Community Brag Posts

Tall Wood Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/06/2021 - 09:36

Those are the first projects that I try to make. Thank you Anna White .

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

3 hook coat rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/03/2021 - 12:40

Thank you for this - I just made it slightly longer.

Comments

Adirondack Chair (Home Depot Version)

Followed the new home depot plans, only change I made was using 2x4 instead of 2x2. Getting ready to build another one, but this time will also change the arms to be wider on the ends to accommodate wine holder on one arm and cup holder on other arm. :0)

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Going to use English chesnut stain and then marine spar varnish for protection
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

acer211

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 20:36

Hi Ana,

 

Thanks for all your free sharing and advice.  I'd like to return the favor (hopefully)...  

Just wanted to say (as I am a painter) that it is best to avoid using any sort of "clear" varnish (such as poly, or spar, etc...) on anything that sits outdoor (such as furniture, doors, decks), because UV rays from the sun will break-down the varnish and cause them to fail.  

Instead, it is best to use a stain that is suited for decks, like Cabots Semi-Transparent, or semi-solid, etc,,

best regards,

Aaron

acer211

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 20:36

Hi Ana,

 

Thanks for all your free sharing and advice.  I'd like to return the favor (hopefully)...  

Just wanted to say (as I am a painter) that it is best to avoid using any sort of "clear" varnish (such as poly, or spar, etc...) on anything that sits outdoor (such as furniture, doors, decks), because UV rays from the sun will break-down the varnish and cause them to fail.  

Instead, it is best to use a stain that is suited for decks, like Cabots Semi-Transparent, or semi-solid, etc,,

best regards,

Aaron

c3663b

Wed, 03/02/2016 - 12:21

The plans for this adirondack chair are no longer available on the Home Depot website. Where can I get them? Does anyone have them to share?

My Hubby was busy this summer!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 16:35

This summer my husband built three of your pieces. We are so in love with how they turned out. Thank you so much for your easy to follow blueprints!

Comments

Library Cart - Teachers Gift

Submitted by lollypoppy on Fri, 05/27/2011 - 09:32

The moment I saw this I knew it would be a perfect teachers gift for my daughters teacher. She loved it.
This was only my second project, the first being the 10 dollar ledges. I'm glad I tried a smaller project before tackling the farmhouse bed. I think it helped with just knowing how to assemble a project a bit better.
I used my Kreg Jig and it worked marvelous! Also I ended up not having a jigsaw so I just cut the top at a 35 degree angle with the miter saw and rounded the edges a bit with the sander. I was going to add handles but the top goes up enough that it's easy to manuever without. I also wanted her to be able to fit it in anywhere and was worried that the handles sticking out would just get in the way.
Overall I think it turned out great. Her teacher loves it. Thank you Anna for such wonderful plans!!

Krista

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simplest Armoire as Kitchen Pantry

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CABINET! It's the perfect finishing touch to our kitchen remodel. We are still waiting on the finishing touch; a hand-polished Hoosier style latch for the doors. We found them at House of Antique Hardware. I will say that this cabinet required "non-mortising" hinges, ones that don't require you to dig out anything in the wood and that don't bulge up together in the space behind the door. These were nearly impossible to find in our town in a small enough size, even with the two big box stores and smaller hardware shops. We had to order them online HardwareSource. These were cheap at this source and we even ordered two styles in case we didn't like one of them. A local shop could order them for us @ 6 hinges for 48$!! The ones we found online came to $17 with shipping.

We modified our cabinet a bit because we wanted it to have feet that were different than the original plan. I have a thing about cabinetry that I can't see under! So, we just made the cabinet flat bottomed instead of having the bottom shelf sit higher and the facade on the bottom front. We also added I-frames to the interior of the doors because we have high humidity where we are and we thought it might help keep the doors keep their shape over time.

After building just the bookshelf part, we kept looking at it like we couldn't believe we built it. It's really beautiful. We do a lot of remodeling, demolition, and rebuilding in our home, but have always been intimidated by building furniture until finding this site.

My husband was so jazzed by our newfound furniture building skills that he built the planter/trellis for his mother last weekend for her birthday right after we finished this project. Pictures of that will be forthcoming as soon as we plant the rosebush in it. Thank you Ana White!!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
A beautiful Minwax Waterbase Midnight Blue. Washed right off the brush and my hands and looks SOOO beautiful on this cabinet. It took two coats to look the way I wanted and I had to buy two quarts, but have about half a quart left.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JES

Thu, 06/09/2011 - 03:35

This is lovely. The finish, shape and modifications you made are just wonderful. Congrats on a teriffic job! :)

Nicole S (not verified)

Wed, 06/29/2011 - 10:19

We are moving into a home that doesn't have alot of storage so I'm looking into building this. But depends on the cost. About how much would you estimate that this armoire pantry cost to build? PS- I love the look and color of yours! Awesome job!

In reply to by Nicole S (not verified)

mmhmakeover

Thu, 12/29/2011 - 20:14

Wow. Sorry I just realized your question was here! I would say we spent about 120$ on wood and finish products.

It was much less than buying the perfect piece of furniture somewhere else. For us, this piece, in this finish was THE perfect piece of furniture. I still love just looking at it in our space.

mmhmakeover

Tue, 07/12/2011 - 03:55

We used birch plywood for the back and the doors so it was a bit pricier because we wanted something that was already a smooth finish without much sanding. I would say all together with the stain and the Hoosier latch we ordered for it the cost totaled almost $150. The wood cost was about $90, plus we purchased feet, stain, hinges, and a latch.

We LOVE this pantry in our kitchen and although it took a week to build this and have it ready for use, it was worth it to take our time and put care into building something we love. It was our first project and it has inspired us to build a ton of stuff in just a few weeks since.

Good luck!

Sliding Door Console to replace split level railing

My wife wanted to get rid of a railing above our steps and wanted some additional storage. I had this plan saved but though about doing something smaller. Once I realized that wasn't going to work, I decided to go with this plan. It worked great. 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural Danish Oil for the top and white paint for everything else
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Console table/shelf/thingy

I gave away our piano and needed something to fill it's spot. I also needed some storage. I knew right where to look and eureka!! there it was, the Simple Rustic Modern Console plans.

It was inexpensive, easy, quick and perfect!! I modified it to the height I wanted and added some dividers for baskets and a bottom shelf as well.

Loving it!!!

Estimated Cost
30.00-40.00 depending on the size you need
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Minwax Polyshades but I hated the way it gooped up in spots. I had to sand and redo but in the end was satisfied with the way it turned out.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tall Corner Media Console-Barn Door Twist

Submitted by dcraible on Wed, 09/02/2015 - 09:46

This project was modified from the original plan in that it is not as tall, the shelving was configured differently as well as the doors. I wanted a sophisticated yet rustic appeal to it. Thus, I made vertical long doors with a barn door design. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Driftwood Stain with a water based satin polyurethane. This project has 2 coats of stain and 3 coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Full length sliding mirror cabinet

Submitted by mltdblack on Tue, 10/16/2018 - 19:25

I built this for my daughter after building a ladder shelf for my kids bathroom. It took more time to install and adjust the drawer slides and paint the project.  

Estimated Cost
$65.00 - I used a slightly larger mirror.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior - Valspar Black Flat Latex
Interior - Valspar Filtered Shade Flat Latex
Top Coat - Minwax Gloss Spray Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

akagracegallag…

Sat, 09/07/2019 - 03:32

Hi mltdblack

Really nice finish on the cabinet.  

It looks like there’s molding on top of your mirror.  

Did you buy a mirror with a frame or buy molding and put it on over the mirror?  

What molding did you use an how did you secure it?  

What size mirror did you use?  Thanks

mltdblack

Fri, 01/07/2022 - 14:14

I am so sorry. This is the first I am seeing your question. The mirror came with a frame and I carefully nailed thru the frame to attach with my 18 gauge nailer. I bought the mirror at Lowe’s and I believe it was 15.5” x 50”. Also, I used full extension soft close drawer slides.

Slightly modified coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/11/2022 - 07:59

Table, based on Farmhouse coffee table project. Resized to roughly picnic table dimensions (1200*700 mm, 650 mm high), mostly as a means to recycle board cuttings, left over from building farmhouse itself. Didn't install X shaped sides, because there were no more suitable timbers remaining, which, it appears, my toddler greatly appreciated - bottom shelf makes a lovely crawl space. Shape of the shelf planks was a happy accident: what remained was sized 250 - 200 - 150 - 200 - 250 mm. Looks kinda nice doesn't it?

Comments

Simple Oudoor Dining Table

Submitted by kmatt55 on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 17:15

I know, I know...Where are the legs? Unfortunately, I have to store this until December while our multi-family mountain house is being constructed. This way I can store it up against a wall and save a lot room in storage for more Ana White projects. FYI - The legs will be white 2x4's about 29.5 inches tall. For the top I used 1x4 cedar slats spaced 1/4 inch apart. As for the painted white frame, I used treated pine. Why spend money on nice cedar if I am just going to paint over it, right? The contrast of the white and natural cedar was appealing to me for some reason. I used Thompson's clear wood protector/water sealer on the slats to prolong the natural cedar. BTW, if you can build the simple outdoor bench you can definitely take on this project. The two are not very different. I'll have to take pictures of the finished table with legs when I haul these up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and upload them again. Thanks again Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi gloss white, Thompson clear wood protector/water sealer.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Camp Loft bed - modified

Submitted by Milhouse on Tue, 09/24/2013 - 12:04

I liked the simple design of the camp loft bed, so I took the plan and modified it to fit over top of our existing Ikea daybed. I adjusted the width of the loft bed and made it a little taller, so that I could sit on the bottom bed and read to the kids with out hitting my head on the loft bed all the time.

 

I built the ladder into the side of the loft bed so that it wouldn't interfere with the drawers on the front of the daybed. This worked out well, as it also gives the girls more room to play!

This build is super easy, but I have to say that I don't like working with 2x4s. They are so rough....I spent a lot of time sanding and filling, and it's still not perfect. But I'm ok with it ;) I may add another cross support because it is a bit wobbly (probably b/c I made it taller).

 

 

The finish is a color matched 'All surface enamel' from Sherwin Williams.

 

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

Comments

roxanne89

Wed, 08/04/2021 - 06:38

Hello Millhouse. I love the loft bed you created. I have the exact hemnes daybed for my daughter and I beg to build the same loft bed. Do you have the exact modified plan you used with the measurements that fit the bottom bed? This would be super helpful!! Thanks in advance!

Pub style farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/14/2023 - 09:51

Made this for my daughters family spent hours upon hours on that finish!

Comments

Modern Park Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/22/2019 - 09:48

This was my husbands's 1st Ana White project

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White Chalk Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor sectional, my 2nd diy project

Submitted by SuperKiki on Fri, 06/28/2019 - 09:41
  • I pretty much followed the instructions for each plan. I customized the length to fit my space.
  • There was some bowing on the back rest so I added some vertical supports.
  • Because the sectional is quite long I added some legs in the middle.
  • I stained the sectional twice and had to sand off the stain twice before I decided to paint it. I highly recommend that you test your stain on a cut off piece and pick what you're doing before putting it on your furniture. If I had done this it would have saved me a lot of hours and sanding.
  • I had planned to buy Target cushions for my sectional but I forgot to build the sofa with the cushions I wanted to purchase in mind. I ended up having to make my own in order to get a good fit.
  • I have a tiny patio area and this design really worked amazing to give me a lot of seating and still make it feel spacious.
  • You can definitely build and paint this sectional in a day.
Estimated Cost
$300 for outdoor cushion foam and outdoor fabric.
$150-$200 for wood and supplies
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
The paint is outdoor matte paint from Home Depot and it worked marvelously, very streak free.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farm house bench

Submitted by Builder J on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 08:40

Made from scrap wood left in the empty lots besides me, from framing crews.

Cost me just the time, screws, sand paper and stain.

Made all the cuts with a skillsaw, by saving the $$$ I have now went and bought a mitre and table saw. YAY!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 in 1 Miniwax PolyShades, Bombay Mahogany. 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Dollhouse for American Girl Dolls

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/12/2016 - 12:11

Using Ana's three-storey dollhouse as a foundation, I amended the measurements to create a narrower dollhouse (36" wide) to fit our space.

Estimated Cost
This dollhouse - using MDF and 1 x 6" boards for the roof, came in at $100 Canadian. (Less wood since my plan was both narrower and didn't include the centre dividers. Remember when buying castors to choose ones that will hold at least 150lbs - this sucker is heavy!
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used some small mis-tint containers from our local Home Depot which came in at $1 per container. The flooring is peel-and-stick tile which range in price from about $0.60 to $1.34 each.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner