Community Brag Posts

learning tower

Submitted by clamoss on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 23:02

Thanks for the plans. I'm a novice at best, but this was an easy, well designed project. Our boy is going to get a ton of mileage out of this!

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Plant Stand or Side Table

Submitted by mtairymd on Sun, 01/17/2016 - 11:08

This project was made with two 2x4s and two solid wood round discs. Although it’s hard to see in the photos, the pillar has a unique shape due to the v-notched 2x4s. This design is very sturdy and should hold about anything you would like to place on it.  See Link for full build Instructions:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Side-Table-or-Plant-Stand-Made-From-2x4…

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

3 Seat And Loveseat 2X4 Outdoor Couches

Submitted by jerryo on Mon, 06/03/2019 - 19:39

Used Redwood and Kona colored stain. This is my first wood project and Ana really inspired me in being able to complete this. Thank You Ana all the way from California! The Love Seat was easy to modify from the original 3 seat plan.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jerryo

Thu, 06/06/2019 - 11:40

hard to believe, we found them on the Big Lots website...$40 a set back and cushion. We looked everywhere for an affordable option. These look great and are really comfortable..!thanks for the compliment : )

Jerry

Full Size Simple Bed with Arch

Submitted by jalfieri on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 17:14

I'm building new beds for my daughters for Christmas. My oldest wants a bigger bed, so she's getting the full size simple bed. My baby bear needs a little more space in her room, so she gets the loft bed. The loft bed is finished but no pic's yet, as I can't assemble it till Christmas. For the full bed, I combined the Simple Full Bed with the Simple Bed with Arch. It's not quite finished yet, but here is a picture of the headboard. I'll add more pics when I'm done. I want to thank Ana for the hard work she puts into this website. To go out and buy similar beds to the ones I'm building would have probably cost me a couple thousand dollars, and would have been made of flake board. Because of Ana's plans, both my children will sleep on good quality, solid wood furniture for under five hundred dollars. Thanx Ana!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Plus Ultra
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Grandy Sliding Door Console

This was my favorite project I have made so far! And was a challenge to get the hardware just so. But I highly recommended giving it a try!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Custom blue paint, with early american stain to age paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Large Rustic X Bench

Submitted by RHgaijin2 on Thu, 06/13/2019 - 09:16

I made this bench to go along with the matching table.  I also made a video of me making on youtube:  https://youtu.be/B-5KKcPxM24

Estimated Cost
The base was made from reclaimed wood.
The seat was made from 2x6's purchased from Lowes.
Approximately $20
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polystain for seat
primer and paint for legs
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Round Modern Wood Side Tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/28/2023 - 06:05

Fun weekend project! Thank you for the great plans.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

headboard, queensize

Submitted by elainefour on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 08:34

I needed a guest room, pronto, so I made this bed in an afternoon. I used lots of glue and my cordless finish nailer. I'm very happy with the outcome and thinking about my next project. Thank you, Ana.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
dark walnut stain painted over with antique white milk paint, then distressed around the edges.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse table

Submitted by TCrilly on Tue, 11/05/2013 - 17:29

We originally re-sized these plans smaller to make a worktable for my office. Once that was built and we realized that we actually could make a table, we decided to make the full sized version. It turned out beautifully! A couple of clients have actually asked if they could pay us to make them one! Thank you, Ana, for the plans. :-)

Estimated Cost
$110
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot walnut with semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

A Work in progress

Submitted by 914934 on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 10:10

We haven't had a chance to hang the first bed but had to make it functional asap. So, we gave it temporary legs on the front and attached it to the wall in the back. We are thinking of replacing the desk and making a smaller toddler sized version there for one of our little guys as well.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed with kilz, painted with Wet Sand (leftover paint from walls)
We've got a lot of little ones with crayons around here. We've got to have something washable!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kamado table

Submitted by lmarco191 on Sun, 05/16/2021 - 14:47

The table assembly was Inspired by farm table and workbench plans. It was built from construction grade untreated 4x4 and 2x6 and assembled using Kreg pocket screws and glue. Finish is semi-transparent wood stain. Rather heavy, the table have locking wheels to help move it. The lower shelf is used to store accessories.

The small kamado is just the right size for two people. I added a large ceramic tile under the firebox plus a small inlay next to the grill. That was the top of a small patio table. A few hooks were added as a final touch.

We built it last year; it gets a lot of use as a grill, smoker, bread and pizza oven.

We are very satisfied with the outcome. Many thanks for the plans and inspiration.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi transparent wood stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jacob1234

Mon, 08/02/2021 - 23:34

Your grill is very beautiful, but I prefer cooking in the kitchen, I will explain why, I recently read a lot of Kitchenotic.com here, what connects me and the kitchen most of all is the answers to my any questions, no matter how stupid they are and the answers were always correct

Coffee bar project!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/07/2023 - 13:43

My wife had been wanting a buy a coffee bar for our dining room so we could declutter the kitchen. I came across the plans for this on Ana’s site and made some slight modifications to fit our space and fridge. It turned out incredible! Friends and family say it’s the best piece I’ve made. Thank you Ana for the plans!

Comments

Flip Top Storage Bench

Submitted by trev88 on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 13:43

I came across Ana's website while searching for bench ideas and I liked her Flip Top Storage Bench a lot. I like the idea of wood lap joints which can add an antique effect, so I added two wooden squares in the corners of the top 1 x 4.

I still haven't put the lacquer finish on yet but will upload finished photos soon.

Estimated Cost
$50 (minus the finish)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax conditioner, Stained with Minwax Red Mahogany and will be finished with Sherwin Williams Vinyl Sealer then S-W Gloss lacquer.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Victoria Marie (not verified)

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 18:51

You did a great job with this! I love the finish.

I'm actually in the process of making it as my very first building project, and I have a question for you. My bench is kind of wobbly so far. I attached the shelves with one pocket hole in each corner (all that would fit) and I think that's the reason. I think I'm going to need to attach L brackets underneath the bottom shelf for support. How did you attach the shelf, and is your bench sturdy? Thanks! - Victoria

trev88

Tue, 04/24/2012 - 08:13

Victoria,

For the top shelf, I put two pocket screws in each board, in each corner (so 4 per corner).

For the bottom, I put one pocket screw underneath the 1x12 in the corners (total of 4 screws), then the 1x2 or 1x3 strip i nailed into the 1x12.

Everytime board touches board I use glue also. Mine is holding up pretty good and sturdy. I know this stuff is hard to explain so if you send a photo that might be easier to explain.

Trevor

DIY Upholstered Dining Chairs

Submitted by katie0910 on Fri, 11/08/2013 - 08:35

We built these Parson chairs to go with our farmhouse table. We wanted to save some money as well as have chairs that matched our table perfectly. We absolutely love them! I modified the plans a bit, so please check my blog post to see how I made these to fit our table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 each
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provencial
Minwax Polycrylic
Wood conditioner
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 11/08/2013 - 17:00

Your chairs look awesome! Beautifully done and the upholstery looks very professional. The finish and colors look perfect with your table. Great build!

Simple bench for outdoor patio or deck

Submitted by ScottG on Sat, 01/23/2016 - 23:44

Built two simple deck benches from plans found on this site.

Estimated Cost
About $40 for each bench. That includes the price of the wood and stains used.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used Minwax water-based stain for the gray color and Minwax oil-based stains for the other colors. Will add a couple of coats of outdoor urathane once benches are moved outdoors. Base for the bench was built first using the 2x3 studs. Once that was complete, I built a frame using the 1x4 pine and then cut the pieces for inside of the frame to correct length. Then stained all of the pieces. The pieces are joined to the frame using pocket holes and the frame with pieces attached is joined to the base also using pocket holes. In this way, no screw holes are showing on top surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Blue egg holder

Hi all,

I made the wooden egg holder for our brand new kitchen. I altered the size because there's just the two of us here since our son moved out. It was a very easy beginner project and lots of fun to build by myself. If you're a beginner like me it can be overwhelming to start, but if I can do it you can do it too! Just go for it. I'm looking forward to build a next project with one of Ana's plans.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Kitchen Hutches

My kitchen cabinets were deep, dark and disorganized. Trying to find things was like cave exploring. When we began remodeling our kitchen I knew those cabinets had to go and be replaced with some open shelving where I could see things without a flashlight.
I love how these turned out! Now I can see what I need and don't have to spend 20 minutes with a flashlight digging through a cabinet.
I plan on making curtains to cover up the stuff on the bottom shelves so my kitchen doesn't look quite so busy.
Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300. for two hutches approx. 7ft tall x 4 ft wide x 2 ft deep on bottom and 1 ft deep on top
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MinWax Pre-Stain, MinWax Golden Oak stain for the main body
Zinsser 1-2-3 primer, Rustoleum Hammered Metal spray paint for the tops
Varathane polyurethane over everything
I was amazed at how much stain this wood soaked up even with using the pre-stain! Started out buying a small can and ended up going back to buy a 32 oz. and then having to buy another 32 oz and used half of that.
Also used about 6 cans of the Rustoleum. Learned that the trigger spray works much better than the regular spray for creating the textured finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 06:57

It looks like the one hutch is leaning, but it's square. I live in a mobile home and have found that NOTHING is square in my tin-can home! At least the furniture that I've built is square.

viola

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 15:11

Pam I love your hutch and the new use of space. I would love to see more plans for Mobile/manufactured homes, small homes, and apartments. Love anything that is multi-use or space conservative like built-ins.

Pam the Goatherd

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 09:30

Thanks, Viola. Our place is only 900 sq ft so I'm always trying to find ways to make things more efficient around here. I have been amazed at how much these hutches hold. I think my next project is going to be an entertainment center for our living room that will also have space for all our chargers.

JoshC

Mon, 07/09/2012 - 15:52

I love the hutch. My wife and I also live in a small house with very little cabinet space. I like your open space idea and your hutch looks great.

Outdoor Side Table

I adjusted the size of this table for the space between the chairs in our screened in porch. It's a cute little addition, it it was a cheap, fast project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I spray painted this in a fun bright blue.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project