Community Brag Posts

Media Center

Submitted by brittanyj on Wed, 01/21/2015 - 08:59

Made this media center for a DIY TV show at my home and I think I'm proudest of this project!  It turned out so beautifully.  Shelf pin jig was used for movable shelves inside, ORB handles and knobs, a very smooth poly'd top, and plenty of room for our components.  The doors were the hardest part.  Being inset, they just didn't want to fit and would scrape the frame.  Lots of repositioning of the hinges.  The thick acrylic for the doors was a little difficult as well- it cut easily enough in the table saw, but screwing in threatened breakage.  It was also hard to fit them where their fasteners didn't compete with the knobs or shelves.  I also made the TV stand to match the media center (and because I didn't want to buy one!)  Love this project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
kona stain, poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

DIYER_MD

Wed, 01/21/2015 - 14:37

This turned out nice. I did notice that you are showing the pocket holes on the inside. In the future you can get the Kreg pocket hole plugs to fill these holes. You glue them in the holes and you can then sand them down even and you will not see any of the holes.

Great job.

Farmhouse Hall Tree

Submitted by brino on Sat, 05/29/2021 - 07:53

Added a shelf for plants at the top, coat hooks.
I mounted the back panel to the wall so I could remove the supports between the bench and the back panel.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Kitchen Table

Submitted by MikeB on Wed, 05/24/2017 - 09:27

My wife wanted an 8 foot long table, but wanted it to be a little narrower that as standard table. This one ended up being 97.5" x 29" I used a torch to scorch the wood then apply poly finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Standing/Walking Desk w/ Bookshelves

Submitted by SaraLodise on Sun, 06/04/2017 - 15:34

Standing/Walking desk with side bookshelves built in. Desktop folds up and out so keyboard is at correct level for my height while walking on treadmill. When folded down, keyboard is at acceptible level for standing on ground. Desk designed so that the small walking treadmill can slide under and be out of the way when not in use.

 

Lifting Hinges used are Woodtek Coffee Table Lift Mechanism:  https://woodworker.com/coffee-table-top-lift-mechanism-lr-mssu-164-228…

 

Estimated Cost
Lumber: (1) 23/32 Plywood 4x8, (1) 23/32 Plywood 4x4 = $45...Lifting Hinges: $57...Finishing: 2 pints of General Finishes Milk Paint + Acrylic Topcoat = $56...TOTAL = $160
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat of General Finishes 'Lamp Black' Milk Paint...
2 coats of General Finishes 'Basil' Milk Paint...
Sanded w/ 120 grit to achieve a distressed look...
1 coat of General Finishes 'Yellow Ocher' Glaze Effect for patina...
1 coat of General Finishes 'Flat on Flat' Acrylic Topcoat on high traffic areas
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Router Table

Submitted by benbutler on Sun, 04/21/2013 - 10:51

My wife has been asking for new dressers for the boy's room for a while now but every time we go out shopping for them I am very disappointed in the quality of what is available. So I decided to make them myself. I have not made any furniture before and needed a few tools to help me out and thought what better way to get both the practice and the tools then build my own router table.

I searched the web for plans and found these great ones. I loved these plans but wanted to make a couple of changes anyway. I decide to build the table top as well as the cabinet and decided to make it a little taller to fit me better. Due to the changes and making the table top it took me 2 days to finish, 1 day for the cabinet and 1 for the top and to put it all together. (Not having used a router before it took me a while to get the template just right to cut in the insert.)

It works great and looks great in my shop. Now on to the dressers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350 with the router
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

custom desk

Custom sized desk to fit between a radiator and wall. Combination of cubby desk with added lower shelving and upper hutch with shelf unit.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Desk top surface: 2 coats Minwax cherry stain plus finishing paste.
All other pieces:
1. one coat Kilz primer
2. two coats Behr off white satin
3. distressed with 220 grit sandpaper
4. Minwax cherry stain
5. one coat Minwax satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack Chairs and End Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 15:15

Hubby’s first Ana White project! Love these! Just need to stain.

Comments

Who's Afraid of the Simple Bed?

Submitted by QueenMahin on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 21:11

Building Ana’s farmhouse doll bed went so well that I felt ready to take on a full-sized bed.

Each project seems to come with its own set of lessons. I learned the hard way about the “Measure twice, cut once” rule with a couple of “oops” cuts that sent me back on another trip to the Blue store.

Sourcing untreated 4×4′s was also an issue. I ended up gluing and screwing 2×4′s together to use as the headboard and footboard legs.

The biggest issue, though, was my own fear. Sure I hit some stumbling blocks during the build, but resolved them and got the headboard and footboard all put together… and then choked. Who the heck makes her own bed? Is this really going to work? I delayed and delayed the final steps of screwing the siderails to the legs and attaching slats until I finally had to give myself a stern talking-to and a self-imposed deadline! Has anyone else ever been scared to push through to the final steps?

OK, here goes! I wasn’t sure that I understood the step about toenailing lagbolts through the end of the cleats into the legs until I got out the drill and tried it. Yup, it worked just fine! Next came the slats, and then when I hoisted the mattress on and saw that I had built a bed…. Well, I don’t even know how to describe that feeling of success and empowerment. Wow!

Ana, I wish I could thank you for all that you do.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint or Stain Color/Type:Minwax American Chestnut
Finishing Technique: Was stuck in indecisive mode for a while and sanded and stained and sanded and stained, which resulted in a kind of weathered looking finish. Not what I thought I was going for, but now I count this as a success story and I love it!

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy*farmhouse table and benches

Submitted by Michael M on Mon, 05/27/2013 - 08:52

Used pressure treated (copper) and will allow to fade to grey with sun and sea air. Built to enjoy PEI mussels, lobster and beer in the open air and not too worried about the finish or surface. The table took 3 hours, start to finish - benches x 2 took longer at about 7 hours. Am getting a little lateral movement with the benches so will replace the 1 x 3 spacer with 2 x 4 and may add a diagonal 2 x 2 support as well (to match the table). I don't have/didn't use a Kreg so that may be the issue...?
Plans on Ana White are fantastic - I made the see-saw this weekend too in about an hour....thanks!

Estimated Cost
$120 in wood and $20 in screws for table and benches
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor table and seating
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modified Ann White Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 17:07

This is a modified version of your Farmhouse Coffee Table.

Comments

A bench for a future table

Submitted by Al Lulu on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 14:59

This is the third project I've done from this site and the first that came out absolutely perfect. The others were GREAT but this one....it just soared.
Took me all of 1 afternoon to build and 3 days to stain and finish. I used Early American by Minwax to match the existing dining room table.
My goal is to build the table that goes with it.
But, for now, this is the perfect addition to the house.
One thing.
The plans for this bench call for 1x4s for the breadboards and that doesn't make sense. I think it's a typo.
You will need extra 2x4s to make the project really soar. But, heck, who can't use an extra 2x4 lying around?

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American
Varathane satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor 2x2 end table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/07/2021 - 04:19

I made the end table a little taller than the instructions and the top boards further apart for rain to fall thru, then drilled a hole so it can be used as an umbrella stand too!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Restaurant High Chair from scraps

This took me longer to build than I expected -- maybe because I was working from scraps and had to figure out what would fit where along the way. Also, I initially cut all the side pieces with parallel cuts. Oops. So I had to re-do them all.

For more info, check out my blog post!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$14 for paint and furniture glides -- had the rest on hand.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Gloss Cherry premixed paint by Valspar.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Queen Storage Bed with Drawers!

This was our third major building project (I've built some frames and small shelves in my free time but our other two big projects were the bunk beds and the tryde coffee table).

This was our first time cutting plywood boards and it was a huge chore at first, until we got the hang of it and built a good circular saw guide that cut our cutting time by more than half.

We couldn't find the type of drawer slides we needed so we decided to forget them and built our own wood slides. They basically are just L-shaped brackets made of 1x3 (on the bottom) and 1x2 (on the top), adjusted to the right spot to hold the drawers in place. A little candle wax (a trick learned from my husband's grandfather) is all you need to make them slide nicely. All in all, we built drawer slides out of wood for the about $20 total. Huge savings and honestly I think I like it better that way.

Things I learned during this project:
Plywood is a lot heavier than I ever imagined.
Cutting plywood is not fun.
I will never complain again about cutting boards with the miter saw!
Stainable wood putty is a joke. You can clearly see every spot I puttied. From now on we buy the colored stuff that already matches the stain!
Building drawers isn't scary--I thought it would be. I actually built all the drawers by myself in one morning, when hubby wasn't even around to help.
90-degree gripper things are a must have. And the more you have, the better.
Elmer's wood glue is really stronger than nails. We glued something and didn't like it and were unable to break it off so we had to nail it as it was!

This project took us nearly a month, but to be fair, I was out of town for two weeks of that time and this is definitely a project for four hands, not two.

Overall, it was a great experience and I'm so excited for the extra storage--our house is small but we don't want to move so we are trying to make use of every inch of space, without the house LOOKING like we are making use of every inch of space.

Next up: new bedside tables to match the bed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400-$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane American Walnut: two coats. Applied with paint brush, allowed to soak and then excess wiped with old socks (loved the old sock trick, thanks, Ana).

One coat of minwax semi-gloss poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Convertible Picnic Benches

With the condition of our inherited 6-sided picnic table in my mind, the idea of these picnic benches was too appealing to ignore!
I gave away our old picnic table, and bought some cedar 2x6 from the lumber mill down the road. (He had a pretty good price so I used 2x6 for everything)
I decided to make them 6feet long instead of 4, and with an overhang of 8 inches rather than two I was able to avoid making a third leg set.
I got everything cut and gave it all a coat of stain before I assembled anything and then screwed the boards together with cedar deck screws.
I discovered when I had the tabletop bolted on that the 2x6 caused some issue with the tilting, so I had to go back with a handsaw and trim the front top corners of the back legs so that the table could tilt to the bench mode.
I'm still puzzling out why I have a bit of play in the top when it's bolted in either configuration...
Now if only this chilly rainy weather would quit so we could put them outside and start enjoying them!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Naturaltone Exterior Stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Gallery-style ledge

Submitted by seesaw on Sat, 05/21/2011 - 10:21

This was a super easy and quick project. I actually lengthened it to 36 inches. I can't decide whether I need two ledges or not, but it won't take long if I need another one! My only suggestion- VERY straight boards are a must!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$4.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax natural oak
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Iron Board Holder

Submitted by Sunny4 on Sat, 02/17/2018 - 14:58

I had all that was need in my scraps:) Great project for this rainy day!!

Thanks Ana!

 

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Briarsmoke
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Adakaye on Tue, 07/28/2015 - 12:28

This project took a day to build and about four days to stain with a day of drying in between each coat. Great plans! I love my new couches!

Estimated Cost
$110- Wood, Douglas Fir studs at Home Depot
$30- Deck Stain, Merlot, Home Depot
$250- Cushions, Hallo, Ikea
$100- Fabric and pillow forms for extra pillows
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Deck Stain in Merlot Color
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mudroom Locker & Bench Completed Version

I had previously posted a work in process version, this is the completed project. Very happy with the results of combining the Easy Three Cube Bench and Small Locker Cabinet plans. If I had to change anything, I might widen the dividers to get a little more width, but this suits what we were trying to accomplish.

Learned something on this project, I hate painting! In the future when I know I am going to paint the completed project, I'm going to paint as much as I can before assembling.

Comments

Super Easy Bench (modified)

Submitted by spiceylg on Mon, 08/05/2013 - 16:44

We built this bench for the same women's shelter for whom we built the storage table and benches at their request. They wanted a place for the children to come in and remove their shoes. Since it was for children, we modified the height to be the same as the other small benches, 14". Leftover gray primer was used and they requested the same color scheme as the previous build. Therefore the leftover paint from the other project was used plus three coats of semi-gloss Polycrylic. I think the paint brand is Olympic. It was a joint effort between a friend, my husband and I. It was built in an evening, but I put a week long project because of the coats of primer, paint, and top coat with all of the drying time.

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

Comments

yurra-bazain

Fri, 08/30/2013 - 09:06

This is great! I love that you are still building things for the shelter! Your bench looks well-built and I am sure it will last them a lifetime.

Behind Closed Doors (Media Center)

Submitted by cbeach1717 on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 20:38

We used Ana's plans for simple bookcases and a larger but equally simple armoire to build a HUGE media center that could somehow manage to take some of the focus off of the television. We added doors everywhere that we could and lots of glass display shelving. The hubby is thrilled because his beloved flat-screen and infinite related electronic gadgets are within easy reach. And I smile every time I walk into our family room and don't have to see everything that is hiding behind closed doors!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Simple Prime, Painting, Crown Moulding, Pewter Knobs, Glass Shelving, Lights.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cobe

Fri, 07/08/2011 - 22:57

Cbeach1717,

This is exactly what I want!

Can you provide the dimensions for the armoire and the shelves, please? Can you tell me also the paint color and how many coats?

cbeach1717

Mon, 07/11/2011 - 08:52

Ana's "Nursery Armoire" is the best starting point, and here are our dimensions:

Armoire basic box structure:
2- 1x16"@ 8': (Sides)
2- 1x16"@ 42" (Top and bottom)
2- 1x16"@ 40.5" (Two shelves for television and electronics)
1- HUGE 1/4" plywood as the back and for support

*bun feet and crown moulding also add some height

We used a "Country White paint from--GASP- Wal-Mart! And it is the best off-white color I have ever used! We used one coat of primer and two coats of paint.

I hope this helps, but feel free to ask for any further clarifications! Best of luck :o)

Guest (not verified)

Thu, 07/14/2011 - 20:54

I am in love with this! How tall are your ceilings? My only concern is that this might be too big for my teeny condo with 8 foot ceilings!

In reply to by Guest (not verified)

cbeach1717

Sun, 07/17/2011 - 15:48

Thanks! Our ceilings are ten feet high--why not just shorten all height measurements by 2 feet? Good luck!

Sarah Kirchner (not verified)

Sun, 01/15/2012 - 18:17

I am dying to get this built for our house! I see the cost estimate is listed at $150, is that for everything needed for all 3 units? I know it depends on what store is used and the location, just trying to get a better idea of what I need to save up. I was trying to find something similar on Craigslist that I could just refinish, but being able to make a piece that is exactly what I want for around the same price (or less) would be incredible!

I'd love to know where you got the glass shelves from if you don't mind sharing.

cbeach1717

Mon, 01/16/2012 - 13:06

Hi Sarah,

I hope you'll give this plan a try! The $150 estimate definitely includes the wood and supplies for all three pieces and most likely includes the bun feet and knobs as well (I can't be absolutely certain since we built this nearly a year ago). The glass shelves were bought from a local glass cutter who also cut the glass panels for our kitchen cabinets. It really shouldn't be too expensive though!

Oh and the absolute best advice I could give you is to invest in or borrow a Kreg Jig. We did not have one ourselves until well after this project, but it would have been an immense help! I wish you all the best of luck--let us all know how YOUR masterpiece turns out :o)

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 02/28/2012 - 21:39

I absolutely love this, my husband had been designing a unit very similar to this but this just made the job twice as easy not having to do all the hard thinking ourselves haha! Thanks so much for sharing, it looks fabulous!

In reply to by Guest (not verified)

cbeach1717

Mon, 03/05/2012 - 06:23

Thanks so much! I wish you lots of luck with your project, which you'll barely need because it is really simple to make and provides for a stunning result :o)