Community Brag Posts

Easiest Chalkboard Shelf from Scraps

Submitted by jlamorey on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 10:19

I loved this when I saw it posted the other day, it really doesn't take long to make and adds character to our kitchen! I added a dowel that i sanded a little on one side to the long end of the 1x4 so that the chalk won't slide off, just something that I can see happening here.

Estimated Cost
$6 - can of chalkboard paint and hooks
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
primed and then spray chalkboard paint. I sanded the corners and edges a bit.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Clothesline frame

Submitted by Brad Wills on Tue, 11/05/2013 - 19:53

I had a empty space that needed something and this was an expensive fun way to fill it.

Estimated Cost
15.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane weathered gray and ash stains. Behr oyster satin paint with 3 coats of varathane poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Kamado table

Submitted by lmarco191 on Sun, 05/16/2021 - 14:47

The table assembly was Inspired by farm table and workbench plans. It was built from construction grade untreated 4x4 and 2x6 and assembled using Kreg pocket screws and glue. Finish is semi-transparent wood stain. Rather heavy, the table have locking wheels to help move it. The lower shelf is used to store accessories.

The small kamado is just the right size for two people. I added a large ceramic tile under the firebox plus a small inlay next to the grill. That was the top of a small patio table. A few hooks were added as a final touch.

We built it last year; it gets a lot of use as a grill, smoker, bread and pizza oven.

We are very satisfied with the outcome. Many thanks for the plans and inspiration.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Semi transparent wood stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Jacob1234

Mon, 08/02/2021 - 23:34

Your grill is very beautiful, but I prefer cooking in the kitchen, I will explain why, I recently read a lot of Kitchenotic.com here, what connects me and the kitchen most of all is the answers to my any questions, no matter how stupid they are and the answers were always correct

Coffee bar project!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/07/2023 - 13:43

My wife had been wanting a buy a coffee bar for our dining room so we could declutter the kitchen. I came across the plans for this on Ana’s site and made some slight modifications to fit our space and fridge. It turned out incredible! Friends and family say it’s the best piece I’ve made. Thank you Ana for the plans!

Comments

Kids' Playhouse (under stairs)

Submitted by kdins31 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 09:22

Had the perfect space for a little playhouse under the stairs in the basement and it's been our plan for 4 years to do something. Finally, we did something. Wanted depth so I added the roof and portico. Also added cedar shingles that I picked up for $7 at HD. Inside I had extra laminate flooring so I put that down and added beadboard, chair rail and crown molding. There's also a small transom window above the small kitchen area. The kids love the barnhouse doors with old fashioned doorbell, mailslot and window. The bookshelf under the stairs was the final touch. I didn't use any plans from this awesome site but did, as always, get a bunch of tips and inspiration!

Pin for Later!

Kids' Playhouse (under stairs)

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain on cedar shingles.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Sun, 12/18/2011 - 19:00

Wow! That is awesome!

You really did a great job on that! So imaginative, too. WTG!

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 12/18/2011 - 19:58

That is so stinkin' adorable! Fantastic job. I love everything about it. Your kids (and grandkids) will remember the playhouse under that stairs forever!

spiceylg

Mon, 12/19/2011 - 06:54

Wow, this is too cool! They are going to love love love this! Can't wait to see the kitchen reveal!

bhoppy

Mon, 12/19/2011 - 08:43

LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!! It looks amazing! Makes me want to buy a new house with stairs. LOL

birdsandsoap

Sat, 12/31/2011 - 18:26

You did an amazing job on this. I'm planning a bunkbed with a similar facade. I love how cozy it looks without having to make an actual pitched roof. The shingles are such a nice touch that I may have to copy you! And it's wired for lights; you've really outdone yourself.

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 02/27/2012 - 21:14

I love this playroom you created. We are currently in the process of building a playroom under the stairs for our girls. Where did you find the door...it is exactly what I am looking for! What a wonderful job you did!!!

kdins31

Mon, 03/19/2012 - 14:26

Thanks to all of you for the nice comments! Re: the door, I just cut a plain 18x80 door slab ($21 from orange) and trimmed it out. I still need to put the window grille over the open space, and was hoping to find a cool 'speak easy' grille that fits the space.

Thanks again!

megan_m

Fri, 04/27/2012 - 09:07

this is such an amazing little space! great work!

MicheleInAlabama (not verified)

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 23:38

This has to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen! What an awesome idea......how cool is that for the kids??! Love the lighting and the laminate (or is it hardwood) flooring inside. Even the stove is gorgeous! Such fond memories will be made there and remembered forever. Kudos!!

Amanda Rhoads (not verified)

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 15:34

Oh my goodness this is such an inspiration! However, as a beginning tool user, I don't think I could get my finishes so nice. How much experience had you had at this kind of stuff before? Was the area closed in before this project or did you do that too? I've got an open stairway into our basement and would be starting from scratch with ceiling, walls, etc. and have no experience hanging drywall or anything. I think it would take me a year. Great job, and thanks for sharing!

maggieasselin

Sat, 06/21/2014 - 12:51

Hi there!

I was just wondering how you made the door for your play house? We're basically stuck at this level in ours right now... ;) Thanks for any tips!!!

Planked Wood Sideboard

Submitted by eutah10 on Sun, 01/24/2016 - 07:59

Seeing your planked wood sideboard clicked for us and the cabinet we'd been looking for. We wanted rustic and I chose to make it around a plywood casing instead of using the plans due to the poor strength of the pallet wood. Most of the time was used in deconstructing and cleaning the 40+ year old pallets. Also our space called for a smaller unit. It's used as our coffee cabinet. Since I had a basic structure already in the plywood I was able to be creative in how I used the scraps of pallet wood.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Only the 3/4 plywood case, the hardware, and the paint were costs so it totalled maybe $60. De-constructing old pallets and cleaning the wood was time-consuming.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Acrillic paint. Several layers were painted on. I used different colors and painted over them partially to mimic old re-used wood. Many obvious re-used boards were prominent.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Corner kitchenette build from Garage Shelves Plans

Submitted by Nativo1 on Sun, 07/07/2019 - 20:12

Started with an empty wall, an idea and a 12 pack of Heineken. The end result, was this useful counter with barn style doors and two floating shelves. Total spent, about $200 including the beer lol thank you lady for the ideas. 

2x4 kitchen counters

Estimated Cost
$200-$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White stain for counter top, oak for the bottom and white primer + paint shelves.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Blue egg holder

Hi all,

I made the wooden egg holder for our brand new kitchen. I altered the size because there's just the two of us here since our son moved out. It was a very easy beginner project and lots of fun to build by myself. If you're a beginner like me it can be overwhelming to start, but if I can do it you can do it too! Just go for it. I'm looking forward to build a next project with one of Ana's plans.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Rustic Stepstool

I'm loving the finish on this, and it's a useful little project.

Estimated Cost
15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I painted it green, and then sanded the edges. I covered the whole thing in the walnut gel stain. This darkened the green and stained the newly exposed wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mission Style Table - Loved by All - Porcelain (wood look) top versus wood. Benchese also built from this site.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/26/2016 - 20:56

Table was fun to build and put our own spin on it. Great project for my wife and I. Took a few days to complete and begin using. Table dimensions we builst are 7' by 3.5' exactly as we needed for or dining room.

Estimated Cost
$350.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Pine
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

(Mini) Modern Park Bench

Submitted by philuk on Mon, 07/15/2019 - 15:16

I needed a replacement outdoor bench to fit a small space between two door openings. Reduced the length of the Modern Park Bench to about 44". Also reduced the depth by removing one of the seat planks to retain a sense of proportion.

Had some issues with some of my 2x4s being a bit twisted which impacted the overall build quality but I'm happy with the end result considering the price/time invested.

Tip: spend some time in the lumber yard picking out your own wood - I wish I had.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
£35 in timber.
Less than £5 for the finish.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Two coats Cuprinol Garden Shades in 'Urban Slate'
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Easy Build DIY Planter Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/18/2023 - 07:46

I was looking for planter boxes for my front door and these were easy and super sturdy. I absolutely love them and how they enhanced this area! Thank you Ana for this simple yet impactful plan!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Dream Doll House

Dream Doll House

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Linseed oil and latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

just.plain.chair.

Submitted by biz_kid1 on Wed, 11/13/2013 - 09:22

I guess I never got around to sharing my finished chair! I'm almost ashamed to...1) because it was so long ago when I made it and 2) because everyone else's looks so great!

Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
white glossy paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Kentwood bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/30/2016 - 20:11

I made this bed for my 4 year old. It was my first project. Took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125 for wood and stain
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax dark walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Minnie Mouse Kids Chair

Submitted by Sketch1999 on Sat, 07/20/2019 - 18:56

I took a shot at the Minnie Mouse Adirondack chair for a birthday present.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum enamel paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Poolside Dinner Table using the Beginner Farm Table plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/23/2023 - 17:05

I modified the original plans to make the table narrower and lighter weight for my narrower patio. To do this, I used 1x8 (qty 4) pine boards on the top. The legs were cut at 29.25" to achieve the 30" height. The cross pieces were cut at 25.5". This gave me a 29" wide table. I went with a wood prep application, stainable wood filler, stain (Minwax Special Walnut), and 3 coats of spar urethane (for UV protection). The wood filler reacted with the wood prep and turned orange. I had to sand it out and redo it. Lessons we learn along the way! The brown table with the black chairs coordinates with all of my patio furniture. I am ready to host a dinner party around the pool! Thank you Ana White!

Comments

DIY Shelves

Love how these turned out and LOVE that I had almost everything in my garage already! Here's a tutorial for those of you who would like to make it!

http://sawgrasshome.com/?p=731

Estimated Cost
Less than $30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

HAPPIER HOMEMAKER FARMHOUSE TABLE

Submitted by colleend74 on Sat, 11/16/2013 - 14:26

This was our first Ana White project. We knew we wanted to do a table, and decided this was the easiest one for first-timers without a kreg jig (YET!). We made things even SIMPLER by having Lowe's do ALL the cutting for us! I didn't even know they would do that, but they will.... and happily so!

The project went VERY well and we are delighted with our new table. We used Rustoleum "Kona" stain and we used Rustoleum spray gloss poly because Lowes had a bunch of cans of it on clearance. We were happy with the results, though it may not be the best indoor product in the future ;-)

The project took us about 4-6 hours to build, and then we just sanded a little each evening, and the next weekend we stained and poly.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona Stain
Rustoleum gloss spray poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Breeding house

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/02/2016 - 23:28

My daughter and I dedicate this doll house to my great uncle George Breeding who made a beautiful doll house for my sister when we were kids. I hope my kids will carry the maker bug into the next generation! Great plans!

Estimated Cost
I know I spent more than $350 on material.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
urethane and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

shannonervin

Thu, 12/15/2016 - 08:21

I'm wondering the same.  The dimensions looks bigger here.  Would you mind sharing?  I like the size of the rooms here.  Thank you.