made mine 17-1/2" and used 2x4 material for the feet (my 1x4's kept splitting). You will also need to adjust the length of the center angle pieces, which I laid out after the legs were assembled and the horizontal supports were attached.

You can see from the photos that the unfinished legs are according to the original plan. Once the center was cut down to the new length, the angled pieces make more of a true X.

I also flipped the base upside down to attach the top. I used 2 1x1 'stringers' cut at the same angle as the top of the legs, centered the base on the under side of the top, and screwed through the stringers to the top 2x10s. I used nickels to space the top planks for drainage. I then screwed the stringers to the side legs from the side. You won't even see them unless you're sitting on the patio - standing or sitting in a chair, you don't notice them. But then there are no screws showing, nothing to patch, and it's sturdy to pick up and move.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100, including a new orbital sander
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used one coat of Ace WoodRoyal Deck & Siding Stain in Oxford Brown (almost an entire quart)
Finished with 3 coats of Helmsmann Spar Urathane in Semi-Gloss to make it more weatherproof (water just beads off of it now - nice!)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Codding58

Thu, 05/12/2016 - 07:02

Beautiful table!    you did a great job!   Thanks for sharing your "lessons learned" on the legs.   Not sure exactally what you mean when you refer to stringers, but i definatly appreciate the detatils!    Cheers!

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Sbarker645 on Wed, 10/28/2015 - 16:55

Built this for our dining room. Added two feet to the length. Neighbors started talking and now I've been commisioned to build a table and bench!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Turned Leg Coffee Table

Submitted by kwildman on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 02:24

Turned leg coffee table from pine.  I also built matching end tables (shown in another post).  :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I coat rustoleum dark walnut. Sand lightly. 1 coat old English varathane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

kwildman

Sat, 12/29/2018 - 05:56

Thank you!  I had stained it with varathane dark walnut and I wasn't happy with the color.  I sanded lightly and went back over with the golden oak that I had from another project.  I love how it warmed up.  

Brian Famous

Thu, 12/27/2018 - 09:04

Did you turn the legs yourself, or order them from somewhere?  They look great, as does the entire piece.

Cedar potting bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/02/2022 - 06:10

Cedar 4x4 and 2x4 frame, cedar fence wickets for the rest. Added - built around- a plastic planter box from big box store. Untreated, but good for covered outdoor area I think.

Comments

Clara Table

My wife has always been a huge fan of Ana White's website, and we've wanted to start making some of the projects now that our children are a bit older (5 yrs., 3yrs., 5 mos.). Plus, after finishing my Ph.D., I've finally found the time to begin woodworking as a hobby--and I love it!!!

This was our first project together. I did the building, and my wife completed the painting. The kids love the table, which we use as a breakfast and snack table for them.

Ana's plan was wonderfully simple and clear, and the materials were inexpensive and purchased at our local small town lumber store.

My only suggestion for others interested in building this project to be a food table is to consider using a solid piece of wood for the tabletop and perhaps the same for the chairs. We are constantly cleaning food gunk out of the seams between the joined tabletop planks. I imagine that this will require a bit more work for the chairs, but with little kids who make horrible messes with their food.

Blessings,
JB

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
semi-gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My indoor Bristol chair

Submitted by rstieber on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 23:31

I made this chair in pine based on the plan for the Bristol outdoor lounge chair. But I changed the dimensions to fit my pillow (21"x21") and I raised the seat (increased the length of the legs by 3.5"). I modified the armrests so that they don't cover up the pillow since I didn't want to lose 7" from the seat. I plan to use this indoors at our mountain cottage. It still needs to be sanded and stained, but I'm pretty pleased with the result. I may have to make a matching ottoman next.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 09/06/2013 - 02:54

Great job converting the Bristol Chair for indoor use! I love the mods you made. It looks really comfortable too. Where did you find your cushions? What finish did you choose to go with that beautiful red?

rstieber

Fri, 09/06/2013 - 07:13

Thanks! I found the cushions on Amazon. The bottom one is the Greendale square floor pillow. I haven't picked a stain yet, but maybe something oaky with some gold tones. All the furniture in the room is fairly light so I don't want to go too dark.

Bamboo top buffet

This was a fun project that ended up being a multi-use table! This was originally built as a small island for the kitchen but as the family grew it became a changing table! The top was purchased online at home depot, the base is made of douglas fir 2x4's and the corners accents are Simpson Strong-Tie ZMAX Galvanized 16-Gauge 2X Rigid Tie Connector available at HD for about $2 each. Thanks for looking! See more at my website analogwoodworks.com!

 

 

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glidden Toasted marshmallow in eggshell
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

From Scrap 2 Useful

Submitted by calcowoods on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 10:09

Diy project with scrap wood laying around the garage. Using a hole saw, cut 1 1/2 inch cookies from several pieces of wood. Glued them into 3 separate towers. Using 1" fostner bit cut recess for tea light candle. A quick sanding and coat of polyurethane. Also, included an example of using plywood cuts into a rectancular shaped candle holder.

They look pretty good for a quick fun project.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

My media console

Submitted by cbrowan on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 18:48

After the success of my first project, I had to go for #2. I loved not having to predrill and countersink anything on this...just pound away with my hammer. Since I had a bit more confidence about building, I was also able to move a lot faster on this project. I modified the plans by not adding a drawer and keeping the bottom a shelf, as well as adding smaller doors and maintaining an open shelf above them.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70 for wood, nails, and hinges/knobs
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat of leftover Valspar chocolate brown paint, sanded down the corners and covered with 1 coat of Minwax polyurethane semigloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wedding Guest Book Bench

Submitted by NoëlD on Sat, 09/07/2013 - 20:23

I made this bench for the daughter of a friend to be used as the guest book for her wedding after seeing this brag post - http://ana-white.com/2013/07/wedding-guest-book-bench-modified-fancy-x-….

I made similar modifications, including the use of a project panel for the top. I made a couple of other changes. I added two reinforcements under the top. And instead of using a 2 x 4 for the legs, I glued up two 2 x 2s.

I also matched the font of the wedding invitation for the bride and groom's names and wedding date.

While the total time spent building was somewhere between three and six hours, it was built over a couple of weeks.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Three coats of white satin latex.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

NoëlD

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 20:44

The bride and groom loved it.

This was my second major build from plans I found on Ana's site. The other build is a pair of nightstands which are still awaiting stain. They were put aside so I could concentrate on the bench.

Ladder shelf Results

Submitted by vdotmatrix on Wed, 11/11/2015 - 10:56

I made these shelves for the top of my work bench to keep from going insane,,,,they are 57" tall with shelves every 14", 8 feet long and 16" deep. I had to loose 2-18" deep shelves to accomodate my drill press. , I used 5/8" plywood for the shelves and 1 by 12 and a 1x4 for the top shelf. Everything is glued and screwed. STURDY like a rock! I took a long time to over engineer these shelves, should have taken about 3-4 hours or less but I took my time...warped pine makes life ugly use the best wood you can afford.- See more at: http://ana-white.com/2014/09/free_plans/easy-economical-garage-shelving…

Estimated Cost
$60...2x4x10; 2x4x8; 4x8 23/32"; screws and tite bondIII.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Plank Sideboard / Wine Cabinet

Submitted by denthy68 on Tue, 01/01/2019 - 06:40

Modified Anna White planked sideboard plan.  Made the unit smaller and changed the center cabinet to a wine rack.  This is my very first piece of furniture. It's not perfect, but I love how it turned out.  Routed the edge of the top to add detail and used a tablesaw to square edges of 2x4's for a sharper look.  Fits nicely under my husband's antique mirror.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$140
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams satin latex. The first finish I tried was a flat black, but it looked lifeless so I added two coats of satin and am very happy with the finish for look and durability.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Patio Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 09/22/2022 - 13:05

Based on Ana's 2x4 patio furniture blog and plan wirh some modifications.

Built all in cedar.

Seats are 1x6.
Seat back height is at 36"
Backs are 1x6 .

Cushions are from Home Depot:
Bozanto Sunbrella Deep Seating Cushions
24" x 24" seats with 6" thickness
Back cushions are at least 6" thick.
2200 UV hour fade life.
Aceent cushion are from Lowes.

Stain is Cabot Gold Sunlit Walnut put on with 2 coats.

Covers are custom ordered from Covers and all. Www.coversandall.ca

Estimated all in cost lumber, supplies, stain, covers - $2,500.

Much cheaper less than half than the retail cost for similar quality patio furniture.

Comments

Modified Farmhouse Table

Submitted by kfitz85 on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 19:18

Modified farmhouse table - A little over 5 feet. Really a fun project

Estimated Cost
60 Dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mission Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Brittney89 (not verified)

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 11:11

What were the modified dimensions you used for this farm house table? It looks amazing!

Brittney89 (not verified)

Fri, 08/19/2011 - 11:11

What were the modified dimensions you used for this farm house table? It looks amazing!

Modern Angle Chair

This was a fairly easy project that I believe had great results. The finish time includes a few nights of polyurethane and sanding to finish.

The fairly costly price is from wanting to make this chair like a real finished project. The bulk of the chair is made from poplar and the seat is made from a pine project board.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust Oleum Kona stain and satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by mdj1281 on Mon, 11/16/2015 - 06:27

Our new home has a 21'x17' screened in porch that needed somthing, anything to occupy it! We looked for sectionals from online retailors and could not believe how much money they were demanding for them. Being new homeowners we could not afford/justify spending that amount. I found Ana-white.com while looking for shoe bench plans and found these 2 plans for the sectional. It was time to justify all of my tool purchases! lol

 

I took the 2 plans for the sofa and armless sectional and increased the size on the armless sectional by 1 seat to fill the area better. Future plans also include a bar, serving area and coffee table in the space. I bought (30) acq 2x4x8's and, not including scrap pieces, had 3 reamaining full pieces after completing the project. Total for the wood materials was $130 and I also had to buy a Kreig Jig ($37) and 2-1/2" ext deck screws so all in all about $180 for the materials

 

For the cushons I searched local retailors and found since we were going into the winter season a lot of local stores were selling off their patio supplies at big discounts. I found a local Home Depot selling Hampton Bay deep cushions for 75% off (normally $49.98 on sale for $13.xx). I needed 8 seats and since one was a corner I ordered 9 sets (9 backs, 8 seats).

 

Project took me less than 5 hours pick up the wood, set up on-site shop, make all the cuts and assemble. That 5 hour timeline also included a break for dinner. The sofa sections are heavy when put together, if you plan on moving them more than once or twice a year I'd suggest putting some caster wheels on the base with locks to keep it from rolling away when being used.

Estimated Cost
$130 in wood materials, $117 in cushions (on sale) + incidentals (glue, screws)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

kbdesigns

Tue, 11/17/2015 - 17:58

Looks like some nice pieces of furniture you have here! I actually built the same sofa from that same plan as our outdoor furniture, along with some chairs built with the same style to match. Mine is a few months old and I'd like you give just a tiny bit of advice (if you'll accept it lol) so yours doesn't end up like mine... On the back, top horizontal support (the ones that traverse the entire length of the sofa) I would put 1-2 vertical support posts spaced evenly. After just a month of having mine I started to notice a slight sag in the board :( No doubt after 6 months to a few years it would become pretty bad. Its just a matter of cutting a couple scraps and screwing them in, so its a pretty simple fix! I hope it helps, and keep up the tool collection and builds!

 

-Jeremy

mdj1281

Wed, 11/18/2015 - 04:09

Funny you should mention that, I was thinking it while showing it off to the in-laws a few nights ago. I'm a big guy and leaned back on it and naturally it had movement. I was torn between a 2x4 on end running under the rear piece or horizontal supports... I didn't want there to be any undesirable spots to sit in if my guests leaned back. So, since you did this addition does it effect the seating area?

 

Good call though and something I'm going to do!

 

Thanks!