Community Brag Posts

Kids Adirondack chairs

Submitted by redhead_61 on Fri, 04/08/2011 - 13:39

This was admittedly a little harder than I thought.  The first one turned out short of perfection trying to get things looking great.  The second one was better using a level and being more careful.  However, the fact that my nail gun totally went out halfway through made the project a long one.  But my kids LOVE them and they look so cute and luxurious out in my grass.  I love it. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
off white paint and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Style Bed

It took about 7 hours to complete this project. We used Ana White's Farmhouse Queen plans, with some modifications: the bottom of her bed frame is about 4-6 inches off the floor, ours is 17 inches for extra storage space. We also made the footboard slightly deeper to accommodate longer legs. Due to limited space, we built it on the bed of our truck with the "help" of our 18 month old. We love the way it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 garage shelving

Submitted by mjberger85 on Sat, 05/23/2015 - 15:07

I built this to fit inside a closet that I have in my garage to store all my camping stuff. I built it 5 feet long so I only had to buy 2x4s that were 10 feet long. I also built the bottom shelf closer to the ground to allow just a little bit more space between the first and second shelf. All in all it was a very easy and fulfilling project. I was a little worried about how sturdy the shelves would be but they are very solid. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Faux fireplace with hidden storage

Submitted by Amymesser on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 05:59

I saw this project on the Ana-white website DIY. Luckily I have a friend that has all the tools so we used the cut list & built this faux media cabinet fireplace. I wanted it to store all my media stuff & have my TV set on top instead of the boring & expensive hanging the tv on the wall route not to mention the damage to my rented apt wall. We made a few modifications we extended the top & moved the center hidden shelf up. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted white
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My amazing husband surprised me

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/07/2021 - 10:14

My amazing husband surprised me with this awesome headboard for my birthday!❤️ ❤️

Comments

Fire Truck Bed

I started this project several weeks ago, and I am very happy with the outcome.  Please see my Blog since there is so much information.  www.atouchofarkansas.com

 

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used red & white paint & primer in one.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

child airplane swing

Submitted by landseer on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 12:11

Airplane swing made from pine and "A" frame made from 2x4's

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum outdoor paint in Patriotic red,white ,black. Plus Navy stickers.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dog Bunk Bed

We’ve been looking around for some plans for a doggy bunk bed for a while now, but couldn’t find anything that we liked so I decided to build it from scratch. This is a huge bunk bed that was built based on the size of our larger dog’s bed which is 44 x 35. This was pretty simple to build although the stairs we’re quite challenging as I have never done them before so if I can make it, anybody can.

I must stress that before I found Ana’s website about 6 months ago I could barely cut a piece of wood straight. Over this time I have made several things based on the easy to follow plans on this website which ultimately gave me the confidence to go it alone and build this bunk bed. Friends and family are shocked at some of the furniture I’ve made and some don’t even believe I made them and think I’ve bought them from IKEA. My wife has got a list of furniture she wants to make now including a TV console, an armoire and a twin bed for one our daughters. Every spare second I have now is spent is making furniture and I LOVE it.

For anybody who has never built anything and is apprehensive to do so I would just say, do it. Grab what you need and dive right in. You may get frustrated and scream a bit at first, but the reward at the end is well worth it and each project you do will get easier and easier. Be warned though. The better you get, the more people will pester you to make things for them.

Thank you, Ana.

This was made using cheap 1 x 3 and 1 x 4 furring strips for the railings and bed slats, 2 x 4s for the posts and 1 x 10 board for the stairs.

Estimated Cost
$75 - $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I haven't sanded or finished this yet as we are still deciding on what to do with it.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loft Bed Turned Bunk Bed

Submitted by ktkadoo on Thu, 06/20/2013 - 09:32

When we started building this bed, we liked that it wasn't too tall for our low ceilings, but could still utilize the space beneath it. As we were building it, we thought we would just put a 2nd mattress on the floor, but when we measured it, we decided we could safely turn it into a bunk bed for our 2 youngest daughters. We just built an additional set of rails. Instead of buying another piece of wood for the mattress support, we used the support from an ikea bed that we weren't using. We put the bottom mattress off the ground around 10 inches.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

AmandaAK

Sun, 06/23/2013 - 09:23

I love the stain! Did you change the overall height of the bed? How much head clearance is there under the bottom bunk? We are wanting to build something similar, but I don't want to hit my head when I tuck the kids in.

ktkadoo

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 19:12

We kept the overall height of the bed the same. I think (and I will try to remember to check in the morning, the kids are all in bed) that there is about 37 inches between the bottoms of each support. WE had another bunkbed and the measurements are pretty similar between the commercial bed and the bed we made.

Becca Trunk

Submitted by Linda7 on Fri, 05/29/2015 - 13:39

I built this trunk for my grandson’s high school graduation, and filled it with a lot of things he might need as he begins his life in the U.S. Air Force. Here are a few hints:
• Build the top after you place the moulding around the top of the box so you can measure exactly how long and wide the top needs to be.
• Don’t forget to measure the width of the 1” x 6” boards; if they are not exactly 5 ½”, adjust the length of the vertical boards on the trunk top or it could be slightly too small.
• Because of the extra width the moulding creates around the perimeter of the box, use narrow utility hinges, piano hinges, or Beverly of bzhays used black decorative strap hinges from Amazon.com.
• I used black handles from Amazon.com: Reliable Hardware Company RH-0540BK-2-A Set of 2 Chest Handle, Black
• For a more finished top on the inside, I filled the holes with wood putty and sanded it smooth, then stained and polyed like the outside of the trunk. The kreg holes are still visible, but not too much.
• Before screwing the box together, I recommend finishing the inside surfaces first; cover the edges that will meet with painter’s tape so the glue will have bonding surfaces.

I love the rustic look most have used in their finishes, but since I used a traditional stained finish, I used the ideas from Justin of jeverette1 who covered the exposed plywood edges with scrap. Since I didn’t have that, I used corner moulding for the corners, and lattice strips to cover the top edges of the box. This gives the trunk a more finished look if you are not going for the rustic/distressed look. I notated below a week-long project - I spend a lot of time in the finishing and do so over several days. Others could certainly finish in a weekend.

I’d like to thank Ana for the wonderful plans, and Whitney of Shanty 2 Chic for the great step-by-steps. Also, a big thank you to Beverly of bzhays and Justin of jeverette1 for responding to me with my questions; you were both so helpful.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150.00 - I used better pine and stain-grade burch plywood to avoid hours of sanding.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stain: Rusteoleum “classic cherry”; one coat and it took every drop of the small can. Finish: Minwax wipe-on poly, one can is enough for several coats. The pictures were taken at night with a flash, so it appears much shinier than it really is, plus the color is off too - not as "orange-ish" as it appears. I also had to paint the sash lock black (couldn't find any in black) and the piano hinge. The decorative tacks were found at Lowe's in the hardware section among the nails and they come in several finishes.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Carrots Included

Submitted by hoffer5353 on Sun, 12/24/2017 - 07:16

Adorable gift ready for Christmas!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
This project was less than $10 because I used hardware and scraps in my shop.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Express Colors
Spray Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Side Table with Pallet Top

I wanted to make a custom sized side table to fit just right between our two recliners. And I really wanted to make use of some pallet scraps. So I built this frame the same as Ana's plan (adjusting for my size), and then came up with a layout for the top to make use of my small 15 inch pieces of pallet wood.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I screwed the top on, filled the holes, sanded like a mad woman, and stained with a gel stain. I then applied two coats of shellac. It accidentally purchased the shellac but I really like the way that it turned out and it has held up quite well so far!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse nightstand

Submitted by mgibson on Tue, 06/02/2015 - 13:30

This project was very fun, and it was my first nightstand. The directions are so easy to follow. Thanks Ana : )

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Faux Fireplace Mantle

Submitted by KristineF on Thu, 12/28/2017 - 08:15

Thank you for providing the plans to this mantle. I had a lot of fun building it with my father while I was training for the NYC Marathon. We finished it the day before the race and was a great way to display both of my accomplishments! It was also a lot of fun to decorate for the holidays. Next I have to build a nice shelf to display all of my finisher medals! 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Distant Gray paint with satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 13:03

I used your loft bed plan and made some adjustments to better suit our needs. My daughter absolutely loves her bed and we love having all the extra room under her bed. Thank you and I will be using many more of your plans.

Justin

Comments

Simple Stackable Compost Bin from Pallets Collars

Submitted by mtairymd on Sat, 06/06/2015 - 13:48

Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Stackable-Compost-Bin-from-Palle…

How it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgtd88kKIn0

With one single unit as opposed to two or three bins, the space needed for composting is minimized. Each tier stacks on top of the other, latching together to make the bin. This setup makes it easy to turn and rotate the compost, since moving the collars is simple. Just remove the top collar and place in a new location adjacent to the original bin location. Turn the compost into the new location and stack the collars until finished. This is a great alternative to having multiple compost bins next to each other.

Estimated Cost
Free
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabernet colored stain from Varathane and a polyurethane from Minwax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Table for barbecue

Submitted by Pjc6 on Sat, 12/30/2017 - 11:38

Modified plans to make it a little larger. Top is brown and bottom is ‘wild currant’ (red)

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Top was Olympic paint / sealant. Bottom was SW enamel acrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bunk bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 14:45

Great build, easy to follow, very affordable. Thanks so much.

Comments