Community Brag Posts

Industrial Media Console

Submitted by zjlawlor on Sun, 12/28/2014 - 11:12

I built this media console for my brother. When I first started woodworking he showed me an entertainment center that he liked on Etsy and I did my own twist on it. I started with Ana's media console plans and made some modifications to get my basic structure. I cut down some cool pallet boards to use for slats and fill in the bottom. From there all I had to do was figure out how to work metal! This was by far the toughest part. Using a bunch of angle iron, expanded metal, and hex bolts, I was able to achieve the look I was going for. No welds! Granted, it would likely look better with welds, I did not have the tools or the know-how. I also ordered the 5" industrial casters for this project which I had in mind for the start and really love the look.

Estimated Cost
About $250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I was going for more of a grey color to match my brother's other furniture. Used an earth stain and poly mix I found. Did 3 coats with light sanding in between each, and after my final coat I sanded down the slats to let the pallet boards character show through.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

6'6" X Frame

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 08:40

I built this 6'6" X Frame and two beches in my shop this week. I used biscuts to hold the top together and jointed and planed the entire thing prior to the build. It will be finished off with a Dark Walnut color.

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

Storage Bench For the Mudroom

Submitted by romanweel on Fri, 02/22/2013 - 11:00

This was for our mudroom, obviously. I wanted to use up some ply that I had ill-advisedly had the store cut into quarters, so each of my storage compartments are 48" long, supported in the center by that divider piece you see in the second pic.

The beauty of DIY of course, is that you can modify everything. But if you do, you spend a week on a 4-hour project (but you do use up a lot of scraps). I cut nearly every piece out of plywood with the exception of the 1x3 front legs. It was time-consuming, but I think it was worth it as it allowed me to impulsively deepen the storage from 3.5" to 5". It also meant I only had to purchase the cedar, one pine 1x3, and a hinge.

The top is bare cedar boards which we'll allow to weather naturally. The hinge is the longest piano hinge they had at the blue store at about $7. The white is just a base Behr ultra with no tint because it's classic and we already had it.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

yurra-bazain

Mon, 03/18/2013 - 10:41

Now I may have to copy you on this one, some day in the distant future when I finally get to our garage entry renovation. :) Looks great!

Grand Champion Planked Sideboard

Submitted by adobbins29 on Tue, 12/30/2014 - 17:41

My son built this project for the local youth fair and livestock show and won Reserve Grand Champion in woodworking.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum restore kit for kitchen cabinets
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 12/30/2014 - 20:05

What an awesome build! Beautifully done! The award is well deserved! Love the finish and the details!

Wood Closet Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/09/2021 - 06:38

This plan turned out perfect!! Such a great idea, thank you for the inspiration!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

apothecary shoe cabinet

Submitted by Ginal5 on Sun, 02/24/2013 - 15:10

Absolutely love my new shoe cabinet! Saw the original plan on Pinterest in distressed black. Downloaded and asked hubby if he would build this for me and he did! I finished it with Colonial White oil base paint and distressed it with sand paper, hammer, steel wool and paint spatters.

One of the coolest features .... the knobs which are wooden thread spools cut in half.

The cabinet holds 11 pair of shoes and 3 pair of short boots.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil based Colonial White.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Master Closet System for flipped house

Submitted by donnamarie on Sat, 01/03/2015 - 11:31

I built Ana's Master Closet System for a flipped house.  The closet was a large walk-in, approximately 6'W x 15'L.  I pretty much used Ana's plans as written, with some tweaking in shelf length for a custom fit.  I used beadboard in the back for a built-in look, and 1x1/2" boards to trim out the edges.  The entire closet was plywood, which was cut, primed, and painted before install.  The pictures are the completed project and before the trim was installed.

During the house sale, the closet impressed potential buyers more than any other feature.  This was my first build from Ana's plans, and now I'm hooked.  I am currently renovating a 1910 home and plan to use Ana's site for everything from built-in's to furniture.  Thanks Ana for such a fantastic site!

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
two coats of primer followed by two coats of Sherwin Williams Dover White semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pantry Shelving System

Submitted by hstreat on Fri, 03/31/2017 - 20:23

DIY Home Project:

 

So I wanted to help my Wife Patty with reorganizing and reclaiming the usable storage space in our laundry room/pantry.

 

As you can see, in the before and after photos, we had quite a bit of clutter with the limited storage space, so I designed a two section shelving system to maximize use of the upper dead space in the pantry while adding additional shelving for increased storage and better organization.

 

The two sections are built 48' square with a frame base added to the bottom of the lower section.

The tops of each section are measure at 49 1/2" to create a 3/4" overhang on each side.

 

Estimated Cost
$35-40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
BEHR Premium Plus Ultra 1 gal. Ultra Pure White Eggshell Enamel Interior Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

AT & T Park Bed

Submitted by Auntie LAD on Tue, 02/26/2013 - 08:07

My 7 year old nephew, Jack loves the San Francisco Giants, so my brother and I decided to create an AT & T Park bed using Ana's Camp Loft Bed plans as a guide. I started with the scoreboard to hang above the bed. The teams are all hand painted and hung with Velcro so Jack can arrange the teams according to their current league standings. He can also decide who he wants to play and change the teams on the actual scoreboard, which is painted with chalkboard paint.

The bed was created using Ana's plans. We added brick facade columns to make it look more like AT & T Park. The columns have shelves in the back built in for storage. I found some great Giants stickers and added them as well.

Under the bed, I built a locker using Ana's Small Locker Cabinet plans for Jack to hang and store all of his athletic gear.

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

Comments

heatherfabris

Sun, 01/26/2014 - 12:04

Wow, this bed is fantastic. My 4 year old son saw this picture and asked if I could make him one.

I was wondering if you would share your plans with the modifications making it with the bookshelves.

Thanks,
Heather

sftball09

Wed, 11/19/2014 - 20:15

Can you tell me what the scoreboard is made out of? I know chalkboard paint is used but what did you paint on? Wood, corkboard?

Panel Single Bed

Submitted by JaredR on Sun, 01/04/2015 - 12:42

  After looking high and low for a solid wood bed that wouldn't break the bank for my daughter's 3rd birthday I discovered this site and the plans for the Twin Panel Bed.  The plans were easy to follow and I managed to build this entire bed with nothing but a mitre saw, a 4" electric sander, a power drill, and an R3 Kreg Jig. 

  I made a few modifications to the original plan, such as dropping the headboard height to 54", using baseboard moulding instead of  crown on the top of the headboard, and not using moulding around the feet of the footboard.  It was simply finished with 3 coats of a white melamine finish paint I had left over.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$375.00, all wood was bought at a Canadian Lowes. I used cedar 2x4 because of the smoother finish which were about $9 for an 8' length.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
CIL Realife white melamine paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

cableguy2006

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 05:10

Wow this looks amazing. It's so much better than the original plans. I want to copy cat your build. Are there any additional specifics you can provide to help me or just any tips or tricks. What kind of hardware did you use for the railing?

JaredR

Mon, 01/05/2015 - 14:22

I pretty much used the original directions but subtracted the additional height from the legs of the headboard. I highly recommend getting 2x4 that are semi-sanded like the cedar ones I used, the time you save is more than worth the extra cost. To attach the rails I just used the Kreg Jig and made 3 pocket holes on the 1x10 and 2 on the 2x4 that supports the slats, so there are 10 screws holding up each rail in total. Looking back i probably should have used metal brackets to make it easier to take apart if necessary, but that's a lesson learned I guess.

cableguy2006

Sun, 01/11/2015 - 15:36

ok awesome, so you subtracted from the original 74" length on the headboard feet? so its 20" shorter, did you just subtract those same 20" from the length of the plywood as well?

Ladder Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/23/2021 - 07:18

These plans were modified slightly from your bathroom storage shelf plans to make a bookshelf for my daughter. Made from cut-offs and spare wood. Fun little project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5-10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Pure White enamel paint applied with a foam brush and sanded in between for a smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Flat Book Shelves

Submitted by amberhibbs on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:18

I built these shelves with my husband while super pregnant out of scraps I had leftover from the Dream Dollhouse and painted them with some leftover paint from another project. We used a finish nail gun and they went together really quickly.

If I was going to do it again I would skip the top rail. It makes big books more likely the lean out over the edge unless you keep if full.

Estimated Cost
Free
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I gave it two or three coats of Glidden Brilliance Parchment White in Semi-Gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic X Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/06/2017 - 10:37

My wife and I just finished our version of the Rustic X Console. We had never built a piece of furniture before and after buying the tools could have probably purchased one for the same price, but it was worth it. We added the barn door hardware and made a door to mimic the X design of the ends. Also added back pieces to hide the Wires. Now on to the coffee tabes to match. Fun project. The finish is grey and walnut stain wiped on together and a gray wash over that.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 in materials and hardware...much more to buy the tools to build it.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut and grey stain painted like a 3 year old then wiped off with a grey wash of paint diluted with water also wiped off until we liked the results.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Bed

I built this using tongue n groove boards instead of 1x6's and it added some dimension to it. I also made it higher to allow for storage under. Turned out pretty good

Estimated Cost
250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rhyan Console TV Table

Submitted by stacynabby on Sat, 03/02/2013 - 19:27

Modified slightly from the Rhyan Console design to include glass front doors so I could display some books and have remote access to my electronics for the TV.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Hannah's Bookcase

Just modified the size to fit a townhome bedroom. Love that even as a two year old, she is able to climb all over these and not damage it in the least. Though the white walls are now crayon decorated. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Ipswich Pine
White & Green & Pink Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Providence Table..

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/09/2017 - 08:49

I wanted a table that we saw on DIY Pete and it led us to Ana White's plans. It took us almost a month to build, our first build and work/kids/design changes, but it finally has come together.. We did make it longer and wider because we wanted to be able to host family gatherings comfortably. I am in love with this table and how it turned out.. The directions were easy to follow, unless you tweaked the measurements but still, it was a no brainer! Thanks for the fun project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 for wood
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modern Adirondack Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/07/2021 - 15:38

Love it! . I used a clear coat. Usually I have a hard time getting up from this type of chair...Not this one. Now I have a few more to build.😇I rounded the edges to make it less sharp. I am new to wood working.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spar Urethane. I will use a deck finish next build.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Andrea's Sewing Table

Submitted by Ben Ben on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 18:07

I built this table for my wife and I love how much space this table saves when it's all folded up.

More pics and details on our blog: http://bendrea.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/andreas-sewing-table/

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 09:22

I really like the way you used the brackets instead of legs. I've wondered about the legs getting in the way, too. Obviously when you changed the measurements to fit your space you also made the "wings" of the table top shorter than in the original design. How big are they? What is the finished width/length of the tabletop when it is opened up?

Ben Ben

Wed, 03/06/2013 - 18:34

Yep, I made the table a bit smaller to fit our place. I only made them 12in x 24in. But if I had more room, I wouldn't hesitate extending the wings to 18+in x 24in. The brackets are very stable and could easily handle larger leaves. The table fully opened up is 39.5in x 24in.