Community Brag Posts

Pantry Door Spice Rack

Submitted by JakeZFW on Thu, 07/16/2020 - 16:50

This is a great project to clear up space in the pantry. I followed the Ana-White plans for the upper rack and then decided I needed more space for my larger Costco spices. For this I followed the plans for the top 23” but with 2 shelves. I gave myself extra depth by using 1x4’s instead of dowels. I work very slowly, so both portions took me about a day apiece with sanding, painting, etc. My favorite tool is now the Kreg jig. Totally worth the $40.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar interior paint to match the inside of the pantry door
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Playhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/03/2024 - 09:05

I had just retired and wanted to make a playhouse for my 2 year old grand-daughter. I always wanted one as a kid and wanted to build one for my kids but never found the time.
This was made mostly out of scrap wood that couldn’t be used to build a house and I was lucky enough to get permission to take whatever I needed. Learned a lot doing it. Thanks to my boyfriend for letting me borrow his nailer.

Cindy

Mom's Train Table - our version

I was planning to make a train table trundle for my son's bed, but once I saw this plan everything changed. I'm so SO happy with it. Modifications: 1) We took off the bottom shelf because hubby likes to stretch his long legs out underneath. 2) We used laminated pine project panels for the top, they cost more, but they were already the correct size, and the finished look of the top would be nicer. We altered the design to make the panels go lengthwise. So far so good, neither have bowed whatsoever. 3) we used inset handles from Lee Valley with an antiqued finish. I had yet to lacquer this when I took the photo because we couldn't wait to get the trains in there! I have since done 3 coats of minwax Poly to protect it from little hands, crayons, etc.... We're hoping this table will graduate cars, then to legos, and then....who knows!? Thanks to Ana and all the contributors here.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 with the hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain in Golden Pecan, one coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Toilet step stool

This was my first project at building some sort of furniture. we wanted a stool that really fits out toilet bowl shape, the height, etc. and 2x6's worked perfectly. I could have bought 2x12's for the sides, but it would have cost significantly more and with the inside support board it is plenty sturdy.

I bought 2# 2"x6"x6 foot coarse pine boards from Home Depot (not the expense Select Pine boards. They cost about $6 each. Then I bought a 100 count package of Kreg 1.25" coarse screws.

Cut lengths
2 @ 15 3/4" for lower sides
2 @ 10 1/4" for upper sides
5 @ 14" for steps and fronts
1 @ 12 1/2" for inside support

I used my Kreg Jig and connected all the pieces along with wood glue. I sanded the whole thing down after and tried to round/smooth the corners.

Estimated Cost
$17
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

pADDY1957

Tue, 03/01/2016 - 10:29

Does anybody have plans for a potty seat. I would like to build a childs chairs that has a ptty

Cornhole game

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/22/2016 - 14:52

Built this for my son in law. Texas A@m cornhole game and a bonus washer game with the left overs

Estimated Cost
35.00! in plywood and two by four. That also is for paint and stickers.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

King farmhouse bed

Submitted by Lilbitmojo on Sun, 07/19/2020 - 12:48

LOVED building this bed!! Been wanting a bed frame forever and came across this. I will say, the only thing I would change (if I build another) is using brackets to attach the support slats.. I wanted to cry when I had to drill through the front of the footboard 😂😂 and attaching them to the head of the bead proved challenging as well, just because the thing is so massive!! I’m fairly new at this, so, I must say... not too shabby!! Thank you Ana White!! You are my spirit animal❤️

Estimated Cost
$300

Comments

Apothecary Console

Submitted by miiller on Wed, 09/19/2012 - 20:28

My husband and I decided to make an entertainment center from the Apothecary Console plans. We mostly followed the plans, but wanted it to be taller than the original in case we want to use it in a dining room as a buffet in the future. To do this we just added another level of drawers. I wanted the drawers on the bottom to be wider, so each of them is four false front's wide. The wood on top is walnut from some trees my dad cut down over 25 years ago. We wanted more of this to show than would have if we followed the original plan, so we put a two inch trim piece around it. I really wanted card catalogue drawer pulls but couldn't find any that were dark that were at all "cheap"...so I bought gold ones online and spray painted them with a "hammered" spray paint which worked really well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Pittsburgh Paint--Latex--"Highest Peak"
Walnut on top: Minwax Polycrylic
Drawer Pulls: Rustoleum "Hammered" in Brown
Also, I very slightly sanded the edges of the false drawer fronts and then used coffee grounds to darken the wood a little bit. It's not very noticable, but without doing it I thought it all blended together too much.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Big Kids Picnic Table

I built this table in one day by myself. Well, just me and these three kiddos. We were at Home Deopt selecting wood at 9am and by 7pm they were sitting on a finished table. Thank you so much for the easy to follow plans, Anna!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a hodge podge of three different kinds of stain that we had in the garage. Each board is slightly different. I like the final look that gave, actually.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/25/2016 - 19:11

I had already built the Rustic X End Tables, and 3 years later I finally built the Rustic X Coffee Table to match!  I shorted the length by 8" and coated the whole piece in a steel wool and vinegar solution.  I then went back and used White Adirondack chalk paint by Folk Art for the base.  I sanded the edges lightly for the distressing and put 3 coats of Minwax Matte Polyurethane over the entire piece for the top coat.  I ended up putting 2 large wicker baskets underneath for extra storage and it is perfect!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60-$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wood & Vinegar, White Adirondack chalk paint by Folk Art, Minwax Matt Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar Planter for Pole Beans

Submitted by swhitead on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 10:41

Increased width of box to 46" by using 8 fence boards instead of 3. put base at 12" down, lined box with landscaping fabric to hold dirt. Created trellis with 1x2 boards with 10" long corner braces, spaced screws 6" apart around edges and weaved cotton thread to create the trellis. Used 12" scraps of 2x2 to create a "slot" inside the center of the planter to support the trellis. Added container mix and green pole beans started in egg cartons earlier in the spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Privacy Planters with Solar Lights

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/09/2024 - 08:16

I needed a frugal solution to get a bit of privacy in our backyard. I didn’t want to dig post holes and all the premade solutions I found and liked were at least double the cost of this project. I used pretreated lumber which isn’t recommended for veggies/plants, but I knew I wasn’t going to plant veggies so I lined them with plastic and landscape fabric and made sure to add drainage holes. To reduce the amount of soil I needed in each I added some cutoffs of a tree my friend cut down in their yard. The whole thing came together in less than a day! The easy to follow free plans can be found @anawhitediy -highly recommend! (Thank you!!!) Very easy to follow and the shopping list and cut list were super helpful!

Jesi 🖤

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

modified farmhouse bed

Submitted by sheppard71 on Mon, 09/24/2012 - 08:49

spare room home project

Estimated Cost
250 - 300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
ebony 2718
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

made with love

Love this design. Good project for beginners.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner hutch

Submitted by Soni_max on Wed, 07/22/2020 - 15:05

Built this for a friend. She ask for it to be built with Chicken wire for that Country feel. I think it turned out really nice.

DIY Doghouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/15/2024 - 13:33

I'm going to build a second one but it looks like both dogs are enjoying this one I was even able to get them to get in it together when it wasn't too hot :-)

This is my first project from your website and it was really interesting I ended up modifying the plans a little. For the modifications the back panel was pre-drilled and attached with bolts and t-nuts to allow me to easily remove when the weather starts to get cold and put in insulation... Order clean it. It's a very good size dog house and I really enjoyed this project! Thank you so much for your contributions to those that have never actually worked on anything like this before.

Cathleen

 

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

For Annika -

Submitted by sueslager on Wed, 09/26/2012 - 15:08

I have too many scraps … and a granddaughter with a 2nd birthday coming up soon … so spent a couple hours cutting the pieces … took extra time since i was trying to make scraps work … but it still came together well. I had trouble making pocket screws work on this project … but the design makes it easy to bury and cover regular screws.

Estimated Cost
free - used scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
martha stewart satin latex - custom mix - with wax finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Extended Farmhouse Bedside Table/End Table

I used the Farmhouse Bedside Table plans as a starting point for this Christmas gift project for my husband. I removed 5" off the legs, omitted the shelf and doubled the width so that it would hold 30 DVDs in the drawer. I wanted something unique for his man cave and coming from England this seemed a great way of introducing our heritage without being overpowering in the room. Great project plan and easy to follow and only took a day to make including the painting time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Cloud White for the main unit with Martha Stewart's all purpose craft paints for the Union Jack.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Bar

Submitted by eddingsr on Mon, 10/31/2016 - 10:56

I modified this plan to fit a 27"x 25" chunk of butcher block that my mother-in-law gave me. The finished height is 36 & 1/2". I didn't have any special tools to make the notches for the shelves. I simply lowered the blade-stop on my 7&1/4" miter saw and fastened the screw with hair ties (or in other words, I jimmy-rigged it ;)). I practiced on scrap wood until I reached the depth I needed. There is a 9&1/4" clearance between both shelves, and the shelves have a 1" overhang off the sides. I mainly used pocket holes to connect the pieces. The shelves (3-2x6s each) were fastened together with wood glue and pocket holes, then I slid them into place and screwed them into the side aprons/supports from the top, then filled with wood filler. For the top, I added support from underneathe (2x2s that I had on-hand), then used 2&1/2" screws from underneathe through the 2x2s into the butcher block. At first I used zinc wood screws, but learned quickly that they strip extremely easily, so I switched to sheet rock screws. Fun project!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 in lumber, not counting the butcher block top which I got for free from my mother-in-law.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the butcher block, I decided to stain it since it would not be coming into contact with food. I sanded the butcher block with 220 grit sandpaper with my orbital sander. For the rest of my project I first used 80 grit, then 220 grit. Then I applied pre-stain wood conditioners overall, then Minwax provencial stain (I left it on for about 3 minutes then wiped it off). Then I used two coats of polyeurethene, sanding with 400 grit between the coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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