Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse Storage Bed in Cheyenne

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/12/2019 - 17:10

First time building furniture and enjoyed the project.  I used better lumber as I wanted to avoid paint but it turned out well for my first try.  Thank you Ana White for a good set of plans.

Estimated Cost
$700 but I used premium lumber, hardware and finished all the surfaces which took more time and money.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax black gel stain and 5 coats of minwax polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Deck furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/21/2022 - 10:59

We used pine for the chairs and table and stained with Cabots black exterior deck stain and sealed with polyacrylic.

Comments

rustic coffee table

Submitted by VelvetSky on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 19:55

my first build

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
cherry stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

VelvetSky

Sun, 08/28/2011 - 19:59

I have not finished the staining since it needs another coat. But I love love love my new coffee table. Thanks so much to Ana for her blog. I always wanted to build furniture but everyone would just laugh at me for even suggesting it. When I saw your site you really motivated me and made me believe I could do this. I am so happy. Still afraid to use power saws though. I make my husband cut the wood....lol

Taylors console

Submitted by raybotelho on Thu, 09/19/2013 - 16:30

Loved working on this table. An easy build for sure. Couldn't find wheel casters that I liked so had to use another 4x4 to give it height. Will be building another one soon :)
Thank you so much for sharing the plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and wry brushing
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Val Manchuk

Sat, 09/21/2013 - 08:15

I love how you finished your project!
And the 2x4's across the bottom really make it look solid.

Val
artsybuildinglady

Alexandra's Indoor Playhouse

I built this indoor playhouse for my daughter who turned 2 in september. She loves to help mommy cook, loves to have little tea party's for her dolls and love to watch Chip n' Dale terriorize Donald Duck. So I thought I would give Alexandra her very own little house to do all those things. I hope you all like it and have just as much fun building one of these as I did. 

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple And small reclaimed barn wood bench

My wife wanted a small bench for our entryway/foyer.  I happened to have some reclaimed pine barn wood laying in my shop, so I whipped this up.  

The original plan was to use a colored wax or thinned paint on it to give it a weathered appearance (which is why I did screws and plugs from the top - I thought they were going to be painted over), but the wood turned out too beautiful with all of the character.  We couldn't bring ourselves to paint it.

There are a few more pics and details in my blog post about this small reclaimed barn wood bench.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My version of the Mom's Lego Table

Submitted by dspguy on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 06:09

This is my second woodworking project. I picked up this hobby with some spare time and with my tools that were collecting dust after I completed most of my home renovations. Cost: $80 wood ($35 just on plywood) $35 hardware (2 recessed handles and 2 drawer pulls) $20 finishing products $40 lego baseplates On the lego baseplate side, I stained but only poly'd just enough so that the border around the plates would be covered. Baseplates had to be cut in order to get the custom size I wanted. The "play area" on one side of the table is 20 inches x 13.75 inches. Each side of the table is made with three 10x10 inch plates. Two 10x10s are side by side. The other 10x10 was cut with a razor to make it into two 10 x 3.75 inch pieces. I cut the plates so that I always had a "smooth edge" on three sides. I affixed the baseplates with epoxy. Simply butting up the baseplates does not work as the gap between plates is too small. To get the proper size, hold the baseplates together with lego pieces. Wipe any excess epoxy with mineral spirits. (Note: I tried liquid nails first on a test piece. The glue heats up after application and slightly warped the lego baseplate. Not recommended). The "mom side" of the coffee table has two recessed handles. The handles on the "lego side" are made with lego bricks. I drilled a tiny hole in the lego bricks. I threaded 50 lb fishing line through the lego brick to the hidden recessed area of the "mom's side handle" and tied off the line in there. Project took me over a month of time (probably 20-25 hours of labor). It could have and should have taken less, but I'm a newbie and am very cautious with my work.

Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Brushed on Minwax wood pre-stain (1 application) Minwax Kona (3 applications) followed by 2 applications of Minwax Clear Gloss Poly (400 grit sanding and wiping down with a damp cloth to pick up leftovers), followed by 3 applications of Minwax Satin Gloss Poly (600 grit sanding, and wiping up any dust).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

connorsmom24 (not verified)

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 08:26

I am in LOVE with the area rug in this photo. Where can I get one???

FurnitureDreamer

Sun, 08/20/2017 - 07:16

Thanks for the detail on how to cut and glue the lego plates.  I like the recessed handles you used.  Do you remember where you got them.  Looks great!  

Lisette Coffee Table

My friend "Lisette" asked for a small modern coffee table. For her small studio apartment. So I came up with this modern-ish table. Made of 2x2's and a 20"x40" glass top.I found it on the side of the road with a FREE sign on it in Pacific Beach. Oh how I love beach people and all the free stuff they leave around :)

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Chestnut Stain (3 coats) and semigloss poly spray (5 light coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My first dining table

I built this table using modified pocket hole plans and a mix of pine, spruce and cedar lumber.

When I laminated the boards together to the table top I also applied four culls to try to keep it flat as possible. When I removed the culls the boards weren't as even as I had wanted so I used a belt sander with a 120 grit to take out the high spots. I filled the knot holes with some 5 minute epoxy and I really liked the look. I would use decent epoxy if I do another large lamination of knottty wood as the $5 microtube I bought was thick and hand to work into the small voids around the knots. After the epoxy cured for 12 hours I gently used the belt sander gentle to remove the excess and then gave the entire table top a little 220 grit action. 

 

 

Estimated Cost
This project cost around $300 in materials and took about 24 hours spread over a couple weekends to complete. The cost of the Kreg K4 jig isn't included in that price, but it will come in handy for the next few years.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I applied two coats of Minwax Fruitwood stain before topcoating with 4 coats of a 4:1  mixture of Helmsman Spar Urethane/Paint Thinnner. I gently sanded with 220 grit and then polished with a clean cloth between coats of the Helmsman. The Wood Whisperer from YouTube has some really helpful tips to get a smooth finish like diluting your finish and applying it with a clean cloth which has been moistened with paint thinner. I recommend checking out his channel.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adjusted design to fit smaller kitchen.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/21/2019 - 12:05

I left off the ends to fit a smaller kitchen.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Espresso stain with a triple thick polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Corner Cupboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/26/2022 - 06:16

Finally I have made a project that is nice enough for our living room. Now I am so i spired to build more!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

$6 Bench

After seeing benches like these on a wedding blog, I really wanted to build my own. It was a super easy project, and really cheap! Here's what you need:

• 2 – 2x6x8′ boards. They cost about $3 each at Home Depot.
• Screws, sandpaper and stain.

Cut List:
3 – 2×6 @ 47″
4 – 2×6 @ 16″

That’s it! I decided how long I wanted my bench to be (which was 47" long by 16" tall). Then, I cut out my pieces. I decided to do 45 degree angle joints on the ends, as opposed to having a flat edge exposed on the sides. I had to use my table saw to get the 45′s on the legs and two flat boards. This was very effin’ scary. Using my Kreg jig, I drilled holes in both of the flat boards that sandwich the tall center one. I offset my holes so that the screws wouldn’t hit each other. You can see in the picture that I accidentally drilled holes in my center piece too. Builder fail. That side will just have to face the back ;)

Attach your 3 top boards together. Then screw in your legs. I decided not to countersink and fill, kind of because I like the industrial look, but mostly because I’m lazy. Then you just sand that sucker up and voila! You’ve got a gorgeous bench perfect for any home. I decided to get a little fancy with my finishing and do a two-tone stain. It took about an hour to do the two colors and not drip on everything, as opposed to the 15 minutes one color would take. I think the extra time was definitely worth it!

Estimated Cost
$6
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain in gunstock and walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

LoriQ (not verified)

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 16:58

How is the center top board attached to the ones on either side? I've never built anything before, so this is probably obvious to everyone else. :-/

LoriQ (not verified)

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 17:00

How is the center top board attached to the other top boards? I've never built anything, so this is probably obvious to everyone else. :-/

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 20:39

I used a kreg jig to join the 3 boards. If you don't have a jig you can "toenail" the screws by drilling them from below at a 45 degree angle. I would join the vertical into one side at a typical 90 degree angle, then toenail the other board. You could add extra security with L brackets

claydowling

Tue, 03/13/2012 - 03:57

The usual solution for cutting a long piece like this on a table saw is to build a crosscut sled first. There are a lot of good guides on the internet for how to build a crosscut sled.

I build something that is a bit oversized, so much so that I had to incorporate a box for some weights so it's stable on my table. But I can easily support a three foot board on this sled with room to spare before it runs off the end.

The sled supports the board and makes it so you aren't fighting your work in a dangerous situation. This sled made my saw completely non-scary to use.

One thing I've noticed about a table saw is that when you buy the saw, that's only the start of the tool. You'll spend a lot of time refining it with add-ons and jigs that you build for it.

Alicia47

Sat, 01/25/2014 - 11:12

I wanted to make this bench, went and bought the supplies, got home to cut it, and the measurements are off. I cannot figure out any possible way to make this bench 47 inches long without running out of wood. Is it possible that the measurements are off? Or can I just not figure out how to cut it so I don't fall short on my wood? Someone please help!

Historic Palouse Halltree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/26/2019 - 09:33

This piece was inspired by Ana’s plans and built as a collaborative project with my son.  The stock was all salvaged from a century+ old railroad depot on the University of Idaho campus that was marked for demolition.  The green and cream boards were the ceiling of the depot, and the unfinished stock came from the flooring, which was 1” tongue and groove red fir.  The first agricultural crops, forest products, and settlers of the region (North Idaho, Eastern Washington) flowed through that terminal.  This piece, therefore, is iconic of the regikn’s rough-hewn beginnings and stands as a reminder of its important past.

Estimated Cost
$60 for glue, hinges, screws, polyurethane. The wood was salvaged for free.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
After sanding the bare wood and scrubbing the painted surfaces, I sprayed a satin polyurethane (good ol’ rattle can!)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

School papers organized

Now that we've got two kids in school, the previous system of storing school papers just wasn't going to work (see pic below). I used the plans on Ana's site as a guideline and made the letter bin to fit my space. I decided to also make it a holder for the mail and all our keys.

This was made used all leftover wood hanging out in the garage. Luan was used for the letter bin, and strapping (1/2" pine) was used for the mail holder. I spray painted black and then painted it a creamy white, the color of our house trim. I distressed a little bit and then added the hooks. I hope it can stand the test of time.

Estimated Cost
$16 (mainly in the hooks)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Chose not to prime; black spray paint; creamy white; distress
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

StacieM

Fri, 09/09/2011 - 16:42

I just made the PB letter bin and now I wish I would have added the key hanger to the bottom since with 6 cars, we have tons of keys all over the place. Maybe I will make a separate one..

This looks awesome and I live the distressed finish.

Birthday Farmhouse Queen sized Bed

Submitted by ksmith311 on Sun, 09/29/2013 - 12:41

We built this bed way back in April for my birthday, but hadn't gotten the bedding quite right until now. We love this thing and it is sooo sturdy. I wish I would have taken more time on finish work to get the paint just right. I will probably repaint it in the future but for now it is a beautiful and necessary addition to our bedroom.

Thanks so much for the plans Ana, this was our first furniture project besides shelves and boxes. It definitely gave us the confidence to continue building and even to start creating our own plans and furniture designs.

** updated photos on 11/21

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique white paint in semi-gloss and distressed with Early American Stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Saw Horse Inspired Coffee table

Submitted by Nathan O on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 18:01

I essentially followed the Rogue Engineer plans exactly with the exception of making the table on 50 inches long to help it fit better in my living space. I also opted to not add the lower support struts that would be perpendicular to the table top. I felt like that were bulky and were necessary for support. I may choose to go back and add them though. A miter saw and Kreg Jig are essential to get this project done with ease. I gave it a rough sanding to help keep the rugged texture of the original woodand maintain the reclaimed look. Feel free to post any questions.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mini Wax Dark Walnut and Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Husky farmhouse table w/ butterfly leaf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 17:43
  • Hand built Husky Farmhouse Table, plans from Ana White adding a hideaway butterfly leaf
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
4 coats of Polycrylic Clear Matte
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

L shaped triple x desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/01/2023 - 13:24

We built this desk over Christmas break with my son for his bedroom.
Ran all wood through a planer and used pocket hole screws and Tite bond 3 glue. Black stain and satin polyurethane (3 coats) for the frame and my own stain concoction for the shelves and top treated with 2 coats of Odies oil.
He was very pleased and we enjoyed our time working on this project

Comments