Community Brag Posts

Little Red Barn Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/04/2023 - 12:58

This was an Ana White plan. My first outside project. Late husband left me with lots of tools so decided I’d teach myself woodworking. Thanks Ana White for the super easy plans. I tweaked them a little especially the outside look. I put a single fold down door for the pullout tray. Put a hinged ladder for easy clean out attached to clean out tray.

Comments

Cal. King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by netterj on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 19:56

My brother built my bed by not following my directives but I love it anyways. We(he) made some changes for a look I wanted and it only took a day to build. The sanding and painting took the longest. My son liked it so much he built a queen size for his girlfriend. His first build. His is the black one.

Estimated Cost
145.00 to 175.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
semigloss dove white paint/primer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

goingfor3

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 06:08

Wow! That is awesome! How cool to tell people when they ask about your bed. A year ago, I would've never thought of making my own bed, now all I want to do is build a house and all the furniture in it! I absolutely love your bed, and actually bought one very similar. Wish I would've seen this first :)

FergieW (not verified)

Tue, 06/26/2012 - 16:20

Is the black one painted or stained? I can't really tell on my old school iPod lol thanks

Pantry

This is my second big project. Our home is rather small and my wife was in desperate need of a pantry. I was worried how well I could do with making everything square. I used 3/4” birch plywood for the case and shelves. The shelves are permanently attached with Kreg screws and glue. I used a HVLP gun I purchased from Harbor Freight to spray on the primer. I was really impressed with its performance…especially since I had never used one..lol. I painted the interior of the top doors with Valspar chalkboard paint and it works great. My wife chose to use colors that would match the existing colors of the kitchen. Had a lot of fun with this one.

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

Comments

Jonjo

Mon, 09/21/2015 - 21:35

Wow! It turned out great! Nice work! We would love to do a project like this! Would you provide any information on dimensions/plans that you followed to give us a jumping off point to planning our own pantry? Again, love the design!

Cedar Planter

Very simple to make and looks very nice.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

jimblackjim

Wed, 11/11/2020 - 08:38

This was a fun, easy project. I built two of them. The pickets that I used were 3-1/3” wide. I used five per panel resulting in an 18” (vs. 17”) wide panel.

For those who have difficulty sourcing cedar locally, check out this link for a fence panel kit sold by Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Outdoor-Essentials-3-1-2-ft-x-8-ft-Western-…

~$80 with free delivery. Just enough for two planters. I ripped one of the 2x4s down to make two 2x2s for the legs. The other 2x2 I ripped down to make more 1x4s. Since these ended up being 1/4” wider than the pickets in the kit, I used them as the bottom cross pieces on the panels.

They look great and my spouse loves them!

Coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 16:02

My first build

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Toy box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 12:53

I made this toy box for a couple that I worked with. They like it so much, that they asked me to make them two more

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by kaytrishjr on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 06:44

The Farmhouse bedside tables I made for my bedroom.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Sedona Red Satin with 3 coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Shoe storage bench and coat rack

Submitted by SeanLC on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 10:07

Very easy project, just have to put stain and coat hangers on and all done. 

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Min wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Narrow console table

Attempted this plan, but I used 2x12 boards and made it 5ft long for my wife's coffee station.

Estimated Cost
40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tall Wood Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/15/2023 - 11:51

Thank you, Ana, for providing such great plans and video so I could accomplish the mailbox planter. It took me a lot longer than it did you, but I got it done! Had a hard time finding cedar pickets in my area, but ended up using the dog-eared ones as that's all I could get. Keep up the phenomenal content on your site...it is very much appreciated!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Storage bookcase inspired by Grace's Bookshelves

Submitted by sach on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:38

I wanted a prettier way to store my kids toys in the family room, but was having a hard time finding something with the right dimensions. I modified Grace's Bookshelf to fit my space needs. This is my first furniture build, so it's not perfect. I needed a lot of wood filler and it took forever to get the right finish. But I'm happy with the end product and am inspired to build more!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Primer, 2 coats of Valspar Java Brown, 2 coats of Minwax Polyshades in Bombay Mahogany. I'm hoping it holds up!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Yo Joe (not verified)

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 08:39

Just surfed your web site through Kres site. Was able to look at severial beds. I did choose one to make.

Thank You

Jeo Brenner

Adirondack Chairs for the Littles

Submitted by Robynsnest on Fri, 12/13/2013 - 13:26

These chairs turned out great. I have five grandchildren and made one for each. To cut down on arguments, I painted them all the same color and painted their names on their chair. This is a really sturdy chair they will enjoy for years!. Thank you, Ana, for the great plan in your book, "The Handbuilt Home."

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted with external Behr paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Parson Tower Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 06:38

Custom length Parson Tower Desk. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mini wax Dark Walnut with a Satin Polyurethane finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse coffe table

Submitted by vmederos on Fri, 10/04/2019 - 14:22

This was great easy project I could do for my wife while she was at work and surprise her before she came home. I use the same color recommended stain but added the valspar white glaze to makenit more gray and weathered look. Sealed with a matte finish.

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

Comments

Outdoor Patio Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/20/2023 - 09:32

Our outdoor furniture from Costco was falling apart but the cushions were still in great shape so I decided to design the furniture around the existing cushion dimensions. I used all Cedar wood and stained it with Australian Timber Oil Honey Teak stain. The table design was from a picture I saw on another site.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Entry Cabinet - My first piece

Submitted by Surly Duff on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 13:59

I found this website a while ago, but it was a while before I had an opportunity to utilize the plans as I have a long honey-do list of things around the house (insulation, installing new light fixtures, putting up crown moulding) that took priority. Well, I finally got some time and Hillary's locker cabinet was a perfect first project.

We have a small Cape Cod with no separate entryway, so our coats, shoes, bags, keys, and other accessories ended up on our windowsill or the dining room table, which was okay until dinner started and we had to clear it all off before eating. It was aggravating to say the least. So the narrow cabinet was the perfect solution. I made a few changes to the plan - added doors instead of drawers, and changed some dimensions to fit my space, and I also added trim pieces to the inside shelves to finish it off a little more - and it worked out great. The spaces between the doors and the trim are not even, and while that bothers me a little, I'll just have to improve on my next piece...and there will be a next piece. Soon.

Thanks Ana and Hillary!

Estimated Cost
$105 (paint and hardware incl.)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mystic non-toxic paint, sage green (I think).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Hillary (not verified)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 18:36

Great work! How did you like using Mystic Paint? I've heard about it before but haven't worked with it before. What sheen is it? Did it sand well?

Media Console

I built this media console several months ago. In the beginning I saw the one Ridge Media Console and loved it, but I don't have the right tools to make the drawers like the plans, so I decided to take a couple of plans to make mine different. I also wanted to build a console that was easy enough because I'm still a beginner. I also loved the Benchwright media console and used some of the plans to get what I wanted. The storage flips down by adding euro hinges. And I added doors. I added my own silver decorative pieces. At 1st I thought that was too much silver, but now I like it. When I first built it I would pass by it and had to remind myself I did not buy this at a store, but built it. I can't say how much it cost because frankly I'm not that organized just yet. Since I'm a beginner I go back and forth to Lowes getting something here and there. Lowes and me have this weird relationship. They wonder why I'm there AGAIN; and I just keep coming back, AGAIN. They better watch it, I may dump them for Home Depot - lol.

For the finish I used Rustoleum stains and finishes. I use this because I don't wipe them off and they dry quicker. I use one coat and it's done. Dries by the end of the day and ready for poly. I added the pic for the stain, but Lowes didn't have my colors on their website (shame on you Lowes).

The colors I used were 1 part black cherry and 2 parts dark walnut. I loved the colors so much I plan on using them for the rest of my builds in my living and dining rooms.

Finish Used
Rustoleum black cherry and dark walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Smaller Rolling Cart

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/28/2016 - 04:25

Wanted a Raskog cart from IKEA but honestly it was too small. Used scraps from my craft desk build and purchased the wheels from IKEA. Just need to finish her off. Love Ana's plans. This is my third build from her plans. 

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Will be pring with Killz and using Behr white high gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farm house bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 14:51

Found the plans on Ana’s website, not to hard to build and only ran about $200. Bed is made from white pine with the exception or the 4x4 post which are cedar because that’s all I could find that was untreated. I used an age excelerator instead of stain. It took me the weekend to build but I have 5 kids so there where lots of distractions. I added 5 inches to the height because my wife likes tall beds, and a 2x4 to the bottom of the headboard and footboard for added strength and I liked the way it looked. Get help moving head and foot boards around as they are heavy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Started sanding with 60 grit and finished with 120 to make it smooth and splinter free but with a little worn look. Then used an age excelerator which makes each board a little different but mostly grey. For some reason one side board turned out purple.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Folding Worktable

Made the portable worktable as my craft table. I'm limited on space so the fold down table was just the key. Thank you Ana. You are an amazing carpenter & inspiration to me. You make your plans so easy to read & follow. Thank you so much. I can't wait to make more of your plans. ❤️

Jodi Inman

 

Built from Plan(s)

Angirondack Chair

Submitted by angiemicn on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 03:40

I've always wanted an Adironback chair, now I have 4! This was inspired by Ana's Adironback chair. Because we're mad Patriots fans, the logo had to be painted on as well. For the seat, I made it wider, more curved, and alternated 1x2 and 1x4's to give it a beachy look. The arms are wide to hold beverages and chip bowls. All the curves were drawn by my daughter, the wonderful artist.
Super sturdy chair.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
sanded, stained with Black Onyx, watersealed with Thompsons waterseal. Patriots decal traced on, painted by hand, sprayed with Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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