Community Brag Posts

Extra fancy x desk

Submitted by Risewithin on Wed, 12/09/2015 - 13:58

Built with all recycled material. Wanted to try out a gel stain on pine to get more even results and I love it!! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$16 in stain
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax pro series antique black
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

BlakeBurns20

Tue, 01/05/2016 - 06:19

Why am I unable to find the plans with the drawers? I have been looking all over this site for them.

Rustic X Coffee Table, take 2

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/31/2019 - 10:07

Made from leftover wood from other projects.  Adjusted the plan to accomodate the lengths of wood I had available.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax antique walnut, layered with Rustoleum Weather Gray. Minwax hand-rubbed polyurethane finish (2 coats) and 1 coat of wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kitchen island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/21/2022 - 07:42

We desperately needed more counter space and storage in our kitchen, so we turned to Ana for inspiration. This island is based on the Simple Kitchen Island plan. We purchased a 30" x 48" butcher block countertop and adjusted the dimensions to fit. We also added a second shelf for additional storage. We used materials we had on hand (2x4s and 1x4s for the frame, and MDF for the shelves). We're fairly new to DIY projects on this scale, but the complete, detailed instructions provided on the website gave us the confidence to make the adjustments we needed to make our kitchen island a reality. Thank you, Ana!

Comments

Julie's Bed

Submitted by stitchnsaw on Sun, 09/11/2011 - 10:18

This bed is made specially for a little girl with a doll named Julie, hence the J :)
I would like to say it only took me a few hours, but in reality it took me a week. Mainly because I sand in 3 stages (coarse, medium, fine) and wait overnight between coats of paint and work on multiple projects at the same time. Still a very easy project! (except for the sewing, I'm no seamstress ;))
I used select pine for 1x2's and 1x3's, but I think furring strips are much better because of the rounded edges. Also 2x2's were not select pine and they didn't quite match up with the other boards.

Estimated Cost
~$30 including fabric that wasn't on sale :(
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
brushed on primer and two coats of spray paint (color: Paprika) lightly glazed black and wipe-on poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pergola Project DIY

Submitted by acer211 on Sun, 09/29/2013 - 07:18

Here are some pictures of the Backyard Pergola (almost finished). Three of us leveled the main beams (easier said than done), but many hands made for lighter work and a lot more fun. Big thanks to Dave and Gretta !!!

The posts on top still need to be trimmed, and the carriage bolts need to be hack-sawed off so they do not stick out.

I found the other "Brags" inspiring while working on this project, so I thought I would share also.

*Used treated wood for most of it, and plan to stain it with "Cabot's oil-based semi-solid stain" when the treated lumber has dried out - next year sometime.

Estimated Cost
$400-500
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot's semi-solid oil-based stain (w/mildewcide additive).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Baby Changing Table

This changing table was fairly easy to put together. I have yet to really master drawers, so I was a bit nervous about such a drawer-centric project. Fortunately, they slide great! Next time I may experiment with jigsaw cutouts and moulding, but for now, I enjoy the clean lines and simplicity of this dresser.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Customized Sliding Door Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:05

Designed from the Grandy Sliding Door console, but I modified it by extending it to 8ft wide, and added a media shelf to not cover remote sensors for my set top boxes. This is my first build from Ana White so it took a little more time and expense than I hoped only because of some startup tools I decided to get to help the process.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Verathane Carbon Grey and Sunbleached
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ladybug'13

Mon, 07/01/2019 - 14:08

Nice job! I really like your version, especially the doors. How did you make them? 

Jargon89x

Sun, 12/12/2021 - 21:41

I realize its been years since this comment was posted, But i started with a 1/4 ply. Then topped it with 1x4 common wood to create the chevron. They are glued and held with clamps tight against the previous as i built it out. Can provide more pictures if interested.

Modern farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/29/2022 - 09:45

Post and beam farm house table.

Completed 4 years ago by myself while using the Ana-whites plans.

Matching baby change table and crib are also finished for our newborn arriving Jan 3rd.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

SeeSaw

Submitted by Kabarie on Mon, 09/30/2013 - 14:47

The bolt I got was too short so...was about to go out and exchange it when my husband said to be like the amish. So he helped me put a dowel I had in my stash in a 1inch hole that I made...added some grease to it and it works great! Also used ends of staircase spindles that I had leftover from other projects for the handles. Would have gotten done a lot faster if it weren't for the paint and stain. Haven't bothered with the cushions yet. Kids love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Had some green stain from previous project and different colours of paint for seats and handles
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First build done!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/11/2019 - 07:55

Really enjoyed the build.

You don't really need a Brad nailer or stapler, I did it with good old hammer and nails. Just brace it well when nailing into unsupported beams. You also don't need a tablesaw, I did all the plywood cuts with a circle saw. The shelves in the original plan are deceptively small. After building one side with the shelves how the plan has them, I decided to build the other cart with only one shelf for two on each side instead of four, gives a lot more space. I didn't add any shelves to the other side of the left cart, planning on adding hooks to hang extension cords and such in there. Make sure you predrill, I still had cracking issues even with the self drilling screws. I would recommend splurging on quality plywood especially for the tops and front. 

 

I plan on adding a dust hood and shelves above each side. Also going to do the tablesaw and bench tool mods to the carts when I get those tools. 

Estimated Cost
Not sure on cost because I bought tools too. Maybe 225? Really not bad. Casters were the most expensive part.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr paint to match garage
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farm benches

A set of beautiful farm benches for our outdoor table. I built these beauties with redwood wood using only pocket holes to avoid exposing any screws. The only place where I had to use pocket holes plugs was in the leg stretchers to avoid seeing the pocket holes.
I applied pre-stain wood conditioner and then stained them using Dark Brown transparent stain. I wanted the wood grain to be visible through the stain and this allowed me to do just that.

Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by stacynabby on Sat, 09/24/2011 - 13:21

This was my first project that involved making a drawer...not for the faint of heart. I am in love with this bedside table. It's exactly what I needed and it was a fun build. I enjoyed looking for hardware too.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane "Light Cherry" and two coats of Varathane Polyurethane Semi Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bathroom Vanity Inspiration

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/22/2015 - 03:22

I made this vanity from reclaimed barnwood purchased at a local salvage lumber yard. Counter top was made from concrete. When doing research for the look and feel of my bathroom remodel, I got a lot of inspiration from this site, so I wanted to share the end result. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil based Polyurethane and some badass recycled wood, weathered the old fashioned way.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Entryway Storage Bench

Submitted by msfitnik on Sun, 02/17/2019 - 07:33

Total Cost $800

 

Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams , Poly top coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Gammie’s Sleeping Angels

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/13/2023 - 06:07

These loft beds were made for Christmas for my grand daughter and grand son !! They now sleep in their own beds!! It was fun to build!

Comments

Rustic Table

The plans for this table were easy to follow (thanks Ana!!!) We used pine for our project and it turned out so pretty. We have not built the benches yet but I will update when we do. The project took about us about 6 hrs. to assemble...however you should keep in mid that applying the stain and polyurethane might be the most time consuming part of the project. We used 4 coats of stain and 6 of the poly. We let the final coat cure for about 48 hrs. I added drawer handles to the ends and sides for decoration and functionality (to move the table). The hubby insisted on using extra bolts on the legs for reinforcement...so I indulged him. He is still getting used to my love of anything rustic or distressed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85.00 for lumber, screws (and the xtra bolts) 30.00 for paint, stain and polyurethane
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
flat latex in Aged Muslin for the legs and apron
Rust-Oleum stain in Early American for the table top
Rust-Oleum Polyurethane 6 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

re-invented nightstands

I purchased these nightstands at a garage sale for $15 each. They were in dreadful shape needing repair and too many hours of sanding to count! I was inspired by this project and decided to try the finishing techniques out myself. I made the hardware myself out of angle aluminum and used the aluminum posts used to bind corporate booklets. Since I wanted to use the existing holes for the original hardware, the shorter nightstand has 2" pulls/handles and the taller has 4.5" pulls/handles. I really like how they turned out!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
on the nightstands, I first painted 2 coats of KILN brand white primer, then did 3 coats of BEHR high-gloss white paint. On the drawers I used Minwax gray stain (LOVE LOVE LOVE this!), Minwax walnut stain, and a dry paintbrush technique where i painted on a VERY light coat wiping as much paint off of a dry brush as I could and then VERY lightly sanding to get some of the grain to show through. I then hand rubbed 3 coats of Tung Oil on all 3 drawers (even though the can said it wouldn't work on paint, it worked great and left a super soft, shiny surface!)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor Media Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/24/2019 - 05:58

Outdoor console using this plans, but reduced slightly in width

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

"JOY "alternate builds for Christmas gifts

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/17/2023 - 06:29

Loved your "JOY" wall art, but after I built the prototype, realized it was way too large for my idea of gifts for the family. Since I had already cut and sanded pallet boards to size, I downsized the idea and used individual boards and 4" and 6" stencils to paint the letters. I wanted a darker border around the letters, so I woodburned around them. Some of that turned out uneven since the wood wasn't smooth but it adds to the rustic look. I used roundish tree ornaments to use for the "O" letter. Popped on sawtooth hangers on the back and left them unfinished. I did finish off the larger red barn boards and the grey one with spray Clear Coat, since I thought the wood looked dried out.
Thanks for all your great ideas and look forward to your new ones!

Comments

Fun Shelves for Toy Collector

As we begin to convert a small room to an office, first priority is creating display shelves for my husbands toy collection. These shelves do a great job! They are easy to create plus very sturdy. No toys will be falling on their own.

This was a pretty easy project and I woul recommend it to any beginner. My only tip is to make sure that everything is clamped before you nail or screw. You don't want to see light through the seams.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments