Community Brag Posts

This was my first sizable project, so I wanted something simple.  I do this for an hour or two in the evening, and it took a few weeks due to availability, so I have no idea how much time I actually put in on it.

Awesome plan, used 10” boards and 6” wheels to add height. Also added hinges so that the top opens up for storage. Found some hardware to give it some personality. 

I made this slightly wider than the plans called for, just to make it easier for my daughter to tuck sheets in.

My wife and I needed a new TV console. Our previous console was small and not useful. We took a weekend and made this. Couldn't be more pleased with the result.

Built with all recycled material. Wanted to try out a gel stain on pine to get more even results and I love it!! 

Made from leftover wood from other projects.  Adjusted the plan to accomodate the lengths of wood I had available.

This bed is made specially for a little girl with a doll named Julie, hence the J :)
I would like to say it only took me a few hours, but in reality it took me a week. Mainly because I sand in 3 stages (coarse, medium, fine) and wait overnight between coats of paint and work on multiple projects at the same time. Still a very easy project! (except for the sewing, I'm no seamstress ;))
I used select pine for 1x2's and 1x3's, but I think furring strips are much better because of the rounded edges. Also 2x2's were not select pine and they didn't quite match up with the other boards.

Here are some pictures of the Backyard Pergola (almost finished). Three of us leveled the main beams (easier said than done), but many hands made for lighter work and a lot more fun. Big thanks to Dave and Gretta !!!

The posts on top still need to be trimmed, and the carriage bolts need to be hack-sawed off so they do not stick out.

I found the other "Brags" inspiring while working on this project, so I thought I would share also.

*Used treated wood for most of it, and plan to stain it with "Cabot's oil-based semi-solid stain" when the treated lumber has dried out - next year sometime.

This changing table was fairly easy to put together. I have yet to really master drawers, so I was a bit nervous about such a drawer-centric project. Fortunately, they slide great! Next time I may experiment with jigsaw cutouts and moulding, but for now, I enjoy the clean lines and simplicity of this dresser.

Designed from the Grandy Sliding Door console, but I modified it by extending it to 8ft wide, and added a media shelf to not cover remote sensors for my set top boxes. This is my first build from Ana White so it took a little more time and expense than I hoped only because of some startup tools I decided to get to help the process.

The bolt I got was too short so...was about to go out and exchange it when my husband said to be like the amish. So he helped me put a dowel I had in my stash in a 1inch hole that I made...added some grease to it and it works great! Also used ends of staircase spindles that I had leftover from other projects for the handles. Would have gotten done a lot faster if it weren't for the paint and stain. Haven't bothered with the cushions yet. Kids love it!

Really enjoyed the build.

You don't really need a Brad nailer or stapler, I did it with good old hammer and nails. Just brace it well when nailing into unsupported beams. You also don't need a tablesaw, I did all the plywood cuts with a circle saw. The shelves in the original plan are deceptively small. After building one side with the shelves how the plan has them, I decided to build the other cart with only one shelf for two on each side instead of four, gives a lot more space. I didn't add any shelves to the other side of the left cart, planning on adding hooks to hang extension cords and such in there. Make sure you predrill, I still had cracking issues even with the self drilling screws. I would recommend splurging on quality plywood especially for the tops and front. 

I plan on adding a dust hood and shelves above each side. Also going to do the tablesaw and bench tool mods to the carts when I get those tools. 

This was my first project that involved making a drawer...not for the faint of heart. I am in love with this bedside table. It's exactly what I needed and it was a fun build. I enjoyed looking for hardware too.

Easy project and so cheap. I love the way it turned out! We tweeted the measurements to fit in the small space we had for the desk. It looks an d works great.

I made this vanity from reclaimed barnwood purchased at a local salvage lumber yard. Counter top was made from concrete. When doing research for the look and feel of my bathroom remodel, I got a lot of inspiration from this site, so I wanted to share the end result. Thanks Ana!

Total Cost $800

The plans for this table were easy to follow (thanks Ana!!!) We used pine for our project and it turned out so pretty. We have not built the benches yet but I will update when we do. The project took about us about 6 hrs. to assemble...however you should keep in mid that applying the stain and polyurethane might be the most time consuming part of the project. We used 4 coats of stain and 6 of the poly. We let the final coat cure for about 48 hrs. I added drawer handles to the ends and sides for decoration and functionality (to move the table). The hubby insisted on using extra bolts on the legs for reinforcement...so I indulged him. He is still getting used to my love of anything rustic or distressed.

I purchased these nightstands at a garage sale for $15 each. They were in dreadful shape needing repair and too many hours of sanding to count! I was inspired by this project and decided to try the finishing techniques out myself. I made the hardware myself out of angle aluminum and used the aluminum posts used to bind corporate booklets. Since I wanted to use the existing holes for the original hardware, the shorter nightstand has 2" pulls/handles and the taller has 4.5" pulls/handles. I really like how they turned out!