Community Brag Posts

Numbered Cubbies on the Wall

This is not my first Ana project, but it is my very first brag post! :) I am thrilled with the way this turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I used black satin spray paint for the first coat and then brushed on two coats of satin China White. After the paint was dry I traced on the numbers, filled them in with a black satin paint pen and sanded with 150 paper to show wear.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Lex's Shark Shack

Submitted by Ran on Mon, 09/09/2013 - 09:30

We to make a Loft turn into a closed room for my grandson. We used the Sweet Pea Plan and made it a boy bed. We enclosed the back of the bed. the top bunk is a play area for him and my grand daughter. He loves it. Thanks for the Website.

Finish Used
White Wash. 50% Paint 50% Water
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Mon, 09/09/2013 - 13:32

This is an awesome project! I love how you took the plan and customized it to be a boy's space. And the shark motif - how cute is that!?! Love it, great job!

kellie

Mon, 09/09/2013 - 21:35

I absolutely love this! You did a great job with converting it to a boys bed. I was actually going to do the same thing to this exact plan when we move in a few months! Very well done. Love your taste.

Thanks for the inspiration!!

Butternut Coffee Table

Submitted by jsliter on Sat, 11/14/2015 - 08:49

I built this table out of really rough old lumber from our family farm.  Lots of sanding and a real rustic look.  Thanks for the plans!  I love it!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil finish - after drying, used three coats of Clearcoat - satin.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X-Brace Farmhouse Table and Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/26/2022 - 12:53

My employer asked for an "upscale farmhouse table" to act as a feature in our new training facility. After perusing designs online, I found this one and decided to upgrade it just a bit for the stated purpose.
Made entirely of white oak (over $1600 worth!) purchased as 4/4 and 5/4 stock, I milled all the lumber to spec in our shop. As it was to be 10' in length, and I was unable to acquire acceptable wide stock for the tabletop in that length, I went with breadboard ends, which also seems to have served to upgrade the appearance over "picnic table" to elegant showpiece. All joinery is invisible, using mostly dowels and glue where joints had to be hidden.
Final treatment was with tung oil, and it took up residence in its permanent home last week. I had to assemble it on-site, as there is NO way to move a table of this size in and out of the building. It's there to stay.

As my lumber wasn't exactly spec-size (1X4, 2X10, etc), I had to do the math and make some adjustments to achieve spec height, but the final product is a rousing success.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Comments

Floating Shelves

Submitted by brguad on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 10:46

I thought I'd try out floating shelves and it worked out pretty well. Easy to follow plans as long as I took my time. These shelves add so much to this wall it's unbelievable. My wife and I are very grateful! Afternoon project for 2 - 48" shelves.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
120 grit sand paper, wood filler, 2 coats of primer, 1 coat semi-gloss paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

"Pearce's Library"

I wanted 3 shelves so I took apart the entire pallet (44 x 44) Sanded and spray painted two coats. Only advice is next time I will make sure the pallet is in better condition. Less time sanding. My 4 year old daughter loves her new reading area!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Antiqued TV frame

Submitted by kbdesigns on Tue, 11/17/2015 - 15:03

Me: Hey can we get a new TV?

Wife: No, there is nothing wrong with ours.

Me: Darn, ok. Hey what if I build this cool frame around it?

Wife: <3 <3 <3 OK! <3 <3 <3

Me: Win.

 

So this is a project from quite a while back, one of my first builds that got me hooked on woodworking actually. I made a few modifications (obviously) since our TV was super thin it just wasn't going to work the way I wanted. I decided to go with more of a tapered look instead. It was my first experience with the "antiquing" technique, after lots of trial and error I ended up getting the look we were going for. It was overall a fun and fairly easy build, with a few learning moments along the way. The only time any of these projects seem "complicated," is when you over think everything, like I do :)

Estimated Cost
$75 (I used the fancier 1x4s from Home Depot)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint, antiqued with dark walnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ashlin

Sat, 03/26/2016 - 08:42

This looks beautiful! Was wondering where you purchased the barn door hardware? Been looking everywhere to find some that won't break the bank.

Porch Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/05/2019 - 06:23

Love the easy to follow plans!!! Make sure you have room when building....this a Big bench.

Rob V.  

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Early American, then Chalk paint over. Sanded lightly to have stain show through. I also did the wood transfer for the lettering.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Martinec97 on Tue, 10/04/2022 - 06:46

This is a King size farmhouse bed that I made based off of Ana's plans. I love it! I painted it a light gray and then glazed over it with a darker gray. Thanks for looking! - Wendy

Comments

Entry way console table

Submitted by MatiaP on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 22:42

This was my second project. My eleven year old son and I had great fun building it together.

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it lightly with milk paint in antique white so the grain of the wood was still visible. Then I sanded down the edges to reveal some wood tones and give a rustic look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Chicken wire pantry

This is my version of Patrick's jelly cupboard. I made some changes to he dimensions by making it taller and a bit wider.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a latex off white paint then put a wax on it with minwax paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Sun, 09/15/2013 - 13:48

I actually said, "Oh my gosh, that's fabulous!" out loud when I opened up this picture :) This is just awesome. Beautiful job!

allisonnavarre

Wed, 06/11/2014 - 05:00

My husband and I built one of these last year and made it into a wine cabinet. My Mom wants us to build her one but she would like it to be a little bigger also. Do you mind me asking what you changed the measurements to? It looks like the perfect size for her. :)

Crafted Perfection

Wed, 06/11/2014 - 12:23

I believe the measurements are 72" high by 35" wide by 12" deep. I built that last year and I sold it at a antique shop that I had a booth at. But to the best of my knowledge that was the measurements. Thanks for taking a look at it!!

Table centerpiece trough

Submitted by brittanyj on Fri, 11/20/2015 - 10:20

Used scrap cedar fence pickets for this build- only sanded the roughness off the top so that the saw marks remained to give it a rustic look.  added tea stain then steel wool vinegar mix to age the boards, then a coat of poly on top.  Very quick build, held together by brad nails. 

Estimated Cost
Free- Scrap cedar fence pickets
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
steel wool and vinegar mix painted on after a tea stain. Poly on top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner Cupboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/08/2019 - 15:11

Made this corner cupboard in an afternoon. It was easier than expected especially with the sliding compound miter saw, and the kreg jig haha!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane vintage aqua wood stain for the shelves, Behr "power grey" for the colors. I used weathered grey plank MDF paneling from Home Depot for the backing and doors.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

BEST DIY Garage Shelves (Attached to Walls)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/17/2022 - 13:28

Total cost $87. This project was very easy and did not take much time.

Comments

Farmhouse Bedside Table from Scraps!

I spent about $9 and my scrap pile to build Ana's Farmhouse Bedside Table. I used scrap MDF and furring strips. I got it finished during a nap time... Easy peasy!

You can see more at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/08/farmhouse-side-table.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$9 and scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Olympic Off White in satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

W/D Pedestal

Submitted by BARROW12 on Mon, 09/16/2013 - 18:54

Built according to plan, adding embellishment to cover decking seam. Painted with three coats of paint and a sprayed clear coat.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Simply Seafoam (Valspar - SemiGloss)
1 Sheet Glass Tile Mosaic, cut individually
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

butternut table

Got some butternut from a friend and here it is.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oak then clear
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Classic bunk bed for our boys

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/12/2019 - 21:22

My husband and I enjoyed building this for our boys. Our wood supply store didn't have enough 1x4's so we purchased 1x6's and ripped them down to an even 4" instead of 3.5 as with a 1x4. We also increased the height by 5.5 inches. That gives us a little extra room to do nightly reading at the bottom bunk. The slats (2 sets) in the bottom are just from IKEA and at the time we just threw them down there and I forgot to set them up in place for a true final photo. Oh well. They've enjoyed the bed for over a month already 

Estimated Cost
$140
Finish Used
Varathane ultimate one coat stain in Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wood Tilt Out Trash Cabinet-Pallet boards how do I love thee!

Submitted by Dafoemomma on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 14:53

We modified the plans to be the height of our countertops, roll and to be the dimensions of a nice cutting board we have. We originally were going to have a custom butcher block made for the top, but after having a built in one in our old house (we just moved) we decided it would be nice to be able to take the cutting board on and off to cut. We only put two locking caster wheels in the back as we have small kids and wanted to be able to stop the kids from pushing it around as much. If I hadnt wanted the hinges to be flush and a wooden knob and metal handles on the side we could have built this out of pallet boards, scraps and things we allready have! We also put small L brackets on three sides to hold the cutting board in when we cut. The cost is just caster whees, the wood knob, and the side handles as we had all the wood and paint from other projects. Also things take us a lot longer with kids and no one to watch them (and I am 8 months preggo!) so I could have done this even with drying time in a day or two. As it was I think it took me 4 days working an hour or two every day

Estimated Cost
About $8
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Watered down Folk Art paint with a polyurethane over it
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Dafoemomma

Sun, 08/28/2011 - 14:56

Sorry for the less than great photo! We are still unpacking and I havent found my good camera. This was a cell phone camera so I will try to post better ones later.

8 Foot Kentwood Bookshelf

Submitted by JHardaway on Thu, 09/19/2013 - 14:08

My wife loved the original kentwood plan, but wanted it....bigger. So it is 96 inches tall in total, and for the sides and shelves i used 1x16 project board from Lowes. This means that the shelves and sides are cedar, while the remainder is pine. Turned out fantastic and she loves it. I am currently building a second one to match.

Estimated time: 12 hours.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-O-leum ultimate wood stain "Dark Walnut". No finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner