Community Brag Posts

My modified loft bed

Submitted by Mouse on Fri, 11/23/2012 - 21:13

After building a small dinghy, and a slightly longer pirogue, I was ready to build something else. I was looking at another boat, but to save my marriage my lovely wife suggested something more... practical. So my summer project was a surprise loft bed for my 12 year old son. He was staying with his grandparents for most of the summer so I had a month or so to work on it. This was my first piece of furniture and I'm very proud of it.

I did modify the plans a bit. I added a shelf to use as a nightstand, because you need a place for your water bottle, book, tissues, etc.

I made the desktop significantly deeper so that it was more useable.

I moved the ladder to the end of the bed and made it wider.

I added a towel bar to one end.

I added a drawer under the desktop.

and lastly I put corkboard on the side of the bookcase.

Estimated Cost
I think I spent about $350 for the whole project.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Two coats of Pecan stain, and four coats of spar varnish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 03:48

What a great build! Love all of the mods and attention to detail! Was he beyond excited? I know, I would have been, ha!

spiceylg

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 03:50

What a great build! Love all of the mods and attention to detail! Was he beyond excited? I know, I would have been, ha!

In reply to by spiceylg

Mouse

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 09:23

He was excited. It replaced one of those cheap metal loft beds you can buy at Wal-mart. The old bed was kind of wobbly and made creeky noises every time he moved. he loves having bookshelves and a nightstand. I'd have posted his exited face photo but I ran out of photo slots. =)

I also made him a locker to go with it. So there were no excuses for not hanging up his jacket.

I love this site!

bbygrl78

Sun, 03/08/2015 - 10:20

I am getting ready to build my 5 yr old a loft bed. I have been searching for a design I want to use and I would like to more or less use yours, if that's okay? I don't want to use one of the kids designs because I want it to grow with her. I want to add stairs and a higher banister. I'll probably paint it white or something.

Pallet hope chest

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/27/2016 - 15:12

This is a hope chest I made for my step daughter this Christmas it is made intirely out of pallet wood except for the frame which I used 1by4 by 8 pine board 

Estimated Cost
20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glossy polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Camp loft bed with animal zoo storage

I made the loft bed for my 6yr old back in March. This weekend we took care of another issue, stuffed animal storage. So I added 3/16 bungee cord I found on Amazon. I bought 100 foot spool and it was plenty. Also found on Amazon 50 count of the 1.6 inch eye screws and had 2 leftover. I had to add 3 boards to the existing bed to complete this project.

It took some practice to get the cord threaded the way I liked it. I wasn’t overly concerned with the cord going straight up and down but I knew I didn’t like the diagonal look. I also wanted the stuffed animals off the ground to prevent a spider haven.

We used a drill to start pilot holes for the eyelet screws 1 inch from the edge of the board at 4.5 inches apart. Then the kids used small screwdrivers to twist the screws in. It was a real hand saver.

I hope this motivated someone to take care of that stuffed animal storage for good!

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Country Island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/10/2024 - 10:26

2 x 10 pine boards on top. We left the the last 24" open to accommodate bar stools. Coated with poly.

Laundry Room Work Shelf

Submitted by nitechick on Mon, 11/26/2012 - 21:49

Liked the design, but I was looking for a shelf for my laundry room. This is my first project on my own.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mini farmhouse Bedside Table, football style

These mini farmhouse tables are great examples of a creative way to personalize plans.  They both cheer for thier college team!  And as fall in the south is here, college football is king.  Please go to www.ourhomemadefamily.com for my thoughts on how the finish is the personality of all my custom builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$18
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
annie sloan chalk plaint, cc cal dwells chalk paint, annie sloan clear wax, I used carbon transfer paper to trace the tiger stripes and houndstooth.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Truss table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/29/2016 - 15:10

I reduced the length by 12 inches to accomodate my space, and I ripped the boards on the table saw so they would be more flush when I assembled the tabletop. Otherwise, I followed the plan exactly. Distressed tabletop before staining. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Multiple stains including pickled oak and jacobean by minwax. 2 coats of poly on tabletop only.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Patio Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 07:18

With a mix of the 2 attached plans, I found the perfect design! Plus, I was able to build them both, including the table, out of the scrap from the deck I built!! Thank you so much!!!

Comments

Footboard cubby bench

Submitted by benhuard on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 06:13

This was basically half of the entry way palns (I didn't make the top piece). I am yet to have a cushion made for the top but it looks great at the foot of our bed.

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple Console - First Build!!

Ana's simplest console inspired my first build. I decided to make it a bit wider like one I saw on Shanty 2 Chic's website, and this is what I came up with. So excited about my first build - can't wait for the next!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax water based stain in Latte. Olympic indoor paint in Brigade.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kid extremely happy

Submitted by hrios on Sun, 01/01/2017 - 17:49

This project took us four days. The biggest job that took us awhile was sanding and painting.

Estimated Cost
156.27 this included paint, wood, screws and glue
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Flip Top Storage Bench

Submitted by jagrjones on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 17:00

This bench works great as a piano bench with storage inside for all of the sheet music. I added one little 4x4x.75 piece of wood inside in the middle because I found that the 1x12 seat would flex in the center but after adding that piece of wood it was solid. I also added eye hooks and chain for the top so that it does not flip all the way backwards.

Finish Used
Started with two applications of Minwax wood sealer, then a coat of Minwax English Chestnut and then some spray on polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Husky Farmhouse Table

We built this farmhouse table for my Mom's house, to create a space big enough for our growing family to gather at holidays and birthdays. We added to the size- the final dimensions were 82″ (long) x42″ (wide) x 30″(tall). It is a huge, chunky table! My parents prefer natural finishes, so we gave the natural wood several protective coats of polycrylic. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/03/2017 - 13:23

project for my niece's Christmas gift.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used wall paint for this one. Buy next time wood paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Can’t Believe We actually built this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/14/2020 - 13:48

5 1/2W x 5 1/2L x 8H.
Ana made this project very easy for me. I did the main building while hubby cut the wood & helped drill in hard to reach areas. Thank you Ana for boosting my confidence. I’ve never done anything trike this.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Did not have time to paint. Will have to be another long weekend. When I do, it’ll be white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Matching dog crates

Submitted by lwitte on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 23:50

My wife told me she would like a pair of matching dog crates built to fit the space between the wall and the dryer in our laundry room. I built her two crates (25L x 17W x 18H) and painted them to match the colors in the laundry room. They fit the open space exactly and sit on top of each other. The entire project took about 2 days to finish and set me back around $80. They seem to work perfectly for our dogs, both of whom are on the smaller size of medium. They really tie the space together and add a wow factor to an other wise normal laundry room.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White and Teal satin paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra Long Bench

Submitted by lrsummers on Thu, 09/18/2014 - 10:37

This was a custom build for a friend. It's nearly 8 feet long and I used the plans from the classic chair made simple for the back legs and support for the seat. Everything else was customized to fit her needs. =) Lots and lots and lots of pocket holes but this piece turned out better than what was pictured in my head! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum black in Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate