Community Brag Posts

Washer/dryer stand

Submitted by Hoff84 on Wed, 02/20/2013 - 09:58

Built this from the plans on this site. I beefed up the top frame with 2 extra 2x4's

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Lots of sanding
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

4x4 Truss Beam Table and bench

Love this plan and the table and bench turned out exactly as I hoped.  I did it by myself except for a little heavy lifting from my sweetheart. I researched the finish online and I am so happy with the results.

Estimated Cost
With finishing products and screws this was approximately $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre stain conditioner, Minwax English Chestnut *( 2 coats), Varethane Poly *( 3 coats) then #0000 steel wool to smooth the bumps then Minwax Paste wax hand rubbed until the finish was perfect.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

wjc129

Tue, 02/10/2015 - 08:19

We have been shopping for tables and cannot find anything we like for a good price. I keep going back to building one myself. Your table top looks great .. nice and flat. Did you follow the plans to a T, did you use a kreg jig?

roadtripmom

Tue, 02/10/2015 - 22:13

I did change the dimensions of the top a little. I wanted a wider surface. I did use a kreg jig, it made it a breeze to build. I spent a lot of time on the finish, sanding, using steel wool, and several coats of polyurethane. Thank you for the compliment !

Homeschool Bookcase with Barn Door

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this homeschool bookshelf my husband made from your plans! THANK YOU! We homeschool three children and the clutter was overwhelming! This bookshelf provides storage and a beautiful accessibility to supplies without the clutter! THANK YOU!

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Homeschool Bookshelf

Comments

Tall Corner entertainment Unit

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/01/2017 - 13:06

Loving this tall entertainment center to fit under my wall-mounted television!

The dogs cant knock over my photos anymore!!!!

Added some fancy trim pieces in the middle to match the trim on the bottom.  So sturdy and hides all my junk!

http://www.ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/tall-corner-media-console

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
fruitwood minsax stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Beginner farm table

Absolutely love how this table turned out! I slightly modified the length to accommodate our space. Definitely a beginner friendly project. I used farrow and ball studio green for the base and just poly on the top.

Comments

My first DIY project!

Submitted by Celeste808 on Sun, 05/05/2013 - 10:30

Finally Completed!!! Thank you rainy Saturday! So I wanted a new entertainment center of sorts... couldn't find one that was just what I wanted..... so why not just build what I want! Just DIY it. ;)

I used the faux fireplace plan and modified it to have attached shelves on the sides. I also added an extra strip at the top of the fireplace opening so I could mount an LED bar light.

I used 1/4 plywood to make a tile base, penny tile, and 1/2 quarter round to finish out around the entire bottom.

Total project cost was less than $200 including the tile and light!

Best part is the whole thing is movable!

Thanks Anna White for such an awesome plan to start with!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MDF & plywood
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spkramer

Wed, 07/03/2013 - 10:24

This whole unit is great. My wife LOVES it, which means I will be building it! Did you purchase the two shelf units or build them yourself? Did you use a pattern or plan? Thanks!

Alisonwunderland

Wed, 07/31/2013 - 13:09

This is amazing! Exactly what I'm looking for! Did you change the depth of the mantel to make sure the shelves would be deep enough to hold things?

Celeste808

Sat, 08/03/2013 - 18:25

I did make the depth of the fireplace deeper so I could have room for the halves on the side. I just sketched out the dimensions I wanted the side shelves and built them along the same lines as the fireplace. Wasn't hard to figure out and just made it to fit the size I needed. The inset of the fireplace does not go all the way back to the wall either, that way the power strip can fit on the floor behind it. Glad you like it and thanks for the compliments!

EAnne

Wed, 07/23/2014 - 14:54

Hi Celeste 808, What a wonderful faux fireplace WITH the bookcases, especially. I'm hoping I can try this in our space challenged bedroom. Did you by any change reply to the chap who asked if you had some kind of dimensions or plans you could pass along to us? I would love to see if we can make it work in the space we have available.
Thanks again for the inspiration,
e

jrybolt26

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 18:25

I absolutely love what you did with this. I am going to have my fiance help me make this for our house. If you still have the dimensions and details of how you built the whole unit I would greatly appreciate it if you could post it.

mommyof2cuties

Sun, 04/13/2014 - 13:00

This is gorgeous & I can't believe it's your 1st project. I would love to build this too. Did you use any particular plans for the side units? If you have any tips or information to share, that would be great! I've actually been trying to make up my own plans using Sketch Up, but that's not working too good, lol. Again, great job & thank you.
Lynda

emswave

Sun, 02/08/2015 - 12:31

I'm dying to know the dimensions you added to the width. Also, the dimensions of the book shelf. I have been trying to draw up plans for the last week and I'm stuck with trying to figure it out by looking at your pictures.

PLEASE HELP!

Thanks!!

mrittgers1

Mon, 07/27/2015 - 09:15

Do you have the blue print of how you built the mantel and side book shelves? I am wanting to go buy supplies to build this tonight!!!

 

Thank you!

Double trash bin with drawers

Submitted by abbpim on Thu, 07/06/2017 - 19:48

I am very happy with how the finish in this turned out... the green gold paint and the American Cherry wood compliment each other well!  Doing this again on more proj

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Liquitex green gold paint and minwax paste finishing wax and polyurethane on base. Several coats of Mineral oil on top finished with finishing wax again.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Bunkbeds with Stairs

Submitted by Yodannos on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 13:19

We have a rental unit and decided to fill one room with 2 sets of bunk beds. One is a twin over a full. The other is a full over full. Due to a duct running through one corner, and limited amount of space, I decided to build a set of stairs on the 17" gap. I used the simple bunk bed plans, but modified it to the style of the farmhouse. Also, I changed several of the heights of the foot/head boards. The full over full will have a ladder coming off the end and is in progress.

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony Stain. Satin Polyeurethene.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bookshelf Hidden Doors Over Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/23/2017 - 10:13

Hidden door bookshelves hide a furnace closet.  Built by Kraig Faulkner

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

charkue

Thu, 09/17/2020 - 08:01

I'm currently working on a basement renovation project. I'm probably going to incorporate a feature like this for my mechanicals, too.

One important safety note for anyone who wants to do this: It's recommended that your furnace be a minimum of 30" away from any combustible materials. That includes walls and partitions. The image of this project displayed is right next to the furnace, which is not a good idea.

Farmhouse Table and benches

This is the first furniture building project that my husband and I have completed. It took us about 5 weekends to complete it- including finishing.

We started with the benches as recommended in some of the comments and ended up buying a pocket hole jig and redoing the tops of the benches before completing the table.

The stain is Minwax Red Chestnut and there are three coats of Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane on it. We're so happy with it and can't wait to start the next project!

Estimated Cost
about $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Chestnut stain- one coat
Minway Fast Drying Polyurethane in Semi Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern outdoor chairs and tables

Submitted by mcneece on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 14:10

Project is still in progress but so far this has consisted of a firepit, 20x20 slab, 4 cypress columns, bistro lighting, 2 modern outdoor chairs, 1 modern outdoor bench, 4 matching tables, and a project screen.  To come: flower bed, projector storage stand with casters and hinged top, outdoor speakers, and possibly a green egg stand, and extending power to the back of the slab.

Estimated Cost
$75 per chair, $100 per bench, $40 per table
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Thompson waterseal (transparent)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Convertible picnic table

Submitted by ClemTanya on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 19:43

I built this table with the dimensions described in the original plans, but made a slight modification by using my Kreg Jig to add pocket holes for attaching the tabletop and seat boards from below rather than drilling down through the top. I'm never really happy with the way a finish comes out after using wood filler, plus not having to fill holes saves a step in the finishing process (which is the really arduous part of the job for me). I also like the sturdiness of the Kreg joints.
This was my first project using the Kreg Jig in an application that didn't have the location for the pocket holes specified, so for the first bench I followed right along with the plans and just detached the drill guide and clamped it to my project to drill the pocket holes as I went along. For the second bench I was familiar with where all the holes should be drilled, so I was able to quickly mark off the location and pre-drill all the pieces assembly line fashion. The second one practically flew together.
If you want to use this method, you will be drilling your pocket holes in the boards labeled "seat support" and "tabletop support" (there are 2 of each of these pieces for each bench/half table). You can mark the position of the tabletop boards on the tabletop supports and drill your pair of pocket holes to correspond roughly to the center of where each board will be (so 6 holes in each of the 2 pieces labeled tabletop support for each bench). Nearly the same process for the seat supports, but remember that the holes to attach the outermost seat board won't be centered because of the location of the front leg. I chose to add a couple of pocket holes through the front leg board as well for extra sturdiness in case it gets picked up by that outermost seat board when the bench/table is getting moved. I have included a picture of the pre-drilled pocket holes to help clarify the above directions.
The build itself can definitely be classified as a beginner project and easily manageable by one lady (although it would be really nice to have a buddy to help move the finished bench...I had to take the tabletop back off mine to move it from my "workshop" (carport) around to my patio). In terms of time, the build for both benches could easily be completed in an afternoon; I ranked it as a weekend project because of the finish. The tabletop and seat boards each have 4 coats of an exterior semigloss paint and I custom blended the colors so that each board gets progressively darker as you go down the bench. I was inspired by the ocean, with the water getting darker as you go deeper and deeper. As you can see from my photos, I rushed headlong into the first bench and put it together unfinished (I was more concerned about figuring out the placement of the pocket holes than the finish.) For the second one I pre-drilled my pocket holes, then put on 2 coats of base coat and 1 coat of color (on seat and tabletop boards) before assembly, saving only the finish coat on the colored boards and touchups on the white boards for after assembly. I definitely recommend the second method.
I worked on the project over a couple of weekends and evenings because of weather and time constraints, but under the right conditions it could be completed in a weekend or even maybe a long day (especially with a second painter and in good paint drying weather). I'm really happy with the final product and I've already been enjoying the comfy bench seat for reading.

Estimated Cost
$100 (including finish)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior semigloss paint: 2 coats of self priming base coat (Valspar Duramax) and an additional 2 coats of color that I custom mixed into 6 shades on the bench seats and tabletops. The darkest shade on the outermost seat board is called Monterrey Bay Teal from Valspar. I mixed the five additional colors with white in 15% by volume increments. (If you want to get really, really specific, I started with a quart of the teal and made 100 grams of each of the 5 blended colors and this was almost the perfect amount to put 2 thick coats of color on all sides of each of the seat/tabletop boards.)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Work Table

Instead of having the plywood top sit on top of the frame, I sunk it into the frame instead with 2x4 supports underneath.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Teaching Easel

Submitted by vlane2014 on Fri, 07/17/2015 - 20:32

My father-in-law built this for me using Anna White's plans. He tweeked a few things to add somethings I wanted to add. A huge sheet of white board bought from Lowes was used to make both easel sides and the shelves. Once he had it built for me, I painted the lilac paint color onto the wood and whiteboard shelves. The black chalk board side was made by using black chalboard paint. I wanted it to look cute so, I added a black boarder on the white board, and then used a cotton ball with the lilac paint to make the paint blotch style on both sides. I cannot wait to use this in my classroom!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Lilac Valspar paint and black chalkboard paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Scrap Wood Cart

Submitted by Scrivman33 on Sun, 02/25/2018 - 13:45

Saw the other project and based everything off of that. I made some adjustments on the shelf side to ensure I could lay down 3 layers of 2x6's without it hanging off too far. At first I wasn't going to go with the rail shelf system, but I couldn't find anything that I liked at the store to make actually shelves. I did cut a 2* angle on the bottom and top of the shelf framing. I figured if I put enough weight on those shelves, I woudln't want it messing with the frame of the cart too much. On the bin side, I decided to just do different heights instead of angled because I know I'll have plenty of 3' plus. I chose to put a scrap bin on the end for anything smaller than a foot. Many of those joints were done with my Kreg setup, but not all of them. The last fix I did was add a 2x4 to the insde of the shelf frame. This was to move the shelf hangers in so that an 8' board wasn't just edge to edge (I found that to be a problem when I put some of the 1x4's on there...they would be on 2, but not always all 3). So moving each side in around 1.5" gives you about 3" to play with as far as 8' lumber goes. This enabled me to turn my old storage into bench and shelves and I'm ready to get moving on projects!

Estimated Cost
$200-$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sling Chair for Father's Day!

Submitted by ferbit on Thu, 06/16/2011 - 16:38

Once I saw these plans on here, I was thrilled to get started on them. I let the girls do most of the miter saw cuts (with lots of supervision) and they were a huge help sanding. Pine has really sharp edges, so they helped me round down every edge by hand. I would have used an electric sander, but *gasp* I couldn't FIND IT!

Aaargh!

Anyhoo, this is a gift for Daddy for Father's Day! I bought enough wood and fabric for a matching chair for myself. :) The girls are begging for matching kid-sized ones too. :)

I just LOVE how it folds up so flat (last photo below) to be hung under cover outside. :)

I used Connecting Bolts & Connecting Cap Nuts rather than just bolts and I love them!!! I did keep a washer in between the 1x2's to keep the wood from rubbing. PERFECT fit! Check out my last photo below to see it up close.

The bolts fit through the 1/4" holes Ana's plans instruct you to drill, but the caps need a larger hole. I drilled 3/8" holes into all OUTER 1x2 where the connector caps needed to be and kept the inside 1x2 holes at 1/4" per Ana's instructions. Hope that makes sense!

Then I finished them with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint.

Estimated Cost
$25-$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. Still needs to be lightly sanded to smoothen it more, then another coat of spray paint and several coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

mhumke

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 09:54

hey there...this looks REALLY good! I especially like the bronze bolts you used. 

I'd like to do the same, but I'd love your advice on bolt length. If they're connecting two 1"x2" boards, I assume the width of those two pieces together is 1.5" (.75+.75), right? 

Therefore, do you recommend a 1.5", 1.75" or 2" connecting bolt?

Thanks!

Farmhouse Table : Restoration Hardware Replica

Submitted by tsibiga on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 09:43

This is the first building project that I've tackled and it's all thanks to Ana-White. I did lots of things different than the building plan but it was definitely my inspiration and extremely useful. I loved the Restoration Hardware table and so I went to the local store to put my eyes on it for myself. Some of the things that I noticed, liked, and included in my design are; I used 4-2x12"s for the tabletop, I used 2x8"s as the breadboards, I used 4x4"s for the legs as well as the side stretcher, I used 2x4"s as the undertable supports, I built two 15" extensions using 2x8"s and 2x2"s, and I attempted to distress the wood yet stain it to match our dining room as best as I could.

www.tommyandellie.com

I've documented the build and you can check it out yourself at: http://tommyandellie.com/?p=14

I've revised the plans with even more details here; http://tommyandellie.com/index.php/2012/01/13/new-and-improved-farmhous…

Hope it helps.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I banged up the wood using random things around the garage and then used a Dark Walnut Stain. Additionally, on the tabletop I did two coats of Briwax (light Brown) for a nice, shiny, and smooth eating surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

niecey

Mon, 06/20/2011 - 15:06

This is stunning! I'm working on this table right now, but it's no where near as good as yours. I'm jealous. I love your extensions. I'd love to see a tutorial on adding extensions..

ispeakwhale

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 05:16

It looks beautiful. Did you attatch the 2x2 to the underside of the extensions and then notch out a place on the support for them to slide into? Can you please take a photo of the underside with the extensions on?

Tommy (not verified)

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 14:42

That's exactly right. Here's a link to the picture you asked for; http://www.tommyandellie.com/Site/Home/Entries/2011/6/10_Farmhouse_Tabl…

There's some more details and info specifically about the extensions on my blog at; http://www.tommyandellie.com/Site/Home/Entries/2011/6/10_Farmhouse_Tabl…

It's a super simple addition to the design and can take my table from 96" to 126"!!! Or take it from a 8-10 seat table to potentially 16 seats available for those Big thanksgiving meals.

Guest1 (not verified)

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 15:41

Hello,

I was just wondering that since your table is a bit wider than Ana's table, did you make the support for the stretcher wider? As in, did you increase the length at all (in addition to making it stick out a bit at the ends? If so, what did you extend it to? Thanks and gorgeous job!

tsibiga

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 18:49

Hello,

I followed Ana's example and allowed for a 1" overhang on both sides. So the tabletop is actually 44" wide and the stretchers are approximately 42". The long 2x4" stretcher is approximately 88".

Hope that helps. Thanks for the positive comments.

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 20:28

I cant believe how good that looks. Great job! Out of curiosity, how did you make the notches (dados) for the 4x4 legs where they meet the table top? Really impressive table!

tsibiga

Thu, 06/30/2011 - 04:43

For the table legs, I set my table saw blade to a height of approximately 1.5". I then made a first cut at 3.5" from the bottom, then made a cut at 7", and then made several subsequent cuts in between those two cuts. After it was all slivered, I used a hammer to knock it all out, and then swirled the opening all around on the table saw (blade still at 1.5" tall) to smooth out all the cuts. I used the same technique for the stretcher as well.

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 08/06/2011 - 21:36

Hi Tommy, I tried clicking on your site and was told the site could not be found. Last week, I saw it fine and showed my hubby our next project, but now it's gone. Help!

Keri Beth (not verified)

Thu, 03/01/2012 - 07:17

What inspiring pictures! Apparently everyone agrees, because I just "pinned" one of these pictures to Pinterest and it was immediately repinned 27 times and counting. So nice work! I hope to make mine this weekend.

DES.II (not verified)

Sun, 04/29/2012 - 06:29

She and her boyfriend would like to build it using lumber i cut from my mill. They are thinking walnut, hickory or maybe ash but im not sure how that will work out with being distressed. And your extentions, do you have a 2x4 or two that slides out from under the table to help support them on each end ? Are there pics of the under side of the table as well? This is a great table and i think they will have fun as a family assemblimng and finishing it.
Thank you. DesII

Marci (not verified)

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 12:12

Where can I find the bench instructions??

James Groover

Tue, 04/14/2015 - 13:31

Hey Tommy, I saw the Farmhouse table design with extensions, I don't have Excel to open the cut list and need the buy list and cut list to complete the project, I am really short on time and need to start this project tomorrow. Please if you can, do you have a word document or a PDF that shows the page for those?

My Outdoor Modern Farm Table

Submitted by tara-m on Tue, 07/05/2011 - 10:22

I have a rustic outdoor room made out of our garage. We started the project last summer but it took until this weekend to get a table built. I was skeptical that I would be able to build a table myself, but I knew this table would fit in my backyard decor and I had to do it!

Using the plans from the site, I was able to build this almost entirely by myself. I got help for flipping it and adding the side aprons.

I started around noon with a trip to Lowe's and was done by about 7:30. The wood and screws cost around $50. I still have to finish it and am thinking of staining it dark brown.

Also, the guy at Lowe's recommended that I used deck screws. So that is what I used. I did not pre-drill all the holes. I also put the 2x6s in the table top, then flipped it over and added the 2x2 supports and screwed them in. I think that saved some time and seemed to work out okay.

Thanks for a great project, Ana! I am so proud of myself that I did this! Now I am off to make a bench to match.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids Chair with Storage / Toy box

Submitted by bozarthm1 on Mon, 07/04/2022 - 18:24

Made from Ana's Kids Chair with Storage. Love these little chairs. I riped up some 2x4's to 7/8th and used a 1 x 12 stair tread for the seats. glued with screws, then removed the screws and replaced with glue and dowels. Made for kids, strong enough for adults.

Comments