Community Brag Posts

counter raised beds

2 - 2x12x8

2 - 2x3x8

2 - 4x4x8 (cedar, fur is cheaper and will work fine also)

16 - 5/16x4 lag screws 

16 - 5/16 washers

3x10 feet 1/4 hardware wire

20 - 3inch wood screws (outdoor rated, deck screws or the like) 

you will have left overs if you buy extra lags you can make some other boxes depending on how high you want these, or set them on ground without legs. and use the wood screws 

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
no finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Nesting Tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/18/2019 - 08:34

First real furniture project. Used pocket screws for just about everything and added some decorative 2" bread boards.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American Stain with Polyurethane finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Mantle with Hearth

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/07/2023 - 11:04

We’ve made three of these: this one’s on a “hearth” in our sala on Guam; my husband put another one in our bedroom here, and the third faux fireplace is in our bedroom in Missouri. Later this year he’s building one requested by our daughter for her living room.

Kelley

Seasonal And Holiday

Argie Bedside Table (Nightstand)

Submitted by mstarnes on Fri, 02/24/2012 - 09:40

Used the Argie Bedside Table plans, but instead of using plywood for the top I used 1x4's joined together. Painted it a semi-gloss black and put the stainless pull on the drawer front

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-Gloss Black Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cottage style bookcase

I modified the original plans by making the book case low and wide so my 5 year old could reach all of her books. I also added some 1x3's to the back of each shelf to keep the books from falling off the back and everything square. I have quarter round moulding on my baseboards, so it doesn't sit flush against the wall.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympic interior satin Scandinavian Sky
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Caroline's double loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/10/2016 - 19:18

We made this a double bed and lowered the height by 3 1/4 inches because we have low ceilings. We added an extra support under the mattress since it's a double. Plan to add the desk and low shelves later. Followed the plans very closely, worked out great. One thing I would suggest is to do the slats after the guardrail. Otherwise you can't stand under the bed and it's hard to get a good angle when screwing it on. Many happy hours of reading Harry Potter up there in the first week :).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Gel stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/08/2023 - 10:09

It was pretty straight forward with your plans. I've built others from your great posts. I used a dark walnut stain after sanding and dusting real well.

 

Tom Lucas

King-sized platform bed

DIY king-sized platform bed. A quick afternoon project to get yourself off the ground. Specifically built for Ikea memory foam mattress (which doesn't honor their warranty if bed is kept on slatted wood platform bed). Detailed plans here. http://www.thehomespunjournal.com/2012/02/27/king-sized-platform-bed/

Estimated Cost
$87
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

babysteps

Tue, 02/28/2012 - 07:52

I am thinking that if you wanted your mattress to breathe on this platform, you could drill a bunch of small holes in the platform to let some air circulate from underneath.

Kids Play Kitchen

I wanted my daughter to have a play kitchen for Christmas - so I was excited when I found these plans on ana-white.com. My husband is a very skilled, self-taught, craftsman - so I knew he could do this! I'm pretty crafty myself - so combined, we made this awesome kitchen. We couldn't be prouder of how it turned out.

The back splash is a piece of remnant cloth from Hobby Lobby - I modge podged it on. The shelf liners are laminated fabric also from the Hobby Lobby remnant bin, that was put down with a little bit of spray adhesive. Oven racks are from the Dollar Tree - cookie drying racks. The stove eyes and oven burners are wooden disks from Hobby Lobby as well as the knobs. The stove eyes and oven burners have red glitter glue swirls on top to give the realistic "hot" look. The sink was a stray dog bowl we've had for a while. The handles were left over from another project we did a while back.

My husband built the faucet and knobs from plans he dreamed up as he went. We used metal sheets in the fronts of the fridge doors so she could put magnets on them.. like a real fridge! He also added an additional shelf in the lower part of the fridge. He used magnetic closures on each of the doors so they will stay shut nicely.

He built the entire kitchen in one day -- the drying time on the paint -- slowed us some due to the weather we've been having. Over all it took us about 1.5 weeks to finish - working on it a little each evening.

Our daughter loves it.. she's cooked us several meals since Santa brought her kitchen. LOVE IT!!

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Crescent Moon Crib

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/13/2016 - 21:21

I took a crib plan I saw on here from DIYstinctly Made, but I wanted to have a crescent moon, so I altered the plans to a solid back with a crescent moon in the center!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Varathane Water-based Poly+Stain (Early American) - 2 coats used a little less than 1 quart
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Main closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 19:23

10 ft closet that had a lot of space but little organization. First attempt at building anything. Built the bench first in four different sections then attached together. Closet already had two long 10 ft boards so just added vertical dividers to match the cubbies for each person. Added shelving on sides using the concepts of making the original bench. Our baseboards have tile that was installed up to it so I didn’t attempt to remove them but notched out the backs of the wood to fit around. On the side left about 6 inches and installed the rod front to back using C hooks to hang things from them. Will be adding lots more hooks on the sides as well. Used a couple different plans but ended up making changes along the way based on my skill level and what I thought would work best for the family.

Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted sections are Sherwin Williams Olympus white and stained shelves are classic oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Flip-top bench

This was my first project and I followed the plan closely, with the exception of adding a center brace under the top. I used a pocket hole jig to attach some of the of the boards, and finishing nails to secure other spots. I had to adjust the side trim pieces because my lumber was a different length than the stuff on the original plan.

I learned a lot doing this. It was wobbly when I first started but got better the more I added to it. The most important thing I learned is to be choosy when selecting boards. My top board is warped a bit so that it doesn't quite rest on the ledge on one side -- I will know what to look for next time I select boards.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The stain is mini wax walnut, applied with a dry rag with a light hand, then wiped off.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Play Kitchen

My husband and I worked on this and a dollhouse project simultaneously as our first builds. We did alter the dimensions to be taller and slightly wider than the plans. Being our first attempt, a lot of mistakes were made, especially given our limited tool resource. We learned a lot, though, and the end result is a hit with our little girl despite all the wonky bits.

We opted for the farmhouse sink style, which was quite a bit of work for our newbie skills, but I think it was well worth it. I want a farmhouse sink my kitchen, so I'll just live vicariously! Plus, her toy pots and pans are stainless steel, so it's nice to not have a metal sink that would clang when her dishes are in there. We also opted for now to do an extra unit of "counter space" in lieu of a refrigerator. We do plan on making a fridge further down the road and even hope to alter these plans to make a washer and dryer set.

Regretfully, I can't recall the name of this color. I'm really pleased with it, though, and plan on using the remainder on a sewing table build. I already had all the supplies I used for the curtains (mostly remnant sales and an old curtain I recycled for the backing fabric). I do want to find a wood shape that I can attach to the burners to give it a gas stove look. That and varnish on the counter tops are still lacking here. We also added a tap light inside the oven and painted it a stony grey.

The construction went by pretty quickly, but I'd say the painting and decorating take it from a day project to a weekend project.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint (around 3 coats for the units and closer to 10 for the sink), Stain (oil based, Golden oak; I taped off 1" strips and applied stain, letting it sit for 5 minutes, then I removed the tape and applied another layer all over, removing it immediately), Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse King Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/17/2016 - 01:21

For this project we followed the plans pretty well. We added trim to the side rails to be more like the original bed which the plans were modeled after. We also extended the two by fours on the headboard and footboard to give s little more design to the headboard. Plans were easy to follow. We love our new bed with the natural wood combined with a light white wash on the panels.

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Whitewash
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Barnhouse Door Cabinet

I began woodworking over the last year, having had no real previous experience, and fell in love. I work full time as a branch manager for the local Secretary of State, and have to fit my new hobby in where I can. Although I stumbled my way through the first few projects with my husband's help, I have grown both in knowledge, and confidence with each new creation. When I first started out I was nervous using cutting tools, relying solely on his assistance and focused on the nuts and bolts portion of the plans. However, I am now able to complete even more complicated plans with no assistance at all. Ana White plans are easy to follow and always end in a beautiful piece. The cabinet that I am submitting for this contest is by far my favorite of the pieces I have made so far. I think it turned out gorgeous, and I'm very proud of the work that I was able to do.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$450.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I did a gray chalk paint with a chalk corresponding finish. The door was a satin polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pergola Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 12:40

My first ever attempt at woodworking, after I built the pergola I used the 2x4 outdoor sectional plans and modified slightly to fit the space I had. So easy to follow and delighted with the result. The hardest part of the whole project was making the cushions, that's how easy the woodworking plans were to follow!

@louspoutsstuff tiktok - Lou brown

Built from Plan(s)

Herb Garden Planter { $2 }

This was my first project, and Im pleased with the outcome. I made two different styles, and its hard to pick which one I like best. These are so versatile, thinking of making a silverware caddy and also one for the bathroom with handtowels, soap, etc. Candles would also be pretty.

Estimated Cost
$10 for both, the most expensive thing was handles for each
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax walnut for the darker one, for the white one I painted dark gray, used vaseline for distressed look around edges, painted two coats over that in white..just a cheapy acrylic paint, and then sanded.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Dimensional Lumber Platform Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/20/2016 - 09:19

Modified to be able to be taken apart and easily reassembled into 4 frame pieces (each side plus the middle support beam) for transport at will, and made to fit a Queen bed instead of a double.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
we added some cedar essential oil into linseed oil and gave it two coats with that!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Back