Community Brag Posts

Mini farmhouse bedside table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/17/2016 - 19:35

Built this from the mini farmhouse bedside table plans, but decided to use the lathe on the legs (which also added a lot of time). This was one of the first furniture projects I've done and it was pretty easy to follow the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My version of the Small Chicken Coop with Planter, Clean Out Tray and Nesting Box -with the addition of a chicken run

I loved the design that Lady Goats and Ana had created but it wasn't quite right for me, so I used the 'essence' of the coop and tweaked it.

I had some leftover metal roofing sheets from a tool storage area I'd made so used this on the roof, and also made the roof a pent shape. I moved the doors to the side, and also reduced the size of the planter. Next to the planter I've made a lift up hatch so that I can more easily replace the water and feeders.
I've added in a 2m x 1.8m (approx. 6.5ft by 6 ft) run so that the little chicks are safe and can run about from their coop.

The whole coop is covered in stainless steel rodent mesh so not only can foxes not get in (our main predator in the UK) but also rats and mice won't be able to get in to take their food and bring their disease.

I undercoated all the wood and then double-coated in exterior weather-proof gloss. Inside the coop I triple coated (I wanted to be thorough!) and also sealed every single joint in the whole build to avoid water penetration as well as mites setting up camp. It's already very easy to clean and hopefully should last a long time.

Hope that you like what I've done here. I'm so pleased with the results but pretty tricky to do by myself.
I'm learning, learning, learning though :-)

P.S. Sorry that the pics below aren't the correct way up -I don't know how to make them appear in the right direction.....

Estimated Cost
£500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I sanded all the wood to within an inch of it's life (!) then undercoated all the wood with an exterior weathertight product (Zinnser BIN primer sealer) and then double coated all the non-inside areas with Sandtex Exterior white gloss.
The areas inside the coop were tripled coated and every joint was sealed with exterior caulk and then repainted.

It should hopefully be washable, mite-proof and last a long time now!
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

My Printer's Console

I built this console for my living room. I love the style and the color of the console of shanty2chic and I wanted the same.
Thanks for the plan and inspiration.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150 euros
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
stain and varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Project Jumanji

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 06:46

You did a great job! Any tips or hints about steps that you may have done differently from the plan, or found challenging or got you stuck?

vintage bar stool

I modified the legs to fit a counter height table
I made the seat 25in tall to fit a 36in table...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
dark walnut
satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by JScherer on Sun, 11/20/2016 - 18:09

Changed the top a bit, but otherwise matches the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50-100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut & semi gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

First time woodworking

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/09/2020 - 04:58

Me and my wife bought a new house, and instead of paying 1000$ for coffee/end tables and a tv stand I decided to go out and buy a Ryobi kit and kreg jig and followed these plans. Must say everything turned out awesome and love how heavy and sturdy they are. Can't get over how easy these plans are to follow !! Now I can't stop building things 🤷

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
234$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Classic grey stain, flat white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Easy Build Wood Headboard Twin Size

A fun project we did with my 12 y/o niece and husband. It was fun and fairly easy. We distressed the wood by using a copper brushalong the grain and used nails to make holes. We chose rustoleum sunbleached stain hoping to create and washed out gray driftwood look. It took about an hour to put together. The next day I sanded and stained , left it dry for the rest of the day then sealed it with polycrylic spray. The hardest part was getting up 2 flights of stairs, solid wood, it was heavy. The headboard was a little tall we thought. Plans are originally for Full so as bed gets more narrow the height becomes more noticeable. I thought about cutting down the legs a bit but after we got it in the room we thought it looked fanastic. We love love love it.

Estimated Cost
65.00$
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum " Sunbleached" stain

After I finished sanding the entire headboard with about 150 grit sandpaper I starting distressing it. Hoping that the stain would sink further into crevices and give my headboard and varied look. I distressed by poking holes with a nail in random groupings. I then followed up with that copper wire brush you see. I took the brush and with some force and went horizontally across the surface following the wood grain. The put lots of grooves into the wood, again hoping that stain will sink into crevices. I chose Rustoleum "Sunbleached" stain for this headboard going with the driftwood theme. Rustoleum does not require a wood condtioner so I save myself a step here. But really I chose it because of this great color. The best way to put on stain is with a rag. The box of rags you see in the image are the absolute best. They stay together. Much stronger than a paper towel. You just throw them away when you are done. Applying stain in this manner is the best way in my opinion. Wood is porous so applying the stain with a rag forces the stain into the fibers of the wood. Using a paint brush will not achieve the same results. It also takes alot longer with a brush and then you have to wash the brush out... ugh. Staining this headboard took me 10 minutes. That's right 10 minutes. So much easier with a rag, it's like you are just wiping it down. Because I can force the stain into the wood fiber I can put the stain on a little thicker and the wood absorbs more negating the need for 2 coats. Try it and see. Of course wear gloves. Do not soak the paper towel dripping wet. As much of the towel wet as possible without dripping all over. Wipe it on with the grain paying special attention to knots in the wood. Let it dry thoroughly for a day or so. Spray with Polycrylic which also only takes a few minutes. Polycrylic recommends then lightly sanding and spraying again 3 times. We did it twice. Seems fine to me. I'm Done.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Table and Matching Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 11/24/2016 - 06:35

So we finished construction on a new house in September and my wife wanted to buy a $3000 table for our keeping/breakfast room. I bet her a new TV that I could do it for 10% of that. 

It's not perfect... there are some gaps between the boards and especially between the breadboard and those perpendicular to them... but it still looks amazing. And. Ow I have a new TV. 

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
The table was built using pressure treated 2x8s (that's all that was available), and one 2x10 that wasn't pressure treated. (Again, that's all that was available, but it actually gave it a unique look with the lighter center board) so that's just Minwax Early American for the top and Satin White chalk paint for the legs. The bench was stud grade 2 and 1 Xs, so I used 2 coats of early American and then to try to match the darkness of the table I added 1 coat of Minwax Gel Hickory. The bench color turned out much better than I expected.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack Chair

Submitted by josolivas on Thu, 08/13/2020 - 19:25

As soon as I saw this project I bought the material and built it in a day. The paint , stain and seal took a bit longer but just because you have to wait for second coats. I recommend for anyone building this chair to measure twice before cutting the legs.

Estimated Cost
40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain Pecan and black satin pain. Thompson water sealer.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Kentwood Nightstands

My wife and I made his and hers nightstands based on the Kentwood Nightstand plans. Pretty easy. This was our first project and all I can say is that we've learned alot from the builds. The kreg jig, which we purchased at Lowes, is amazing. We live in Southern California and wood seems to be pretty pricey here. Still with wood being expensive I find piece of mind knowing that the furniture is solid and custom. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Weathered Grey stain with 3 coats of Rustoleum Polyurethane Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cabin Daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/28/2016 - 10:59

I'd never done hinges before, and decided to go with surface-mounted hinges because I was pretty sure I could get those right. I wanted to leave the wood its natural color, both because I thought it would look good in this room, and because I think it makes the hardware pop. Accordingly, I used iron-on edge banding on the plywood so the edges don't show.

 

I used a simple, homemade finish of mineral oil and beeswax, and the hardware is just from Home Depot. I'm not positive how much time it took -- I did it in bits and pieces over several weeks. In any case, I'm really happy with how it turned out! The new owner of the bed likes it immensely, too.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Homemade mineral oil and beeswax melted together, using this recipe: http://www.instructables.com/id/Simply-Gorgeous-and-Food-Safe-Beeswax-Wood-Finish/
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Queen bed

Farmhouse Queen bed. My first project! I used one coat of an Ebony stain. Modified the bed frame a bit. Bought some detachable brackets for easy take down and put together. Also used tounge and groove in the middle of the headboard and foot board.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Ebony Stain - one coat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Industrial Adjustable Work Stand

$120 for 2 bases, one top ... less if you have scrap lumber and pipe

The hard part of some woodworking is what to do with the stuff BEFORE and AFTER it goes through the tools.

We need an infeed and outfeed table for routers, drill press, and saws but have no room to install a permanent workbench with an adjustable tool lifter.

We saw the coffee table to desk height adjustment mechanism and lightbulbs went off! This adjusts! We can take the top off! It stores!

The first photo shows it adjusted to align with the miter saw's cutting area.

As built, there are a couple of changes:

1 - It's taller. Lowest table height is about 30" ... add 8 inches to each leg.

2 - We only used 1 leg brace, about half way down the leg. Cut it to fit after you get the legs screwed to the top.

3 - the wobble of the adjustable bar on the threaded rod is not good for precision woodworking ... the second picture shows the guide pipe that keeps the threaded rod straight up and down.

4 - No pocketholes (sorry Anna) because this is a workbench, not fine furniture.

5 - The tops are cut from one sheet of 4x8 3/4 in melamine coated MDF ... 2 are 2x6 and one is 2x4.

This could also make an adjustable craft table. Raise or lower it to handle fabric for your sewing machine.

Estimated Cost
$120 for 2 bases, one top ... less if you have scrap lumber and pipe
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

GreatBookshelfPlans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/02/2016 - 12:53

Thanks for the great free plans, this is a solid bookshelf with nice deep shelves. Used two coats of pickling white. Can't wait to build more from this site!!

Estimated Cost
$70 Cdn
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Pickling White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic table with storage and chairs

The table top is modified from Ana's farmhouse table, the base is modified from the storage table and the chairs are modified from the extra tall bar stool. This project took me the weekend to complete, because of those darn chairs!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot pecan stain and semi-gloss Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by patrickhosey

little stuf

Sun, 11/04/2012 - 06:52

For the ladder I used straight 2x2s and 2x3's. I like the look of the straight back. I didn't want pocket holes on either side, so I used 3" screws through the legs into the 2x3s. I used a scrap 2x3 as a spacer.

Modified Rustic pottery barn inspired Mason bedside table

I had made this bedside table before, but this time the bottom two drawers just wouldn't work out. I fiddled with them and cut out and made 6 box drawers before I finally just decided on shelves. I used 1/4 inch plywood and 18 gauge brad nails to secure it. Once all this was done ,I found 2 basket "drawers."

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
primer, antique white acrylic latex from sherman williams, sanded, glazed with burnt umber acrylic paint added to Martha Stewart glaze and wiped off, Matte finsih Rustolem
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Farmhouse Collection Inspired Shoe Bench

For this project I was really inspired by the Modern Farmhouse Collection. I've learned so much from this site over the past couple of month, and this was my first build I designed entirely by myself. I got a free trial to SketchUp and went to work. As inspiration from the Modern Farmhouse collection, I used 2x2's to mirror the detailing on the end panels. The long edge measures 5 feet, the shorter edge measures 3 feet, and the seats are about 20 inches deep. For the shorter bench seat that goes into the corner, I added hinges in the back to make it easier to access things that can get lost in the back corner. For this project, I used a 4'x8' purebond birch plywood, 2x3's, 2x2's and 1x6's. Because birch plywood tends to be really blotchy when stained, I used Varathane pre-stain conditioner, and a gel stain. The color came out really even.

Estimated Cost
~$225
Finish Used
Varathane Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
Varathane Gel Stain in Kona
Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin

Bedside table

Submitted by Delilah on Sun, 11/04/2012 - 14:57

We made this little no-plans table from leftover pieces from a platform bed and pin legs ordered online.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax natural and satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Armoire

This project actually was a lot bigger than we thought it would be. Hubby and I are almost newbies, and we thought we could knock this off in a week or two! It actually ended up taking us 6 months to finish, although to be honest we didn't work on it consistently.

We needed a replacement for an old coat closet that was falling apart, and decided to tweak the design for the simple armoire to fit what we need, which is basically coats, table cloths, shoes, and just about anything else we want to hide away in our dining room. It's 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide. Since we couldn't find 18 inch wide wood planks, and aren't skilled enough to make them yet, we went with a hardwood plywood and covered the edges of the plywood with iron on veneer. It turned out very well; you can't really tell that it's plywood unless you know what you're looking for.

I will say that I couldn't find the kind of hinges called for in the plans, not even on the internet. So hubby and I went with 1 inch non-mortise hinges. They worked well, though they were a bit hard to hang for a couple of novices.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300-$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I brushed on Zar Provincial oil stain and finished with two coats of Minwax satin poly (three coats on the doors).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate