Community Brag Posts

With grandchildren and pets we decided to put a gate on the deck.

The gate is made from 2 X 4's and 2 x 2's. I used brass hinges to prevent rust and smooth operation

This was Ana's cottage loft. I was asked to make it into a bunk bed. So I changed the backside to include two sets of five 1x6s, and added a 'second floor' so the top bunk child would feel like she was in the house as well. I also added the flower boxes and made the rails 19" high on the top bunk. Next time, I would add a ladder to both sides for easier access to making the bed. The customer painted the bed.

Modified from the Grandy  plans to fit in my room.   Made from old cedar, new cedar made to look old (vinegar and steel wool) and an old weathered door for the sliding doors.   I used a steel rod and 4 pulleies all from Lowe's hardware store.  The rods are held with 4 grounding clips made for circuit breaker boxes.  

My husband completed this project in three short days.

Finally got rid of the yucky worn-out carpet on the stairs. Instead of painting or staining the tread surfaces, I sanded, filled in holes, primed with a high quality primer, and used luxury vinyl flooring planks on the top of the treads, and finished the fronts with pewter stair nose. The risers and skirt boards were sanded, primed, and painted with 2 coats of semi gloss paint. Below the front edges of treads and where the treads meet the risers and skirt boards, added a finishing touch with some trim. This project was time consuming and I had sore muscles all over from crawling up and down those steps, but I think the finished result was worth it. They look much nicer, and we can get dust and dog hair off of the steps with just a Swiffer. Plus, it only cost about $200 to do 2 sets of stairs (6 steps up and 6 steps down).

So, why didn't I stain or paint the tread surfaces? I originally planned to, and did a lot of reading and research on what to use. But, I was worried about slipping on the stairs. Mom (who lives with us) isn't as mobile as she used to be due to a hip replacement and arthritis, and I was worried about her slipping on the smooth tread surfaces. Even if I'd used slip resistant paint, I was still worried about her foot slipping off the round bullnose at the front of the tread (that's happened to me with the carpeted stairs). The vinyl planks have a textured surface. We have these on several of our floors throughout the house and they aren't slippery for her feet. The stair nose has ridges and also is a bit squared, so it doesn't allow your foot to slip off of the front edge.

I know this is non-standard from what most people would expect to see on stairs, and we'll surely have to change it if we ever sell our house, but in the month we've had this project complete, so far it has been great.

Here's my farmhouse table! This was my 2nd project (the first was a work bench) and it went really smoothly.

I spent about 40 hours. I made slight changes to the trim & rails for a bit more support. The back rail was very sturdy as it was attached to itself. I used an extra 2x2 to support the bed & cut 2 of them longer than fsmumfords, so they could rest on the edge of the units. I did not attach it to the wall or add any bracketing underneath. The back rail was an exact 10' for my build. You need to think about how that & the bulky stairs unit can get in the room! Also, a new saw blade for your circular saw at the begining of your project should probably be considered essential!

Thank you anawhite.com for this project! It was exactly what I was looking to build for my outdoor space. The outdoor daybeds with this look are WAY too expensive for us to buy and these plans were just what I needed!

My husband and I built (and painted) this project over one weekend. Not included in that time are 2+ hours shopping for materials on the friday night before and extra hours over the next few days to buy pillows, tie on the drapery, and finish the cushions.

We actually changed the plans to make more of a smaller 'daycouch' rather than a 'daybed' because we had some old cushions from a loveseat we just got rid of that I wanted to repurpose. It worked out great for our small space. If you do change the proportions keep in mind that a 1X3, 1X4, etc., are not exactly 3", 4", etc.

This project is totally doable, so go for it! The only things I would recommend are that you have some skills with power tools, know a little about carpentry (the directions are pretty spartan), and paint the pieces beforehand (if you have the patience; it really does cut down time on painting all those slats).

*Important note: the materials list is missing 2 2"X4"X8" (for the 2 cleats) that you need to complete the project.

My wife wanted a new chest to store blankets in. I saw the plans for the Becca and thought it would be perfect for what we were after.

I used some regular plywood I had laying around and some select pine for the trim. I liked the look of the top in the plan but wanted some more texture to it, so I used a solid piece of plywood for the top and layer pine for the trim features. I tested my new chisels to recess the hinges to minimize gapping under the lid.

We painted it solid black to match the rest of the basement furniture. A few coats of poly finished it off for durability.

This took about 2 months for me to get around to finishing. That's probably about...12 hours of actual work, plus finishing.

Adapted Ana's full length mirror storage idea.  I needed to recess the cabinet into the stud cavity to save needed floor space.  Opened two cavities and made the interior the same length as the cheap $6 behind the door mirror.  Was able to just sit them on a ledger board and the shelves hold them from falling forward.

The cabinet looks wonderful and holds a TON of things.  Thanks Ana for the inspiration!

I downloaded th minimalist modern nightstand plans nearly a year ago and just got around to building them last week. Actually I modified them quite a bit because I had a small space to work with and because I wanted them to follow the design theme of some of the other furnishings and features I had made for my basement renovation. In particular I changed the top and made it out of oak stair treads. I also added pop-up electrical/USB sockets as well. I really appreciate the sequencing in the plans. Though I made some dimensional and design plans, I followed the sequencing steps. It made the project much easier to complete-particularly the drawer construction and fitting. If I had done it on my own, I would probably have permanently installed the middle shelf before fitting the drawer which would have made fitting the drawer and drawer front much harder. Thanks for teaching me that.

I made this kitchen island for a friend who wanted it unfinished. I got the plan from Ana's site but it was submitted by Brookifer86. I made no changes to the original plans. I did splurge on a project top from Lowes at $22 and the stair stiles (i think you call them that) for the legs at about $2 each. What a really nice project and so easy to build. Hardest part was the 22 cross members on the bottom shelf. I think I will make another one but try to add a small drawer.

The lady that I made the table for has wanted to start building. So I made one small easily fixed mistake for her to fix. When she gets here to pick the island up I will hand her safety glasses, hearing protection, square, pencil and tape measure and let her go to work. She is also bringing shaker pegs that she can install. Should be fun.

THE TOP OF THE TABLE WAS MADE FROM A PINE TREE I CUT DOWN IN MY BACKYARD, THE LEGS ARE MADE FROM 4X4S I FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

I made a couple of chairs to lounge in and added an end table out of scrap wood. This is an easy project, very fun, and very comfortable. I loved the pillows and wanted to add a fun color so I chose "surprise teal".   I definitely recommend these plans for a beginner like myself. Thanks again Ana! 

This was my first project I used poly on and I messed it up. I knew it was going outside and I put the poly on to thick to fast. Other then that I like how it turned out.