Community Brag Posts

Highland outhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/15/2021 - 04:25

It's the first thing I've built on my land in the Cape Breton highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada. We staked it down because it gets really windy here! Great design, thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$800 CAD
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat primer, 1 coat paint (velvet finish) and green asphalt singles because the hardware store had no alternative.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Industrial Numbered Crate

Submitted by efmolly on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 22:51

I built this storage crate to fill out space on top of my kitchen table. On my table saw, I ripped 1/2in birch plywood down to 6in widths for the outside frame and 5 3/4in for the dividers. The dividers are 6in wide and so I cut the outside ends to 7in. I attached the whole thing with 1 1/2 finish nails and glue. After finishing, I attached some L-brackets on the corners and drilled 2 holes on either end for handles. For handles, I simply braided 6 strands of jute together and tied knots on the inside of the box. I have more details and photos on my blog link.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I started by staining the whole thing with Antique Walnut by Minwax. I then used Antique Crackle medium by Old Fashioned Milk Paint, and used some Vaseline for paint resistance on the edges. I then applied one coat of a creamy white, latex paint. After stenciling the numbers, I sealed the entire piece with Crystal Clear by Krylon in matte.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor Bench

This was my very first project I tackled from Ana's site. I wanted to see if I could do it, so started with something easy. I think it turned out great and looks great in our flower bed in front of our house.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I primed it, painted it red then sanded it down in spots and rubbed stain to give it aged look.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farm Table and floating shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 17:23

Built for my Daughter and Son-in-laws new home

Comments

Cube bookcases

As part of my daughter's big 8th birthday bedroom re-do, I knew she needed some new storage for books and...er...stuff. You know how kids accumulate little scraps of paper, photos, tiny toys. I can't stand to see that kind of stuff lying around, so these cube bookshelves seemed like a great solution for the problem. The canvas "drawers" are from Target and were not expensive. I followed Ana's Six Cube Bookshelf plans very closely with two exceptions. First, I shortened the legs an inch to ensure that the units would be short enough to fit under the bedroom window. Second, I added an overhanging 1/4" MDF panel to the top of each bookcase and trimmed out the bottom of the panel with cove molding. The rest of the wood used was solid pine. I'm now working on building a third unit for my other daughter's room. This time I was smart enough to finish the insides of the cubes before putting the whole bookcase together. Getting into those corners once the project is complete is time consuming and difficult. Painting the insides of the boards ahead of time has proven to be much simpler.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams ProClassic in semi-gloss followed by satin Minwax Polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Garage Hall Tree

Submitted by Smokeydog on Sat, 04/18/2015 - 10:41

I built this little hall tree, bench and shoe organizer for the garage entirely from scrap lumber and left over paint.  Keeps us organizeed.  I really like it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
None
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Left over paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/05/2021 - 16:02

My first “big” piece of furniture! I have over the last year realized I had a little sawdust in my blood! My dad is a 3rd generation carpenter, he is the youngest of 5 boys and he is now 79. I started with a couple of quilt/blanket ladders for my daughters, then graduated to a headboard. Then last Christmas I surprised my dad with an oak bookshelf (because oak is the best 😉) I knew that’s what my dad loved. It brought him to tears! So, then my daughters began showing me pictures of desks, tv chests, etc and I gained a little confidence with each piece.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Three 4'x8' Raised Cedar Beds for $45 total.

Submitted by amberhibbs on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 13:41

I finished these last weekend and finally took pictures.

I found 44 5' cedar pickets on craigslist for $30 and built these raised beds. I built them according to Ana's instructions except I made them bigger (4'x8'). Since my boards were 5' long I couldn't span the entire length and went with a brickwork style overlap so there wasn't one seam in the center or a weird off-center seam. And, of course, I blogged about it.

Estimated Cost
$15 per bed, $45 total
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Wood Cooler Box made from Pallets!

Watch the video on how I did this project here: http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

For this week's woodworking project I'm building a Rustic Cooler Box from used Pallets. The project was a lot of fun to do and pretty simple! By just using some old Pallets that were free I was able to build something that will get a lot of use. Plus, by using the Pallets I think it turned out really cool looking!

How to video http://youtu.be/IoP2cKN2WeY

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 for cooler and accessories. Pallet wood was FREE.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor Polyurethane. Wood was left natural.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wounded Marine

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 05:14

That is way to cool. I love your idea for the sides. It adds a lot of texture and cleans up the look of it. I enjoyed watching your videos. You have a lot of talent and I like your work man.

Stevens

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 04:02

Awesome way of doing a pallet cooler. Keeping the cost minimal your way of finishing it was really good. Personalizing such coolers would be interesting!

tedgray86

Fri, 10/17/2014 - 10:30

Cooler looks amazing!!  Well done!  What is the black ring inbetween the hose bib and the cooler?  I am looking for something similar to hide the PVC coupling as its white and my cooler is stained.

 

Thanks

Farmer’s. Market Stall

Submitted by Cockroach on Wed, 12/22/2021 - 13:31

I made this for my daughter this year for Christmas. I’m pretty proud of how it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Children's Table and Chairs

Submitted by jjunge08 on Mon, 01/01/2018 - 10:43

I made this table and chairs for my 1 year old nephew.  He is still a little small for it but the table and chairs are both very sturdy.  The table top is a one piece, 24 x 36 ,edge glued pine board.  I used the one piece table top as an alternative to screwing the 3 boards together.  I followed the plans for the table for the most part.  As for the chairs,  I followed the plan to build the seat base.  For the legs of the chairs I took advise from carongirls' table and chair brag post and used 2x2's. I used 1x3's to stiffen the chair legs.  I also lengthened the table legs and chair legs by 2 inches.  

 

Estimated Cost
Table and Chairs - $50-70

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White and Gray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fireman's Dog Bed

Submitted by FireWolf13 on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 12:06

I needed a heavy duty dog bed for my puppy after he destroyed two regular dog beds. I used 4x4s, 2x4s and fire hose. He has not been able to destroy this one and he loves it.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

SoCaliforniaMel

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 15:48

I have a pit bull. Shes the sweetest thing but loves to chew up her own beds. She wont chew the shihtzus bed or the cats beds just her own. I'd like to see her try this one out.
;) Now if I could figure out a way to get my dad to give up one of his fire hoses. hehe
Great job, great idea
~Melody

dr2112

Sun, 02/01/2015 - 10:41

How would I go about getting a copy of the plans for this?

Buffet

Took awhile to build but it’s done with 90% reclaimed wood

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

Garden Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/03/2022 - 09:31

Second project ever! Came out pretty nice in my opinion!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Murphy Bed

Submitted by Newfey on Fri, 07/19/2013 - 14:59

This is a Murphy Bed that I made for my daughter Alicia for their getaway home at Canadian Lakes, MI. Due to limited space i had to make it horizontal instead of the normal way of being vertical. It really comes in handy and takes up very little space.

Finish Used
Red paint mixed with Baking Soda
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 07/19/2013 - 15:17

Looks great! Love the color and the trims you used. Where did you find your hinge hardware? PS- How did you like the baking soda paint? I've tried ASCP which was good but very pricey, and last time made my own with some plaster of paris. Your finish is lovely.

Newfey

Sat, 07/20/2013 - 18:47

I bought the spring hardware on line. I can't take the credit for the paint as my daughter did that part. She loves the way that the baking soda and paint covers everything and it is a whole lot less expensive than buying the commercial stuff.

Pantry Spice Rack

Submitted by SaraLodise on Tue, 08/06/2013 - 13:35

Love this simple plan! I took down a wall in my kitchen and, when cleaning out the cabinets, I found crazy amounts of spices. With this it's so easy to see all of them and find the one you want.

I did shift the shelves to make two 3 1/2" shelves and this made the bottom shelf 9" for some taller things. I found that I could not fit my shorter spice containers in the very top shelf due to the hanging board in the back of it. The hanging board may have been thicker than used in other's builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer & some left over interior paint from previous house owners.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

OptimusGoof

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 12:55

I love how you shifted things around to accommodate for the bottom taller items. I need something exactly like this so I can tame the wild animal that is my pantry. Thank you for the inspiration. Great build!

RandyW

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 14:46

Is that a solid door? If not, how did you anchor it?

DIY Kids Art Table

I'm so excited Ana created plans for this table!  When I first came across it on Pottery Barn Kids it was love at first sight. :D  I built it over the weekend for my little toddler.  Unfortunately, he's too short for it, but he'll grow into soon enough. :)  (I secretly wished it was an art table appropriate for my height!)

It cost me about $75 to build.  I splurged and bought select pine boards for the project.  The art table was also my submission for September's Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest.  September's sponsor is General Finishes and the theme was geometry!

Now, I just need to build matching seats! I love the little stools Ana built; maybe I'll do something sorta like that. :)  

 

Thank you Ana for inspiring me to build!

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes Milk Paint (Snow White), Acrylic craft paints for the geometric pattern, ECOS Paints Woodshield in Pine Needles for the cubby stain, and ECOS Paints Gloss Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cedar deck box

Submitted by JMG on Wed, 07/06/2022 - 19:47

I had to modify these plans to use what I had on hand. I used left over cedar fence pickets (planed down and sealed) and adjusted the size to fit all my outdoor cushions. Overall dimensions are 49" wide x 28" deep x 26" high. I also used 2x4's instead of 2x2's because that is what I had in my shop. I added 1x3's around the top to fit snugly instead of using hinges (again trying to use what I had on hand). We get A LOT of rain in the summer so hopefully the cushions will stay dry. I also added some screen left over from the screened in porch to the bottom before adding the "floor" to keep bugs out. I just stapled it to the frame before adding the floor boards. I did add a piece of treated 1/4" plywood under the top in hopes of keeping the rain out.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments