Community Brag Posts

My First Build: Console Table

Submitted by smitty22 on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 11:58

Well, I've finished my first building project! I think it turned out well considering that it was my first. I really liked the simplicity of the plans for this console table. I intended to follow the plans exactly, but made some modifications in the end (due to not realizing my 1x12 was not the correct width.) Regardless, I'm thrilled with the final product!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Winwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 03/20/2013 - 15:51

Looks super! Congrats on your first build! Looks very professional, and your finish is just lovely!

smitty22

Sun, 03/24/2013 - 06:56

Thank you for the compliment, Joanne! I'm really excited to attempt more projects!

Farmhouse bed

Submitted by MEFISH12 on Sat, 01/31/2015 - 05:48

I built this bed for around $100 and is probably my most favorite piece of furniture in my house. The plans are pretty simple but i did change the way the side rails were attached to the head and foot boards just to make it a lil easier for anyone else to put together or take apart. I used a metal framing clip to incase the 2x10. that way the side rails can easily be taken off and on they just slide in or out of the clip. Also I had to make the 4x4s as I couldnt find any in or around augusta,ga that were not treated..So I took two 2x10s and glued them together and ripped downt the board to get a 3 1/2"x 3" post.

To get my distressed look. I stained all the boards with dark walnut and then put two coats of Snow Bound (color) paint over it and then simply used a wet sand block and slowly sanded all the paint off to get my disired look. I did each board separate then then put everything together.

This project was alot fun and will probably be building a few friends one soon as im getting alot of request to make them

 

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut and sherwin williams Snow Bound
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Custom Dog Kennel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/29/2017 - 17:35

Why not treat your furry best friend like part of the family with a high end custom dog crate. This is an easy way to hide those ugly wire crates while providing another table space. Also has a top that opens up for easy access cleaning. More pictures of my work is available at:

https://www.facebook.com/Deezknotswoodworking/

Or on
PINTEREST: Ngo DIY Furniture

 

DIMENSIONS
4ft long X 2ft wide X 32" high 

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Oil Base Flat white, Varathane Ebony stain, Varathane Polyurethane Matte
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sofa 72” long

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/14/2021 - 17:38

Very easy build, and so comfortable. I love it! Thanks for the plans Ana

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Milk- painted ash dog crate

Submitted by JoshMonroe on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 09:55

This project was based on your plans and dimensions, with a few modifications. I created more slats (41 in all!), and spaced them a bit differently. I also added a pull out tray on the bottom, lined with thick plastic, to ease cleanup if necessary. The crate was painted with soldier blue milk paint and finished with two coats of boiled linseed oil. Finished off with brass barrel bolts and hinges. Our schnauzer loves it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Boiled linseed oil over milk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My Little Blue Kitchen

Submitted by emdion on Tue, 02/03/2015 - 18:16

I was so excited to find these plans because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of paying a lot of money for a play kitchen that was mediocre. I was inspired by other brag posts to modify the plans to suit my needs so I did just that.

The fridge, following the advice of others, was made taller to give a little more realstic ratio. The biggest difference is that I knew I wanted three pieces: the stove, the sink, and a prep counter, so I made all three without tops and screwed them together.

The stove I measured and made a nice white surface that covered the entire oven and stuck out a little to the left. I painted and attached 4 black circles as the burners. I also managed to find a cookie drying rack that was the perfect size for this plan and mounted it inside instead of a shelf.

For the remaining areas, I got lucky and found a clearance countertop at my nearest Lowes so we cut that down to size and attached it to the sink/prep counter to combine them. We also cut a hole in the center for a metal mixing bowl used as the sink, and included a cheap bathroom faucet to complete the sink. The curtain was a custom sewn addition by me to simply give it a different look than the shelves to the right.

Estimated Cost
$300, not including some extra parts to cover mistakes we made (always measure twice and cut once!!!)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic farmhouse table w/mirror shine

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2017 - 12:35

My wife came to me with a request to build her a rustic, farmhouse style table and bench. She had researched a bit and found your site. Just completed today. 8x47. We have a large family so I changed the dimensions a bit. I also added an epoxy resin finish for durability and mirror bright shine. All we have to do now is buy chairs. Now she wants a matching "server". Happy wife, happy life.  :-)

 

The table is make of 2x10 heavy pine, 4x4's and 2x4's. I used 6 inch and 4 inch tru lock screws as well as 3.5 inch Kreg pocket screws 

 

Estimated Cost
Rough estimate, including the epoxy resin, $500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut Stain & Epoxy Resin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modified 2X4 Truss Style Farm Bench

Submitted by Bigherd on Wed, 04/21/2021 - 05:13

I had a customer that like the 2x4 truss style farm bench but wanted one only 30" long to be used as an entry way bench. Sine this bench is 18" shorter than the 48" bench i caused the truss to be at a very steep angle. It did not look good so the I deleted the truss from this 30" wide bench. The customer was very happy how it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Finish Used
primer, paint, stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Classic Bunk Beds

Submitted by dwm22 on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 17:16

Construction phase of the bunk beds was about a day and a half project...Cutting, assembling, screwing, bolting. Nothing complicated about it at all. Just followed the instructions step by step. I didn't use metal brackets to reinforce the mattress rails (that the slats lay on). I'm a good 250lbs and I laid on them without a problem. Also, similar to the posted Comments, the original materials list is short a little lumber. I followed the advice of some of the Comments that indicate how much additional wood you'll need. I didn't have to make any additional trips for wood.

The finish took me another 2-3 days (incl. drying wait-time between stain and polyurethane coats). The sanding (electric hand sander) takes a number of hours to sand all the surface area and all the edges (300 grit). I then I applied 1 coat of pre-stain wood conditioner and then immediately 1 coat of Natural color stain (basically clear oil stain but it brings out the wood grain just a bit), and then 2 coats of semi-gloss polyurethane for a shine / protection. Each of those coats took me 2+ hours as I applied them using a paint brush (vs. spray gun).

Since I only need to take apart the bunk beds into 4 pieces to carry upstairs(front, back, 2 sides), I simply bolted them together using 3" bolts (with washers / nuts). 4 bolts in each of the 4 corner posts.

The only real modification I made was moving the ladder to the left-hand side (vs. right-hand side per the instructions). All other measurements were basically the same.

Really happy with the mini Kreg Jig! Simple to use and provides solid joints for the rails of the 2 shorter sides (without showing screw-heads from the exterior).

My toddlers have been sleeping on them for a week now and no squeaking or shaking. They are sturdy. And neadless to say, my boys LOVE having bunk beds.

Sure I could just buy some inexpensive bunk beds for $200-300 but where's the fun in that!?

Let me know if you have questions, happy to help out! Thanks again to Ana and her site.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300 ($220 for pine wood plus 16 bolts, screws, sandpaper, wood conditioner, stain, polyurethane)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, Minwax Oil-Based Natural Wood Interior Finish Stain, Minwax Polyurethane Clear Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

NimbleShopper

Wed, 03/27/2013 - 09:58

The bunks look really nice. Professional even.

What size bolts did you use?
Where did you purchase them?
And, finally, how much did they cost? Guestimation is fine if you can't remember exactly. :)

dwm22

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 09:55

The bolts I used are 3/8" x 5". I used 16 total bolts to assemble. Each bolt (+2 washers & nut) is maybe $2-$3 at Home Depot. So in total, around $35-$40 for the bolts and hardware.

Farmhouse Queen Bed with removable rails

Submitted by sunnydays on Fri, 02/06/2015 - 14:05

After dreaming about a new bed for ages, I finally built up the nerve to make our own.  This was actually pretty easy, but it helped to have hubby there for some parts, just because of the size and weight of this thing.

My 1x8s were 7.25", so to compensate, I just added a single 1x2 in the middle.  Perfect fit!

We like to move (!) so we modified the bed to be easily moveable.  I purchased some heavy duty bed hardware from Amazon ($25) and deck/joist hangers from Lowes. 

I put the deck hangers on the bottom of the 2x10s, and the 2x4s sit vertically and free in the hangers.  So, next time we move, we'll just pick up the 2x4s, and unlock the 2x10s from the head & footboards and take off!  :) 

We lowered the 2x10s so that the total height of the mattress + box spring + vertical 2x4s wouldn't be too high for me to climb on to every night.  I have knocked my toe nail on the side rail a couple of times already, so maybe in hindsight I should have raised it a teensy bit.  

I did forget to decrease the length of the side rail, since we didn't hang it on the inside like Ana did.  That's an easy fix, though.

For the finish I used Weathered Gray stain first....and freaked out because it looked SO gray!  But I convinced myself it would turn out, so I kept going.  Next I did some heavy sanding, followed up by Special Walnut stain.  Finished up with a coat of furniture wax over the layers.   

We LOVE our new bed!  Thanks, Ana, for the plans and your website!  Next up: replacing those 1999-era side tables and dresser!  :) 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jlp

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 09:57

Love the changes made to the bed.  Will definately make it easier to move (or put in the room in the first place.).  You mentioned that you had to shorten your side rails.  How long did they need to be?

Penny Flip Puzzle

Submitted by mtairymd on Fri, 05/05/2017 - 11:29

This is my spin on the Wooden Nickel Brain Teaser Puzzle produced by Creative Crafthouse. The design is simple - make slots for nine pennies in a row. I made the design more complicated by adding hardwood inlay on the sides and adding a built in compartment for the pennies when the game is being stored.

The object of the puzzle is to remove the coins from the board.

Setup:

  • Place nine coins in the slots. The order of heads vs. tails should be random.

Rules:

  • The person playing may flip any one coin before starting the game.

  • You can only remove coins facing heads.

  • Once a head facing coin is removed, you must flip the neighboring coins over. Note that blank spaces (gaps) do not count as neighbors.

  • Keep removing heads and flipping neighbors.

  • Can you remove all the coins?

More Info: https://www.instructables.com/id/Penny-Flip-Puzzle/

Video Solution: https://youtu.be/htWBFFLR_EM

Estimated Cost
$2
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

candyland cottage loft bed

I cannot take any credit for helping with the creation of this bed (only helping carry some pieces up the stairs) but my Aunt Cheryl is the heart and soul of this amazing bed! It is themed candyland as you can see the cupcakes, lollipops, and candy cane my aunt added with her own special twist. The stairs are storage and there is a little door underneath (in the house) that has a shelf in it. This is the best thing ive ever seen and am sooo thankful for my aunt making an amazing bed for my daughter. I just had to share, definitely worth bragging!

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

Comments

Plywood Student Desk

Submitted by DangerDad on Tue, 02/10/2015 - 06:22

Simple desk made from maple veneer paint grade plywood.  It's very sturdy and looks great.  The last photo shows a matching dresser that I made as well.  So far I've made two of these identical desks and another with 3 large drawers underneath to one side.  You don't have to have alot of fancy tools and expensive wood to make great looking, sturdy, and functional furniture.  As always, sketchup plans available!

Estimated Cost
About $75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coast poly (satin finish)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MATTRUSSO

Fri, 02/20/2015 - 21:31

why can't i get more info on this desk. A cut list and quick diagram.

Living room bookshelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/06/2021 - 06:27

We ordered 2 custom bookshelves using the configurator. Each is 48" x 72" and 11.5 in deep. We primed and painted the pieces first, then assembled using pocket screws. A little touch up required. We attached a back of 1/4 in plywood for a cleaner look, and attached to wall, added baseboard trim. Attached a small facing piece to top edge only. We love them!

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Lightly sanded, applied Shellac primer, lightly sanded any rough spots, then applied 2 coats of white trim paint. We painted the pieces first, then assembled.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Fancy Hall Tree

Submitted by JHardaway on Sun, 03/31/2013 - 18:58

The Plans for this project made it relatively easy for a first time builder. Always wanting to build some furniture for my wife, I decided to start with this and it turned out way better than I ever expected. I used red oak and oak purebond plywood. I took a slightly different approach, using a 3/4" thick board of plywood for the back vice the 1/2 inch, which really gave the back a nice solid feel. I also assembled the lattice backing directly onto the backing plywood board and then attached the completed back to the finished Bench section (I know I didn't explain that well, the pictures show it better). Lastly I left off the arms for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that I still need some work on cutting curves. Finished with one coat of Cabot Dark Mahogany and 2 coats of Rust-O-Leum satin polyurethane.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot Dark Mahogany (1 coat) using cheap foam brushes and Rust-O-Leum satin polyurethane (2 coats) using nice-ish regular brushes. Sanded between coats with super fine (320 grit) sandpaper.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Despicable Me Minion Theme Playhouse Loft bed

Submitted by Abzman on Sat, 02/14/2015 - 00:47

I built this bed when my kids and wife were away on vacation (again).  It was for my youngest (3 1/2 yrs) who loves, or shall I say loved Minions.  I had one month to get it done.  Room is small so I designed it with the stairs on the front.  I ordered minion stickers and cut out the shapes from plywood then glued the entire sticker.  The figures also serve as support for the rails.  

On the side of the stairs is a storage area while on the inside there's an opening with another storage area for chalk and toys!  There's a chalkboard inside the playhouse and a low voltage light. I left the side to the wall open which would allow using the bed in different configurations such that another bed would sit below it perpendicular to the top.  Just an idea.

Bad news is, after the initial day of excitement when she saw it, she asked for her toddler bed and didn't want Minions any more! 

The good news is that I lost about 15 lbs working on it part time after work!

The stairs are not yet finished as I will do two drawers and a shelf.

Unfortunately I never had time to put the design to paper.  It was all in my head mostly done during my commute to and from work.  I had a couple of big goof ups as a result as you would expect.

 

Estimated Cost
Need the final tally but I believe it was close to $500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full Farmhouse Headboard

Submitted by Klem413 on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 07:22

We made this for our son with regular pine boards.

Estimated Cost
40.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Classic Black
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mini Farmhouse Side Table

We built this for our new grandson's nursery. The rest of his furniture is white and our daughter wanted to bring in some wood tones. We modified the table to be a little shorter than the plan so it wouldn't be too much taller than the arm of the glider in the nursery. I also added a 1x2 to act as a drawer stop.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I applied a wood conditioner and let it set for about 15 minutes. I used a combination of Minwax Weathered Oak and Early American. I brushed on the Weathered Oak first then followed with the Early American. I let that set about 15 minutes then wiped off the excess. I finished it with two coats of Polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 17:53

Made some adjustments to the original plans to help support larger cushions and pillows.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used a roll of tape as a guide to round the headrest and arms.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments