Community Brag Posts

Rustic Kitchen Island

Submitted by meggeh on Wed, 08/19/2020 - 17:19

5 8’ 2x4s were not enough. I could not figure out how to get the needed cuts from 5 boards. We had to go back and get more (a 3 hour round trip) which didn’t help with keeping costs down.

I’ve wanted this built for a looong time and finally roped my husband into building it for me. We used cedar. 2x8s weren’t available so we substituted for 2x6s. We have 6 of those boards across the top, making a few inches of overhang on either side. I liked it just as it was so I didn’t trim the ends of the shelf boards.

The top is stained with pure tung oil for waterproofing. The frame and shelves are painted with milk paint stain. 2 coats of this left it pink until a light coat of tung oil brought out the nice darker colour. Waiting for the tung oil to dry killed me because I wanted to be able to use it right away.

Estimated Cost
About $340 CAD in lumber
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Tung oil & milk paint stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bed side table

Submitted by asmith1856 on Sun, 11/04/2012 - 13:32

Modifed bed side tabe

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

Comments

Simple Armoire

This project actually was a lot bigger than we thought it would be. Hubby and I are almost newbies, and we thought we could knock this off in a week or two! It actually ended up taking us 6 months to finish, although to be honest we didn't work on it consistently.

We needed a replacement for an old coat closet that was falling apart, and decided to tweak the design for the simple armoire to fit what we need, which is basically coats, table cloths, shoes, and just about anything else we want to hide away in our dining room. It's 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide. Since we couldn't find 18 inch wide wood planks, and aren't skilled enough to make them yet, we went with a hardwood plywood and covered the edges of the plywood with iron on veneer. It turned out very well; you can't really tell that it's plywood unless you know what you're looking for.

I will say that I couldn't find the kind of hinges called for in the plans, not even on the internet. So hubby and I went with 1 inch non-mortise hinges. They worked well, though they were a bit hard to hang for a couple of novices.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300-$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I brushed on Zar Provincial oil stain and finished with two coats of Minwax satin poly (three coats on the doors).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

See-Saw

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 12/10/2016 - 15:27

The see-saw was the hit of my nephew's two year old birthday party. Multiple kids played on it at once.

Estimated Cost
$75 in California
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Big Kids Picnic Table

Built using Ana Whites plans for a Bigger Kids Picnic Table. Used pressure treated 2x4 for frame (legs and supports), 2x4 and 2x6 pine (fir) for table top and bench. Finished with Cabot's semi-transparent redwood stain and sealer.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50.00 plus screws and finish
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot's semi-transparent redwood stain and sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Toy Cabinet

Submitted by Mdcary on Tue, 11/06/2012 - 11:36

Originally the plan was to build bookcases for the family room using Channing Bookcase plan but after the wood was cut, priority switched to 2 year old Nathan's bedroom so I just flipped the height to the length and only added one shelf. Instead of a solid backing we decided on wainscotting for added interest.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore paint
Minwax ploycoat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X End Table

Submitted by MCAAP on Wed, 08/27/2014 - 16:59

This was my first shot at something more technically challenging than a simple desk. it was a fun project and I will probably going to make a few other pieces that have the metal accent hardware. We love the look of the dark stain (Rust-oleum, Kona) along with the blackened brackets. turns out the Kreg Jig drill bit was the perfect size for the 3/8" bolt I threaded into the lower legs

Estimated Cost
I'm unsure of the cost because I used a supply of wood I purchased months beforehand for a different project that I never started. The brackets for the corners cost about $12 at Lowes. I remember them being pricier than I expected... Sorry, folks =(
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-oleum, Kona flavored and a poly sealer to protect it from the kid's drinks =/
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2 for Christmas

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/13/2016 - 16:52

Adk chairs for my nephews 

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Farmhouse Table w/ Matching Benches for the Dining Room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 15:00

This was a relatively simple job and saved hundreds of dollars versus buying a new one in the store. Distressed the wood myself and modified the plans to fit our space. Minimal tools and woodworking skills were needed. A big shout-out to Ana White for the DIY plans.

🍒 Here is a video I shot to show the final project➔ https://youtu.be/tnskR5J-8Mo

Good luck!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark stain and three layers of poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Gazebo Enclosure

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/22/2024 - 08:52

We’ve owned this open gazebo for a few years and thought how nice it would be if it were enclosed, so i framed in the base using deck boards and wood siding, built a screen door and framed it. Added outdoor shades and furniture, and a TV of course. The blinds hold in the heat of the gas fire pit on chilly evenings. We live in MN and now we can enjoy our screen gazebo 3 seasons. Fred Vollbrecht

Washer and Dryer Pedestal

Submitted by terrikness on Sun, 11/11/2012 - 15:49

Got this idea from your website! My father in law was in town for the week so he built it for me! I love it!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted white
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

camp loftbed playhouse conversion

Submitted by ladydi on Sat, 08/30/2014 - 02:02

We loved the playhouse loft bed, but not the complexity or cost of materials. Then we found the camp loft bed with stairs. It was mostly 2x4 and 2x6 construction. We then cut out holes in plywood for door and windows then screwed it to the bed frame. The other deviation from the plan was making the stairs steeper we needed them to take less space. We just used 2x6 for the stringer and treads. the stairs are at a 30 degree angle instead of a 45. We also attached the rails using brackets from Rockler. This bed is super sturdy. Beware - it took us about 3 days from buying wood to painted completion. For the paint, we just used semi gloss latex, but my paint person recommended a paint additive called Floetrol to make the paint self leveling and prevent brush marks - it really does work well. Materials including wood, brackets, mattress and paint cost us around $500.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex wall paint - semi gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

krissy2696

Wed, 07/06/2016 - 10:16

Did you leave it in a few pieces and then put it together fully in the bedroom? How big is the bedroom? We are adding a slide and using a ladder instead of stairs. Thanks! Yours looks great!

Country Pie Safe

We recently moved from Washington state to Maryland and the house we rented didn't have a pantry. I decided after searching pintrest that this would be the perfect addition to the house and it could add to our kitchen storage. I am completely happy with the finished project.

Estimated Cost
$115.00 for paint and wood
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Helper tower!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/21/2016 - 12:50

My husband made this for our son! He uses it everyday and sometimes our 5 year old does too! Best idea ever!!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted it white!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pantry Door Spice Rack

Submitted by HR Dad on Wed, 09/02/2020 - 18:11

First I had to flip the pantry door from opening into my small pantry to opening out. Doing this allowed me to utilize back of the door for this spice rack. Frees up quite a bit of space in our cabinets, drawers and pantry for other items. Substituted braided picture frame wire for the wood dowels; still keeps all items secure on the shelves but also allows for more flexibility when dealing with canister sizes that are very close to the amount of space in between shelves. Already had the paint from doing some baseboards as well as quarter inch ply. So, final cost was for 1x4's and 1x6's coming out to about $30

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30.00.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Equal parts Behr Premium Plus Semi-gloss interior and Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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