Community Brag Posts

This project evolved from us purchasing the wrong foam to go under 4 area rugs.  After it didn’t work for the first rug, we had 3 more rolls of the stuff that we couldn’t take back to the store (we had waited too long to do a return).  I originally had intended to buy an inexpensive sectional sofa for the downstairs family room, but with all this foam staring at me, I decided to put it to use and make sofa cushions.  There was enough foam to do a whole sectional!

The sofa frame is based on Ana’s Outdoor 2x4 Sectional sofa.  I adjusted the size, because the fabric I wanted to use was 54” wide, and that would fit nicely around a 22” deep x 4” thick cushion.  Each cushion is 11 layers of the foam (seat cushions: 67 x 22 x 4, backs: 67 x 18 x 4). That length for the cushions fit exactly into the 8 yards of fabric available on the bolt.  The next week I ended up going back for some more fabric for the corner cushion and an ottoman that's in work. 

I had the frame assembled and was ready to add the final upper back pieces, when Hubby suggested we give it a slanted back.  That required a little re-engineering and a couple of extra boards on the back and armless end.  Instead of using 2x4s the full length for the seat, I had used some 1x2 furring strips reclaimed from another project.  Also used some of those for the upright pieces for the backs.  Added some 1x6 to top the arms and ½ x 3 ½” craft boards to the front to hide the cut 2x4 ends.

The cushions are covered in a polyester faux tooled suede (fabric from Hobby Lobby).  The cushion covers are slightly loose on purpose, to give the nice worn squishy look that a real soft leather sofa cushion would have.

It’s surprisingly comfy and we love the look! 

I got all the wood from the dump. The best way to get a good glue up for the table top is joint the sides flat, and then hand plane the top for a smooth surface. Gorgeous table for nothing.

We made it a little shorter to act as a coffee/cocktail table on the deck. Comes in handy for homebrew too!

Thanks for the plans Ana!

I stuck to the design but changed the dimensions to suit the space and the boxes we intend to store. This made the shelves 7.5 feet high by 8.5 feet wide. The timber was supplied in 17’ lengths so this also meant very little wastage. The frame is composed of 2x4’s, the shelves are 4.5 x 1.5’s  - as I wanted the shelves slightly shallower this meant I could get away with three boards for each shelf instead of 4 as on the plans. 

For the short cross pieces I used woodglue and screws – to attach the long shelf pieces I just used screws. I predrilled holes in the first piece for each of the screws, but I didn’t drill a pilot hole in the next piece, the screws were self-tapping and didn’t need one.

The back wall is concrete block and I screwed each upright to the wall using wall plugs and screws. I’ve 2 young children and as the shelves are quite high I was afraid they might climb on them and tip them over otherwise. The attachment to the wall definitely makes the whole thing feel much sturdier – the structure is completely rigid.

The only real issue I encountered was that some of the boards were slightly twisted or warped – and I had to apply some force to keep everything square when I was gluing up. Overall I’m very happy with the end product, and found it reasonably easy to put together. Now its time to put the shelves to good use and start tidying up the garage!

I built my girls' beds using two of Ana's plans. I used all whitewood boards for the construction. It took a few hours to build both beds and I love the result! I used my brad nailer and gorilla glue for both the headboard and bed base. I also used drywall screws (my fav) to attach the bottom bed pieces. You can see more details at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/01/beds-finished-well-almost.html !

We reworked the plans for the pottery barn inspired bed into a toddler sized version. Arms were added near the head to prevent our child falling out in the first year. They ended up being something of a hazard in those early days, as our child kept hitting her head. If we were to recreate it, we would make the arms go up higher or without the finished top. The bed also was not lifted off the ground in as great of a proportion to the original.

The pine is left untreated and unfinished. The only glue used was homemade milk glue.

I used Ana's plans and Hillary's suggestions to build this extra large buffet.  It took probably 25-30 hours if you consider the extra trips to Home Depot and Lowe's because I didn't yet have the proper tools.  I used Annie Sloan's French Linen as my base coat, Old White as my dry brush coat, Annie Sloan Clear Wax throughout and Dark Wax in the crevices.  This was my first big league build, so I had to recruit a skilled neighbor for assistance with the drawers and doors.  My two recommendations would be to ensure the piece is square at every step, and to cut the wood as you go.  Don't make all the cuts at once because there will be adjustments.

Great project and fun to do. I've actually made 6 tables off this same plan, all different sizes,from 4ft. To 8ft.. 

My husband built the table and benches and I applied the finish. It pretty much took us most of two weekends, but was well worth it. We learned that we should have used kiln dried wood for the table top, since ours warped pretty significantly. We will most likely replace the planks on top of the table in the near future. Also, the plans for the length of the bench don't allow for the benches to be pushed in under the table. The supports get in the way (make sure your measure!). I used Minwax Ebony stain and wiped it off quickly after applying it, so that the wood would show through. I also used a satin finish to keep true to the vintage look, yet give the table some protection from the elements.

Adjusted the dimensions to make it smaller. I used scrap plywood and mdf for the base. I used oak for the top. I routed the top instead of using edge trim. I added a USB charging outlet on the table top that plugs into an outlet.

Easy project and fun to do!

I built this table back in May so a little late posting. It is the second Modern Farm Table that I've built. The first was built for my sister and this one for my nephew and his partner. I am very happy and so are they with how it turned out. Thanks again Ana for your plans.