Community Brag Posts

Truss 2x4 table with breadboard and framing

Submitted by Joella C on Sun, 08/23/2020 - 11:29

I loved this table and made 2 for my husbands birthday...during COVID-19. He and his twin turned 60 and hadn’t seen each other since the quarantine in California...to celebrate with immediate family only I made 2 for our back yard so we could see each other 6 feet apart! So we could be all in this together but socially distant! This was my first project ever! I had to go to Home Depot and point at what I wanted because I sure didn’t know what they were called...but Ana’s clear plans made it possible! Thank you Ana!

I added breadboards and framed it! Both of them!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane natural deck finish

Farmhouse Table with Bench

Submitted by Mdcary on Tue, 11/06/2012 - 12:11

This was my first project inspired by Pottery Barn and while shopping in a local furniture store we realized the cost to have something very similar would cost $1500-$2000. This table was cut and prepped in my garage and then transported to my daughters house in my car and assembled and finished there. The bench is constructed from left over boards. I choose not to use 2X4 legs but rather opted for 4x4's. The length was shortened to 5' for a cross bar was not neccessary. I used carriage bolts to attach the legs to the shirt in case they ever needed to be disassembled. The top is not glued on, only PH screws used. This has been a very satisfying first project, thanks Ana for showing me the way to having lovely homemade furniture that really impresses, is very well made and for a fraction of the cost.

Estimated Cost
$150 includes bench
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax stain and polycoat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jake

Fri, 11/09/2012 - 19:11

You did a wonderful job on the table and bench. I like the idea of using the carriage bolts and not gluing on the top. I have done the same for a couple of projects especially if you need to take a table apart or if the top should need repair.

Farmhouse Queen Plans

Submitted by naomi on Fri, 08/29/2014 - 02:42

I have wanted to build this bed for a very long time. I finally bit the bullet, stopped procrastinating and just got on with it and thank god I did. It was actually easier than I thought. It just about built itself! I built this bed taller than the plans called for. I used joist hangers to support the mattress beams. The joist hangers were attached to the inside of the siderails and the mattress beams just slot into them for easy removal. The most time consuming part about this build was the painting. It is extremely sturdy. This bed will last a life time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White Enamel Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X TV console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:04

Built the rustic x tv console table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain
Night view paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bedside table

Submitted by naomi on Sat, 08/30/2014 - 03:39

I needed to build a bedside table to go with my farmhouse bed and I wanted to make one that was not matchy matchy with my other one and it also needed to look a little more manly.

I used new chunky pine for this build.

I couldn't find the right handle for this so I bought a steel strip from Bunnings and bent it into shape and drilled holes to attach it to the drawer. I bashed the steel strip with a hammer to make it look more rustic and battered.

The bolts on the legs are purely for decoration.

I think I managed to make a manly looking bedside table and it goes really well with my farmhouse bed and bedside table.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Handmade Farm table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/18/2016 - 02:01

This was my first attempt to build a table . I'm very pleased with the outcome. 

Estimated Cost
$170.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Teal and burnt orange flat paint brushed on randomly over project.
White semi gloss for some high lights . Stain doesn't dull the finish of semi gloss paints.
Sand entire piece to bring some of the natural wood back out.
Then I applied min wax Jacobean stain color over the top of everything.
Lastly I applied 2 coats of min wax semi gloss poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Modified jr. camp loft bed TRANSFORMED my daughter's small room!

This was a labor of love for my 7 year-old daughter. I LOVE the plans, and modified them a bit to make it work in her small room. Modifications include:

-- Made it six inches higher than the plan calls for. My daughter can stand up underneath (probably for another year), and there's still plenty of height for her to sit up on the bed, even with 8-foot ceilings.

-- I added a book case under the stair landing. Again, her room is small, and the goal was to take advantage of every available nook with the room redo. I love how they came out. I used adhesive wallpaper as a shelf liner and on the outside portion under the steps, and reinforced the shelves with a piece of wood that I screwed into the top of the frame (using my beloved Kreg jig).

-- I got really lucky with the dresser on the left side of the bed. It fit *perfectly*. It's a Hemnes dresser from Ikea, in case anyone wants to do the same. My six-inch height addition allowed the six drawer version of that dresser to fit; otherwise the three drawer would have worked. I added the same adhesive wallpaper to the drawer faces to dress it up a bit more... really pleased with how that turned out, too. So much so that I did the same thing to her desk.

-- To give me peace of mind, I added MANY L-brackets on the underside of the bed, and also used two additional 2x4's from head to foot. Every joint was made using my Kreg (did I mention that I love that thing?).

-- Cloud'esque adhesive wallpaper was added under the bed. I like the look, but that particular wallpaper was tough to apply smoothly. If anyone is considering doing the same, I suggest only using thick paper... it won't crease and will save you many four letter words.

-- I strung "fairy lights" under the bed, possibly excessively. :-) My daughter loves them, and enjoys telling Alexa to turn them on/off (by use of a smart plug... they're really cheap these days).

-- I also installed what we call "reading lights" (as they're known to Alexa... separate smart plug) underneath, as that space is now the go-to reading area at bedtime.

-- I painted it white and made the stair landing a grayish brown stain.

I can't say enough about how much I love this site. The plans -- including the ones for this loft bed -- are all easy to follow from both instruction and materials perspectives alike. And the finished products are all great. I also made a desk from plans on this site, and am going to get working on some outdoor furniture soon. This plan in particular COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED my daughter’s small room into a space where the whole family loves to hang out before tuck-in.

The day my daughter inevitably outgrows her loft bed (hopefully several years from now) will be a sad day indeed.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Antique White paint in semi-gloss.
Custom mix of gray and brown stain for stair landing.
Adhesive wallpaper bought at HD and Amazon (for the cloud paper)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ledges built for our travel photos

Submitted by MsMonet on Fri, 11/16/2012 - 07:50

Fastened together with Kreg screws, and glue. I chose to put the pocket holes on the inside and back so they wouldn't show on the bottom. This does make the ledge a little less deep. Easy project for a rainy day !

Estimated Cost
$25.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted one coat of quality Valspar semi-gloss in white, then distressed with chain and sandpaper. Finished off with coat of polyacrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

keirabride

Wed, 11/06/2013 - 06:30

Plan clothing for your trip so that everything can be worn together. This reduces the need to pack individual "outfits" and allows you to plan for the number of days you'll be traveling. If all of your clothes match, you don't have to worry about which are clean when you're doing laundry.
http://www.getbustours.com/

toy box

Submitted by rosewilson on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 06:52

Simple cuts, kreg jig made all the difference when putting this together. Made for my niece's 2nd birthday and both she & my sister loved it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
With finishing products about $90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and polyacrylic top coat. White primer after sanding, 2 coats of white paint, hand written name on front of box in purple paint, 2 coats of polyacrylic spray.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Farmhouse table with top attachment idea

Submitted by Ryguy5188 on Wed, 12/21/2016 - 15:38

For my third project I built my brother-in-law the Fancy X Farmhouse table cut down to a size suitable for him and his girlfriend. When I read through the comments it seemed like alot of people had the same question: How do I attach the top?!?!?! As this was going to be used for an indoor dining table I didnt want to screw through the top if I didnt have to and I didnt want to use metal bracketry eithery. What I did required 4 inch screws and  a 5/8 drill bit. Ive attached pictures to show where I placed the wood suport pieces. Two screws went through the top cross beam (connecting the two leg ends) into the center support piece and I put a total of 2 screws each through the sides of the two longer support pieces and into the top board of the legs. I used a 5/8 bit to drill about an inch (very rough estimate and essentially to countersink the screws an inch deep) into the 3.5 inch width of the 2x4s and then a smaller drill to pre-drill holes for the 4 inch screws. This allowed the head of the screws to sit about an inch into the wood and the threaded portion of the screw to dig deep enough into the second board without going through it. Overall it holds great and there are no visible screw heads on the top of the table!

 

 

FYI This technique DOES require aligning the cross beam with the top of the second 2x4 rather than the top 2x4  because you want to save enoughg room the support pieces. (See pictures)

 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet. Will be gifted to my brother in law and he and his girlfriend will finish it.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Herb Window Plan

Made an herb planter out cedar fence planks. Cost about $12 without stain.

Estimated Cost
12
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Gunstock 231, Halcyon rugged Amber gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

X Coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/25/2016 - 09:40

Rustic coffee table. Plans by Ana White. Coffee, vinegar, steel wool stain

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Coffee, vinegar, steel wool with prime of black tea
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/05/2020 - 12:30

Created using the outdoor sofa plans. The cushions were created from 3" foam on the bottom and 2" foam on the back. The color us denim blue stain that was leftover from a previous job.

Estimated Cost
~50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
denim blue stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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.

Office space - ladder desk and shelves

Submitted by RobRN4 on Mon, 09/07/2020 - 07:17

My wife needed an office space and the ladder desk and bookshelves was the perfect plan for it. In fact when I was looking at the pictures and plans online she thought I was looking at an online furniture store! She said "I like that,we should buy that" I made the desk part first and surprised her with it one evening.
Unfortunately I don't have a garage and not a lot of tools, so the desk is mostly hand cut and some of the bookshelf as well. I finally borrowed a mitre to finished off the cuts and (redo the ones I screwed up) It is a little rough but I love this space! And so does my wife!. My next project I hope to improve my staining skills! Lol. I admit I'm kinda proud of it. On to more projects!

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