Community Brag Posts

First project side table

Submitted by scott3196 on Tue, 07/07/2020 - 04:31

Lovely easy to follow plans even if i had to change all measurements into metric and wood just slightly different size. Really happy how it turned out

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
£45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Jacobean oak danish oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:17

Two projects that I recently built for my wife and my daughter. My wife wanted a tea bar and a beach vibe, my daughter wanted an outdoor couch so it is made out of cedar. They both loved them.

Todd Springer

Console Table

Submitted by zen on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 14:45

Thanks Ana for the inspirations. This is my third project this summer. I used left over wood from my father's project.

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

Easy Vintage Step Stool

Submitted by Veronica P on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 21:53

My one year old needed a step to reach a little higher in his and his brother's "Just My Size" John Deere themed closet so my boys and I set to work. We used Ana's "Easy Vintage Step stool" plan for inspiration but modified it to make use of the scrap wood from an old dresser. My three year old took every screw out of the old dresser all by himself and they both helped assemble the stool. They love it that much more having had a hand in the build. Thanks Ana for inspiring me to take on a hobby my boys and I can enjoy together!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Unknown as I was using scrap.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Marigold yellow for the stool, black & white paint markers to paint the tractor and tracks and a couple coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/04/2016 - 17:11

This was a lot of work but so worth it. Thanks for the helpful information and plans!

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

Queen Size Fillman Storage Bed

Submitted by sandrabees on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 06:43

This was a BIG project for me. I learned a lot along the way. I modified the plans from the fillman storage bed (twin size to queen size). For the most part the main changes I made were in the Headboard and footboard. I added the width to make them queen size. The bases for the drawers I kept the same size for the most part. I have all of my dimensions and notes written down and will come back and add those.

I shortened the height of both the headboard and footboard by a couple of inches which enabled me to get them both built using 1 sheet of wood. I used a combination of birch hardwood and pine.

This was my first time building anything with drawers... 12 drawers was a bit daunting too! But with much sweat and love I worked thru this. This was built for my son and he loves it! I did add knobs to the drawers and need to update a picture!

Overall I spent about $200 on my wood. $100 on the drawer slides. and I got 25 wood knobs that I stained to match online for about $1 each.

My son loved the bed. I did not permenately attach all the bed supports instead did the top middle and end pieces. the others just lay in place and can be removed easily and large totes can be stored beneath.

My son was moved into the bonus room and as you can see the ceilings are low. This bed eliminated the need for a dresser and as a bonus no toys can get under it!

I have more pix on my blog.

I spent about 10 days from start to finish. a few of those days I worked a lot, in between I had to tend to 3 kids and life and rest my sore arms LOL

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax "English Chestnut" plus 2 coats of poly finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Sarah W

Tue, 01/29/2013 - 07:24

This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for! You mentioned modified plans, have you posted those? If I've overlooked them, I apologize.

Cedar Patio Table

Submitted by rygy on Thu, 07/03/2014 - 18:19

I grabbed this idea from one of the brag posts linked off of Ana's easy dining table post. The entire table top is made from clear Western Red Cedar. The legs are made from 4x4 cedar fence posts (the clearest I could find). The table top is 5ftx5ft. All the joints were made using Kreg's pocket hole kit.I did change a couple of things from the original picture that was posted:

1. I notched out the 4x4 cedar legs to accept the main frame of the table top (which provides the best support possible) and also bolted though the leg and frame. Not to mention it gives it a more finished look than simply putting the legs inside the frame and bolting through.

2. I also made a custom bracket to support an umbrella so that I did not have to have bulky umbrella stand under the table (see attached pic)

I finished the table and bench with two coats of Teak Oil. I am not convinced this was the best choice, but it sure did look awesome the first month after it was complete. The colour of the cedar has faded a bit now that it has been out in the elements for two months. Any further suggestions on great finishes that hold up to the weather are appreciated.

Estimated Cost
$290.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Teak Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

mmeixner

Thu, 06/30/2016 - 20:50

I really love this table. Could you provide more details on construction, or post more photos of under the table? What is the table top's thickness? Looks like you used 13 boards 1x4 and the outside boards seem to be 1x8 but I'm not sure. Also, how did you attach the table top to the base ?

thank you, great work!

Michael

Sandbox with Benches

Submitted by boneill on Thu, 07/09/2020 - 04:39

Awesome sandbox !!

I’ve made a couple of these . One thing to save you money that I switched to on my second one is making the frame from 2x material vs 1x. Looks better too and is more sturdy .

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar deck stain/sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pallirondack Laundry Basket Dresser

I showed my wife the Laundry Dresser featured on Ana White's website and she asked if I could make one for her, but not quite so tall. I also turned the orientation to fit our laundry room space. I used primarily oak from recycled pallets to build the Laundry Basket Dresser. She wanted a work space on top, so folded laundry, empty baskets, etc. all have a temporary resting place depending on the day. From start to finish, it took me about 6 hours. She plans to stain the piece at some point, but its already in use, so I'm not 100% sure that will ever happen until we move or something. ;-) Great idea and laundry room organization!

Estimated Cost
Half a box of screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kathy in Pittsburgh (not verified)

Mon, 09/10/2012 - 10:22

I love the open sides, plus it makes it much more feasible to build with scraps repurposed wood, which I love. Thanks for the inspriation

payne.kj

Mon, 04/08/2013 - 08:48

Hi, do you have any kind of plans for how you did this or atleast dimensions? I think this one fits more of what my wife needs, but I'm pretty new to making anything.

nicholas_ftm

Sun, 06/14/2015 - 20:16

Soooo I made this according to the measurements and no laundry basket I find fit. Kind of dissapointed in the fact that this cool thing I just built doesn't have any baskets that will fit it. Any advice on finding a basket that fits?

jkread

Fri, 07/10/2015 - 20:56

I think the idea is to build it to fit the baskets you have or buy some and build around them.

Rustic Breakfast Bar

I built this bar for my mom to use i her dining room. I altered the plans for the X Style Desk to build this at bar height. This was my first time distressing anything and was pleased with the outcome. i used one coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain and two coats of Minwax clear satin finish. White shellac Based primer, brown egg shell paint and Green egg shell paint for the base and sanded for the distressed look. I used dimensional pine lumber from the home center to build this with.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut stain and Clear satin Poly. White shellac Based primer, brown egg shell paint and Green egg shell paint for the base and sanded for the distressed look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Granddaughters purse and ribbon holder

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 11:13

My 5 year old granddaughter and I built this. Used scrap wood and had the knobs.

Estimated Cost
$5.00 Wood and antique knobs
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Pink paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modern Outdoor Chair from Pallet wood- OH MY

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/10/2020 - 12:06

It's a Friyay! and we have a bunch of used pallets at work the boss is wanting to get rid of. Well he is on vacay so ....
We (me and my office manager) had to alter the directions a bit but the end result is great. This was our first project and tools were very limited. Even so its a win win and we will be making more. Thank you Ana!

Estimated Cost
FREE
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none yet but paint is being considered
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Gift caddy/crate

Submitted by dmcarwin on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 05:22

I Love this plan! I had to modify mine a little form Ana's because the reclaimed wood I got was already cut in small pieces. I love how it turned out! I ended up giving it as a gift and made several more for the same purpose. You can see those on my blog!

Thanks Ana for another awesome plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free! Scrap wood
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a wood aging finish, steel wool in vinegar.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tryde Coffee Table

Submitted by Trenny10 on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 12:39

This was my second project from Ana White and it turned out just as well as the Tryde Side Tables. The finish used was exactly the same as the side tables; however, just regular Cedar was used instead of Red Oak.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Began with 1 coat of standard wood conditioner, 1 coat of dark walnut stain and applied 5 coats of polyurethane, sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper after each coat had set.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sliding Barn Door Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/13/2016 - 21:21

This was a fairly easy build, but the hardware was a challenge. Very exciting that it actually worked. Followed hardware instructions linked in comments

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 +
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint for frame, top is varathane sunbleached with rustoleum glaze on top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Indoor playhouse bed tower

Submitted by Natalieeh on Sun, 07/12/2020 - 18:08

Indoor playhouse above twin bed. Cost about $190. Took two full days. Built using the plans off this site. The inside play area is 42in by 39in. The plans have the mattress on the ground. I have a dog that sheds like crazy so I have her mattress on a metal frame but plant to build a low to the ground platform bed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
190
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it white with just a Valspar ultra white primer and paint in one. I may do trim in another color later.
Make sure to get perfect 2x4s!!! No twists bends splits etc!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate