Community Brag Posts

Fancy X Farmhouse Table and Benches

Submitted by JustJ on Tue, 07/07/2020 - 07:44

Modified the size of the Fancy X Farmhouse table, down to 34-1/2" x 60", and the benches to fit fully under the table.

The only thing I wish I could change with these plans is how you attach the tabletop. Because you are stacking wood for the base, and there are no aprons, you have to attach the top by going through the table top. But wood filler and stain hides them well enough, but I'm never the biggest fan of going from the top. I prefer to hide the screws on the underside.

Other than that, I love building this table.

Finish Used
Varathane Carbon Gray Stain for the tops
Glidden Ultra Bright White for the bases
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cedar Spa Bathroom Step Stool

Submitted by Tea Granny on Mon, 06/30/2014 - 20:44

After searching the town high and low for a 10" high wooden stool, I decided to make one. Ana had the perfect stool pattern to modify for our needs - A little shorter, a little wider.....et Voila!

It's the perfect height for little ones to reach the taps in the bathroom, as well as helping out in the kitchen from time to time. And, the cedar smells wonderful.

Finished height: 10"
Top measures: 11.25" x 16.5" (2 boards, cut 16.5" long + a space in the middle)
Footprint: 12.375" x 17.375"

I also lined up the rails (instead of staggering them), similar to the Harriet Higher Chair plans. The joint will be weaker, but I prefer the cleaner lines on such a short step stool.

Thanks Ana for the great plans!

Estimated Cost
less than $15 (cedar)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish added, exposed screws.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Paulieboxer

Ana, First time I have every attempted any kind of woodwork/building furniture other than building Ikea stuff. The plans were very easy to follow and now I want a chop saw for xmas. I roped my daughter in to help me and we completed the project in 2 days. Husband was totally blow away by our achievement. I love it and feel accomplished. Away to work on the table and further benches/seating over the next few weeks. Pauline

Estimated Cost
£200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Apothecary Console

I completed this project using pine plywood for the body and doors and a pine board for the top. Modifications included omitting the drawers and adding doors instead. Side doors open up to adjustable shelves, which I used the Kreg Shelf Pin Jig to create the holes. The hardest part was fitting the doors. I would suggest waiting until the unit is build, then cut to size leaving space for your paint or polyurethane finish. The hinges are from Lowes and the knobs are from Hobby Lobby. I did add veneer edging to the front as well as the sides of the doors- this was a bit messy and I spent a lot of time sanding off the adhesive that seeped out the sides. I used an old iron I picked up at Goodwill so I wouldn't ruin my clothing iron.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Applied two coats of a mixture of 1/2 Varathane Wood Stain in American Walnut, 1/2 Varathane Wood Stain in Dark Walnut. Followed this with two coats of Varathane Gel Stain in Dark Walnut. Finished with three coats of Minwax wipe-on poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/27/2020 - 12:15

Modified the plans of the outdoor sofa and sectional piece to create this set, then added cushions from IKEA.

Finish Used
SuperDeck Cedar Tone Natural

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Quick & Easy Workbench

Submitted by ddarnell on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 17:21

After diving head-first into this website and too many projects to mention, I decided it was about time to have a workbench. I received some free scrap wood from my neighbor so I spent a quick couple of hours putting this together. The plans were great and it went together very quickly. Looking forward to using this for more projects!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0 (used free scrap lumber)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None since it's just a workbench. =)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Claude . G . (not verified)

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 06:04

Hi Ana .. I`m lookin into building a single bed frame and head and foot board . Do you have any input that would help me along the way here.. Any info would be great . Love your work . and you look great as alway`s . Thanks in advance , and hope to hear back from you soon. Bye for now , and be safe .. Claude . G :-)

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by SamWiseMan on Mon, 10/08/2012 - 17:23

I used a combination of the farmhouse table and the tryde coffee table (but on a larger scale). I don't have a Kreg drill or any of that and so I just screwed from the top side down. Since I knew the screws would show, I decided to take a platinum/shiny silver Sharpie to color over the screw heads to make them stand out.

The legs were a 2x4s glued and screwed together. Can't find any untreated 4x4 at the local Lowes or Home Depot, so this was my next best option.

I used a few coats of Rustoleum Dark Walnut and then Rustoleum Semi-Gloss poly.

I have since made a new bench with the same main design, but just to a small scale. Also, I did it opposite of the top. The table is 2x4 with 2x6 breadboard ends. The bench is 2x6 with 2x4 breadboard ends.

Estimated Cost
About $60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Daniel (not verified)

Wed, 10/17/2012 - 17:50

Where did you get the wood for the legs?

Sam111122 (not verified)

Mon, 10/22/2012 - 09:12

It is just regular whitewood 2x4s glued and screwed together. Then I just used wood filler to make it look llike a 4x4.

The Traditional Wood Toddler Bed

Submitted by jputz2014 on Fri, 08/01/2014 - 05:39

This is The Traditional Wood Toddler Bed. Built straight from the plans. Worked out great and my daughter loved it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished for now. Daughter cant decide on a color.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

4x4 Truss Table with Benches

My first furniture project. Made the 4x4 Truss table and matching benches. I used cedar for the 4x4’s as they are the only kind of untreated 4x4’s available here other than knotty pine for $9 a foot. The rest is spruce as that’s what most dimensional lumber here is. The only changes I made were to the pocket holes. I didn’t feel 2 on 1 side would be a tight enough joint so for the table I put them where the plans called for them and then 2 more on the opposite side. I filled in the visible pocket holes with 1/2 dowels and sawed them off flush

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
For the bases I used Varathane Ultimate Ebony stain and minwax fast drying polyurethane spray in satin.

For the tops I use Varathane Ultimate White Linen stain and Varathane Diamond Finish Soft Touch polyurethane in matte. I applied polyurethane with a brush. Very light sanding with 220 between coats to remove any dust particles that settled and with 400 after last coat. Final sanding was very very light. Just ran the rubber block sander over with the grain to remove any imperfections. This product really is aptly named. The matte finish is beautifully soft to touch.

I believe in the US the Varathane stains I used are branded Rust-Oleum.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Large Porch Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/31/2017 - 23:45

We built 2 XLarge Porch Benches,they where easy to build & look fabulous! Best part was it was a fraction of the cost if I were to buy these new!!! Thank you Ana!!! 

-Sandra 

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

Board game cabinet / charging station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/06/2017 - 11:44

After Xmas I decided we needed a better place to keep our growing collection of board games. I made mine a bit deeper to fit our longer board games. Also, put a 3rd door on it. We also needed a central place to charge our phones and tablets. Paired with the top of the bedside charging table this cabinet is the perfect solution. Thank you!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar Satin Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full Size Farmhouse Canopy Bed With Storage

Submitted by Chantal V. on Sun, 11/02/2014 - 00:04

Believe it or not, this is my very first furniture project.  Inspired by my 8 yrs old son special needs to be able to draw his curtains close whenever he felt the need, I happily took on the challenge to build this for his pirate themed bedroom.  I have not filled the holes yet nor have I stained it in the walnut finish we have chosen.  The weather is just too cold for my taste (will wait until spring).  Currently, I will work on hemming the curtains.  I am just so proud that I could not wait until next year to share it with you all. I carefully changed the dimensions to a full size bed, changed the storage shelves sizes to accommodate 8 cube bins and 2 book shelves, added the canopy and some multi-coloured adjustable LED lights. Feeling so proud and have one really thrilled little boy!  Thanks Ana!!!

 

Estimated Cost
Roughly $500 but have lots of extra wood for a side table perhaps.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None as of yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Mon, 11/03/2014 - 14:21

Great build!  Love the added curtains.  Congratulations on an awesome first furniture build!

Chantal V.

Mon, 11/03/2014 - 20:00

Thank you very much!  I had so much fun building it.  Besides, there is nothing more gratifying than getting a great big hug from my son with a heartfelt thank you.  Priceless!

Now my other two children have me planning their beds. :)  Mixing things up a bit using two totally different type of plans.  Can't wait to see the results.

Christmas Tree Shelf

After building myself a Christmas Tree shelf for 2019, friends and family wanted me to build them one for 2020. Three people wanted a smaller tree so I scaled down the plans and used 1x4's ripped to 3 inches. I also included cup hooks (3 or 4) and an aluminum french cleat hanger I found on Amazon for about $5 each when you buy three.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10-$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Various stains. Including mahogany, pecan, oak, special walnut, and white. Three clients wanted theirs unfinished.
For a top coat I used spray lacquer on one of white-washed trees and clear Krylon on another. No top coat was applied to the other trees.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Grammy’s bench

Porch bench for my parents’ new house.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Valspar - Bright Red
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sectional Storage Sofa for Tiny House

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/25/2020 - 01:50

Thank you for the inspiration and plans to build the highly functional and stylish storage + seating solution! You used it for tiny house and I used it in children’s playhouse - it’s been excellent for toy storage! I also love that each piece is on wheels (even the stools that double as coffee table) - very smart and functional. I actually built another one for my garage and use that one for tool and hardware storage. Bravo Ana! Thanks again 😊

Estimated Cost
Under $100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Folding lap desk

This is my first project that I’ve done entirely by myself and I’m so happy with how it turned out. These plans were great! The only thing I did differently was make the legs 1/2 an inch longer and I stained the table instead of personalising. I made this for my mum and she loves it, thank you for these awesome plans ❤️ This only took me an afternoon to build and then just going back and puttying the screws and staining the table was done over a few days. The wood cost around $30 and I already had the putty and stain at home. It would cost more to make if you had to buy the stain and putty.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Trestle Table

Farmhouse Table 

Few Modifications, Tools use Miter Sae, Table Saw and Planer 

Check My Work At https://www.facebook.com/Custom-Patio-Retreats-1764656797122875/

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American From Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Platform bed with 11in 2x6 legs added

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 09:32

We based this bed on plans we found on the Ana White website, but after final assembly we decided it was just a tad too low. Eventually we got around to adding the legs, which were made with left over pieces (from the bed project) of 2x6, cut to 11in.  We've been very pleased with the appearance, stability, and height of the bed this way. Now to wait for some nice weather to take out to the garage and stain/finish! If we would build it again, we would increase the width by an inch or two because the plans we followed "as-is" ended up being the exact dimensions of our mattress. Thankfully a foam mattress will squish into it and we won't have to rebuild for the extra inch. Overall pleased with our new bed. 

 

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished. Sanded to 120 grit
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kids Bench

This is my husband's second project. He actually made 2 this weekend, one for my son and the other for my nephew. He lowered the bottom shelf to allow more room for books. He used a cherry stain. We love how it turned out-functional and nice to look at. I would say about 2 1/2 -3 hours to complete the project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cherry minmax stain 235
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Gigantic planked sideboard

This was my second project and my first piece of furniture I built from Ana's plans. We have a vaulted ceiling in the hallway near my entry and needed a really big piece to fill up the large blank wall. I always hated the space but now I Love It. The Gigantic sideboard is perfect there. I finished it with milk paint and paste wax. If you inspect it closely it is not perfect but for my first piece... I love it and it's supposed to be rustic right!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I did not keep track of how much I spent but I'll say roughly 200 to 250 .
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I first used wood conditioner then sanded, sanded, and sanded. For the paint I used General Finishes Coastal Blue and topped it with minwax paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments