Community Brag Posts
Wood Hall Tree
My family was all coming over for Christmas and we were going to have about 30 people at my house. I only had my mudroom hooks but no other place to store people's keys, coats, etc. When I saw these plans they looked quick enough to build in one night (the night before the party lol). So I did! And man did it get use. I wish I would've taken a picture with all the coats and purses and keys on it.
Essential Outdoor Wood Chair
I have done quite a bit of wood working never being great at any of them . But I truly love furniture building.
Modified Laundry Basket Dresser
Both dressers were completed in one (long) day by my boyfriend and his father. Modifications were made to make it fit square Sterilite 1.5 Bu./ 53 L laundry baskets (serial/bar code # 073149121789).
I'm not sure what size pieces they purchased, however this is the cut list (for one dresser, 3 laundry baskets):
2 - 48" x 20" (sides) - could possibly be shorter, we had a little bit of extra space
1 - 20" x 20" (bottom)
1 - 21.5" x 20" (top)
1 - 48.5" x 21.5" (back)
6 - (2" x 2")'s cut into 20" pieces (or the metal angle option in the original design)
They did not distance the spaces perfectly for the (2" x 2")'s, but every 14-16 inches should be about right.
I'm sorry these instructions are void of a lot of information, but I hope they can help.
I think this project can take a shorter amount of time if no mistakes are made. They had to run to Lowe's 2 times in the middle of the project because they forgot to purchase a second size of screws and then they cut the back too thin.
Good luck, and have fun! It is a fabulous project and oh so very useful.
Comments
Mon, 05/28/2012 - 09:53
Wonderful idea!
This is a brilliant solution, particularly since most sorters don't have enough compartments to separate the whites, sheets and towels from each other. But we really don't want to wash them together, do we?
Love how cozy your kitty looks up there, too.
Little Helper Tower
Loved building this for my son, much easier than I expected it to be.
Total build time was about 3 hours, and another 3 hours for finishing. We've had it only a few days and it's already a staple in the kitchen, used for everything from peeling potatoes to feeding his horse!
Thank you so much for making these plans freely available.
Full Size Storage Bed
My daughter turned 10 this week and we did a room makeover for her birthday. She is in LOVE with her new space. She has been sharing a bunk with her 6 yr old brother. We told her when her 2 yr old brother climbed out of the crib that she would get the baby's room and the boys would then bunk together. Well, he climbed out as they ALL do.
Comments
Sofa Table
I created a sofa table and also one for the loveseat but I don't have it pictured. I used a 2" x 10" for the top and 2" x 6" boards for the legs as well as braces. Added a two outlet and two USB port socket to the table top which was wired to plug into the outlet that would be covered up. Made it so that the legs we're up against the wall allowing for the top to extend just over the back of the couch, and it allowed the two legs to keep the pets from going behind the couch.
Modern Farmhouse Entryway Console
Built 2. Stained one Briarsmoke the other to be determined. Thank you Ana for the inspiration and plans!
Tim Basoco
Comments
Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:48
Love the finish!
This looks amazing, looks like you've been busy with planters too! Thanks for sharing:)
Modified Hailey Platform Bed
I took the Hailey Platform Bed plan and cut to a twin bed size. I used some old wood I found in the garage for the head and foot boards and the legs. Notice the legs are 4x4s. The grandkids had some old bed springs under their mattresses so I incorporated the spring into the build. That required that I lower the cleat a couple of inches and it meant I had a very complicated leg geometry in order to get it deep enough to support the bed. I built the frame with Kreg Jig pocket joints and they made the work very easy with such large and heavy timbers. Notice I attached the legs to the frame with 5/16" lag screws which allows easy removal of the legs if you need to make it easier to move. Came out very good but I think I will build the second bed without the springs and go for the slat method as shown in the plans.The result is beautiful. My neighbor commented that it looked very Pottery Barnish!
The second bed I finished yesterday is made with slats. A very smart move. The legs are so much easier to attach to the frame. Both beds are beautiful and sturdy. One grandkid told me that when the hurricane comes he is going to get under his bed because it is so strong. He may be right but I will be in Laredo or San Antonio.
Sissy's Toddler Farmhouse Bed
I'm so excited, this is my first furniture project. My husband was a little hesitant initially but is happy with the completed bed. This bed is so sturdy, I can easily sit on the edge and even lay down with my daughter. She loves her new bed and her brothers are a bit jealous. I told them to go through Ana's site and find something they like! Thank you so much for the projects you offer on here.
I altered the plans for a 28" wide crib mattress. Instead of a 1 x 3 on the ends of the head and footboard, I used 1 x 4s all the way across.
I also altered it to be 3" taller because I need a little extra storage space under my daughter's bed.
I did not use a nailer, just a hammer and nails. I found that it helped to use legs and shims on the bed rails frame and get to perfect level and then nail the footboard to the frame. Next, I screwed the frame into the footboard. This might be unnecessary info, but as a beginner, this part gave me a bit of trouble.
I used Behr Premium in Ultra Pure White with an Eggshell finish.
Used a small roller on larger areas and a brush in all others.
Cedar Wood Fired Hot Tub
We are developing a completely off-grid property and before starting on construction of the house, we decided to start with a smaller project to get our feet wet (no pun intended!). We also wanted a place to soak our sore muscles while we build a house since we are restricted to taking 60-second hot showers, and so we came up with the idea of a wood-fired cedar hot tub.
Buying a cedar hot tub retail can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000, but we were curious to see what we could build our own for and it turns out, we spent $850. Since there were no existing plans on the internet that we cound find for such a project, we decided to document the entire process and make our own! We struggled a bit with the build, but on our blog we documented what worked to save other people time who want to build something similar. In our post here, you will find a 9-part video series on how we put the hot tub together. Enjoy!
Comments
Sat, 06/18/2016 - 11:23
Thanks for sharing!
Looks like your hard work paid off and it's beautiful to boot!
Hall Tree minus rustic X
I followed the Rustic X Hall Tree plans almost entirely. I chose to replace the “X” with vertical posts, though I may use the X in a future project. The bench top is two 1” thick oak boards milled at my farm. Love the contrast of the white and stained oak. The plans were perfect!
Comments
Doll Bed with Drawer
Built from Ana's doll bed plan. Added a drawer to match my granddaughter's bed and painted it her favorite color.
Workbench
This morning my dad decided to help my build the workbench I've been wanting since we moved to our new house. I would usually do it myself but being 37 weeks pregnant I wasn't wanting to get out there on my own and lift a bunch of 10 ft boards. So we got a bunch of 2x4s and some 2x6s and threw one together... it ended up being 10 ft long and around 28 inches wide and a good 36 inches tall. Now I have a nice place to put my new saw I got for Mother's Day
Carolina Craft Table Modified
http://ana-white.com/2010/09/pb-kids-caroline-craft-table
*** apologies for the missing baseboard in the photo- we are in the midst of a remodel ***
We wanted a high quality table so we researched the Parker Play Table ($1200) and the Carolina Craft Table- ($600).
In the research i found the plans for the Carolina table on this site- and modified them a bit (we wanted the removable storage top).
We painted the top with White board on one side and Chalkboard on the other.
The table has 22" legs and they can be changed out with a second set of legs when our daughter gets taller.
There is plenty of storage for all the art supplies in the unit and a art paper dispenser on the end.
The unit is made of poplar on the inside and the legs and facia are all red oak- a very dense and beautiful wood.
All exterior screws are counter sunk and hidden under face grain wood plugs that are surface sanded. i chose to do no finish as the wood grain is beautiful- although i may do a timber oil or tung oil at some point -
the project took about 2 days total time- $150 in supplies (including paint) and the piece feels substantial..... like it will be used for my daughters children.
you will want to have access to a table saw and some clamps, wood plugs and a countersink bit for your drill
Long Modern Media Console or Entertainment Center
I essentially used the same materials as posted on Ana's website, with the addition of modifiying the plans to fit to my needs. I used the same hinges, however got mine from home depot Canada for 3 bucks each! woot woot. The paint was a high gloss enamal with 4 coats on the top or so. The legs were bought from a local hair pin leg guy and the cabanit doors were something a lil more special. The doors were made from 3 really really really old fence boards, that were sanded down and stained with golden oak minwax then 2 layers of oil polyurathane. Since the boards were a little more fragine than i thought, i attached them together with an extremely thing pieace of birch plywood and screws on the back. I really loved this project and pleased that ana replicated it on her website. Thanks Ana!
planked wood sideboard
Based my cabinet on the planked wood sideboard but moved away from using the tens of pocket screws the project called for. I also used hidden hinges so my doors do not enter into the cabinet. I cut and glued multiple boards to make my top after using my planer. But soft close drawers and hinges on the unit. Also installed baskets with soft close for the bottom of the 2 side cabinets. Turned out pretty good. Super heavy though which well built items will be. Routed my door and table top edges for style. Wife loves it.
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Hall Tree for Apartment!
My husband built this for my birthday. He adjusted the seat height so the storage bins would fit underneath. We also added the corbels under the shelf on top. I can't stop staring at it! Just love it! We had no place for coats etc by the front door of our apartment before!
Console Table w/Drawer & Raised Dog Bowls
I actually designed & built this table on my own but it is very similar to Ana’s Simple, Cheap, & Easy Console Table. When we moved from an apartment to a house our lil neurotic jack Russell terrier decided he wasn’t going to eat unless we were both in the same room as him. So his food was put in a spot where he could see both of us even if we were in separate rooms, it just turned out that where that spot was, is the exact spot I wanted a console table. Well I couldn’t find a console table with a raised dog bowl shelf in it so I built my own. Now the dog bowls are up off the floor at a comfortable level for our fur babies & I keep all their vet paperwork, sweaters & toy stash in the drawer, all puppies things in one place.
Planked Wood Sideboard
This was my first build from this site! It took me about a month working on-and-off during my toddler's nap time. I thought this project was very accessible for a beginner--or, in my case, a distracted mom who is six months pregnant. I scaled down the plans to fit my dining nook, but I forgot to account for a half width of face framing when I subtracted so my third door hole came out a little narrow. I decided to just put open shelves in odd-sized middle opening. I used euro cabinet hinges instead of the butt hinge style because they are more adjustable for not-so-perfect openings/doors. I bought a 1 3/8" Forstner bit to drill the hinge mortises. I was intimidated by the hinges & drawer glides but that part went surprisingly well! I used a plastic template to locate the cup handles on the drawer faces--that purchase was definitely worth a couple of bucks! I wish I had borrowed a router to make a rabbet for the door panels, but I got impatient & just tacked them on. I also wished I had replaced or sharpened the blade on my circular saw because it chewed up the plywood making long cuts. (There's a lot of wood filler on those plywood edges. I ended up painting the shelves with leftover interior latex because they looked like a dog attacked them.) There are also a few shims under the drawer glides to correct the width, but oh well, you can't see them :) Before my next project, I am going to get a couple right angle clamps and make sure I buy the BIG box of pocket hole screws!
Comments
Tue, 07/05/2016 - 10:01
Planked Wood Sideboard
Emily -
Love your version of the sideboard! I need to downsize Ana's plans! What is the overall length of your version??
Tue, 01/16/2018 - 02:51
Planked sideboard
Hi Emily! Can you please provide the size and cuts you made? This looks great!
Susie's Big Girl Bed
After moving from Hawaii to Maryland, I was finally able to make good on my promise to make a new bed for Suzie. I made very few minor modifications to the plans as posted.
Comments
johnsma1966@gm…
Sat, 11/30/2019 - 11:34
Excellent work. I like that…
Excellent work. I like that the footboard is below the top of the mattress. Was that in the original plans or did you modify? Well done.