Community Brag Posts

Hall tree

Submitted by joshabel on Mon, 02/04/2013 - 05:42

This was the first time I have built furniture, and I really enjoyed it. (And my wife loves the results!) I made it about a foot shorter and two inches wider to fit under the window, and I attached it directly to the wall.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Dover White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cottage style end table!

Submitted by ncderemer on Sun, 12/07/2014 - 16:54

This was my first time building a project that had a drawer involved. It took me three attemts to get the drawer right and I ended up building internal wood slides for the drawer to sit on and a couple of stops to keep it from falling out or going too far back. Not having to deal with finicky drawer slides made it much easier for me. I think it looks nice and it really is the perfect height for next to a bed or chair. 

The cuts are very simple but I don't know how I would have done this without a kreg jig. It made putting all the boards together so much easier and kept them tight and strong. 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20-$35, Mine was around 35 since I bought a nicer pine 2x2 for the legs and a pine 1x3. If I had used the common wood it would have dropped the price at least $10.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum primer 1 coat; Coat of Glidden Connecticut Blue (eggshell
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ncderemer

Sat, 12/13/2014 - 18:15

I really appreciate your site Anna! I spend so much time on here plotting :) and looking at all the great stuff other people are coming up with to match their own style. Thank you for all the work you put into this and the amazing plans you create.

Made by Debbie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/10/2017 - 08:05

Made for my great neohew's birthday. 

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

Reclaimed Wood Live Edge Nightstand

Submitted by ds0919 on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 15:11

I used the plans for the Nightstand for Modern Farmhouse Bed, but modified them. My nightstand is 30 inches tall and I added an additional drawer. It is made entirely from reclaimed wood and I left the natural edges on the top and the drawer fronts. The woods I used are cedar, oak, heart pine and poplar. This is the first thing I have ever made, so I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I purchased a nail gun to make it, so I foresee more wood making projects in my future.

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

Modified Farm Table

Submitted by Jscully825 on Wed, 02/06/2013 - 11:56

This is my modified version of the farmhouse table. I wanted to be able to sit 6 people at a 6' table, so I decided to go with a different style of legs. It is still very sturdy.

Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Several coats of minwax water based stain in Coffee color.
3 coats of water based minwax poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Linda7

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 09:40

Love the leg modification. My brother-in-law likes the farmhouse table look with the exception that he couldn't place chairs at the end, so he fell in love with this table. We may be following your modifications if we build him a table at some point in the future. Excellent job!

Christmas Tree

Submitted by AndyH on Wed, 12/10/2014 - 08:31

Simple Christmas Tree made from 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch square dowels, a bit of scrap 2 by 2 and some scrap 2 by 6.

The dowels were drilled and a metal rod inserted through them all.  Two nuts at top and bottom tightened once the dowels were arranged in place.

Each dowel was cut 0.5 inches shorter than the previous one so it was 1/4 inch sorted on each end.

Each dowel was placed 45 degrees from the one below it.

 

Pin For Later! 

Christmas Tree

 

Estimated Cost
$15 for dowels. Base was from scraps left and paint was left over from another project.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Upgraded room with more storage.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/05/2021 - 12:02

My son's room still had his nursery colors and decorations. Now that he's in 1st grade, we decided it was time for an upgrade. Decided to make the full storage bed frame to allow for more storage. Turned out great!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black matte spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bi-Fold Closet Doors

We wanted to replace the vented / painted bi-fold closet doors in our Master Suite with something that was warmer and more consistent with the decorating motif of the house.  We priced out various wood bi-fold doors and were shocked at the $350 - $600 price range of what was available.   We decided that building them ourselves was a much better choice.

The frames are made from 1” Knotty Pine and the panels are from ¼” Knotty Pine.   Frames were made to fit and assembled w/ Kreg screws & Glue.  Rabbet channels were cut w/ the router and the panels were brad nailed & glued.

It was finished w/ the same stain used on our Knotty Pine ceilings / walls and finished w/ a satin varnish for a perfect match to our house.

This was a very straightforward, quick & inexpensive alternative to purchasing expensive bi-fold doors.   

The doors took about 15 hours to build / sand and 10 hours to finish.   Total cost was around $100. 

 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Custom stain and satin varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Spice Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 15:48

I made a spice rack for my wife. I asked if I could use it for a Mother's Day gift but she said I could use it for a Valentine's gift. Rabbit joint 1/2" maple plywood into back. Shelf bottoms dadoes into sides. No nails or screws, only glue joints. Sides are 3/8" thick and top is 5/8" thick. Slats are 1/8" fat glued to shelf bottom and sides with 1/8" shadow reveal line on three sides.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
scrap wood from the shop
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
McCloskey Marine Spar Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

12-foot ledges for front-facing children's books

We built three 12-foot shelves to span the entire width of a wall in our play room. Each shelf cost approximately $30, mainly because we had to purchase a higher grade wood to get 12-foot pieces that were reasonably straight. I haven't filled the screw holes with wood filler yet.

Because these are child-height and we have a little climber on our hands, we screwed the shelves into every stud along the wall, and used more screws throughout than we would have for simple display shelves.

This was my first project and I did most of the work myself, with my husband's assistance when extra hands were necessary. It turned out so well I plan on tackling a few more Ana White projects! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
95
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr self-priming interior enamel color-matched to my home's trim color
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Barn door console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 16:23

Took the plans and made this unit about 7 1/2 ft long and 37 tall. I stalked casters on bottom for easy moving. I did the doors and top with black tea and the vinegar and steel wool method. Made the hardware and the total came to $159.00. Purchased all materials at lowes and my Military discount saved me 10%! Thank you for the inspiration!!!

Jeff M     Brownstown,Mi

Estimated Cost
$159.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar cream white
Black tea and vinegar/ steel wool stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

White Washed Queen Headboard

Submitted by sawdust on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 11:39

This is my first piece of furniture I've ever made from a plan. I would recommend this for someone who is new to the craft. I also sanded each board before I put it together. I just find this easier to do than sanding it afterwards. Plus, it gives me the chance to look at the grain and see where I might want it. Both the stain and clear coat I used can be washed out of your brush with soap and water.

Estimated Cost
$90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax white wash pickling stain - one application with a foam brush.
A very forgiving stain and easy to use.
Minxax Polycrylic clear satin - one coat with a paint brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 02/13/2013 - 05:18

Really like the white wash look, great job! Also, love the bedding and the tray. Did you make that tray, too?

Toy storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/19/2017 - 21:47

I was inspired by your project.  Having looked everywhere for a solid wood toy chest that looked good also as a furniture piece.  I built this out of solid popular.  I added legs and vintage caster wheels.  I also added a addition divider in the bottom middle compartment (over bought slightly on popular).  For the top front rail I used a wider rail to hold more toys.  I bought also square bins on top for extra toy storage (found on sale for 2.99 each).  I used trim screws to secure entire chest because I noticed using nails it was not as sturdy.  Trim screws have small heads and if they are counter sunken they can easily be fillered.  Used primer plus paint all in one to coat toy storage after giving it a good sanding.  I also added cup pulls on both ends for easy moving with the wheels.  Overall project cost a lot because of solid wood, screws, paint, etc.  could make a great bin for storage of potatoes, onions, and etc if one where to use food grade paint.

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

Farmhouse Console Table

We built this based on the Farmhouse Console table for our son's apartment for Christmas. We had to alter the dimensions for him to get it back in his SUV and also for where he wanted to put it.

The table is 5 feet long and approximately 15 inches wide. Since it was more narrow in width than the plans, we did not use the cross with the 2x2's at the end or used 2 long pieces of wood for the shelves. We put 2x4's as reinforcements for the wood at the end on the shelves and in the middle and used 2 pieces of wood for each shelf.

Instead of 2x4's on the top, we used 2x3's as with the pandemic 2x4's are going for about $10.00 for an 8 foot and 2X3's are going for half of that.

We stained it with Dark Walnut.

We plan to make this table (probably more like the original) the coffee table and end tables to replace glass tables in our house this spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75 CDN
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a dark walnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Camp Loft Bed for a Little Firefighter

Submitted by freemanitz on Sat, 02/16/2013 - 07:13

We built the camp loft bed for our 5 year old sons birthday. He wanted a firefighter bed, but we wanted something that would be a little more "flexible" for his room. The camp bed was perfect for him! The stairs were too deep for the room configuration, so we did not include the stairs, and instead purchased a sturdy stepstool from IKEA to match the bed. The double bonus is that when we read to him a night we can move the step stool and stand on it while we read the story! I made the firefighter station curtain/tent and attached it with a tension rod. We also constructed a large toy box on wheels to slide underneath the platform for his big toys like race tracks, etc. The bed is very sturdy, the set up is perfect for his small room, and he loves it. The bed was very easy to construct.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted glossy black.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bathroom sliding vanity

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 16:58

I don’t know anything about carpentry but my wife seen this and told me that I can do it and I said no way so she trusted me and here it is. Mirror was bought at the Goodwill $2.00 thank you

Estimated Cost
30.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane classic penetrating wood stain classic gray
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Napoleon Vanity retrofit

Submitted by JoanneS on Sun, 02/17/2013 - 14:35

This is our 20-year-old bathroom vanity, retrofitted to resemble the Napoleon Sink Console. This old cabinet is the standard builder size from the 90’s -- 30” wide x 29 ½” tall x 21” deep – fits a 31” x 22” sink top. The 2 outside drawers are working drawers, and the 2 inside are faux (just fronts). It was a weekend project. Since the sink stayed in place, I had to figure out something for the drawers to slide on. I had 3 sticks of ¾” x ¾” S4S in the garage, so I used these and fashioned a frame to hold the drawers, and also used it on the sides of the drawers as slides (figured the frame out as I went along). I used up some scrap 1x12 to cut the drawer faces and supports at the inside back of the cabinet. Since the space was so tight, I used some scrap 1x2 as bracing attached to the original frame, and attached the added face frame to that. The doors are ½” x 1 ½” craft board and ¼” birch plywood. The drawers are 3/8” x 3 ½” craft board with some ¼” plywood on the bottoms. I re-used the existing hinges and used some knobs from a multi-pack (available from Target) and some left over paint that was on hand. I bought about $30 of materials in addition to my scraps.
Now that I’ve got this one under my belt, it’ll be easier to do this in the other 2 bathrooms. I’ll probably use some 1x2’s instead of the s4s if I have to go out and buy the materials for the next one, it’ll just have slightly different measurements.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ace Royal semi-gloss paint, in Wishbone
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cupcake Holder

Submitted by jwb232 on Thu, 12/25/2014 - 11:00

This was a quick build just in time for Christmas. The hardest part, as in most cases, was cutting and attaching the trim. Still have some sanding and painting to do.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner