Community Brag Posts

Version of the Rustic Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/21/2022 - 14:13

I’ve built 2 of these and on my 3rd now. This is the 2nd one and isn’t a desk obviously but a bench for my Weber BBQ and storage underneath

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Herringbone Daybed

Submitted by sailonseas on Mon, 08/10/2015 - 10:25

I build this last minute for my daughters room makeover.  I worked through the night, but got it completed and painted just after sunrise. (I slept good the following night!)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
This project ran about $70 in all.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Godfall47 on Sat, 03/10/2018 - 20:18

This was so easy to make and it's so sturdy and beautiful. Rough cut cedar using 3" exterior decking screws and wood glue. Had a blast making it with my wife. 

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish yet. Will possibly add a seal at later date.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Balin Console Table by More Like Home

Submitted by Georgia M on Wed, 06/15/2011 - 15:57

This was the first project I tackled by myself. I think I spent about $70 and used pine.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Espresso stain & polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

chanice (not verified)

Wed, 05/02/2012 - 06:00

Hello,
You are AMAZING! and it's a very nice table. Saw one at Pottery, but couldn't
afford the price tag and all other charges. Are you willing to share your plans or
do you have one already?

Thank you.

chanice (not verified)

Wed, 05/02/2012 - 06:03

Hello,

Don't know if the first email was sent.

Just want to say you're AWESOME and the table is beautiful.

Saw one at Pottery, but couldn't afford the price and all other charges.

Do you have a plan that you're willing to share or post?

Thank you.

StaceyMc

Sun, 09/28/2014 - 14:22

Can someone please be more specific on the drawers, I made the cuts exactly as it says and i have a gap on top??? Or are their any pictures like there was for the rest of the table??? I'm so close and I love the look but these drawers are going to be the end of me lol 

Stephen Peters

Sun, 09/28/2014 - 15:25

Hi StaceyMc,

First of all you made your drawers correctly. Here is a old furniture maker trick to solve your drawer problems.

Looking at the plans they ask for a 1/8" gap all around. The problem with that is that a drawer sits in the opening with the bottom of the drawer tight to the bottom of the opening it sits in. When the drawer does that it makes the gap at the top a 1/4". ...Much to wide compared to the other sides....

The solution is to raise the drawer up in the "opening". Use two thumb tacks on the "bottom rails" of the console ...where the drawer sides slide in and out. Do this for each drawer. If that isn't high enough you could put a small washer under the tack to raise it higher.

Now if that isn't high enough I do have other ideas to make your drawer work. Just let me know.

Then only after you have put the finish on your master piece. Apply wax or a candle works, to the bottom edge of the drawer side to make it glide in and out easer. Just rub the wax back and forth quickly, "to make heat" and it will adhere to the wood.

I hope you enjoy your adventures in woodworking! :)

Mantel Headboard - Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and DIY Tufting

Submitted by meliss987 on Tue, 07/30/2013 - 18:56

I love this headboard :)
We finally completed the tufting portion of the mantel headboard tonight and it looks great! Anna's design was easy to follow and the tufting part was easier than I thought...I followed http://www.cape27blog.com/2013/03/tufted-headboard-tutorial/ for the tufting portion.

Can't wait for the next project!

Finish Used
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint with Annie Sloan Dark Wax Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Sideboard/Buffet

Submitted by rcnicks on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 14:03

This was a piece made by my husband for our outdoor living/patio area! Love how it turned out--and the walnut top was worth the extra money. Same wood that he used to make a fireplace mantle in the same outdoor area. The plank doors were leftover pieces we used to cover a ceiling, and created a great result. Found the Annie Sloan paint (Parisian Grey, I believe) and wax on a Buy/Sell Facebook site in our neighborhood and saved a little money.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax on base; Heavy floor type wax on walnut top
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Yellow Queen Headboard - First Project

Submitted by jbl02a on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 18:41

My first woodworking project. Found the instructions very easy to follow. Took me a couple weeks because I only had a few minutes to work on it at a time. Biggest issue was I happened to have picked up a few warped boards.

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr primer and paint in one. Color is "Honey Pot."
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Hailey platform bed for teenager

Submitted by daveandamy on Thu, 08/01/2013 - 11:53

We needed a twin XL for our 17 year old grandson. This platform bed was perfect. It didn't take much to change the plans for the XL since it's the same length as a queen bed. We added the center support simply for added strength and changed the legs to make them longer so I can put wheeled drawers underneath the bed for added storage.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted with semi gloss in charcoal gray.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Laptop Table

Submitted by brittanyj on Wed, 08/19/2015 - 13:29

I saw Jen's one board challenge post and realized that some wood I got for free off CL a year ago included the right amount of walnut.  This seemed like the perfect plan to utilize this beautiful wood in a worthy way.  I did not have a 1x8, so I made a butcher block kind of top, which I think I like even better since the colors and grain vary.  

Placement of the connecting bolts is quite tricky and led to some misplaced holes : ( The stop blocks to the side of the legs aren't mentioned in her plan, but pictured, and are recommended in order to stop the legs from splaying too far.  I used pocket holes for all joinery and no stain, just poly for the finish.  The final coat I watered down some water based poly and wiped on for a smooth finish.  Love it!   

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I used wood I got free off CL, so only the bolts were paid for and that was around $10
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Children's Toy box

Submitted by jjunge08 on Sun, 03/18/2018 - 14:03

My wife and I are expecting our first child so I wanted to make a toybox for his toys.  I liked the plan that i found on this website since the front piece had the cutout to reduce fingers getting pinched.  I also added some spring assisted hinges to make help the lid stay up and also close a little softer than just regular hinges.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Total cost for lumber is about $50-70
Hinges and Spring Hinges - $15
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Dinner Table

Farmhouse Table Plans. 8ft long, Antique Walnut Stain. Absolutely adore!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rachel Horschler (not verified)

Mon, 12/10/2012 - 10:11

Thanks for posting the pictures!! This is really close to what I had in mind!

Wood Chaise Lounge from $35 plans

Submitted by gr_blake on Sat, 08/03/2013 - 07:22

My wonderful husband helped me with this project. This was our first project from Ana White plans. This took us longer than we anticipated but I think it was due to the finish and dry time of each layer. We plan on making a second one to give us a set. I added a decorative knob on the back piece to hang a towel from or bag. This was so much fun, a huge money saver and now a one of a kind piece. Thank Ana your site is amazing.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Distressed Turquoise, Gunstock Stain also from Ana White post. Embellished with a decorative knob to hang a towel, bag etc
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

kitchen Island

Saw this table and wanted to put it in my kitchen, looks great.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Min wax clear acrylic, latex paint from Lowes. color (moss) Rubbed some brown glazing over the green before putting on the clear coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farm House Table

I built the table and bench with the plans on this site and it turned out great.  My finace stained the top with a miniwax stain and spray painted the bases white and distressed them.  Also applied polyurethane to the stained tops.  Probably have $100 invested in this project.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Mug Rack

Submitted by KSOlene01 on Sun, 04/24/2022 - 09:52

We had too many disorganized coffee mugs and needed a better storage solution. I took a couple of old cassette (remember those?) storage crates, did a chevron style back from old pallet wood, added shelves from the former dividers, and added a lot of clear coat. It functions well for us and was completely upcycled materials.

by Kevin

Library Book Cart!

Submitted by vpihoney on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 07:14

I built the library book cart to organize all my toddler and preschooler's books. What we were using just wasn't cutting it; the books end up being scattered everywhere. I love the idea of a pretend library cart (I used to work in one...), and the kids can feel like they have the library in their room! They're playing "library" as I type!

This was an easy build. I used 1 1/4" screws for the 2-in castor wheels for 3 out of 4 screws per castor where I had enough depth. I also used wood glue. For the 4th screw per castor, I used 1/2" screws. This was mainly due to being all I had on hand...not sure if it was correct. We'll see if the wheels hold up with the weight of all the books! Other than those changes, I followed Ana's plans.

Oh, and I managed to create handles without really knowing what I was doing! They turned out OK. I tried two different methods for each handle, but basically used a drill, chisel, and jigsaw and then sanded, sanded, sanded after I made the cut. I think I can do better next time!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a spray primer in white and then painted a leftover semi-gloss finish in an eggshell color using a roller and paint brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

tonjacoy101

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 09:13

Your library cart looks great! Good Job. My daughter loves playing with hers too, and the best part is how easy they are to put away :)

Girl's Playhouse Loft Bed

Submitted by Lthomas on Mon, 08/05/2013 - 11:23

When I saw this bed plan, I knew it was a must have for my 4-yr old daughter. It was a fairly easy build as long as you have the right tools (ie Kreg Jig). Due to the size of the finished product, I built the 5 sides out in the garage, put one coat of paint on everything, and then carried them into the bedroom for assembly. I then put on a second coat of paint. Needless to say painting this bed was tedious, and if I had to do things over, I would consider a power sprayer and at least priming the entire thing before final assembly. I went with the toy boxes in the steps per Ana's plan and it is perfect for all of my daughter's "babies". We found some wall stickers at Target that fit our theme perfectly and added them to the bed. She loves it!! Thanks Ana for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate