Community Brag Posts

camp bunk beds (solid head & footboards)

The doll size version of PB camp bunk beds with a solid head and footboard made to mimic the real life size version. I made these bunks to match the life size version which the girls have in their ski house complete with matching quilts using the same fabric from their bedding.

Estimated Cost
$40 each
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean stain, wipe on clear satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My first table

Submitted by mshotwell on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 07:34

This was my first table, great directions from Ana White and other postings. Turned out great, the main addition I had was to add some supports for the ends as it felt like it needed it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Pecan Gloss Stain/Poly - Quart. We did two layers of stain, using steel wool in between coats. The finish turned out very nice and feels smooth. The top was sanded very smooth with 220 grit before staining.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Storage Bed *Forgot to post*

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/25/2017 - 18:03

It was a long and brutal process, but so is child birth and I did that twice so... I was definitely a beginner at the start. I learned A LOT from this process and it paid off in the end! Couldn't be happier with the outcome!

Estimated Cost
A lot more than expected. Measure 10 billion times before you cut!!!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Espresso Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Finally patio furniture that won't blow away!

Submitted by lisa97 on Fri, 10/16/2020 - 20:31

Very clear plans and directions. My husband and I built these and the table in a weekend. We added a back and made a table from the scraps. First time of not chasing furniture that has blown away! We love them!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Seminare transparent stain and seal in Chocolate 5129
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Nick's Farmhouse Table

I built this farmhouse table for my beautiful wife for christmas using the update pocket hole plans. It was a lot of work but well worth it.

Bench in the making!

Estimated Cost
$100 + and additional tools needed that you dont have
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax mahogany and poly in satin. I used 3 coats of stain and poly. I sanded with 120 grit first and 220 grit last. The more you sand the better it will look and feel.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic Storage

Submitted by Scrapwood on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 11:52

To build I used mostly all pallet wood.  This made things interesting because not one drawer was the same and had to custom fit each drawer.  

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

Flat Wall Book Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/29/2017 - 18:33

Turned out great! Instructions were very easy to follow. My first attempt at building a piece of "furniture". 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax gunstock stain and quick dry polyurethane (2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Coffee Table - First Project Ever

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/20/2020 - 08:51

When COVID hit I quickly realized that I had absolutely no hobbies - aside from Netflix (is that considered a hobby?) One day I went down a YouTube worm hole and ended up seeing one of Ana's video's. As I watched I thought "She makes this seem easy", I think I could do this. So I went and bought a few tools and got to work. I'm now proud to say my first project ever is done!

I really enjoyed making this table and I'm looking forward to new projects. My next will be matching side tables.
I learned a ton doing this and while I'm happy with the final outcome I'm also highly aware of all the mistakes I made. The thing is I didn't know I was making mistakes at the time. (I didn't know what I didn't know) A little bit of experience now helps eliminate those same errors next time around.

I certainly discovered that finishing is where all the magic happens. It's what makes the project look either amazing or just "ok". It's also the part of the build that takes the most attention to detail, the most patience and is also (in my humble opinion) the most boring repetitive part of the build. The reality is it's also the most important, transformative part. It definitely makes the difference.

Ana, I hope it's helpful for you to know that your video's really do inspire people to get creative and make things. I'm excited to start on my next project!

Sincerely,

Brent Rodgers
Ontario, Canada

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint for the frame: Beauti-Tone Signature Series eggshell -Colour: Tempting Slate
Stain: Varathane - Provincial
Poly: Varathane - Triple Thick Satin Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Camp Loft Bed with Ladder and Landing

We built this bed for the lil neighbor girl as a gift for Christmas. It turned out better than I expected! The Plans were amazing and easy to follow... It is the first project that I used my Kreg Jig! I am so excited to build another one for my daughter now! We decided to pre-finish all the parts after we cut them to ensure proper sealing of all the ends, just in case of any sap or what not. Special thanks to Ana for all of these plans and Ideas! You truely rock!

Estimated Cost
$75-100 Dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Classic Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table

Submitted by jbryan5 on Thu, 10/23/2014 - 07:23

Built from the Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table plans. It took at lot longer than I wanted, but I was taking my time to avoid mistakes. All of the wood is "2 x ?" pine studs. the table is solid and very heavy.

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 . Stained with 1 coat Early American 2. 3 Coats Minwax Semi-Gloss Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shoe Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/25/2020 - 07:57

I've been wanting to make this for so long! I still have a couple blemishes to touch up but I'm super pleased with how this turned out. Easy construction and tons of customization options! THANK YOU ANA!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polycrylic. Semi-gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Room divider cubbies

Submitted by Massielita on Fri, 01/04/2013 - 17:52

My twins share one pretty large room. They are 11 years old now and getting old enough to want more of their own personal space. This 5x5 cubby shelf was perfect to be used as a room divider!

My challenge was that I typically work in the basement, but their room is on the 2nd floor. I didn't have anyone that would be able to help me carry this massive creation up 2 flights of stairs, so I had to build this "on site." Unfortunately, their room is carpeted (poorly), so I brought up some old subfloor panels that I had to have a more flat surface to work on. It wasn't ideal, but made it possible.

It also took me much longer than it would take most people since I was limited to working only during nap times. It probably could have been done in a day or two if I had the opportunity to work continuously.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Small Hall Tree

This project was something my wife wanted, but I didn't want to spend alot of money. I managed to build this project for less then $25.00 minus the paint. We are not sure what color it's going to be and I think I might add a shelf to it at a later date. We had to cut this down by 19 inches to fit it into our hall way. Hopefully I will get the rest of it finished in the next month or so depending on the weather.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$24.30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No clue yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy Sliding Door Console

Submitted by kjmorley on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 22:32

I made it a little deeper to accomodate my tuner (59" wide x 21" deep x 35" tall).

I liked the look of the long, top shelf that others makers had built, it's perfect for my 3 front speakers!

These sliding door rollers worked great for the door hardware:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPH8M9Q

I used  1" x 0.125" flat bar (hot rolled steel) for the rails and door mounting stips (6" x 4).  It's fairly soft, so is easy to drill the holes for the screws.

Total cost was about $250, but $80 of that was for the thick cedar top. I used cedar, as I like the colour it goes when ebonized with vinegar/steel wool solution. The door are also cedar. I finished the top and doors with wipe-on polyurethane. The paint was grey eggshell latex.
 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Eggshell latex. Cedar top and doors ebonized with vinegar/steel wool solution, then clear coated with polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Quick and easy step stool

Submitted by danwiecz on Fri, 10/30/2020 - 19:58

Was going for a rustic u finished look with rough cut scrap pine and visible screws.

Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My Surprise B-Day Gift and Project Wrapped Into One!

Submitted by Diania on Sun, 01/06/2013 - 17:14

How this beginner project became my B-Day gift: After seeing this on Ana's site I just knew I had the perfect place for these, plus it was a great project to wet my toes :-) After talking my husband's head off for about a week with all the new things I'm going to build this year, we were finally headed to Lowes to get material. Well to my surprise he also bought me a Kreg-Jig(Master Series) I AM GOING TO BE A BUILDING MACHNE! LOL

The cost really is around $10 or less but I spent some extra on Polycrylic to create a nice shine over the wood. I knew I wanted 8ft ledges so there was no cutting involved, wohoo! Here is what I used:

6 1x4 @8ft
3 1x2 @8ft
(I used 1 1/4in screws for project and 2in screws for mounting)
120 grit sand paper
After putting together the wood in a jiffy as described in Ana's plans I then sanded. Even the sanding, which I did by hand was fairly quick. Next the priming and painting took the longest as it had to dry obviously. After a few coats, I sprayed the polycrylic according to directions on can. That's it...

I was so excited as it was going up, I was planning on putting some candles, maybe some decorative stuff to go with the pics. I didn't realize how many pictures I have! Wow! Guess I'll have to dust off my Kreg-Jig and make more. :-)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$24
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer, White Glossy Paint, and Minwax Spray Polycrylic. Polycrylic is easy to use and very quick to dry.(about 30min) I simply used it to create a shiny look.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Toy Workbench

This was a really simple and easy project. I modified the design to fit the scrap wood that I had on hand to lower the cost. This bench is for my 2 year old and is the perfect height for a 2-5 year old. I used chalkboard paint on the work surface and peg board to add another interesting dimension to the piece.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Using scrap wood and finishing supplies on hand, I spent about a total of $5 on this bench (for peg board and hooks).
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I first spray painted the work surface and peg board with chalkboard paint. I then used 2 coats of high quality flat paint (red) and 2 coats of gloss polyurethane to protect the workbench frame from wear and tear.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra long storage bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/06/2017 - 19:32

We needed a long bench to cover up our chords and outlets against a fairly large wall. My husband cut holes in the back of the bench so that chords could pass through and we could hide a cable box inside the bench. 

 

It turned out perfect!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Flat paint and water based poly for base. Walnut stain for top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Planter box's

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/02/2020 - 09:09

The great plans to follow for this project made it much easier.

Comments

Loft Bed

We have a small house. Okay, a TINY house. We just added a new baby to the mix, had a 5th birthday and Christmas, and suddenly, every room seems more cramped. We knew we needed more storage in our oldest son's room, and this seemed like the best solution!

We used the plans for the bed to a T, and then did the bookshelf on the end to match. We then created a custom plan for shelves underneath, just the right size to accommodate the blue and green fabric bins you see. We also left some spaces for bigger toys, and added a hamper to keep taller toys (swords and such) organized.

We loved the look of the bed painted white in the picture, and since his walls were already practically the same color blue (and a green accent wall), we decided not to stray far from the original design.

Our son loves the bed, and we are thrilled with all the space he has in there now!

We estimated about $350 on the bed, that included the wood, screws, 2 gals Valspar paint, paint accessories, and the fabric bins and hamper.

Estimated Cost
350.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
All the boards are 1x's except for one 2x2 for mattress support. We used Valspar prime and paint, used two coats to cover the knots and imperfections in the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tryde console table in oak

Submitted by rherlein on Mon, 11/03/2014 - 06:04

I altered the plan to make the table work as an end table.  Due to the table being made of oak, I was not able to  add the leg bacing at the bottom.  I am going to purchase a pocket hole jig to try to attach the bracing that way.  Both tables have 21 inch legs, one table I left the original length, the other I shortened by 12 inches to better fit in the corner of the room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Due to using oak, I have about $150 invested between the 2 tables
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner