Community Brag Posts

Modified Farmhouse/Pottery Barn Bed Frame

Submitted by Tailer426 on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 10:08

This was my second big project and I went ALL out! I was inspired by the modified farmhouse bed, but completely modified it to look like the Hudson bed from Pottery Barn. I designed it completely on my own too. All of the exterior is oak and the frame is fir and pine. This bed is super sturdy and sleeps great!

The sides, footboard, and headboard are made from oak plywood outlined by oak 1x2 and 1x3. Then added 1/2"x3/4" oak shoe molding for the indentations. The top of the footboard and headboard has 1.5" cove molding topped with quarter-round.

The total cost of all the material was $430. But I have enough leftover oak plywood to make a matching night table. I still need to stain it, but I love the raw oak smell and feel.

My only tools to create this was a circular saw, drill, screwdriver, miter box, and sander. The frame itself took only a few hours. All of the hand cutting of the molding and careful angles took most of the time (20+ hours) since it was my first time ever doing anything like this. The cove crown molding was especially difficult.

So....what color should I stain it?

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
430
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None...yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Elisha (not verified)

Sat, 11/10/2012 - 12:30

Beautiful! I love my farmhouse bed too. Doesn't it feel so good to cozy up into something to sturdy and know you made it with your own two hands? I don't know if it goes with the rest of your furniture, but I like the blonde color it is now. Maybe just seal it with Polyacrylic or wax so it doesn't yellow?

Simple Rustic Wood Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/27/2024 - 14:51

My husband and I built this very large dining table that seats 10 using the “Simple Rustic Table” plan. We think it turned out great and it was perfect for us as beginners. It looks awesome in our dining room, now we just need more chairs! Thank you so much for the great plans Ana!

Nikki at titusmom.com

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Loft bed

Submitted by JCostilow on Sun, 11/25/2012 - 08:35

It was time for my son to move to a big bed. So he got his sister's bed and she got a new loft bed. From the pictures on your website, she just loved this bed. I was able to throw it together and get it painted in a weekend and she was sleeping in it by Monday night. I added the rails because we weren't able to set it in a corner, and now that it is Xmas time we strung lights on them. We painted it white. For the mattress support I used 3/4" slats of MDF and used left over paint from her walls to paint the exposed side. Over all it was a pretty simple project, gives her more room and my daughter loves it.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glidden paint and primer eggshell, Dove White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Small Pub Table

Submitted by Sbarker645 on Wed, 12/28/2016 - 14:40

Tried to post this under Old Man's pub table post, but couldn't load a photo in the comments section. This is a similar table, but a 2x6 shorter and breadboards are one ripped 2x6, not two 2x6s. Final dimensions were 43" high by 39"x36.5". Built the top with Kreg Jig and screws like most tables on the site. Base is 4x4s with 2x4 I-beams Kreg jigged into 4x4s.

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Oak 210B, about 3 coats with sanding and evening of finish in spots where it didn't take well. Poly clear coat on top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wall Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/07/2017 - 12:35

We were looking for desk that will grow with our family.  This was the prefect plan.  We went back and forth with the hinges and decided the chain would be best.  We also added magnets to use as closures.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
The paint, stain, pine and plywood we had on hand. Purchased magnets, chain and eye hooks, approx $15.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint, stain and varnish over the stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Custom Garage Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/12/2024 - 09:44

This is a combination of the Ultimate Garage Shelving Plans (https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/ultimate-garage-shelving…) and the Best DIY Garage Shelves (https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/best-diy-garage-shelves-…). We mostly followed the Ultimate plans but didn't add the metal supports. Instead, we had shorter spans and were able to attach the shelves to the upper part of our metal storage shed. Simple plans, easy to understand, took a weekend for two adults to complete.

Seasonal And Holiday

American Girl Doll Closet

My Girls are having an american girl doll christmas this year. They're each getting a doll, with cars, horses, clothes, gymnastics bar, whatever you could want to go with it, lol. I decided last minute to make this closet for them as well to help organize their stuff. I made it 2" taller and added some more shelves. On the two little shelves, I am currently making a box out of the plastic embroidery sheets (I'm embroidering it with pink satin ribbon, instead of yarn to make it prettier). Walmart had a bunch of shoes for these dolls for just $1.50 a pair so I got them a lot of shoes for their stockings and needed little bins to hold all the shoes they are getting. I had fun building it. Because it was last minute and because I still need to install the quarter round on our laminate floor (hopefully before christmas), I was making this as quick as possible to I opted to not do the star cut out and just spent the $5 more to get the two handles. I also did easier hinges. We only have the washing machine for these dolls so I didn't need all the room on the bottom.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

momma2three

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 04:43

sorry the pictures are sideways, I uploaded them from my ipad and for some reason, they got switched to the side during the upload!

License Plate Display Shelves

Submitted by TomLib on Mon, 12/02/2024 - 09:46

Thank you Ana for the great photo shelf idea. Anytime my wife and I travel, we buy a license plate to add to our collection and used your post to display some of the many license plates from our collection. I used a 1x4 for the back, and parts from a 2x4 for the bottom shelf and the front boarder and used a brad nails and glue for assembly. - Tom Lib

Built from Plan(s)

Wall-Mounted Lumber Rack

Submitted by Lady Goats on Thu, 01/10/2013 - 10:26

I decided it was high time to organize my garage and needed somewhere (preferably off the floor) to store my lumber. This isn't an Ana project, but I know that we're all suffering from lack of a lumber storage system and thought I'd show you all what I did. You can visit my blog for more info on how I created it by clicking here. Hopefully this great plan can be useful to a lot of us!

Estimated Cost
$15-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
n/a
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Grandy Barn Door Fireplace and Matching Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/11/2020 - 17:38

We originally built the original console a while ago as an entertainment unit for underneath our television. We enjoyed the console so much that we decided that we wanted to do another modified console with a fireplace in it and make the other one into a buffet/storage area for the dining room.

Both of these are fairly modified from the plan, however the basic concepts remain the same. One big thing that we did was use 1x4s as much as possible to reduce the different sizes of lumber we were buying to both reduce complexity and end up with as little as possible scraps.

The frames are made of the 2x3s, The sides (4 deep), shelves, middle shelves and face frame are all 1x4s. The back and inside frames are scrap plywood. The top is 1x6s.

The addition of the fireplace was not difficult. What it did require us to do was to add the centre section and essentially create a box that is closed to the outside cabinets. If it were not closed off it wouldn't support the fireplace insert correctly. The important piece with the fireplace is to ensure you have enough clearance on the top and sides to allow the fireplace to mount safely without overheating. The nice thing about this setup is the additional shelf above the fireplace which we used for electronics. The wires go through the back of the cabinet and it looks very clean.

These are probably my favorite things I've built this year. They're simple to make and add a lot to any living space.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint for body
Minwax Polyshades Classic Black for top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Adelyn's Canopy Double Doll Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/17/2017 - 08:29

My wife and I came across your plans for a single canopy bed which we modified since our granddaughter Adelyn has two American dolls.    Modifying your plans to widen the bed was easy.  We elected to go with a "split rail" design for both the headboard and the footboard.  

My wife made the bedspread, pillows and "curtains".

Today (2/17) is her birthday - can't wait to see her reaction.  Thanks for posting the project plans for this, as well as many others.

Bob & Marilyn, Rochester NY

Estimated Cost
Negligible cost since I had plenty of scrap lumber to use for this project. Only thing I bought was a quart of gloss white paint. I gave it three coats because some of the wood had been previously painted.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Dresser

Made this dresser for a friend.  She has 2 boys and wanted a sturdy dresser.  The Hudson plans are clearly written and the illustrations are great.  I used 100 pound full extension drawer glides and reinforced the areas where the glides mount with 2x2's to ensure the glides would not rip loose.  I modified the drawer construction using finger joints for increased strength.  

 

The flush mount drawers offer a challenge to get the spacing right and that the drawers are flush.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$550
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High gloss Latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Scrappy armoire

Submitted by Triskelle on Sun, 03/26/2017 - 22:13

Made this out of a ton of scrap wood I had laying around. On the downside it made the project more difficult, but on the upside all I had to buy was hinges and handles...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Some off white paint I had lying around
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

kentwood night stand

Submitted by CesaB on Thu, 02/21/2013 - 14:49

I completed this project on a day off from school. It took about 8 total hours from start to finish. I purchaced 1x8's and cut them to size to minimize the looking through piles of lumber for stright boards. My first project, and im looking forward to the next.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rural School Bus Shelter

Submitted by Medeek on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 09:02

Rural Bus Shelter with 3/12 shed roof, designed to keep your kids out of the elements as they wait for the bus. Shown with log siding and 2x trim. Can be constructed on a slab on grade or remain portable with pressure treated runners and wood floor as shown.

Upgrade further with electricity and insulation for those really cold and dark climates (ie. Washington, Oregon, Alaska, B.C.).

I will make the plans for this shelter freely available to all that are interested.

Estimated Cost
$1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Very good idea to stain and treat the siding which will greatly increase its longevity and attractiveness.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Successful First Project

Submitted by 505dannyp on Fri, 01/30/2015 - 19:27

My first real furniture DIY project.  My wife has been asking for a farmhouse table for a couple of years and I found Ana's site 3 weeks ago.  By reading the plans the project seemed simple enough to give it a try.  I modified the plans to shorten the table to 72" to fit in our dining room.  I bought lumber from Lowe's and lumber costs for the table was approx $65 and the bench was right around $20.  My wife loves it and I have had multiple requests to make more tables for other family members.  The project took a week to complete working a few hours each evening after work.  Stained with Rust-Oleum Ultimate in Kona and 4 coats of a Rust-Oleum Polyurethane in Satin finish. A big thanks to Ana for the free plans and for my new hobby of furniture making!    *EDIT*  The table and bench are not as dark as the pictures show. 

Estimated Cost
$100 - $120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse table with epoxy finish

This is my first big woodworking project. That being said, there were a lot of mistakes that were made. In the pictures you can see the beginning stages when I was making the base cuts and assembling the table top. The picture with the dark top and natural legs was the beginning of one mistake. I bought gel stain because it was the color I liked but I had no idea how to use it correctly. Because of this I left the stain on and it was waaayyyyy too dark. I had to sand down the entire top and redo it. After fixing that I correctly stained the base, extensions, and bench. The extensions I made are not in the photos because I forgot to make the cuts to slide them in. I'm supposed to do that this weekend... After staining I polyurethaned the base, bench, and extensions to give them a nice shine. The table top I finished with Liquid Glass two part epoxy. That gave the top a super hard surface that shines and makes the normally soft pine top, rock hard. I figured this way when my daughters do homework on it they wouldn't leave their writing indented in my nice, new table. I hope you guys like it and I plan to do many more projects and post my results here. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.

Estimated Cost
$300-$325
Finish Used
Minwax hickory gel stain, polyurethane, and 2 part epoxy acrylic finish. The gel stain must be applied and then immediately wiped off. The polyurethane may need multiple coats in order to achieve an even finish. The epoxy must be poured on and spread evenly. Remember that if it drops on something and it is allowed to dry that it will usually rip up whatever material it is on our you will have to sand it off. USE DROP CLOTHS.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

3 Tier Planter

Submitted by ranlim on Thu, 05/18/2017 - 21:24

Love this planter. Used quality pine. Perfect size for the balcony! I use it for fresh herbs... i have have other people wanting one too!

Estimated Cost
17
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Special walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My First Greenhouse

This was my first attempt at building a greenhouse. I wanted my cucumbers to be able t climb high so I made the house higher than the plans showed. It's also a little larger too. Since I am in Europe my dimensions are in meters. The overall size is 3 x 6 meters. I also built it on top of 100mm x 100mm lumber (the equivalent of 4x4's). It took 5 sheets of 6mm thick polycarbonate in 2 x 6 meters.

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

Comments

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