Community Brag Posts

My Outdoor Modern Farm Table

Submitted by tara-m on Tue, 07/05/2011 - 10:22

I have a rustic outdoor room made out of our garage. We started the project last summer but it took until this weekend to get a table built. I was skeptical that I would be able to build a table myself, but I knew this table would fit in my backyard decor and I had to do it!

Using the plans from the site, I was able to build this almost entirely by myself. I got help for flipping it and adding the side aprons.

I started around noon with a trip to Lowe's and was done by about 7:30. The wood and screws cost around $50. I still have to finish it and am thinking of staining it dark brown.

Also, the guy at Lowe's recommended that I used deck screws. So that is what I used. I did not pre-drill all the holes. I also put the 2x6s in the table top, then flipped it over and added the 2x2 supports and screwed them in. I think that saved some time and seemed to work out okay.

Thanks for a great project, Ana! I am so proud of myself that I did this! Now I am off to make a bench to match.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner cabinet

My mom had been wanting a corner cabinet in her dining room forever but every one we found was mad expensive. So I built her one as a gift. She loves it! I used left over paint from her dining room walls so the colors match exactly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100. Paint was free as it was left over.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Interior wall paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack stools or end tables

Super strong stools and/or end tables! I LOVE them. Wanted a rustic vibe, stained with Varathane Briarsmoke with Varathane matte poly. The build took no time at all... The only reason this is a day project in my opinion was the true time it takes for drying between finishing coats. They were both built in one evening. Can't wait to build the Adirondack chairs from Ana's book to go with them!  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1coat of Varathane Briarsmoke + 3 coats of Varathane Matte Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simple Outdoor Bench with Cedar Slats

Submitted by kmatt55 on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 17:53

I am close to completing an outdoor set with only the table to go. My parents are going to love this at their new house they are building!! I found the cedar 1x4's at home depot for about six dollars a piece. I painted the base a basic semi-gloss white before I built the bench. It's so much easier to paint first and build later. I have a few more touch ups but I am happy with it. I used the Kreg Jig Jr to screw in underneath($40), which made this project and every project I've done so far that much easier.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss white exterior.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bhoppy

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 15:28

Looks great! Love the two toned wood look. I wondered whether you added an extra support in the middle... sort of seems like there's one at least in the last picture. Also did you build the top completely separate so it was one piece? Sorry for all the questions. I really want to make this bench for a friend and I would like it to look better than the last outdoor table I made with my kreg jig. Thanks

kmatt55

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 16:42

Thanks! The bench had a little flexibility when I sat in the middle of the bench. I added the extra support in the middle which made no difference at all. It turns out that cedar is a naturally light and flexible wood. If I had it to do over again I would use treated pine for the white base and keep the top cedar. The 1x4 cedar from home depot I used is actually .625 x 3.3875 not .75 x 3.5. So as you can imagine, it threw off the whole slat configuration. Best thing to do is use 28 or so .25 inch spacers to place in between the 14 or so slats on level ground. Once you space the slats like you want, then you can maneuver the frame freely until its even on both sides. Once it looks even on both sides start screwing kreg screws at one end and continue until the last one is done. FYI - I highly recommend drilling the pocket holes first before building the frame in Step 1. Hope that helps!!

kmatt55

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 17:05

Almost forgot. I did add 2x2's in between the blue and green boards on each side of the frame to add more support. The middle board I added as you can see in the last picture did nothing structurally speaking.

bhoppy

Fri, 08/05/2011 - 10:11

Thanks for the tips. I finished cutting all the wood and am going to start putting it together tonight... After reading through the comments I think I'll join the 14 slats together with the side 52 1/4 boards before attaching it to the frame. Did you use an extra 1x3 for the second leg board?

Wide Platform bed

This bed is my first "for profit" bed.  Took some design changes so it could be taken apart and put together easily with metal bed brackets.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
This finish was MInwax Expresso with several coats of satin polyacrylic lightly sanding between each.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mail Organizer - a modified version of the numbered cubbies

Submitted by kelli224 on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 18:28

I was in desperate need of a mail organizer and knew when I saw the the plans for the numbered cubbies that it would be perfect with some modifications. The best part of this project was that it was free...all from scraps and done in less than a couple hours.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
FREE - totally made from scraps and paint I had around the house
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
A coat of black spray paint and then a coat of white. I painted on the letters and then sanded everything. I used a brown/gray glaze to tone down the white.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

kelli224

Wed, 08/31/2011 - 15:22

Thank you! This little box has really been handy and keeps everything so tidy. EmileeA - It is 19" long, the back is 8", and the front is 5.5". The divider is 11.25" from the left side. Hope that helps!

Sarakas

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 17:31

hi there! I ve been working on a small cubby shelf similar to this and was interested in seeing how /where you joined the boards- ex. The front board (5.5ft) to the dividers... I don't see and nails or screws! I'm guessing you applied wood filler atop the nailheads. But I'm having trouble joining my boards and if you can kindle let me know where you attached the front board to dividers w nails or was it just glue?!? Thanks so much!

4x4 Truss Beam table

Submitted by dlachance on Sun, 09/04/2022 - 10:08

I went a little more high end for the table top, but really like the design for the frame

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Lounger Sofa by Mark

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/07/2022 - 09:11

Just wanted to share the results of the sectional I built with your plans. 

I’m new to woodwork, newly retired, built these for my daughters, with a twist, she wanted a lounger sofa, hope you like. 

lounge sofa

outdoor lounge sofa

Comments

Closet shelves

Submitted by mom of 4 on Thu, 09/19/2013 - 22:12

I needed to use my small coat closet more efficiently (observe the disaster in the before picture!), so I installed built-in shelves along a side wall for all our board games. Not a plan really, but just a simple solution. Measure the height you want your shelves to be, install a 1X3 at that height on either side wall, making sure they are level and secured to studs or anchored (Mine are 1 foot apart up to 5 feet). Then install plywood or solid wood shelves across the supports. Screw in to secure and you've got functional, inexpensive shelving, built to fit your unique space.

Estimated Cost
Scraps or the cost of 1 sheet plywood and 1 1X3 or 1X4.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
It's all just bare wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sideboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/21/2019 - 23:48

Really enjoyed making this! Thank you for the plans Ana White! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Chalked linen white with gloss finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farm table and puppy version.

Submitted by Old JMU on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 16:10

Table I built for my wife. She found it while browsing Ana's site. Loved it so much she wanted one for herself. Came out so nice we decided to make our puppy a version of her own.     

 

LOVE THIS SITE!!!!

Estimated Cost
Dog table - less than $10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain and satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/15/2023 - 13:37

My husband and I had worked on this bed together, and we are so happy with it! We went with taller side tables that we purchased, and just stained the wood instead of painting it.

Comments

Grandy TV Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/27/2015 - 12:20

Modified the plans to make smaller and shorter to use as a flatscreen tv stand to fit up to a 60 inch tv. It has room on each side for baskets that I will put in later!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades in Mission Oak satin, and Behr premium plus ultra in satin Ultra Pure White
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

End of the Bed storage ottoman

This was my first project. I already had a large ottoman, but it didn't hold anything. So I broke it apart for the box frame, added a bottom and hinged the lid. I was able to reuse the padding and upholster the pieces with sale fabric from Joann Fab ( love that store). Than I attached the fabric with a staple gun. Since it's in my bedroom, I like to keep wedding photos and such inside. Plus my 2 year old cannot open it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50, since I had the frame and padding already
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Lean-To Shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 13:17

I’m a first year teacher of construction class at Waterloo High School in Illinois. We recently used your Small Cedar shed instructions with some modifications for a class project. It’s a bear getting cedar right now, so we used T1-11 for the outside and 2x4 for the frame.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

One arm 2x4 outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/18/2023 - 08:10

This was so super easy. We are so in love with this. Thank you Ana for making DIY so much fun!

Comments

Refreshment center console with barn door

Submitted by calcowoods on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 07:10

My wife and I built this Refreshment Console as a birthday present for our daughter. She had previously purchased a beverage refrigerator and wanted us to adapt it inspired by your barn door console project. Thus, we modified your plan to accommodate the height of the refrigerator. Also, she wanted three shelves with a closed back on the right side of the cabinet. Simply plan adjustments were all that was needed.

Using your plans, material list and excellent video we were able to construct the barn door rails and hangers using 1 ½ inch fender washers which sandwiched three 1-inch fender washers.  The metal bar was sized to fit the top of the cabinet and connected to the top trim board using spacers, washers and bolts.  As we decided to place a middle support for the bar, we added a t-nut into a center plywood partition so that we could use the same bolts, spacers and washers to support the rail.   

As we were following a rustic theme, we decided to add the X Braces to the barn door and used a project panel board as the top. The barn door is guided at the bottom using a simple U shaped metal bracket that we lined with felt for a smooth glide.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Top, barn Door and Bottom Trim treated with one coat of Varathane Aged Wood Accelerator using a rag to create a rustic brown look.
Cabinet carcass and surrounding trim painted with one coat of Behr Premium Plus Ultra Satin Finish Metropolis Grey.
Entire cabinet finished using MinWax Paste Finishing Wax Natural applied with a rag and buffed for a durable finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mario Castle Bunk

Submitted by jlholmes80 on Wed, 01/01/2014 - 00:30

So my son needed a bunk bed and we came upon the sweet pea bed. It was too girly for him so we decided to go with a theme that would be timeless, something he wouldn't mind having when he is 18 (or older, he is 10 now). What is better than Mario! (We are a house full of gamers, my 17 year old is super jealous of this bed lol). The build was fairly easy and the plans were straight forward enough, the time consuming part was the painting (without all the painting we could have probably build this in a long weekend). We changed a few things, like not arching the top windows, adding the 4 inch 2x4 squares to the top to give the castle look and stairs are made to look like stairs from the side so we stepped out the banister instead of angling it.

Estimated Cost
500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint colors were all Behr paint+ primer (mostly eggshell or flat):
New Brick, Black, Polar Bear White, Green Crush, Green Acres, Lemon Zest, Windjammer, and French Silver. Some of the colors (like pinkish tone on the stairs) we created on our own mixing the New Brick and the Polar Bear.

Polyurethane. I mixed regular oil based polyurethane (gloss) with mineral spirits (50/50) and wiped it on. It was remarkably simple and gave it a nice seal/finish. Last coat I used Satin Polyurethane because I didn't want the gloss finish. I opted not to sand between coats because this is a kids bed and I wasn't looking for that "perfect" finish, just wanted some added protection.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Mrswhetstone1

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 06:11

This is the coolest bed I have ever seen! I wish I could make this for my youngest. I could probably build it, but I 'm pretty sure it would go downhill when I started painting it. You did an amazing job and your son is a very lucky boy!

jlholmes80

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 16:10

You can totally do it! I am a horrible painter (I'm too impatient) and you can't tell with this because of how forgiving the design ends up being. There is so much going on it's hard to pinpoint the mistakes. :)

jlholmes80

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 16:07

Thanks so much! This was the first thing we ever built (although my husband did a lot of building stuff in his youth we have never done anything together and I was a total beginner) so we are very happy with it. :D I appreciate all the kind words.

amercpina

Fri, 05/03/2019 - 22:00

We are super excited to build this for our 9 year old son. To make this a Full size bed am I correct in thinking that I only need to alter the side panels by adding 15inches? I am paranoid about building it and the mattress not fitting. Thanks so much!

Garage shelves

Submitted by papadog on Thu, 10/31/2019 - 11:46

Added some storage to the garage. Wife got some more room for her canning. Looks much better than older metal shelving. Thanks for the ideas, again!

Estimated Cost
240
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Back