Community Brag Posts

Rebecca Media Center-Side Base

Oak Plywood and Oak Trim

We just love your work and detailed plans!

Hubby and I built the Console Unit and now the Base Units and plan to add on the hutches. We built the units only 30" tall vs. the 34-1/2" height from the plans. We used oak plywood and oak trim and finished it with a Minwax Fruitwood Stain and Minwax Polyurethane Seal. My hubby loves to make You Tube videos and made one of our work and posted it at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtB6LK1xEHg

Keep up the great work and we plan to post more pics!

Estimated Cost
$100 for 1 piece of oak plywood and approximately 3 pieces of oak trim. We also used approximately 40 kreg jig screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Fruitwood with Polyurethane Seal. Watch the video to see it applied at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtB6LK1xEHg
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ornament Tree Decor

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/15/2023 - 19:32

I made 15 of these ornament trees for our church's Christmas banquet. We adjusted the height to 14". I locked the wire in place with 8 x 3/4 screws that were countersunk. I plan to paint the trees gold.

Don Fugate

Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse Bedside Table

We have been using TV trays as bedside tables for two years. The room is a work in progress... I was waiting to find the perfect pieces...or a plan to build the perfect pieces! So glad I found that plan here. Too impatient to wait for nice weather to head outside, I built this in February on my kitchen floor. It was a little messy and a little dusty, but I am a lot happy with the result :). Cheers.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75 each
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I mixed white paint and water and used a rag to apply the whitewash. I let it dry and then sanded it to create an uneven coverage so that the following stain coat would soak in. I then distressed the piece, applied a coat of dark walnut stain, and wiped it off to create an aged/antiqued look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Perfect for growing into

We modified the plans a little so that our little girls bed would fit snug into the bedframe. We also cheated and bought round short legs from Lowes and stained them with Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut. We wanted the bed to sit low since she is only 3 and I also didnt want her to be able to stuff things under her bed!!

Estimated Cost
Counting the cost of fabric and wood (including headboard) it was about $100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Fabric and batting. Legs are stained with Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Indoor Playhouse Fun

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/21/2016 - 18:21

This project was a success!! I had a week of vacation that I dedicated to this great project! The directions were easy to follow...thank you Ana! 

I managed to get the slide from someone's outdoor play set that they were giving away :)  I secured it to the side of the upper level. It's been the kids favorite part! 

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

Outdoor tables

Submitted by knrburch on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 07:00

I built these for outdoor. Made them narrower than actual plan. Love them! Thank you for the plan!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black gel stain and Sherwin Williams Alpaca paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2 Drawer Farmhouse Nightstand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/18/2023 - 09:28

I have always wanted to build some furniture. So, when we were looking for some nightstands for our bedroom and couldn’t find any we liked I found your Farmhouse Nightstand plans and decided to build them as a surprise gift for my husband for Valentine’s Day. I personalized them by adding an extra drawer and making them a little taller and wider to fit the space we had. We absolutely LOVE them! Thank you, Ana, for helping to make a dream of mine come true!

Toni Imlay @ toniimlay.com

Built from Plan(s)

Master Closet System

Submitted by pde00311 on Mon, 02/24/2014 - 22:06

When we bought our bungalow, the entire attic was refurbished as a master bedroom. With so much space in such a narrow and somewhat awkward area, we thought we should convert the nook at the end of the room into a master closet area.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Navajo white paint with a couple of layers of Minwax polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My first Adirondack chair

My first attempt at building an Adirondack chair. Ana's plans were easy to follow and very accurate. I would classify myself as a Beginner+.. Recently suffered bad thumb cut making cedar planters. Always think safety first. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$55.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Glidden Latex. One coat of primer and 3 coats of Glidden canary yellow latex.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Great Toy Box Plans

Submitted by dkakridge on Sun, 03/01/2020 - 18:55

So proud of how this turned out.  Plans were so easy to follow.  Thanks for such a wonderful site. 

David Akridge

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum painters touch white gloss, Kilz Primer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Bench

This was our first build. I have always wanted a rustic table and bench set, but they are so expensive. We already had a miter saw and jig saw, so I thought why not. We did not use a pocket jig when we built this, so we had to brainstorm for the bread boards. I found these really long screws at Lowe's and they worked great. I actually love the way they look. We are going to use the screws on the next bench even though we have a Kreg Jig now. Soon I will have my dream table without spending $2,000!

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I distressed the bench using a sock with two bolts in it. I also used a hammer, but was very careful to not hit it so it looked like a hammer imprint. I used: Minwax Pre-Stain wood conditioner, followed by Minwax Red Mahogany #225, and finished with Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane Clear Gloss. I put I think 3 coats of stain and 3 coats of Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Playhouse with swingset

Submitted by GreenEnvy on Tue, 02/25/2014 - 21:58

I combined a few different plans here, mostly the Playhouse deck, swingset.

I haven't finished it yet, this spring I want to finish the exterior as it's just primed plywood right now. Still going to add a window above the balcony (there is a loft up there).

I insulated the roof/ceiling and will insulate the walls when we finish it. In the bottom we'll be putting in a sandbox with a cover that folds up into benches.

It was a fun project and should give our girls many years of fun.

Estimated Cost
$1000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Right now the plywood is just primed, we'll be putting some sort of siding or other exterior sheets to finish it.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Farmhouse table!

Built this for a friend of mine and his fiancé. They just bought a house and thought I would help them fill it. This is my 2nd farmhouse table. I really like the thickness of the table. 

Estimated Cost
$125 with bench and stain
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut on top and white paint for the frame
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cedar Raised Garden Beds

We made two $10 raised beds last weekend and can't wait to get them in the yard!

The cedar fence pickets ended up costing us about $15 per bed with another $15 for screws, so total cost was about $30 per bed. 

We found it tricky to do the 1x2 pieces in the order recommended and when we make these again, will form the full box and then add on the 1x2s for support. 

We made a YouTube video detailing the process - hope you'll check it out!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Table with 4x4 Legs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/29/2023 - 19:13

My own version, made from this nice plan, from cheap material, ( construction wood ). Tinted with Minwax Dark Oak color, finished with 3 coasts of Polycrilic.

Mario

Farmhouse Loft Bed (Full)

Submitted by Sugarpig1 on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 18:03

HI all!
This is my first project and brag post. I really like this website and reading all the blogs and brag posts. The information is very informative and inspiring.

I really liked DirtSquirt's Loft Bed (Double Mattress), so I decided to give it a try! I contacted DirtSquirt to get a copy of the plans (Full size Farmhouse Bed and How to Build a Loft Bed) and the Google Sketch up. I pretty much followed the plans except I made the area underneath the bed taller (approx 58 inches), I chose to stain, and I did not secure the slats to the side rail as they are pretty were pretty snug. I'll probably go back and secure in the near future for uniformity in the spacing.

To be honest, I think the staining was the hardest part...LOL. I had never stained before so in hindsight I probably should started off with a way smaller project. Eventually, I got the hang of how to putty the holes with wood filler and then stain to get a consistent look and feel without the blotches!

My future plans are to build a desk to create a study area underneath.

Sugarpig1

Estimated Cost
$550-600
Finish Used
Minwax- Dark Walnut
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

rdissell

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 20:02

This bed is amazing! It looks so sturdy. I am in love with the farmhouse bed, but I have been looking to build a full size loft bed for my daughter. I just haven't found a design that I'm 100% in love with. This is the perfect melding of a farmhouse bed with another loft design that I really like. Love, love, love it! I'm definitely going to have to design this for her now. Thanks for sharing your work!

lplus10

Thu, 09/26/2013 - 08:17

I have contacted dirtsquirt several times to get the plans for this bed. Did they get back with you right away or did it take them awhile? If you have the plans would you mind emailing them to me? Lplus10 at yahoo dot com

thanks!

gina10151

Tue, 05/19/2015 - 02:00

Not sure if anyone checks this blog post. But I have contacted dirt squirt too and have never been able to get the plans.

Please send me the plans you used to build this bed... I am dying to build it. Similar to yours with the bottom wood there, as it is for boys. But this is my first time building anything and I need plans....

Juniperlily217

Mon, 08/26/2019 - 19:25

Has anyone ever been able to get dirtsquirt’s original plans for the loft house full sized bed? I’m in desperate search of them!!! Please, PLEASE, please message me and I’ll provide you with my email! PLEASE and thanks. :)

Dining table

Submitted by will on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 07:43

I found this table idea on:

http://diy-my-homes.com/stunning-purebond-plywood-dining-table/

...then went for it. This is only the third thing I have built so it was one of those "Sure, I can do that" projects. At first I tried the hairpin metal legs, but they just didn't look right so I went with another design which I feel came out much better. Did a mix of 1 1/2" Birch and Oak strips on top of 3/4" MDF for the top. 2x6 routed out X for the legs bound together with 3 1/2" lag bolts and a 4x4. The chairs you see I picked up for $10 each from IU's surplus warehouse and the before/after are in the picture. All in all I am happy!

Thanks to Ana, Kelly and Dave for sharing their plans.

Estimated Cost
Table and Chairs - $250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Express - Black, Walnut, Oak, Black/Walnut mixed to make espresso, Minwax poly oil based seal.

Legs - Black gloss spray paint and clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Playhouse with Swing Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/01/2016 - 12:48

We really enjoyed building this playhouse swing set for our kids.  We have a decent slope to our backyard, so we needed to sink our posts, which required a bit more work thank Ana's plans.  We also used a real window (my dad just happened to have in his garage) instead of the 3 open aired windows Ana's plans called for.  Inside we built a fold under table, shelf, and a chalkboard for thier entertainment.  

Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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