Community Brag Posts

Potting Table

Submitted by cassiet717 on Fri, 08/02/2013 - 20:46

One afternoon and $0 spent!
I had wanted a potting table for my front porch, and finally got it done one afternoon while my son was napping! I wanted a table that was functional but pretty enough to be front and center.
My table is a combination of Ana's and the one I found on 2 Crafty 4 My Skirt (http://2crafty4myskirt.blogspot.com/2012/04/mothers-day-potting-table.h…). I combined and modified the plans so that I could use scraps (could easily be built with pallet wood, too), so my dimension are a little weird, I know. My table is 39 1/2" from bottom to top (the top shelf sits at 36") x 44" wide. It's on the tall side, but it works well for our space.
Tools Used:
Compound miter saw
Kreg Jig system
Ryobi driver
Kreg screws

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
On frame: Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer, Olympic Paint (can't remember the color!)
On Shelves: Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner, Minwax Stain in Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Weatherly patio set-modified

Submitted by jazydoodle on Sun, 06/26/2011 - 11:21

We have been searching for 3 years to find a sectional that would fit around our fire pit. The only thing we ever found were two curved sofas that cost $5000 needless to say, we kept looking. When I saw the weatherly plans I knew that I could modify them to curve around the fire pit. The piece is made up of three sofa sized pieces and connected by two triangular pieces. The HARDEST part of this project was finding the dimensions for the triangle pieces. It took 2 days, my dad and brother throwing trigonometry formulas at me, and a lot of trial and error. After that it was easy! I combined the plans for the sofa and the loveseat, so the loveseat would have the ends on them.

Estimated Cost
$200 for wood. $300 for cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a primer, then a solid stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

redhead_61

Sun, 06/26/2011 - 15:23

I am building a "bench in the backyard" and agonized about using an angle other than 90 degrees. I finally decided to go simple and easy as possible. We will see soon if it works out.

Isn't it so wrong that the wood for this whole project cost LESS than the cushions!

I am so envious of wherever you live. Beautiful!

kristen

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 18:41

Your sectional turned out perfect--you have got to be so happy with it!

Sue_McL

Fri, 11/04/2011 - 09:49

But I think my triangular sections would be raised (to cushion height) table tops...

Now to build a deck so I can build THIS!!!

Tryde outdoor kitchen surface

Submitted by OH3 on Mon, 08/05/2013 - 08:30

This is my second project - I made an outdoor cookng surface modeled after the Tryde coffee table. The 4x4's are 36" tall and made it 21" deep - this is great for my outdoor grilling station.

I truely enjoy this desig, and I try to use it for anything going forward.

I love the deep color that the minwax red mahogany stain brings - this has 3 coats of polyurethane.

If you notice the table next to the tryde table - my father in law came up with a design to make the grill tops taller than the standard configuration - I will try to send a cad version of this to Ana so that she can post it up on the site.

the ground is not level with the slate.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax red mahogany
minwax poly urethane glossy
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Handmade by Tim

Submitted by Tjmac924 on Tue, 08/25/2015 - 17:36

Really handy for getting more storage space without taking up extra floor space

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MinWax Dark Walnut,
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Tjmac924

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 17:39

A plate (biscuit) joiner is really helpful for building the cabinets, especially if you're going to have the drawers. 

Sometimes Re-purposing and Refinishing Is As Good as Building

We took an old hand-me-down buffet that we've dragged around for 10+ years, ripped out the top two drawers, and added a few coats of chalk paint and wax.  Now we have a "brand new" piece with a built-in microwave.   We went from hating this old piece to loving it.

More pics are available on our blog: http://famousartisan.com/refinished-buffet-with-integrated-microwave-shelf/ 

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
chalk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Improvised Modern Patchwork Dresser

Submitted by andrea6 on Tue, 08/06/2013 - 14:56

We used MDF board for the frame, and covered the cut edges with veneer. We used Poplar premium wood from Lowes's for drawer fronts and cabinet door. We shortened the length by about six inches, and replaced the three drawers on top with one large drawer so that it functions better for us.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Top drawer- Dark Walnut, middle drawer- Red Oak, bottom drawer- Golden Oak, cabinet door- Special Walnut, frame- Bay Mist Valspar Signature satin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

moira

Fri, 11/22/2013 - 08:20

Hi Andrea. I love your dresser. I wanted to ask you about staining the poplar. I have read that poplar does not stain well. Did you condition the wood first, or did you just wipe the stain on the bare wood?

Double Pedestal Farmhouse Table (small)

This table is adapted from the triple pedestal farmhouse table, so that it would fit in my dining room. I don't care as much for the curved accents in the origional plans, so I left them straight.  

Lesson learned when choosing lumber: kiln dried studs when buying 2x4's is slightly more expensive, but worth the extra cost. The cheap stuff is wet and difficult to work with, and can sometimes shrink after it dries over the course of a month. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used early american penetrating stain by Minwax after I treated the wood with pre-stain. The pine absolutely benefits from the extra treatment and prevents uneven stain spots.

I applied the pre-stain with a cloth and gave it 30 minutes to soak in before applying the stain. The stain went on smoothly with a cloth and dried for a day before applying two coats of satin polyurethane with a fine bristle brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Almost Farmhouse table

Submitted by bmccaskill on Thu, 05/03/2018 - 05:04

I choose to make the farm house table and try my hand at Shou Sugi Ban (Japanese wood burning) as a way of finishing the table. The burning left the wood with such a beautiful finish and the end grain was awesome, that I decided not to cover them the bread boards. Thank you for the plans Anna!!!!!

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Shou Sugi Ban and butcher board conditioning oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ikea Fort Bed

It was a fun project to work on. The hardest part was painting it and being patient enough to let it dry and giving it a second coat! It cost right around $100 to make!

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

Utility room storage modified for skis and a freezer

http://www.ana-white.com/2014/09/free_plans/easy-economical-garage-shel…

This is the garage shelving construction method, but modified because we needed room for the freezer, there is a steel support column, and skis needed to be hung.

It's really three "ladders" of 2x4s, nailed with my framing nailer.  The rungs support the shelves.

  • The only dimensions I measured were to reserve space for the freezer, and the height of the support for the ski rack pegs.  The rest was based on the height of the things I wanted to store (coolers, etc), the width for the shelf unit was "as wide as possible" and the depth was "as deep as possible without covering the power outlet". 
    Cut to fit.
  • The ladder pair at the rear of the photo makes one shelf unit. 
  • The third ladder has rungs on both sides of the support column to stabilize it, keep the skis from banging into the freezer, and to provide a place to put the ski hanging pegs. It is also has one support for the shelf over the freezer.
  • The shelf over the freezer area stabilizes the unit side to side.  It's a good place for bulk paper storage because that is light and not heat sensitive.
  • The only truly new pieces of lumber were the 6 2x4 studs for uprights and some of the rungs.  I used all the suitable scrap 2x4s I could find before I cut into new wood.
  • Shelves were made of scrap plywood from another project, and some salvaged wood from the garden shed.  Some were previously part of my truss shelves, which were no longer needed after the workshop storage improved.  (yes, I recycle my recycled and reclaimed wood.
  • Shelves are nailed in place with finish nails to keep them from slipping.
  • You can't see them, but each shelf has a 1x4 or 1x6 board nailed to the ladder behind it to keep things from falling through the gap.
  • Ski storage is dowels inserted into a 2x6.  The paired dowels are far enough apart that the ski bindings won't whack into each other.  After the picture was taken I put an over-the-door coat hook between the skis to hang the poles.
  • The space for the folding stepstool was 100% accidental! 

It's CHEAP and EASY storage.

Two reasonable skilled people could do it in an afternoon.

Estimated Cost
$20 in new wood
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None. I left it bare.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TV Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/27/2022 - 10:11

Used knotty pine, and finished with Varathane using stain color “Jacobean”. Modified from a bookcase plan.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

DIY Kitchen Island

Submitted by pamreagan on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 08:39

or maybe I should say DDIFM?
Dad, do it for me?

I really needed a place to store my cake plates...
other than their current home on top of our fridge.
The rattling and shaking that went on every time we opened the freezer
was about to give me a heart attack.
I found this beautiful table that was constructed DIY
from plans on the anawhite website and fell in love.

So my dad got to building, and sanding, and building, and staining. Then he brought me this gorgeous table last weekend. I can't stop staring at it. I am obsessed with the wood grain. The slats. The perfect handmade storage solution. The contrast between the dark wood and my mostly white serving pieces. The height. The endless entertaining possibilities.
I promise the pictures do not do it justice...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
stain, maybe polly later
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

child's airplane swing

Thank you for the great idea!

I built this for my nephew's birthday.

I took the child's airplane swing and modified it to look like the character from Disney's Planes.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Sun, 08/11/2013 - 05:55

This is soooo cute, your nephew is going to love it!! I love how you gave it a Disney character's face!

Jacob's Toy Box - 5 Year Old

Submitted by CTShearer on Sat, 09/05/2015 - 21:01

Our 5 year old's toy box. My son chose the colors and my awesome wife painted it. Letters are from Hobby Lobby and the lock on the left was actually my son's idea.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40, letters $1 each
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Bear Race Car Red, we can't remember the blue's name, it was also Bear.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Leaning Bathroom Shelf

Hi friends!

Jen Woodhouse from the House of Wood here. 

Today I'm going to share with you an amazing storage solution for those of you who are renters, are looking for a non-damaging way to add more space, or just in general want an affordable storage option. I'm walking you through the entire project so even if you're a beginner woodworker, this DIY Leaning Bathroom Shelf may be a great project for you! 

Be sure to tag me @jenwoodhouse if you share photos of your build on social media. I'd love to see it!

You can get all the details for this build on my website jenwoodhouse.com 

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Greenhouse

Submitted by Zhang on Fri, 05/06/2022 - 22:55

Greenhouse is nominal 10X20. Internal square footage 192.6 sq-ft so no permit required (< 200 sq-ft). Modifications planned:

1. No metal on vertical walls since sun light is desired at all levels. Planting will be directly in the ground as well as in cedar boxes an on shelves.
2. Let in (mortised) 1x4 diagonal bracing to provide strength since no metal will be used on the verticals.
3. Two windows in the back wall (truss). Not sure yet where to source these - suggestions please? Might build them from scratch.
4. Dutch door on the front wall so that the top half of the door can be opened in combination with the back windows to allow air flow the length of the greenhouse.
5. Metal flashing on the exterior corners just for a nice finished look.
6. Has a 6 x 6 preassure treated (rated for ground contact) perimeter foundation. All other wood ,except the diagonal bracing is pressure treated rated for above ground. Finding 1 inch pressure treated wood seems impossible.
7. Ridge poles will be 2x6 so that sloping joist hangers can be used to attach the rafter legs to the ridge poles.
8. Will have a middle truss so that two 10 ft ridge poles can be used. I believe finding a nice straight 20' pressure treated 2 x 6 would be difficult or impossible.

Will add more photos as the build progresses.

Comments

Simple Armoire - Courtesy Ana White

Submitted by geauxpea on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 15:46

Second project we under took after stumbling over this blog. The armorie fit well in our bed room and has enough space for all my Indian sarees. Added a jewelery drawer in the middle. Love your blog Ana, thanks for the great work you do. Next project is to build a bed to match the armorie.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Red Mahagony stain and a polyurethene coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JES

Sat, 07/09/2011 - 18:42

Love the finish and detail, beautiful inside and out. The jewelry drawer is a super idea! Super job- Love it! :) J