Community Brag Posts

Sofa Console Table Bar Height for Dining

Submitted by ezematis1 on Mon, 01/23/2023 - 06:55

I took the basic idea of the Rustic X Console. Raised it to countertop height so I could use it for three stools. I also added a shelf so people sitting on the sectional could put drinks right behind them. Added a charging station to that shelf as well. Topped it with a live edge black walnut slab. Finally, I didn't use the X because the table was too high and the base was too narrow to make the X work. I used a tablesaw to cut a grove in the legs and then put a 1/4 plywood panel.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Adirondack chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2023 - 23:53

This was such a fun project. Your plans were spot-on and easy to follow. I am not a total beginner woodworker but not experienced either and I am so proud that I created these beauties with your help. They are adding so much to our curb appeal. I learned a lot and I got an education on pocket screws and the Kreg jig; I ended up buying the 520PRO. I am so grateful!! Thank you so much!

Comments

Wall Clock

Submitted by junkens on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 11:53

My wife wanted something to replace the wreath on our wall after Christmas and I was thinking of making her a large wall clock as a gift.  Plan meets opportunity and we just happen to be at Hobby Lobby at the time and so it began.   I used a piece of paneling for the face of the clock (same material as peg board without the holes about $8, enough to make two if I wanted) and built a wooden frame out of 1' X 2' s on the back that resembles a four pane window frame.  Painted the face and numbers, then printed our names and transferred them on to the face and followed up tracing them with a sharpie.  Affixed clocked to face and hung. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Nightstands

Submitted by DCecil43 on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 19:11

I used one of the plans found on the site but modified it by making mine 8 inches wider.  They are slightly higher as well to match what I replaced in our master bedroom.  This was actually the first project that I took on after looking at bedroom furniture for over a month and realizing how expensive cheap furniture is.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American Stain and Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mini Dresser for Jewelry and keepsakes

Submitted by JoanneS on Tue, 12/20/2011 - 13:32

These little dressers are inspired by Ana's Master Closet System drawers, and the Willy Bookshelf. These were made entirely from scrap wood, so it only cost me for the knobs and the felt for the drawers/bottom. These drawers were sized to fit inside the cubes in my vanity/desk, and to fit the left over wood available from my scrap bin. This took a while to cut everything, but it was fun and didn’t cost me anything but my time. On the top dresser I used some ‘slices’ of lauan for trim, to hide the cut edges and the bit of ‘cup’ on my side pieces (these were re-purposed old shelf boards from the garage). I used my finish nailer and glue for these.

Here’s a shopping and cut list (and a few tips) to make the 4-drawer equivalent (similar to the top one) with standard sized 1x12 lumber, and using 1x2 for drawer front/back/sides and applying 3/16” lauan ply for the bottoms. Haven't figured out how to use sketch up yet, so I can only provide a shopping list, cut list, and finished dimensions, so here goes:

Shopping list: (my 1x12’s are 11.25” wide and .75” thick, and 1x2’s were 1.5” wide, and .75” thick, and lauan is 3/16” thick)

1 pc 1x12x8
2 pc 1x2x8
2 pc 24” x 24” lauan (3/16’ plywood) (you’ll have some left over from the 2nd piece)
Felt - 4 pc 8.5” x 9.75” for insides of drawers, 4 pc 10” x 11.25” for drawer bottoms, and 1 pc 11.75" x 11.25" for dresser bottom. You can use 9 sheets craft felt (9” x 12”) for this – the 11.25” front – back measurement on the drawer bottoms is what’s most important –craft felt is 9” wide, and it’s OK if the felt doesn’t go all the way to the edges on the side-to-side measurement
(Sticky-back felt works and looks great, but costs a lot more than regular. I use sticky back on something I’m making as a gift, but these were for me so I just used regular felt and glued it in place with wood glue)
4 mini-knobs (Mine are unfinished ones from Ace, got for 2/$1.29 and spray-painted them)
Finish nails (I had 1 ¼” on hand) and plenty of glue
Finishing materials - filler, sand paper, plus paint/stain to suit your tastes

Cut list:
2 pc 1x12, cut at 2” (spacers - use these 'slices' for spacers while assembling, so the shelves are all spaced the same distance apart – this idea is from the Kreg jig demo video where they built the bookshelf). I like to cut these first, making sure they are nice and square. To me it’s easier and safer to cut these thin pieces from a larger piece with my miter saw.
2 pc 1x12 @ 11.75” (dresser top/bottom)
5 pc 1x12 @ 10.25” (2 for sides, 3 for shelves)
8 pc 1x2 @ 10” (drawer front/back)
8 pc 1x2 @ 9.75” (drawer sides)
4 pc 10” x 11.25” lauan plywood (drawer bottoms)
1 pc 11.75" x 11.75” lauan plywood (back)

Finished dimensions:
Dresser: 11.75” H x 11.75” W x 11 7/16” deep (includes back)
Drawer opening size: 10.25” wide x 2” tall x 11.25” deep
Drawer dimensions: 10”wide x 11.25” long x 1 11/16” tall (felt on the bottom of the drawer will make this height just a little taller)
Finished inside depth of drawer 1.5”, drawer inside dimensions 8.5” wide x 9.75” long

Finish: sanded, filled, sanded some more, and painted with some left over white paint, and used silver spray paint for the knobs

Assembly tips: Dresser part is constructed very much like the Willy bookshelf. The top and bottom are the same size on this one and the dresser bottom is applied the same way as the top of the Willy bookshelf. Once the bottom is on, use the ‘spacers’ to make sure the shelves are the same distance apart all the way up, then the top goes on last. 3/16” plywood goes on the back. Drawers are constructed like the master closet system drawers. Drawers slide directly on the shelves (and bottoms of drawers covered with felt) so no drawer glides are used. Applied the felt and knobs after sanding and finishing. Make sure the felt goes all the way from the front to the back of the drawer bottom, and is glued on thoroughly.

Estimated Cost
$10 (would be about $30 for materials for a 4 drawer cube done in whitewood)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint (left over)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 20:43

These are so neat! I wish I had enough jewelry to fill one!!

JoanneS

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 11:56

Thanks very much! For the ring drawer, I used a piece of 1" thick high density foam (I cut up a kitchen chair pad) and on top of this is a piece of sticky-back felt. I drew lines on the paper side and cut slits into the felt first, then stuck it on top of the foam, and cut into the foam following the slits, using a utility knife. I didn't cut all the way through the foam, but almost to the bottom. The slits go all the way across the foam (to about 3/4" from edge) to fit more rings in there, but you can also do individual slits for each ring (if you have more patience than me - haha). The other drawers have regular felt cut to size and attached with wood glue. (Sticky back felt inside the drawers would have worked fine too, it just costs more).

claydowling

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 16:55

I just built a gentleman's valet for my sister in law's boyfriend, partly to test out some joinery ideas, and partly because I found a beautiful piece of white oak in the discount bin while I was looking for something else at the lumber dealer. I was pretty impressed with myself, but it's got nothing on the ambition of this project.

Excellent work. I absolutely wouldn't have guessed it as a beginner project.

I'm almost certainly going to have to build a jewelry chest like this for my wife pretty soon. My dad just built my mom a nice one, and my wife will be wanting her own.

JoanneS

Sat, 12/24/2011 - 13:54

Clay, thanks very much for the nice compliment. I've seen your projects here and on your blog and they are beautiful, so I'm very flattered! I've edited my original post to include measurements and cut list for a 'regular lumber' equivalent to the top chest. Lots easier than cutting all those drawer sides out of plywood and 1x12 like I did with my 'prototypes'. :) The next one I do will be with regular size lumber. Thinking of building one for my Mom. Happy holidays!

Lucy Huynh (not verified)

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 00:26

do you sell these? Its awesome. I've been looking for a tabletop drawer to store my makeup but everything is made of plastic! I was actually googling to see if there was someplace I can do woodshop to make my own jewelry drawer but alas I dont have the skills nor do I have any tools. I really admire this drawer!

claydowling

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 04:56

Lucy, try looking for something like a Makerworks. These are communal workshops with space and tools that you can use for a fee or a subscription. I don't know how prevalent they are in most of the country. I live in a suburb of Detroit, and because of the large manufacturing base there are a lot of them around.

The more expensive ones offer classes where you can pick up basic skills on unfamiliar equipment, but even those "expensive" ones don't cost a lot of money. The inexpensive ones still offer training on their equipment, but less formally than a scheduled class.

One of the more interesting features of these places, at least around here, is that they have CNC machines available. A CNC machine would let you transfer sketchup drawings directly to cut parts. For a one-off item it's not worth the trouble, but if you wanted to duplicate an item it would be great.

Laundry Pedistal

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/31/2016 - 09:09

Been waiting to tackle this project for months. This was more for a place to put our laundry baskets while our laundry was being washed and dried. We come through our laundry area from our garage and so do most of our guests as our front door is a long way from parking. Tripping over empty laundry baskets no more. The opening for baskets is 11.5", which also elevated the opening to clear the dryer exhaust out and allow our units to push back a little closer to the wall. The floor and top were framed using 2x4's cut at 26" and a kreg pocket hole jig. 4x4 posts 11.5" were attached using the kreg jig and L brackets. 3/4" plywood sheeting the top and bottom cut at 55"x29". I did save a little money by only using one sheet of plywood. Full cut for the top, pieced together on the base in the back using excess from one sheet. 3.875" base moulding was used on the top and bottom to cover the seam where the 3/4" plywood sheet for the top and bottom meet the framing. The moulding on the top was inverted, and raised 5/8" over the plywood sheeting top to create a lip so the machines would not slide off the pedistal. Didn't want too much dressing up, I like clean, straight lines. A coat of primer, and 3 coats of semi gloss white paint. I put a sheet of the black rubber runner from Home Depot in the carpet roll area like Chris did, for some noise dampening to prevent our washer from walking at all. Tacked down with black carpet tack nails. The hardest part of the whole project was hooking the washer and dryer up in the tight space we have after getting the units on the pedistal. The dryer exhaust vent pipe in the wall is behind the washer, so I used adjustable rigid exhaust vent elbows to route the flexible exhaust duct through the pedistal, tacked it up to the underside of top with zip tie's and then up and around the side of the pedistal to the dryer exhaust port. All and all a very fun and rewarding DIMyself project. Thanks Sausha....

Estimated Cost
2x4's 10 @ $3=$30
4x4 $7
3/4" Plywood sheet $30
Rubber runner $10
L brackets $3
Drywall screws & paint already had $0
Total out of pocket cost $80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Kilz Primer Glidden semi gloss white
Brushed and rolled on
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bclute

Sun, 01/29/2017 - 16:40

Great looking build, thanks for the detailed photos!

Redwood Farmhouse Table and Bench

Submitted by nkukona on Mon, 07/22/2019 - 05:35

Farmhouse Table and Bench. Made from all redwood. Table is all new wood, and half the bench was from reclaimed redwood. Used Danish Oil and Spar Urethane to finish the tops, and paint to finish the legs.   

Estimated Cost
Not sure, but redwood cost a lot more than pine. Maybe $400 or so.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor buffet table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/05/2023 - 15:03

My first project using Ana White plans. Used pressure treated lumber and Kreg pocket hole jig. Cost: $126.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Simple Step Stool

Submitted by bblanchard on Mon, 10/07/2019 - 16:06

This step stool is my first project made from Ana White plans. It is perfect for my almost 2 year old daughter and it's become her new favorite toy! She likes to turn it upside down and ride in it like a boat :)

I love how simple and sturdy it is. It easily holds my weight (180 lbs), and I look forward to many years of useful fun from this great project. This was also my first project that incorporated beveled and angled cuts, but once I got started, it wasn't as intimidating as I initially thought. 

I had some leftover pieces of 1x10 and 1x3 pine boards from building a sidecar crib, so this was a perfect was to use the scraps. I used a table saw for cutting the 1x10s. My miter saw isn't large enough to accommodate 10 inch wide boards, but it was perfect for the 1x3s.

After assembling the stool the first time, I took it back apart and ripped the top down to 8 inches wide. I thought the stool had a tendency to tip with the full width of the 1x10. 

Can't wait to build more of these! For the next one, I'd like to try cutting half circles out of the bottom of the legs with the jigsaw instead of straight cuts and trying some decorative  cutout handles on the sides as well. 

Thanks, Ana!

Estimated Cost
10.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Honey stain by Minwax
Covered with one coat of triple thick polyurethane by Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Refreshment center console with barn door

Submitted by calcowoods on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 07:10

My wife and I built this Refreshment Console as a birthday present for our daughter. She had previously purchased a beverage refrigerator and wanted us to adapt it inspired by your barn door console project. Thus, we modified your plan to accommodate the height of the refrigerator. Also, she wanted three shelves with a closed back on the right side of the cabinet. Simply plan adjustments were all that was needed.

Using your plans, material list and excellent video we were able to construct the barn door rails and hangers using 1 ½ inch fender washers which sandwiched three 1-inch fender washers.  The metal bar was sized to fit the top of the cabinet and connected to the top trim board using spacers, washers and bolts.  As we decided to place a middle support for the bar, we added a t-nut into a center plywood partition so that we could use the same bolts, spacers and washers to support the rail.   

As we were following a rustic theme, we decided to add the X Braces to the barn door and used a project panel board as the top. The barn door is guided at the bottom using a simple U shaped metal bracket that we lined with felt for a smooth glide.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Top, barn Door and Bottom Trim treated with one coat of Varathane Aged Wood Accelerator using a rag to create a rustic brown look.
Cabinet carcass and surrounding trim painted with one coat of Behr Premium Plus Ultra Satin Finish Metropolis Grey.
Entire cabinet finished using MinWax Paste Finishing Wax Natural applied with a rag and buffed for a durable finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mobile Workbench

This is from Ana White's "Get the Job Done Workbench" post,

http://ana-white.com/2011/11/workbench-get-job-done

First project using my new Ridgid Sliding Compound miter saw/table and new Kreg HD Jig for pocket holes.

Thanks to my girlfriend for noticing that the depth worked out perfectly for resting three Rubbermaid Roughneck Totes underneath for holding clamps, tools, etc. Also added a paper towel holder under neath, a power strip and of course a bottle opener to the front. :)

Primer and some cheap $2.50 "Oops" paint from Lowe's finished the project.

Now I can move on to other projects and use this sweet new workbench!

Loved these plans. Super easy to follow and modify as needed.

And "Marty" in the photo also approves of the final product.

Thanks!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer + Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

RRPPBBSS@22

Fri, 08/12/2022 - 13:47

Adding to my prior comment, I thought the plans were different because it does not mention casters that I can see. I now see the bench is in the plans but no mentioned of casters other than comments. I will double check. Thank you.

Planter Porch Steps

Submitted by kstarbird on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 15:06

Plan modified to be built on stringers due to hight. 

Finish Used
Pending

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Faux Mantle

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/22/2016 - 04:14

My office faux mantle came out awesome thanks to Ana White. The only changes we made was that we used dental crown molding and we added the base. Other than that everything else was exactly according to the plans.

Estimated Cost
$180 using #1 pine from Home Depot
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We used Black spray semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Corner Media Console

Submitted by craw4dz on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:39

We had just moved into our new house and were using an end table for our TV stand I just didn't like it.  I found this and modified it so it's shorter and fits in our room better.  I also opted to not put doors on it and use it to display items instead.  This was a relatively easy build and I'm learning new things with every build I make.  It took about 2 days to complete not including filling holes/paint/stain.  I love it, it looks so great in our room and I am planning on building end tables to match as well as replacing our buffet with movies in it to match also.  Thanks for the easy-to-follow plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever white paint I had on hand (haha) and Varathane Kona with a satin poly for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Pantry Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/04/2023 - 14:49

Built in 5ft x 5ft pantry using pine panels as they were available in the widths we needed. Inspired by your pantry build video, thank you.

Rob Worsnop

Built from Plan(s)

Dining room plate racks

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/11/2016 - 15:21

We took the plans and customized them to fit the area around our windows in the dining room.  We also added a 1x6 to the top so we could fit larger items and added a trim piece.  We made the shelves different heights to accommodate our plates and added a shorter shelf on the bottom 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Advance Dove White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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