Community Brag Posts

Farmer’s. Market Stall

Submitted by Cockroach on Wed, 12/22/2021 - 13:31

I made this for my daughter this year for Christmas. I’m pretty proud of how it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Recycling Center

Submitted by mac226 on Mon, 04/18/2011 - 12:41

We modified Ana's Recycling Center plans to make this piece.  It's made of MDF and painted to match the kitchen cabinets.  I had the pieces cut at the lumber yard so they'd be straight, but didn't have the plans quite correct.  My poor plans resulted in the build being quite fidgety and took ages to complete (and I ended up having a handyman help get it right), but I'm happy with the result.   I used drawer runners for the drawers and made a box inside, cutting out a hole for the plastic liners.  Thanks so much for the help!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cupboard Paint for MDF
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wooden Play Parking Garage

Submitted by DMax2010 on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 14:23

I was looking for a wooden parking garage plan for my little guy, but couldn't find one! I looked a bunch of the dollhouse plans for inspiration and found a wooden toy garage online that I based my plans on. I still need to add the ramps and a few more parking spots, but my son loves it! It has an elevator (need to refine it) and helicopter landing zone!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalkboard paint for parking levels, regular orange craft paint for the elevator
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DMax2010

Sat, 06/29/2013 - 09:53

My son loves little cars and parking garages, so it was fun to do.

terdickison

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 11:26

I love this! I want one. Better hide this screen before the kid sees it and gets some ideas :)

snoopy369

Tue, 02/25/2014 - 10:05

Hi, curious if you ever finished the project. I'm planning to do something similar next week and would love to see the finished project (and plans if you made them!)

Kids Trestle Table

This was my first attempt at a project from the site here, and I am hooked! this was well thought out and the fact that you have the cut sheet and materials list ensures you get what you need and help to keep cost down. This will not be my last build from this site! Thank you for the great information and how-to you guys have provided.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Common white paint then sanded to expose wood grain. Applied dark stain over that to "age" everything and finished with poly over the top!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Castle loft bed

Submitted by chazbandy on Wed, 12/27/2017 - 09:34

Took different plans from this site and combined them to make this princess castle for my daughter. 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Industrial grade Paint variety
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

my brothers hickory blanket chest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 12:36

ana here is a picture of a solid hickory blanket chest i made my younger brother the chest is made from 1x8 hickory i used walnut and aromatic cedar trim and for the side trim i used elm the chest features in the top hickory red oak walnut and white oak with walnut side trim and the front of the chest features exotic hard to find mexican bocote lumber i i built the whole chest using plugged kreg screw construction and i used aromatic cedar for the floor and for the finish i used minwax antique oil finish 3 coats this is by far my most 2nd favorite project to come out of my shop over my 20 plus yrs woodworking not bad for simple tools a humble shop and a outdoor rated cord for power hope you enjoy let me know your thoughts n i would be glad to share more pics of my work

Queen Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by ralarid on Thu, 04/21/2011 - 11:28

I just completed the Queen Farmhouse Bed from Ana's plans for a friend of mine. She needed a "big boy bed" for her son that could double as a guest bed when family is in town.
I made a few modifications to the plan for the frame. I realized after the headboard and footboard were completed that I wanted the box springs to sit inside the side rails on slats so I had to notch out the post on the headboard to accommodate the extra width. 
I finished the bed with paint, "Blue grey slate", distressed it a bit, and gave it a coat of polycrylic.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the result. I have made some chairs and frames before but this was my first BIG project. It was a lot of fun for me and I love being able to stand back and see what can be built in your own garage!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I gave it a good sanding, then applied Blue Grey Slate paint & primer in one. Two coats of that. Then slightly distressed with a sanding block and a screwdriver between the panels. Last, I gave it a coat of polycrylic to protect it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Green Adirondack Chairs

These are great chairs! Easy to build, comfy to sit in. Check out my blog post for more info.

Estimated Cost
$32 per chair for lumber, plus finishing and hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior latex paint + primer in one, color matched to Sherwin Williams Dill
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

WorkShopWendy

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 20:23

Hi Hillary, Great job. These are great chairs aren't they, and sturdy. I work at Home Depot and I hosted the Do it Herself work shop for them. Very easy to build and inexpensive. I really like the color you chose, very cheery.

keribeth

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 15:58

I'll be making four of these this week in turquoise to match the little ones I made for the kids. Yours is an inspiration!

Seasonal And Holiday

Doll Farmhouse bed revisited

Submitted by justqltin on Fri, 06/05/2015 - 10:03

We did another Farmhouse bed for Anna's dollhouse. Modified this version to be "twin" size (used 3 1x3's across instead of 5) Added some painted wood medallions to fit the theme....

Estimated Cost
$6 maybe. Most of the wood we had but had to buy a can of spray paint. Time includes time for glue to dry and paint to dry.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Krylon Maxx satin bright white spray paint. Krylon gloss black to do the medalions.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Bunk Beds

A variation of the simple bunk beds made with old growth lumber stained with "honey" minwax stain and topped with 2 coats of satin minwax polyurethane .  Each step on the ladder made with dado cuts, glued, and screwed and secured to each bed to add strength and take up less floor space. Used 8 inch HeadLOK screws to attach head and foot boards to posts and 2 7/8 inch to secure steps on the ladder as well as top boards to the head and foot boards. I cut down x4 HeadLOK bolts to 2 inches to secure rail to top bed so they didn't go through other side. Utilized non mortise bed rail brackets for easy assembly and disassembly; holds strong with no wobble even before ladder and plywood bottom. 3/4 plywood bottom screwed to the rails to better support mattress and add ridgidity. I screwed them so the bottom child doesn't push up on the mattress for the top child. All screws with the exception of the HeadLOK were counter sunk for a flush finish. All to say? This thing is strong and turned out beautifully. 

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

Farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 14:23

The directions on all of Ana's projects are great. This farmhouse table is in my sunroom and is a perfect addition.

Comments

Craftiness is not optional Dress up storage

Submitted by 3kidsilove on Mon, 04/25/2011 - 10:56

We made this for my nephew Owen. He loves to play super hero. I painted it "to infinity and beyond blue"! Then just hand painted the letters on from stencils I made out of laminate paper. Super fun project He loved it! (so did his mom)

Estimated Cost
40.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chelsea Loft Bed

Submitted by EricJohn12 on Tue, 06/25/2013 - 08:35

Two years ago my college roommate & fraternity brother passed away of cancer. When his wife contacted me and another of my brothers about building a loft bed for his daughter’s 12th birthday - we jumped at the chance. With mom’s input, we decided on the Chelsea bed design with a few modifications: full size, no decorative feet (for stability) & an extra desk portion. (The design was inspired by the Pottery Barn Teens Chelsea Vanity Loft Bed.) We ended up using ¾” thick white shelf boards instead of 1x12s for the panels and shelves & 15” wide shelf board for the extra desk portion as well as plywood on the back of half the selves & desk area. Used 2x3s instead of 2x2s as suggested. We added a few pieces of quarter round & lattice molding to give a nice finishing touch between the bed & bookshelf/desk and a full length mirror on the bookshelf end. We were going to paint everything white, but after seeing the wood trim against the white, the daughter decided she liked that look, so only select pieces of the wood were painted. Most importantly, she loves it. She has a small 10x10 room which made getting a full shot of the bed difficult.

Total cost of lumber, pocket screws, plugs, primer & miscellaneous was about $350. It took a week of evenings pre-cutting and some sub assembly then a Saturday to build and paint.

My roommate was a great friend. If there is one thing his life showed me, is that life is short – some lives shorter than others. If you make a difference for someone else, you will make a difference in yourself and the world becomes a better place. Make the decision to spend time with the ones you love & care for, you won’t regret it.

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint & linseed oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 16:33

What a wonderful gift! This looks so beautiful, and the story behind it is inspiring! Great job!

Built by Bryan

Submitted by bryanp8269 on Tue, 06/09/2015 - 12:34

I posted this to my Facebook page some friends saw it so i gifted them the bench and they painted it themselves.... Thanks Ana for the plans

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$57 dollars plus screws and my time :)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
behr redwood
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Children's Table and Chairs

Submitted by jjunge08 on Mon, 01/01/2018 - 10:43

I made this table and chairs for my 1 year old nephew.  He is still a little small for it but the table and chairs are both very sturdy.  The table top is a one piece, 24 x 36 ,edge glued pine board.  I used the one piece table top as an alternative to screwing the 3 boards together.  I followed the plans for the table for the most part.  As for the chairs,  I followed the plan to build the seat base.  For the legs of the chairs I took advise from carongirls' table and chair brag post and used 2x2's. I used 1x3's to stiffen the chair legs.  I also lengthened the table legs and chair legs by 2 inches.  

 

Estimated Cost
Table and Chairs - $50-70

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White and Gray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Doll Bunk Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 15:31

Built this with plans found on site. I left it unfinished to match the furniture in their room. My daughter helped by sewing the mattress and pillow covers. The girls loved it!

Comments

Storage Bed

This bed is made from MDF with wood trim and drawer fronts. There are 3 "boxes" making up the bed. I've added a headboard and adjusted the drawers to provide for 100lb full extension drawer glides. The bed also has extra trim, like quarter round on the bottom allowing a polished look. I painted all the trim before installing so there were no cut-in lines.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
MDF, trim, and handles were $335. Drawer slides were additional $150 from Rockler
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valisper flat blue (said to be chalkboard ready, haven't tried it yet) Semigloss Colonial White trim. This was a modification of a storage bed on this site.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Loft Bed

Submitted by btsmith76 on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 08:08

We built this loft bed for my daughters fourth birthday and she loves it.
I customized the plans to a full-size bed instead of a twin, simply so I didn't have to buy new mattress down the road. We also integrated a 16 gal saltwater aquarium, since she loves Nemo so much. It is a simple design that we feel we can customize as she grows.

Estimated Cost
$200 - $250 (wood & paint)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Gloss White (2 Gallons)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Marie320

Fri, 07/19/2013 - 11:47

I saw your post on the full size loft bed. I've only seen the plans for a
twin size. what are the plans or how do I modify to a full size? really want
to keep my sons mattress. and I love the flat panel on the side by the way
and the curtain

In reply to by Marie320

btsmith76

Thu, 08/08/2013 - 07:32

The original plans show a 44 1/2" width for a twin size mattress. I modified the width to 59 1/2" to fit the full size mattress. The original length of the bed was 75", I extended this to 77". Also, keep in mind the overall height of the loft bed. The mattress we purchased is 12 1/2" in height/thickness. So I also modified the overall bed height from 65 1/2" to 72" and 45" clearance underneath. Hope this helps.

ldulitz

Wed, 08/07/2013 - 16:59

i like how you have the extra 2x6 at the top. did you lower the height of the overall bed to do this? how high to you have it, and how much space did you leve between the "rows"?

In reply to by ldulitz

btsmith76

Thu, 08/08/2013 - 07:37

I actually added more height to the bed. The original plan bed height was 65 1/2", I modified that to 72". I added that piece because of the mattress height. We purchased a mattress that was 12 1/2" in height / thickness. The space between each row is 3".

bhoppy

Thu, 01/02/2014 - 14:03

I love all the modifications you made. Do you mind answering a few questions? What width of wood did you add to make the aquarium wall? Is it 1/4 inch plywood or thicker? I also noticed that you did not add another cross piece on the back, is that because the wall added stability and you didn't need it? Also I noticed you added 2x4's under the front side 2x6. Was that for stability as well? I want to make the full size version as well and appreciate your help:-) Thanks

In reply to by bhoppy

btsmith76

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 06:41

I used 1/4 inch plywood for the aquarium wall. The cross piece in the back was not needed. This is where our daughter gets in and out of the bed. The 2x4's in the front are just for aesthetics. They are not needed for stability. I used them to hide the end of the curtains. Hope this helps and good luck.

roccaburro

Sun, 03/02/2014 - 16:17

Do you happen to have a copy of the plans with your modifications done to it? Just I am trying to figure out how to convert the plans for a full size bed just not having an easy go with it LOL

btsmith76

Tue, 03/04/2014 - 08:12

I'm sorry I do not have the plans anymore. The original plans show a 44 1/2" width for a twin size mattress. I modified the width to 59 1/2" to fit the full size mattress. The original length of the bed was 75", I extended this to 77". Also, keep in mind the overall height of the loft bed. The mattress we purchased is 12 1/2" in height/thickness. So I also modified the overall bed height from 65 1/2" to 72". Hope this helps.

debduhadway

Wed, 04/13/2016 - 17:48

Do you think there is a way to make the steps double hinged so they could fold up on the landing?

Rustic X Console in Georgian Cherry

This was my first furniture project. I bought some rough cut cherry from a local mill which included a piece beautiful curly cherry for the top. My wife help finish this in General Finishes' Georgian Cherry Gel Stain. We used Kreg's pockethole joinery for assembly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General Finishes Georgian Cherry Gel Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mr ricky chur

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 18:38

This wine rack project was built during 5th lockdown in Melbourne Victoria, Australia. Timber size is 35mm by 90mm. Table top is treated pine.

Comments