Community Brag Posts

From scrap pile to a fun picnic table. Thanks Ana for the plans.

I adapted the Braden Bench plan to make it more of a built-in feature of our mudroom. It's added wonderful organization to our busiest room.

rustic farm table.
Plans are easy to follow.
Motified the legs a bit. I use a 4x4 cross members rather than a 2x4.
Dark walnut stain with semi gloss poly finish.

We built this using the Traditional Farm Style Bed plans. We used scrap cypress lumber that was cut and milled from and by family. We had to make some modifications because of differences in the milling sizes but I was so happy with the final outcome.

Thank you Hilary for the wonderful design and thank you Anna for the plans. I tend to spend my fall and winter months on woodworking and sewing so this is my first project for the season. We had some left over 2.4's and I saw this table and thought, what a good way to use some of that leftover lumber. I didn't really know where I was going to put the table but once it was finished it made itself a home in our spare bedroom. I then saw a battery operated candle lantern that had the "X" pattern and I thought that would go perfectly with the table. Well, that then led me into another project. I wanted to do something different with the lantern instead sitting in on the table top so with some of the leftover wood from the table shelf, I made a post to hang the lantern from. I also used Anna's technique of distressing the edges with Minwax stain marker. It added just enough detail, what a great use of the stain marker.

The end table was my first project of the rustic "X" family. The second was the "X" console which also sits in the spare room. I'm now working on the Farmhouse Bed and am thinking of incorporating the some "X's" maybe on the headboard and also incorporate the hardware onto the headboard/footboard corners. It's not a traditional set that you would find in a bedroom, but it's a guest room and we don't really feel we need a dresser of drawers for our visitors so this works perfectly. It fits right into our decor and is very welcoming.

I love the stain that Hilary used, thank you for the advise. I have a jar of vinegar and steel wool sitting now. Can't wait to try that stain!

My first project ever... Had a bit trouble convert it all to metric measurements (I'm from the Netherlands), but as you can see it turned out pretty well. I get a lot of compliments, even from the (teenage) friends of my children! They really like to hang out in our back garden all of the sudden ;-)

Beautiful Industrial 3door/drawer Console Table build by Shannon at Pink Hammer Designs

My wife had seen this post by Ana & thought it'd be great for a writing desk that had storage for her laptop so she'd be able to keep an eye out for the kiddo.

So I decided to use Ana's plans for the storage crates (without the casters) & mount those to the wall for cubbie storage.

I used "white wood" from the local Depot for this piece. However using the common boards will prove to be more cost effective for when you leave your Kreg Jig set at 1/2 inch like myself. :-(

The directions are straight forward, but. clamping & placing screws for the pocket holes were a bit more tricky. Make sure you have ample clamps on hand before attempting this.

Now, you can make the legs as Ana suggests, but if you want "fancy" turned legs are another option. $16.00 per at my local Depot., but. I found stair balusters at $3.00 per & used my miter saw to get them to the proper length per the plans & the same method used to knock off the dowel at the top of them in order to keep it flat.

Finially had it cut, assembled & sanded in 3 hours time. Hence me overlooking the Kreg Jig depth. ( nail gun saved me). You may also want to dry fit everything together. I found out I cut my side aprons too long (3/4 inch) & my inner base was off. Easily solved with scrap wood, glue, nail gun & LOTS of wood filler. Which was sanded & I can't even see the mess up.

Finishing was fun & easy. My color had already been decided via my boss (wife) as it was a fun green color from a Hoosier Cabinet & Matching cupboard I repair & refinished for my daughter's room 2 years ago. As well as the balusters came with a coat of white paint on them already. I sanded the whole project (sans the legs) with 120 then 220 grit paper on my mouse sander & my random orbit. The mouse is able to get the interrior as to where my 5 inch random orbit can't fit. But you could hand sand as well, I'm just lazy.

Once it was all sanded I rubbed down with some denaturated alcohol & old t-shirts I cut up long ago & stored in soft drink fridge packs. You can never have enough of either! I like to use the denaturated alcohol because it evaporates quickly. . .and I like the smell.
I painted the aprons down & let dry. Meanwhile I started staining the portions I could as to not mess up the paint. Once It dried I stained the remaining portions & got the sandpaper out again.

I wouldn't recommend using the power sanders but I did only on the legs due to the prefinished paint that was on them. I wanted to get the wood showing but around the edge of that I wanted to see the white paint & then the green. Careful not to hit the stained the areas!
Once that's done I used my same wipe down technique as after sanding & prepair to glaze. USE GLOVES FOR THE NEXT STEP!

Now you can get latex free or latex medical looking gloves. Just stop that. GO GET MEDICAL GLOVES. I've worked in my profession for 16 years, medical exam gloves & the gloves you get at the hardware store tear up. Grab some BarrierMax brand if you can. You'll be able to rebuild a car engine without tearing.

Now you're ready to glaze & Brooke at KillerB was dead on in her posts on the glaze. Must read!

All in all I think it came out perfect & can't wait to do this again.

I knocked up these 3 little planters in under an hour. Family and friends have given me orders for many more. Thank you for the great site.x

My grandson wanted a set of peg dolls and a house to play with them in.  I wanted to build something that was gender-neutral - so many doll houses are pink and feminine!  This doll house is sized just right for his peg dolls and playmobil people.  It's made from 1/2" poplar, although it could also be cut from a sheet of 1/2" plywood.

After a trip to IKEA my daughter fell in love with play food and pots/pans. My mom encouraged me that 14 months isn't too little for a play kitchen so I took the plunge! I adapted the plans slightly - making a single door for the refrigerator, measuring both doors so they overlay and aren't inset, putting one shelf in the oven instead of both beneath the sink, and raising the shelf to add room for pegs. I also decided to nix the backing to save on costs since this will eventually be placed up against a wall.

I really wanted to keep the kitchen as chemical free as possible. Paint chips and scratches, and stain has a ton of fumes. So what to do? Take a leaf from the Shanty Sister's book and dye it with RIT dye! I used one liquid bottle of teal and diluted it with a 1/2 cup of water. There was more than enough to do the kitchen, and the wood took the dye so beautifully. For the top coat, I used non-toxic Mod Podge. The backsplash and knobs/handles/burners are painted with chalk board paint.

For all the little details:
- oven knobs are closet dowel rod holders
- shaker pegs are cheap at hobby lobby $1.47 for 5!
- burners are painted cork coasters
- oven "glass" is replacement frame glazing (plexi) from Hobby Lobby
- sink from goodwill
- "wall mounted" faucet is a spigot with a fun red replacement handle since the handles on the spigots were incredibly boring
- fridge backing is roof flashing for a shiny metallic (and magnetic!) look
- curtain is a 99 cent bandana

I totally adore this little kitchen, and my daughter does too! It's a bit on the taller side but she has time to grow into it. Considering the cheap plastic ones are $100+, I was so happy that my cost was just under $97. Not bad for solid wood with a lot of extras!

The Tryde Console table was the inspiration piece. Used kreg jig to join the top boards and connect the legs and aprons. The bottom stretchers were similar to the Farmhouse table plans. I plan on using this outside for a grilling table. I am not going to apply a finish - I want to see how the wood changes when exposed to the elements - hopefully it gets a nice Restoration Hardware-type finish.

I enjoyed making this chair.  It is very difficult to find 2x2's that are straight and not warped.  I decided to make cushions that are different than the original one and added bead board to the back because it will match other renovations I am making to the bathroom.

Built Patrick's Router table and added a rockler table, fence, and lift to finish off.

I found this plan after browsing Pinterest for ideas on possibly making a bed for my 2 yr old who had just outgrown his toddler crib. With that, I found this website and the plan for the bed. Instantly, I fell in love with the design, feeling like I was 5 years old all over again. Um, can I just say that this is probably the BEST website on the entire internet??? It's a never-ending candy store for grownups! I haven't built anything with wood since 9th grade shop class. I was a little intimidated at first, but the instructions were very clear and straight forward. I must have read them three times before I read the brag posts three times each, HA! My wife was leaving town for a business trip and I thought this would be the PERFECT surprise for when she got back. And hey, if I messed it up, I figured I could just toss the material and pretend it never happened; no bruised ego if I bombed, complete superhero if it worked out. Win/win. Low and behold, I followed the instructions, took my time, and everything worked out like a dream! This is such a great bed and a great project! As expected, my 4 yr old was CRAZY jealous of the bed, so I built him one as well - I went with a different plan that could accommodate his full size mattress a little better. Again, a no guessing, hassle-free experience using plans from this site. Somehow, I was able to keep this project quiet and my wife was BLOWN away at how well the project turned out. :) One more side note - the Kregg tool is AWESOME! What a great way to easily make pocket holes and beautifully create a project.

I built my granddaughter your doll X picnic table and bench set.  My daughter suggested adding a backrest to keep the dolls in place.  Painted it the same bubble gum pink as the doll bed I had made her for her birthday.