Community Brag Posts

Channing Bookcase/Desk combo

Submitted by Maremilina on Sun, 07/10/2016 - 23:24

Wife wanted bookcases for all our books and a desk/work area for her calendar.  I decided to modify the Channing Bookcase to suit our needs.  We built 5 of them to fit the wall.  We did not attach the back trim piece on the shelves to give them a recessed look.  Convinced the wife to let me buy the Kreg K4 system, which saved my sanity for the over 500 pocket holes we had to drill in this project. Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
With paint, about $350 but we live in Guam, so prices are significantly higher!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Marquee interior semi-gloss dark navy blue and ultra pure white (top and back).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Leaning Wall Shelf

Submitted by King418 on Wed, 06/27/2012 - 19:01

Easy project, I really enjoyed making this and it looks great! I used MDF for the shelves and finger jointed poplar for the rails. I work in a lumber yard so the materials and tools were readily available. I recommend for all levels and again really enjoyed making it! Hope you enjoy my first post!

Finish Used
Black wood paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Library Book Cart

Submitted by kkllgg on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 09:12

This was one of my first woodworking projects I completed with limited help from my handy husband. And the first time I used a jigsaw (to cut out the handles). I used mostly scrap MDF we had leftover from other projects - only purchasing one additional sheet of MDF for around $12. The MDF worked ok, but I did have some trouble with splitting when screwing it all together and screwing the castors on. Used our Kreg Jig where it made sense.

As a beginner, this project took me somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 hours over the span of a couple weeks. Cost was approximately $50 - including the MDF (but I used mostly scrap we had on hand), spray primer and paint, castors, and "Library" decal.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
To finish, I primed with Rustoleum spray primer and sprayed several coats (two cans) of Rustoleum spray paint in their bright yellow. (Note that if using MDF, the spray paint did not cover the edges well. I read a tip online that suggested spreading a thin layer of drywall spackle over the edges and that worked for me.) I had someone on Etsy make the chevron "Library" decal for me for about $5.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Frozen Loft Bed

Submitted by ndelanuez on Thu, 07/14/2016 - 10:09

Those angles on the ladder are challenging. This is our first time building any furniture. Thak you Ana W

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

Cedar Flower Box

My supervisor wanted me to build her a waist high planter so I found pictures online and then came up with an idea in my head and carried it through. I had some pieces left over so I made it's little brother as a gift to my mom for Mother's Day. I posted it on a FB share site the other day, now folks want the plans for it. I am great when it comes down to thinking the plan in my head but putting it on paper, well lets just say not so much.

It measures 24" X 24" X 24" with a 12" deep planter basin. The bottom has a dadoed grid of 4 boards on the first and 6 in the newer versions to hold the bottom boards on top.

The entire project was 8-1X6 6' dog ear cedar fence pickets from The Home Depot that cost $2.35/each. I glued (Gorilla Glue), brad nailed and screwed the entire thing together So total, this cost me about $25.

Estimated Cost
25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mountain Cabin Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/02/2024 - 13:07

This is Ana’s Farmhouse king bed. We just built a mountain Cabin and I thought I could save a few bucks by making a couple beds. I only made one because just the ability to get the wood transported and moving it all was a bit more than this 50++ lady was counting on. BUT, I’m super proud of how it turned out. The stain was a mixture of 4-5 Minwax samples that we had from the home build.

 

Kitchen Island

We had an area in our kitchen where the washer and dryer use to be, and we wanted to build a cabinet that would fit in that spot. We took these plans and adjusted the sizes to fit the space we needed. We made the depth deeper and we cut off one of the side drawers and doors. We found a pre-made 1 1/2 inch butcher block counter top at a local wood supply warehouse that fit our needs perfectly. The countertop was about a quarter of the price of the whole cabinet, but it was worth it. In the drawers we used wrapping paper that we found at Cost Plus which fits us to a "T". We painted it with General Finish Milk Paint in Bayberry Green and used a clear coat with a satin finish. My biggest advice to someone making this cabinet is to take your time and make sure everything is square.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General Finish Milk Paint Bayberry Green, Satin Clear Coat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

vabvive

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 10:10

You've done a beautiful job! What did you find was key to getting everything square?

This is lovely & has inspired me to make my own. I need a piece for my master bedroom that I can use as a TV stand and also to conceal my laundry baskets. Originally I'd planned on adapting a sideboard and using a tip-out door like Ana's trash bin for the laundry -- but this piece is so beautiful I may just ensure that my laundry basket will fit inside and build as-is so that I can easily have the option to use it differently if I want to.

Schweizerfamily

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 06:59

Thank you so much. We purchased a couple of Clamp it Assemby Sqares from rockler.com. These helped a lot for getting everything square. We also took our time and did not rush.

Dustin (not verified)

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 19:42

Love your modified sideboard! The color is gorgeous and the butcher block is a great addition!

I was wondering what kind of hinges you used. I looked for flush mount hinges at Lowes today and they are not going to work. I want it to look like yours where you can barely see the hinge.

Do you remember the name of it? Where you got it? Pic? Any help would be appreciated!!

Dustin Roberts
[email protected]

Schweizerfamily

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 20:15

Thank you very much. We had a really hard time finding hinges also. We tried Home Depot and Lowes and came up empty. We finally went on to Hillary Louise's blog and follow the links to the website where she bought her hinges. http://www.cabinetparts.com

Here are the links that she posted.

http://www.cabinetparts.com/p/amerock-traditional-cabinet-hinges-AMCM31…

http://www.cabinetparts.com/p/amerock-traditional-cabinet-hinges-AMCM31…

We just bought ours in a different color.

Becka (not verified)

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 13:14

My husband & I are looking to build our own too but the dimensions of the original plan would make it too big for our dining area. Yours would be a perfect size though - would you mind posting the size adjustment for yours? Or could you email it to me? I would be forever grateful :)

Love the color you painted it too....very nice choice!

Becka Krikorian (not verified)

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 13:18

My husband & I are looking to build our own too but the dimensions of the original plan would make it too big for our dining area. Yours would be a perfect size though - would you mind posting the size adjustment for yours? Or could you email it to me? I would be forever grateful :)

Love the color you painted it too....very nice choice!

rhettar

Sat, 01/19/2013 - 11:37

This is exactly the size down I had in mind and was wondering how it would look with one door off by itself, it looks great! I even thought about incorporating one door to actually be a tilt or pull out for trash. You guys did a wonderful job and it looks like it was built in where you ended up putting it in your kitchen... Are you going to do a little something now to match on the other side of the stove?

Schweizerfamily

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 09:12

Thats a great idea. We were thinking one our next projects would be a mix between this and Ana's recycling center with the tilt out for dog food.

Farmhouse Storage Bed - Solid Maple

My Dad and I started with solid maple lumber. We altered the plan to use mortise and tendon joints and adjust drawer sizes to that night stands would not interfere with the drawers. Final product weighs about 500lbs.

Estimated Cost
$1600.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cherry Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

My first homemade table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/17/2016 - 03:04

This was my first time building something like this. I used reclaimed wood from my wife's family farm and decided to use thinner materials. I'm very pleased with the results.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Linseed oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Farmhouse Nightstands (Own Plan)

We built the Modern Farmhouse Bed Frame, but wanted matching nightstands. Since we made the bed frame taller than the original plans, we needed taller nightstands. I also wanted a drawer and cabinet in the nightstand. We used the same panel pattern as the headboard for the side of the nightstands, and we used 4x4’s as the corners. We used euro sliders for the drawers. We used Minwax - Dark Walnut and Polycrylic in Clear Matte to finish the pieces. The nighstands dimensions are 32” in height, 26” wide, and 17” (top edge to edge) deep. They turned out amazing!

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Dark Walnut and Polycrylic in Clear Matte
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shed Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 07:44

This is a Falconry weathering mew. It is 12 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 9 feet tall at the lowest point. The foundation is pressure treated 2x and landscape timber buried into the ground.

Shane Boehmer

Double Desk with Window Seat Filing Space

Submitted by cdswhite on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 19:16

We built a double desk based off of the eco-office desk plans. We made various modifications and still haven't decided how we're going to attach the door the cabinet on the right. The window seat has the same style as the other pieces but is totally our own invention - it has three rows of filing inside!

Estimated Cost
$300ish??? Can't Remember Anymore
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss white and dark walnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Husky Farmhouse Table

Submitted by J Williams on Sat, 04/19/2014 - 20:21

Took about a week to build and put together. Most expensive part was the table legs but the most challenging part was to get the table top smooth and level. I built the benches based off the farmhouse bench plans and then picked up some chairs from a local second hand shop for just two bucks a piece. So far the feedback has been very positive!

Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

The Kelley's Triple farm house table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/20/2016 - 14:09

This was more or less a honey-do project for my birthday. My husband was able to use the entire length of the original plan that was downloaded from this site. It took him the entire weekend to complete all of the cutting and assembly. the wood glue application and staining went well-basically, after the wood glue was dry he sanded then applied two coats of a stain that has a white wash appearance. After letting it dry he sanded then applied two applications of matte poly. This project actually took about three weeks for us because we were in the mist of moving. I believe it could have been completed in the course of one weekend if there were know distractions. The table is now a piece that is the conversation of all who visit our home and it will be in the family for many years to come.

This honey do project gets a 100% thanks to making this tool available to others!

Thank you

The Kelley's

 

Finishing products: minwax water based white wash pickling 32oz.

minwax water based polycrylic clear matte

 

The $200 dollars was due to other materials and tools that were required

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white wash followed with matte poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sofa with table and matching chairs!

So, we decided after not finding any outdoor furniture, that why not make them! So this is the result, made a few changes to the size and measurements so the pillows from IKEA, would fit perfectly. Now we are waiting for them to be ready to oil/paint. We also made the chairs with the sofa plans, so happy we did that. Thank you so much for the plans! We are so happy! IKEA pillows name are: Sitting pillow - FRÖSÖN/DUVHOLMEN 62cm by 62 cm. Back pillows - FRÖSÖN/DUVHOLMEN 62cm by 44 cm.

Estimated Cost
$240
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
Seasonal And Holiday

Reclaimed-Wood Headboard

Submitted by keribeth on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 14:49

Reclaimed-wood headboard from pine boards with minwax aged oak gel stain and stain finish wipe-on polyacrylic. I distressed some of the board with a screwdriver, a pipe, and whatever else I found in the garage, and etched my and my wife's initials in a heart on one side. Aww!

Estimated Cost
~$85 in lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax gel stain in aged oak
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

MichelleC

Fri, 07/06/2012 - 19:44

I was going to carve mine and my hubby's initials in a heart on our reclaimed headboard, too!!!!! I didn't end up doing it because I think we'll eventually sell it and build a headboard with padding on it since my husband likes something padded to lean against while watching tv at night.

Dining cart

This dining cart is very versatile. It could be used in any room of the house. I love that it has wheels on the bottom so you can move it easily if needed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Early American, Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Box finished today!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/23/2016 - 15:27

Thanks for the step by step! That Kreg jig was amazing I didn't even know that existed. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White Gildens Premium
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modular Office Wide Bookcase Base

Submitted by solomonson on Sat, 07/07/2012 - 20:29

The toy room needed some attractive storage for the books and puzzles instead of the floor! Enter this plan. I shortened the shelves to 36" and fastened the shelves to 1x2 stretchers that I fastened to the inside of the sides. I hid them by nailing a face frame to it made of 1x2s. I used beadboard for the back, which I painted before attaching it.
I had a hiccup when I forgot to use my square and had to backtrack some, which made this project longer than I anticipated.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used some conglomerate for the back of lots of little samples of oops paint I had lying around. I used Valspar white everywhere else and Minwax spray-on poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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