Community Brag Posts

Modified Michaela's kitchen island

Submitted by jodib77 on Sun, 01/19/2014 - 17:32

The top was made with reclaimed wood and we used pine for the base. We decided to go for a "chunky look" so we used 2x4's for the sides and skirt. We used 1x3's for the shelf slats and also spaced them to give it an airy feel. We had to customize the size due to the limited space in the kitchen. This was finished with an antique white paint for the base, mahogony stain for the top and finished with a water based poly for durability,

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax red mahogony for the top and antique white in satin for the base. Finished with a waterbased polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Easy Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/12/2016 - 12:52

So easy. Being able to just use 2x4s was so convenient for transporting and cutting. This is a small room so the only hard part was figuring out the math to get 4 rows in this tight space. I made 2 changes: instead of 4-2x4s wide I did 5 so the bins fit better, and I didn't use a any 2x4s on the bottom shelf because they can just sit on the floor, so it saved me buying more wood. Super happy with this, now I just have to make another one for our garage so we can store more things!

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

Wine Caddy & cheese Board

Submitted by mark hunte on Tue, 12/24/2019 - 15:29

This was such a great idea for a gift, I used some Oak ( from a company that sells offcuts ) , added some magnets and grooved out the back corners for two cheese knifes and corkscrew.

I also added some pegs on the inside to seat the bottoms of the bottles on.

I used decking screws and oak plugs and glue to assemble.

Thanks Ana this went down a treat and I am told it will become a family heirloom.

Estimated Cost
£19
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Tung oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Media cabinet

Submitted by Milhouse on Sat, 04/07/2012 - 22:46

I needed a tv stand that wasn't ugly. This was one of my first projects, and I learned a lot from it. It's not perfect (the drawers don't work well), but it looks nice :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~ $100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it BM Revere Pewter (flat) and applied a satin poly top coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Sun, 04/08/2012 - 03:55

Came out beautiful and I love the paint color. My goodness did you build all of these projects at once or just post them at once?

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 04/08/2012 - 22:29

I love this table! By any chance do you know the name of the paint color on the walls behind it? I have been looking for the perfect color for my living room and LOVE that color :) thanks and good work!

Modified Square

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/14/2016 - 21:46

We modified this table to make it larger for our growing family. It measures 42" (10 inches larger than the original plan). We added 10 inches to the length of the 2X6's and added 5 2X2's to increase the width of the width of the table. We love the interest it added to the table. 3 coasts of minwax cherry and three coats of minwax helmsman poly.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mixwax Cherry Stain
Minwax Helmsman Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse coffee table

My first project from this websie! From the moment I saw this table I wanted to make it! Really loved it.

it was A little bit harder than I thought it will be, especially because the X’s, but also because the top plate, i had some trouble to figure that out, but After I figured that out it went well.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
A Semi Transparent paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Scrap Wood Cart

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/01/2023 - 15:50

Only things I bought were the wheels and dowels. ALL of the wood came from Home Depots "dryer boards". Those are the boards that come under bunks of lumber. The Home Depot stacks them up out back and gives them away to any one that wants them. Easy to make 1x2's and sometimes 2 x 2's. Last night I made some 2 x 3's. I only need 2 more to make Ana White's Lift Top Coffee Table

Abell Woodworking from Angela Marie Made.

Outdoor Day Bed with Canopy

Submitted by hawaiitara on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 15:22

We needed a daybed for our lanai and when I saw these plans I knew it was perfect. We built the bed in a day and then painted later when we had time. It is just the place for taking a nap and because it is on a covered lanai, weatherproofing was not an issue.

We followed the instructions and it was very easy to complete! Thanks Ana!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used heirloom white to paint it, followed by sparsely painting over it with turquoise so it would look beachy. I attached sea stars to the top corners. I used valspar paint in innocent turquoise I think.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Converted A ashley twin size bed into Twin size Crib

Submitted by Mamabear2 on Thu, 01/23/2014 - 09:53

I purchased a twin girls captins bed for my daughter to grow into but she wasn't quite big enough for it yet so I had my husband convert it into a twin size crib!!!! Im in love with how it turned out. My husband Free hand a crown on a sheet of ply wood and cut it out. I used quilt batting and covered it with pink material and did the tips of crown in purple.

Estimated Cost
80.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Cabin bed - with flower boxes!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/18/2016 - 07:01

Great plans! This was a really easy build, but it is time consuming to paint. I did this over the course of about 2.5 weeks, working for a few hours after my daughter went to bed. So worth the time to see the smile on my daughters face!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$300 (not including the mattress). Lumber was probably around $225, but I used expensive paint (Ben Moore RegalSelect).
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ben Moore Regal Select in eggshell (semi on white trim)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Easy to Build Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/06/2023 - 09:09

I was wanting a work bench for my outside shed to work on occasionally and help keep organized. This is the first piece of furniture I have built totally on my own! The plan was easy. I sized it down a little with no problem. I'm a little off on a couple of the cuts but will practice more! Overall, thrilled and extremely proud of it!

Lori B

Big Ur Counter height bench

Submitted by dmcarwin on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 11:27

I have been wanting a bench for my counter for sooooo long! I loved the Big Ur bench and finally got up the nerve to adjust the plan to be a counter height bench.

Since I am so cheap, I like to collect wood from the free section on craigslist. And that is how this bench came about! I had these 4x4's (well actually they were a little small and had to adjust for that as well) And these great top boards, which were a little warped, I think it just adds a little character to the bench to not be totally perfect, like me! :) (that was a joke, I am FAR from perfect!)

I made it like the plan, and as you can see from the unfinished picture my little ones needed a stool to climb up on the bench. So I added some 1x2's to give them a ladder for climbing. I love how it turned out and the best part is that it fits at my table as well!

Now my husband thinks I should build a smaller one for the short side of the island. We have six kids and this bench only fits four....we'll see.....

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Free! Scrap wood
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used one coat of Rustoleum dark walnut. I gave a few coats of water based poly and and at least three or four on the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bunnie1978

Thu, 04/12/2012 - 08:56

The bench looks great. But I think you must be crazy!! SIX kids??!?!? I can barely handle ONE!

In reply to by Bunnie1978

dmcarwin

Thu, 04/12/2012 - 13:12

Yeah, you could say I am crazy, in a good way! I do feel like a chicken with it's head cut off sometimes, but I am not sure I have a handle on things, does anyone? It's fun though! Thanks for the comment on the bench, and I am WAY impressed with your son's playhouse loft bed, I am still trying to find courage to tackle a project that impressive, great job!

Leslie Is Ready

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 09:44

You did an excellent job on this! I'd love to build something similar, but with upholstery on top.

 

BTW, I adore large families, and know that your six little ones must be a great blessing!

Family dining

Submitted by tnkrise2 on Sun, 01/26/2014 - 17:00

Largest project yet. Loved the variety of legs at Osborne.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Bunk Bed Triple Bunk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/20/2016 - 07:07

I loved the look and design of Ana's Simple Bunk Bed but due to limited space in our home, needed a triple bunk bed. I wasn't interested in the hassle of a trundle so I decided to modify the simple bunk bed plan and make it a triple. I have to say, I was a little worried about how sturdy it would be but this plan is so solid with the 4x4 posts that there is no need to even even think about that for another second!
I changed the ladder so that it was attached to the side rails of the bunk bed as someone had posted they did earlier and decided to add another little ladder for the middle bunk so my little one wouldn't have to leap from the ladder to get into her bed. ;D

In order to do a triple in our home (with 8 ft. ceilings), I needed to bring the height down so I made the bottom bunk sit on the floor with the legs only being as long as the height of the headboard. I also made all the headboards and footboards only as tall as the footboards in Ana's original Simple Bunk Bed plans.

This was my first build and there are definitely things I would do differently to make this work better if I had it to do all over again. I would make the legs a little shorter on the 2nd and 3rd bunk so that there is more head room for the person on the top bunk.

All in all though, I had a great time building this and can't wait to try some more of Ana's plans!!!

Estimated Cost
$450 including hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White paint, not sealed
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

wbmclaurin

Mon, 11/01/2021 - 21:30

Do you happen to have the exact plans for this triple bunk? I saw that you modified the simple double bunk to fit your space but I'm wondering if you drew up plans wih measurements to make it easier for beginner folks.

Painter's ladder entry system

Submitted by misshunnie on Fri, 01/10/2020 - 05:40

I built the outside shelves first for my husband's plants.  The coat rack section was added last after a modification of the original plan.  I did not paint or finish the shelves as we are still deciding, but I do sort of like the scandi look of it as it against our gray walls & the greenery of the plants.  Feel free to offer any finishing recommendations if you comment.  Once all parts were cut to size for our space, assembly took very little time.  Shelving in the plant sections were made from reclaimed IKEA shelving boards.  Thanks for the plans, Ana, as this solved a problem for us because we do not have a coat closet at the front door and these windows provide the best light in the house for my husband's growing plant collection!

Estimated Cost
$40 +/- as reclaimed wood was used as well as newly purchased and new hardware (hooks & boot tray under bottom shelf of coat rack portion)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
TBD - recommendations welcomed!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

3 Cube Book shelf with back

I followed the plans for the '6 cube bookshelf' but wanted an open shelf on top as well as a back board. For the back I purchased a few feet of 1x5 pine and cut it to fit snug between the lower and upper 1x2s that were used as trim. I left out the middle 1x2 board on the back (from the original plans) so that everything fit flush. I secured the back boards with finishing nails across the middle shelf and some wood glue.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Wood conditioner prior to using a Dark Walnut stain- one coat. We roughed up the boards with a rock so the pine would look a little beat up.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jim_and_Rachelle

Tue, 04/17/2012 - 17:20

I just followed the plans for the 6 Cube bookshelf already listed. The only modification was leaving out the backside middle horizontal 1x2 so that I could lay in the back boards vertically. The original plans don't have a back included in the cut list. I finished the project and stained it before adding the back just to make the finishing easier.

Apothecary-Style Media Console

Submitted by bhammond on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 20:52

This was more work than I thought! It was also much bigger than I thought and I couldn't move it on my own. My husband and I had to wrestle it onto a skate board to move it across the house. :)
I love it!! It is full of imperfections, but I think it adds character.

I built it out of old garage-shelves. The hardware was from ebay and was super cheap. I already had paint and stain lying around. That's why it didn't cost much!

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Minwax stain on top, and white paint I had lying around the house on the bottom.
I sanded all edges and used the stain to darken them. I also painted coffee onto the white painted parts, waited 20 minutes, then wiped it off with a damp cloth to antique the color a bit.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Product Display Case / Bookcase

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/25/2016 - 14:40

Product display case for local salon.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax ebony stain on all wood, and a white, gray, and blue chalk paint used to antique. Finished and protected with minwax wood finishing wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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