Community Brag Posts

White Bunk beds with ladder instructions

I redid this whole room for less than $600! Make sure you take your time with cuts and fitting. I did this with my father in law (my daughter even got to help out!), and it's less than perfect due to some rushing! More details on my blog.

I also couldn't find any 4x4's. Instead of doubling up on 2x4's, I just used one. That allowed me to change the tops of the head/foot boards to only 48" instead of 50 1/2. You can get enough for a head and foot board out of one board this way.

After looking at a TON of bunk bed ladders online, I designed my own. Just some leftover 2x4's. The sides are 47 1/2 inches long, and the rungs are 13 1/2 inches long. It's screwed to the bunk bed from the back so you don't see the screws.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded the heck out of everything, then two coats of Behr primer, followed by 2-3 coats of Behr semi-gloss in New Day Dew (it's a Disney color)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Murphy Bed

Submitted by arkep on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 19:19

I'm turning my messy sewing room into an organized craft/guest room, so I made a murphy bed to conserve space. I used corrugated tin on the the face of the bed so that I can use it as a magnet board while not in use as a bed.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyshades Antique Walnut--two coats with light sanding in between
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Julie44256

Fri, 05/17/2013 - 09:54

The estimated cost is $100, but the hardware linked from the original plan was over $300. Do you have an alternate method of mounting this?

arkep

Fri, 05/17/2013 - 11:23

I think that link was a suggestion if you want an assisted lift/lowering system, and that hardware is part of what makes regular Murphy beds so expensive. I just used door hinges--3 for $8. It's not that heavy to lift and lower the bed, in my opinion.

Julie44256

Fri, 05/17/2013 - 11:40

Thank you for your reply! If I make this project, I think I'll try the door hinges. It won't be frequently used (a few times a year) and I'm pretty sure we can handle the minimal weight for those few occasions.

P.S. I really like the styling with the wood and corrugated metal, it looks sharp!

iMark

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 20:02

thanks for sharing the murphy bed. have been looking for a space solution for my daughter's bedroom. the corrugated tin look sharp in this project--my daughter would like the corrugatged tin as well--except for hot pink stain on the cabinet.

anyone know where to get hot pink stain?

DorieM

Wed, 02/10/2016 - 04:22

I would love this for my room let me save space versus sideways bed. Maybe spray chalkboard or dry erase on one side magnets to one side and daily to do notes on the other?

Bunny Easter Basket

Submitted by DMax2010 on Sun, 04/05/2015 - 10:02

My son loved his new Easter basket! This was super cute to make and I just used scrap wood. The paint was CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint in Blue Montana Sky. I used CeCe Caldwell's Clear Wax for the finish. Love these projects!

Estimated Cost
Used scrap wood and materials I already had
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
CeCe Caldwell's Blue Montana Sky chalk paint and Clear Wax for the finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:16

Great table and easy to follow plans/ directions! First time trying something like this and couldn't be happier. Kept debating if I should by the Kreg pocket hole jig, couldn't have done this project without it. What a difference it make! Can't wait to start the next build. 

Estimated Cost
Under $200 to build both the table and 6 chairs. Including all lumber, screws, paint/ stains ect.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Pro Series multi-surface wiping stain and Minwax Spar urethane. Paint is HGTV by Sherwin-Williams weathershield
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planter Boxes

I wanted to build a planter box by our front door, which is not exposed to the weather. I based the design on the video I saw on YouTube for the “Easy Build DIY Planter Box” made from cedar and painted white.. Being based in Australia I amended the dimensions to metric, and used plywood rather than cedar. I am delighted with the finished product. So many thanks, Ana, for your part in making this planter box on the other side of the world.
Cheers Noel

Comments

Leaning Wall Media Center

Submitted by KatieLott on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 13:45

Recently I was a Crate and Barrel and I found the Sloane Leaning Desk and thought that it would be perfect for my media center. (See that wall heater under the desk, I needed that to be open and I was tired of my big wood box of a media center on the, now, couch wall.) So knowing that I had seen the Leaning Wall Shelf on this site I knew I could reconfigure it a bit to work out for my own needs.

First, I cut the dimensions down a bit. Instead of the 31 1/2" length on all of the shelves I cut them at 24". Then then all the back trim at 25 1/2". Then for the middle section, I cut the shelf and desk at 36" and the back trim to 37 1/2". The side trim for the desk is 14 1/4". The desk itself was 22x36" and the top shelf was cut from a 1x8x6. I did this because I could cut all the other shelves and the desk from one piece of 4x8' plywood. For added support I used a 2x4 as the brace under the desk and added 1x2 braces (cut at a 45 degree angle) for extra support on the front/ sides of the desk (see photo). I also left all the edges squared off for a more modern look, like the Sloane.

I hope this helps you and good luck with your project! FYI, this was my first build EVER, and with a little help from my dad cutting the wood and getting it level, I got it done pretty easily. Oh, and get yourself some large clamps or an extra set of hands to help hold things together while you're drilling.

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I built the main supports and shelves separately then sanded, primed and painted them before assembling them in my home. For the primer I used 1qt. Zinsser 1-2-3 (1 coat), then used 1qt. of Martha Stewart, Seal (2 coats with a smooth finish roller) in a satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Adirondack Chair

Submitted by maparuna on Sat, 05/18/2013 - 19:07

Built three Adirondack Chair, got the dimensions from Ana's Adirondack Chair and modify dimensions for the smaller chair for my daughter. Used ceder and pine. Cost about CDN 40 per chair. Specially I would like to thanks Ana giving information about simple but beautiful furniture designs.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used for my backyard
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

My first dining table!!

My first attempt at a country farmhouse style dining table, my children managed to also use it as a playhouse within minutes!!

Estimated Cost
Approx £200-£250 timber seems to be a lot more expensive here in the UK compared to the U.S.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint for the legs and a mahogany stain for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Clothes rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 16:21

Simple beginner project. Would have preferred a more durable wood, but still a fun and quick project.

Comments

Pallet Shelf!

Submitted by tracysmith on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:30

Ok, so no one is going to get really jazzed about this but me, but hey.. I actually had to cut this, which I did on my own with no help from the hubs and nail in the bottom boards. That was a bit tricky cause I used other pallet wood so I didn't have to rob any of the nice stuff from my scrap pile. :-)

Estimated Cost
FREE
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
We ended up painting these for my Dad and step-Mom, but for my own that I have, we put nothing on them at all.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Portable countertop

Submitted by Spacemanta on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 20:53

I made this from the kitchen island plans, but added a countertop. It's really sturdy and cost about $65 in materials. I love it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modified Tall Panel Headboard

Submitted by RenoRustic on Thu, 04/09/2015 - 21:31

I built this headboard as a birthday gift for my grandmother. She had a rickety, old makeshift headboard composed of a couple of 2x4's and some lattice that was spray painted. I modified the plans to fit her Full size bed and lowered the height down to 62".

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$180-$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded the entire headboard with 80 & 120 grit. I matched some Behr semi-gloss paint to the color of her door and baseboard trim. Painted it with my FinishMax paint sprayer, sanding between coats with 400 grit. 3 coats of paint overall.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Custom Dollhouse Bed

This was a custom build for one of my clients. It is a full over queen bunk bed. Scalloped trim on the top, and a balcony/platform from the top bunk. Access to the top via ladder and window! The pic with the messy bed is the FINAL finished product after I added a few more trim pieces to the front.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used my Graco Airless sprayer.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Tapered plant box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 18:20

I was looking for an inexpensive way to dress up my deck and when I saw your tapered plant boxes I knew that was the gem I needed. I used pickets from a fence we took down and some 1 inch wood strips. I am planning on making more to line the new fence.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

doll crib

Doll crib with storage bin.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$5.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
1. one coat primer
2. two coats pink eggshell finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grillin' and Chillin' - Outdoor Grill Food Prep Station

Needed a table for food prep with my grill and found your plans! I used treated lumber for the base and nice cedar planks for the top. The treated lumber had a whiter than usual color which made the base really pop out. I put a nice pecan stain on top and a few coats of poly so the BBQ sauce wouldn't stain it! This was so easy, literally took 2-3 hours to build, stain and poly was done over the next few days. Ready for my next ana-white project. Thanks for posting these plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Simple pecan stain and minwax poly. Brushed on the stain and kept brushing until I got the darkness I wanted
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

tr7dul

Wed, 07/09/2014 - 16:24

I was looking on Pinterest and found this table. It was exactly what I was looking for. You inspired me to go out and buy a miter saw and some wood and make the table. It turned out wonderful. It now has a permanent place on my patio and gets used when I grill mostly. I was hoping to be able to upload a photo but don't see the option to do so. Anyway, I want to say thanks for the great plans/instructions.

Alexis Bench

Submitted by kvinjbj on Mon, 04/13/2015 - 09:48

This is only my second build.  I love it and am very proud.  I made this for my son and daughter in law to put at the foot of their bed.  It took a couple of times for me to get drawer glides on right but I did it!  I love wood working and want to keep learning!

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

Comments

Outdoor bar

Submitted by Flowerchld on Tue, 08/08/2017 - 17:03

Outdoor pallet bar with sink I found in the garage. Just a dumping sink under cabinet,not hooked up to plumbing.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint, stain over paint,poly, slate tile sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

trindadt

Thu, 05/09/2019 - 09:05

I love this design it looks like the bar on the new show Abby's.  If you have plans for this bar I would sure like a copy.  Thanks in advance for any help you can give in this matter.  

Twin Farmhouse Doll Bed

I love love love these plans! Based on the helpful comments made by other readers, I decided to narrow the bed by leaving one 1x3 out of the head and foot board panels and shortening the other 1x3's and 1x2's as needed. Added mitered trim around the head and foot boards.

The build was super easy and only took a couple of hours. I'm classifying this as a "day project" (6-9 hours) to allow time to paint or stain.

Estimated Cost
$5 for the trim added to the head & fooboards; remainder of material was salvaged from the scrap pile
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
spray primer, 2 coats Behr semi-gloss in Cally Lilly, 1 coat Minwax Polycrylic...120 and 200 grit sandpaper between coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Vintage Step Stool

Submitted by chrisiross on Mon, 05/27/2013 - 08:18

I made this awesome step stool for my daughter to be able to reach things a little bit better. It works perfectly. And the heart adds the perfect touch, don't you think?

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
paint and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner