Community Brag Posts

Entryway Table Shoe Rack Bench

Submitted by robinles on Tue, 05/16/2023 - 10:17

I adapted the plan for the Shoe Rack Bench to give it multiple levels and allow it to serve as an entryway table in addition to a shoe rack. I used 2 x 10's for the project.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Outdoor chairs w/ accent table

Submitted by bnakka on Wed, 09/25/2019 - 18:18

I have bookmarked these plans for my front porch a year ago. Finally last Saturday I decided to finish. 

I had to change the chair dimensions to fit 24" x 24" cushion, and the accent table leg height from 13 1/2" to 20". 

I also forgot sanding the surface too fine makes staining so hard and fine sawdust is not good to be around. 

Estimated Cost
80 for the furniture (100 for cushions and carpet)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium (Russet). Finish the wood before you assemble. If you want the cushions to be snug take off half inch more than the recommended specs.

Found the cushions on wayfair for around 30 a piece and the carpet for 40. I am using old pillows I already have in storage.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Aryanna and Aaralyn's first big girl bed

Submitted by Spolitte on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 22:49

We needed a bed for our girls but had very little time to build one. My husband found Anna's site and we were excited to give this project a try. In today's market it's easy to spend a lot and not get much with regards to quality or longevity. At least, if we build it, we know the quality of the material, the workmanship and the love that go into whatever it is we are making. Without the encouragement and easy to follow plans and instruction I doubt we'd have been able to accomplish so much. Our girls just love their new bed.. THANKS ANNA! Now... on to the next project. The folks at our local hardware stores are getting to know us by name! ;-)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi-Gloss, no voc paint. We did a lot of filling and sanding but the results were worth it. We also added a bit of shoe molding to soften the look of the head and foot boards.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 16:02

My first build

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Narrow console table

Attempted this plan, but I used 2x12 boards and made it 5ft long for my wife's coffee station.

Estimated Cost
40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tall Wood Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/15/2023 - 11:51

Thank you, Ana, for providing such great plans and video so I could accomplish the mailbox planter. It took me a lot longer than it did you, but I got it done! Had a hard time finding cedar pickets in my area, but ended up using the dog-eared ones as that's all I could get. Keep up the phenomenal content on your site...it is very much appreciated!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Simple Shower Stool

Submitted by lbrown on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 11:43

I love my 3' x 5' shower and with all that space I thought that having a little spot to sit down would be really nice. After looking around online and at some stores I couldn't find anything that I liked that was also reasonably priced so in the end I decided to make my own.

For details about how I built it check out my blog: http://www.homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/2/18/simple-diy-shower-sto…

Estimated Cost
Under $20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a dark grey spray paint primer on the stool first before applying two light coats of black spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

lbrown

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 17:17

Cedar would definitely be a great option. For the finish I used Rustoleum outdoor spray paint which is supposed to stand up to the elements. I figured that would help it stand up to the water in the shower.

Outdoor Sofa and Chair with Slanted Back

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 10:22

OK, I think this build may be my biggest project yet! It is definitely the heaviest. With the strong winds we can get here in Florida we needed substantial outdoor furniture.
I did make some modifications along the way measurement-wise so the sofa would fit my front porch better. All in all, this took 2 full days. I built the sofa first, stained it the next day and then decided (due to trying to get stain in all the nooks and crannies) to stain the chair pieces first before putting it together.
I am so happy with the results and so far, almost a year later, this furniture looks great and hasn't moved an inch in any of the thunderstorms we've had! Thank you Ana!!

Benchwright Dining Table

This was my first project and I completed it all by myself! I think it came out well :) My husband did not like the original table despite my love of it. I asked him if I made the table if I could then have it. So what started out as a dare (my husband thought I would not be able to do it) became a reality. I am really excited to tackle more projects and have gathered quite a few upcoming projects to complete.
I did a slight variation of the plans, I used 2x6s for the top and 4x4s for the legs. I located a planer and was able to remove the rounded edges of the boards. I wanted the thickness of the PB table so the thicker boards were my choice. I also used a solid welding bar threaded on both ends for the rod.

Estimated Cost
100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Mahogany satin finish polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adam Martin

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 23:04

I like your version of this!

How did you attach the table top to the leg supports? Or aka, what does the underneath of the table look like? And how did you attach the breadboards to the long boards of the tabletop?

My email is [email protected], since that is probable faster than commenting back and forth on here.

MrsCoreyOrvold

Thu, 01/01/2015 - 21:12

To get the wider top I glued two 2x6 together than planed them so they look like one solid piece. I didn't really follow any plans just kept building a little at a time. I don't really think you can mess anything up if you just keep doing a little at a time. Let me know if you have any other questions! Love to help :) Happy building!

Modified Square

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/14/2016 - 21:46

We modified this table to make it larger for our growing family. It measures 42" (10 inches larger than the original plan). We added 10 inches to the length of the 2X6's and added 5 2X2's to increase the width of the width of the table. We love the interest it added to the table. 3 coasts of minwax cherry and three coats of minwax helmsman poly.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mixwax Cherry Stain
Minwax Helmsman Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simple Bed - Twin used as a daybed

Submitted by lrollins05 on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 07:54

My dad used the plans for the Simple Bed - twin size and built two. Then he took the headboards from both to build the bed for our daughter's room. It sets against a wall, so it looks like a daybed since both ends are the same height. She loves it! The other bed will have both foot boards and will be used in our son's room when he is old enough for a twin bed. Our daughter loves the bed and our son can't wait to get his....and we all love that Pap made it just for them! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Painted with interior white latex
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

DIY Bar Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/24/2020 - 16:27

I bought this tv corner cabinet for $40. I spent many hours turning into my perfect bar cabinet. I built a custom lighted liquor display. I have posted photos of the transformation.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore- hale navy
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

frendlygrl

Tue, 07/06/2021 - 19:04

So this is not your project? Because there isn't much information or a before and after picture. This gave me an idea for our home.

Rolling Rustic Wood Dresser

Submitted by AmJoy37 on Tue, 02/25/2014 - 20:50

We need bedroom furniture desperately! So, I decided, for my second build I would start in our bedroom! The dresser first, because I was going crazy without a place to put my clothes!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Homemade chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toddler Bunk Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/16/2016 - 22:13

Modified the classic bunk bed plans to fit crib size matresses for our 1.5 & 2 year old girls, loved how my toddler bunk beds turned out! 

 

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr 'Rainwater' paint in satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

em01024

Mon, 08/01/2016 - 17:27

Hi,

Could you email me the change in measurements you used for the crib mattress? 

It would help me out so much. I want to build a similar one for my boys. 

Thank you.

Danielle S. 

Outdoor Daybed with Canopy

Submitted by calimomma on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 00:19

Thank you anawhite.com for this project! It was exactly what I was looking to build for my outdoor space. The outdoor daybeds with this look are WAY too expensive for us to buy and these plans were just what I needed!

My husband and I built (and painted) this project over one weekend. Not included in that time are 2+ hours shopping for materials on the friday night before and extra hours over the next few days to buy pillows, tie on the drapery, and finish the cushions.

We actually changed the plans to make more of a smaller 'daycouch' rather than a 'daybed' because we had some old cushions from a loveseat we just got rid of that I wanted to repurpose. It worked out great for our small space. If you do change the proportions keep in mind that a 1X3, 1X4, etc., are not exactly 3", 4", etc.

This project is totally doable, so go for it! The only things I would recommend are that you have some skills with power tools, know a little about carpentry (the directions are pretty spartan), and paint the pieces beforehand (if you have the patience; it really does cut down time on painting all those slats).

*Important note: the materials list is missing 2 2"X4"X8" (for the 2 cleats) that you need to complete the project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$260+ (includes pillows and cost of way more paint than we needed)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

calimomma

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 23:26

Thank you! We are pretty happy with the way it turned out. If you do the project please post a pic!

Double Kayak Rack

Submitted by JamieLynn on Tue, 05/26/2020 - 09:44

I couldn't find a plan for this but found a picture of what I was looking for. It's a little too big but works. Took about 3 hours to make. Used mostly scrap wood.

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

First build--shoe cabinet!!

Submitted by Anniecat on Fri, 05/16/2014 - 23:40

Had a horribly messy front entrance so really needed this shoe cabinet. It's dimensions suited my space better than an Ikea one, and accommodated more shoes. This being my first project, I am glad I started with this instead of a loft bed, since I made alot of mistakes (& corrections) along the way. Although some of the problems occurred because of pieces that ended up being convex. I chose to fill in the gap between the two boards on the front of each bin. It worked out really well.
Really love the Kreg Jig! So worth the investment.

Could not figure out how to properly use magnet catches. Did apply one to one side of the top drawer but it doesn't work too well--pulls the bin too far in. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Used latex primer (which I hated because it behaved like an alkyd & destroyed a couple of brushes) & high gloss paint for high durability.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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