Community Brag Posts

My pallet coop and Ana White run

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/30/2016 - 09:44

My husband bulky this coop from pallets and used Ana White's chicken run plans. Took us a weekend to build the run.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Entrance Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 19:55

First project from own design and wanted to share as pretty pleased with how it turned out. Sides are 4 by 2s with a routed 45 degree grove on each edge to give some detail. Wanted to make the drawers stand out so I added the edging detail.

Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax pre stain. Minwax Ebony - 2 coats. Minwax Poly Satin - 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Love our Small Easy Rustic X-Bench!

Submitted by afine1 on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 02:12

I have been redoing furniture for quite some time, but had never actually thought of making my own furniture, until I ran across Ana's blog. Now I am so addicted! My husband is very handy with his tools and can follow plans fairly easily (unlike me) so I definitely had to enlist his help with this project. We are stationed overseas in Germany so our project costs us a bit more than it would have if we were stateside, but still quite a bit cheaper than purchasing the similar one at Pottery Barn.Since it was our first project it did take us a bit longer than normal, but still easy enough to do. I absolutely love how this turned out and now my husband and I are ready for our next project of a rustic console table that we made our own plans for.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
With the paint around $40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I first primed it and then painted it. Not sure what the actual paint color was because it was in German, but I would call it a country blue. I then distressed it and added some stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Outdoor Chair - High Back Adirondack

Modified with a high back and modern adirondack arms.

The base of the chair is built exactly to the plan except that the arms are done in a modern adirondack style.

The back was made independently to fit inside the base and then attached to the plan base.

Very comfortable but very heavy chair even without the modified back.

Not stained yet obviously.

Cushions are hard to find I think I would make it slightly smaller next time and maybe even find the cushions first and alter the plan to fit.

Estimated Cost
$45 Can
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Potting Bench/Stand

Submitted by MikeO on Tue, 06/16/2020 - 09:58

Built this for my girlfriend's birthday present. Added a 1x4 backsplash and a 2x6 for the top shelf to give a little more shelf room instead of the 2x4 called for in the plan. Stained with Varathane "Vintage Aqua" color and then 3 coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane for outdoor durability. Set the whole thing on caster wheels (not pictured) so she can move around the deck as needed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Vintage Aqua
Helmsman Spar Urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Floor to Ceiling Canned Food Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/19/2024 - 13:56

Loved these plans. Top unit was built exactly to specs. Bottom unit was built to accommodate one column of cans. I have also built one for my sis-in-law and will be building one more for this pantry. Love this project!

Leah

Built from Plan(s)

Farmhouse Table and Modern Bench

Submitted by benabb on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 20:42

I followed the plan exactly except that I left out the stretcher. It turned out beautifully and fits our kitchen perfectly. I wanted to complete the building in a weekend, but even with a helpful husband the kids distracted me. It ended up taking me three weeks working during naptimes and after bedtime.
My recommendations:
-I used 2x4s for the legs, but if I had to do it over again, I'd just buy 4x4s and use those. I did my best to fill in the seams in the legs, but I still notice them from certain angles.
-Sand, sand, and sand again. I hate spending time sanding, but this is a project where it's totally worth it. I sanded everything really aggressively with 60 or 80 grit paper and after I filled in screw holes and cracks, sanded again with 120. Then I hand sanded with 220. I'm really glad I did.
-Don't cut the table top boards (2x6s) till you are ready to place them. You want to make sure you have a really tight fit here.
-Because I didn't want any cracks on the table top, I filled in the seams between the boards with Elmer's wood filler. I was really nervous about how it would stain, but I just was super careful to sand any excess wood filler off the boards before staining. The wood filler appears a bit darker than the wood, but I think it looks ok. Better than cracks.
-I notched out the table legs with the skill saw and I thought they looked pretty rough and it was a long process. When I made the bench legs, I used my table saw to notch. I'm not sure if this is recommended or not, but the notches were much cleaner looking and it was a lot easier.

Estimated Cost
$80-$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Mahogany on the top. 1 coat of pre-stain followed by 2 coats of stain and 3 coats of poly. I used old t-shirts to apply stain and poly and it was so much better than using a brush.
White paint on the legs.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X farm table

Submitted by coon_ta on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 20:11

This is my first attempt at furniture. Anna's plans were very easy to use and I had a lot of fun building this table!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

drew_jc27

Thu, 10/13/2016 - 22:58

Awesome job! what stain was used on this? I really like that table top color.

 

Floating Corner Entertainment Stand

This is a corner entertainment stand. I didn't have a plan to follow so I made it up as I went. The dimensions are 40" L xW and 27" tall. It has a base hidden underneath it help support the weight and is also screwed into wall studs to prevent tipping. The angle for the front cross section is 22.5 degrees. I made this for a friend. She is going to paint it unfortunately. Materials cost only around $120. 3 sheets 3/4" plywood, some 1x2s and a couple hinges and cabinet knobs.

Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Justin G (not verified)

Sun, 01/06/2013 - 04:49

This is REALLY a nice looking corner unit. In our living room, the ONLY place for the tv is in the corner. I have a prebuilt unit now that cost me quite a bit, and we hate it. Its all modern with glass shelves. This corner cabinet is EXACTLY what I want to build. I have a 1 year old so having doors to hide the electronics is a must.

I would VERY much like to build this. Are there any more detailed pictures or a plan I could download? Ive been searching for the last few days an just cant seem to find anything that catches my eye like this one.

Looks great!!

Wounded Marine

Sun, 01/06/2013 - 06:18

The shelves are made out of premium plywood. For the top, bottom, and the middle shelf, I measured and cut out on pieces of plywood. Then used plywood for the "walls" of the unit. I trimmed it with 1x2s. The doors are also plywood. I just rabbit jointed nice wood for the frame of the doors. Underneath the the TV stand is a 2x4 set back a little bit to give it that floating looking. It is anchored to the wall on the inside of the unit with screws going into the studs of the wall. I hope this makes since.

arod718

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 19:13

Is it possible to get dimensions of the stand and what you based the base from. I would like to build the Ana version for my wife because of the storage it has. Thank you, best site ever.

Storage Daybed with Bookshelf Surround

Update 8/2017: This project started with the Storage daybed, which I built in 2014. My daughter is a book lover and I wanted to provide her with more space for her books. I recently added the following plans to the Daybed with Storage Trundle Drawers:

- Twin Storage Headboard Base

- Small Hutch for Storage Headboard

- Cubby Hutch Plans for the Storage Headboard

I also made one extra storage headboard base and added more shelves along the long side of the bed so she could be surrounded by books. There are two additional supports under long bookshelf and I placed them roughly behind each of the trundle drawers.

For the bed (I built two), I opted to use the alternate slat system. I also used 2" caster wheels and added dividers to the drawers--one drawer has three compartments, and the other two drawers were divided in half.

Note: In my main brag photo it looks like the drawers don't close flush... I didn't notice when I took the photo because I was focused on the new shelves. But they do close and line up perfectly!

 

Estimated Cost
$600 (Fairbanks, Alaska)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut and one coat of gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Folding Workbench

Submitted by AhmaNaz on Thu, 09/17/2020 - 10:38

First build of my woodworking journey

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Raw
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Garden Shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/30/2017 - 06:26

Had to clean out my storage area to make room for my new woodworking shop, so a new shed was in order. Since my neighborhood does not allow large sheds i thought this would be the perfect fit for the small area right outside of the shop. I had to adjust the plan to make it narrow but longer. Used pressure treated fence pickets for the siding..

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Cost approximately $300-350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sofa table

Submitted by blondewolf on Wed, 11/11/2020 - 05:24

We are building a small rental cabin in the Red River Gorge and I needed a sofa table to do double duty. We needed a place for people to eat that would also be a useful sofa table when lounging. I modified this piece from the plan; very beginner friendly I’d say, lol. The bottom is painted glossy black and the top is stained a grayish blue. Galvanized hardware finished it off on top. I chose not to use the side arms once I brought it inside.

Estimated Cost
$65, I used scraps for the base. I already had the stain and varnish. Biggest cost was the galvanized pipe.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Black gloss paint for base and gray blue stain (my own concoction) for top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

X-DESK

Submitted by Jasonhash on Sun, 02/19/2017 - 07:39

Made from your Fancy X-desk plans. Dark Walnut & clear gloss polyacrylic Miniwax finishes.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Lumber $18
Plywood $13
Glue, nails, & screws $3
Stain $8
Poly $6.50
$50+/- all day
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Dark Walnut
Mini wax polyacrylic gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hall Tree -cedar picket

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/11/2017 - 19:38

I built this based on the idea of the mimi storage bench and hutch. We will use this in our garage next to or shoe rack. I built this primarily from 1x6 cedar fence pickets, a few cedar 1x2's and a couple cedar 2x4's.  

The lid lifts for off season shoe storage.  All bench joinery is with pocket holes and the cedars pickets are attached with pneumatic 1 or 2-1/2" nails.  

I used my speedy square's 45 degree angles to trace out the mountain silloutes and then cut them out with my jigsaw.  I paced myself on the project and my four year old helped quite a bit with measuring and handing me the next board. We're excited to have a little spot to change shoes and grab the jackets.  Feel free to check out my Instagram for other random projects or are family fun  instagram.com/fotosnapper 

Estimated Cost
$80 in wood, $15 in sealant.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Light sanding with a poly sealant for deck furniture from Orange. Single coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

James' Castle Loft Bed

Submitted by hmkeith11 on Fri, 12/26/2014 - 09:04

We built this bed for my three and a half year old son and gave it to him for Christmas. He and also my almost two year old daughter LOVE it! We did modify the plans a little: we added a handle for getting into the bed from the stairs and also added more slats for support. 

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

Comments

Outdoor patio sectional and patio coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/16/2017 - 13:08

Welcome to our labor of love. This is our first build and while my bf did most of the work, it was a great project for us as a couple. It was definitely work, but well worth it. We love the way it fits perfectly in our courtyard and people keep commenting on how high-end it looks. Thanks for the plan, Ana! The project took a little longer than it probably should, since it was the first project for us. You should account fort he time it will take to cut, sand and stain your pieces before assembly. There are times you will need to allow for the lumber to dry etc.

Finish Used
1-gal. #ST-129 Chocolate Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Stain and Sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Pantry Cabinet

Submitted by sdarnell1 on Thu, 06/01/2017 - 06:25

This pantry cabinet was inspired by a design from Ballard Designs.  I needed something a little less deep for my space and couldn't afford the $1900 price tag.  I was able to build this one for just around $100 and was able to customize it to fit my own space requirements.  The arched doors and half round moulding add a nice touch.  This versatile cabinet could be used for linens, kitchen storage, crafts, or just about anything else you can think of! 

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
primed with Kilz water based primer, and painted with standard latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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