Community Brag Posts

Modern Outdoor Chair & Love Seat

Submitted by Wilsjac1 on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 13:59

After building the first chair I decided I did not like the sizing, it felt like the arms were to low and the back cushion really did not have any support so I modified the chairs a bit and rebuilt the chair and also made a matching loveseat. 

I also decided to reverse the arms so the 2×6’s are on the outside instead of the inside, Originally I did this by mistake but I decided to keep it that way because it helped hold my cushion in place and I like it better that way. But most people I have asked say they prefer the arms the original way that Ana-White had them though.

I ended up making the legs 3" inches longer to raise the height. 

I made the side slats and the armrests 3" shorter to reduce the depth to make my cushions fit better

For the love seat the only thing I had to change was I made the back slats the front slats and the seat slats 48" and I added in a 2x4 for support under the seat slats that attached from the front slat to the back slats.

Overall I love the way they came out very sturdy and we use them everyday! 

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded all of the 2x4's and 2x6's with 80 grit & 220 grit, I then used minwax primer before applying the stain, I used the color "Honey"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mailbox

Submitted by loniwolfe on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 13:50

My grandmother has been in terrible need of a new mailbox. The one she had was original to the house, 1972, I believe. Needless to say it was falling apart.
My stepdad and I built this for her, and my sister painted on the name adn address.
All better now!

PS, I chose Grace's Mailbox plan because you have to choose a plan when posting a brag blog and we didn't use one, we just kind of winged it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20-$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear wood sealer, spray can
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Play Kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/04/2023 - 13:03

I made this play kitchen as a Christmas present for my kids, and it’s been a big hit! It’s built mostly from leftover hardwood plywood, and a couple of 1x12 pine boards. The oven knobs and faucet were cut from redwood scraps and attached with 1/2” dowels to freely rotate. The vertical surfaces were painted with leftover house paint and sealed with water-based polycrylic. It was a fun build, and I learned some new skills (like installing hinges)! Thanks for the plans!

Comments

Shoe storage bench and coat rack

Submitted by SeanLC on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 10:07

Very easy project, just have to put stain and coat hangers on and all done. 

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Min wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Breakfast nook table and banquette

Submitted by wtclarke1 on Thu, 10/03/2019 - 10:07

When we moved into our house, there was an empty breakfast nook.  I built in the banquette seating, and then built the table out of oak.  This was inspired by the Triple Pedestal Table (http://ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/triple-pedestal-farmhouse-tab…)

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

DIY Potting Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/02/2023 - 11:37

Such an easy build with a little woodworking experience. I am in love with this project and am so excited to have done it myself!

Amy

Built from Plan(s)

Pottery Barn Benchmark Media Stand

Submitted by akswartz85 on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 18:16

My dad and I built the Benchmark Media console!We made a few minor adjustments but pretty much stayed to the plan.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean, polyacrylic gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic bench

Submitted by Brian on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 08:39

Fun little bench to make for our front porch. We liked it so much we built 2 more smaller ones one for each of the kids to go with mommy and daddy's bench. Bought all the material at the home store and decided to use stain since it was going to stay outside. Used the same method with all my other projects sanded using 180 than 220 grit, wood filled all the cracks and the Kreg Jig made this simple.

Estimated Cost
30.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 in 1 stain samples
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Console Table

Submitted by LatvianGal on Sun, 12/01/2019 - 18:31

This was my first furniture build, and my 20 year old daughter did it with me! We made some rookie mistakes, but we love it!  Super excited to make some matching end tables and or coffee table!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We whitewashed the bottom and stained the top with Minwax Red Mahogany.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wood star

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/10/2019 - 17:53

First project in my back porch turned into a makeshift wood shop

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Non yet , still going tru options
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen Island

Kitchen Island built from ana white's plans. I attached a wine rack to the underside and changed the design of the shelves to support more weight.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Summit grey paint by sherwin williams and jacobean stain by minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

alpinecwt

Wed, 01/15/2014 - 09:34

Really like the contrast between the stain and the paint. Great job on your new kitchen island.

dragonsbb16

Tue, 09/02/2014 - 12:19

Did you use pocket screws for the shelf supports? Also, what were your dimensions for the shelf supports and shelf tops? They look like about 2 1/2" wide for the tops and 3" for the supports. Thanks in advance.

6'x6' Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/20/2016 - 19:22

I found these plans online and was just waiting for the kids' grandpa to come out and build it. Could be built in one afternoon (depending on how many trips to your local Home Depot, and availability of the correct tools)
Modifications from original plan:
6x6 instead of 4x4
Brackets to hold patio umbrella for shade
Added seat gussets for additional support
Added "wooden flange" around bottom of box to run lawnmower on
One additional center back support on each bench
One centered handle (instead of a handle on each end)
Stapled landscape weed barrier fabric onto the bottom
Sanded all exposed edges

Materials:
4@2x10x8'
12@1x6x6'
2@2x6x12'
8 hinges
2 handles
3 1/2" decking screws (for attaching 2"x boards)
1 5/8" decking screws (for attaching 1"x boards)
2+ 1 1/4" 2-hole straps for metal conduit (for attaching patio umbrella*)
*Our patio umbrella pole was 1 1/2" diameter, but 1 1/2" straps had too much play, so we used 1 1/4" straps and misc flat washers to adjust the snugness to the pole
Cut lengths:
2@2x10 cut to 72" (long sides of the box)
2@2x10 cut to 69" (short sides of the box)
Cut one each of the following out of a 12 footer:
2@2x6 cut to 75" (long side "flange")
2@2x6 cut to 64" (short side "flange")
No cuts were made to the 12 1x6's
Used one leftover 2' from the 2x8x10's ripped in half cut to 11.5" for arm rests
Used two leftover 2' sections from the 2x8x10's ripped in half cut to 21" for back supports
Used the last 2' cutoff to make two seat gussets (cut about 9 1/2" off and then ripped it at 45 degrees)
Used the remaining piece (ripped in half length-ways) to attach to the center of the backrest for additional support and as the attachment point for our handles
We decided to do one handle in the center of the backrest so one reasonably strong adult could open the lid
The bottom "flange" was assembled with the box upside down. Basically a 2x6 screwed to the bottom edge of the box allowing 1 1/2" overhang all the way around
After making cuts, but before assembly, we recommend using a quarter-sheet pad sander (or similar) with 60 grit paper to break all of the edges and round over any ends or corners that will be in contact with sandbox users
Followed other general assembly instructions

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300 with umbrella and sand
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We live in a very arid climate (Utah) so we chose not to varnish or paint this project
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner Headboard Storage for Twin Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/08/2016 - 18:27

Corner unit for kids bedroom. Added fabric boxes from ikea. The fit perfectly 

Estimated Cost
$200.00. All the materials are from the Home Depot
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr. Polar bear white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mudroom bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/10/2020 - 05:00

We built upon the mudroom bench plans. The length dimensions had to be modified to fit our room, but for the most part we stuck to the directions. We switched to metric for this project and it was the best decision. Make sure you have a Kreg Jig.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

First project!

Submitted by adi1166 on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 08:03

We finally finished our first project - definitely made mistakes, but learnt a lot. I feel ready for tackling the next one 

Estimated Cost
20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Medium Walnut - I wasn't a fan with the end result, so I'll probably try a lighter stain with 2x4s the next time
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

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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