Community Brag Posts

We built this table using Ana White's patio table plan. We modified it slightly only to use pallet wood for the top. With the pallet wood varying by width, we had to adjust the quantity of slats needed for the top. Using the pallet wood for the top also reduced the cost a bit. We think it turned out great! The plan was VERY easy!

This was my first major woodworking project, and I am so pleased with it! I have been looking for a piece of furniture like this and couldn't find something that I liked and could afford. I spent about $180 in lumber, and also took Ana's advice and invested in a Kreg Jig. I HIGHLY recommend this! It is expensive ($100) but so worth it. I had to learn a few things along the way, and had encountered some obstacles, but in the end I am very pleased with the project. A few things I learned on my first project:

1. Exact cuts are SO important. Every 1/8" matters. It was helpful to do as many cuts as possible at the lumber store.

2. Ana mentions this in her beginners section, but it bears repeating: wood glue will repel stain. Be sure to wipe away ALL residue of wood glue before staining, and be sure to give extra sanding attention to areas that had wood glue. Otherwise you will have a white spot in the midst of your stain.

3. On this plan in particular there is one change that I recommend. Do not add the wrap around trip on the top and bottom until AFTER you have put the plywood backing on in the last step. The reason is that the plywood adds another 3/4 inch, and so there was a gap between the edge of the trip and the back on the furniture. I redid it on the top because it was so noticeable.

This is the coffee table again with the matching end table.

Jim Carr

This is my version of the workbench console table. The plans were very easy to follow. I used studs for the top of the table, but at least one of them was warped. This left me with a warped top. Therefore, I had to redo the top, ensuring that I had straight studs the second time. I actually laid them all out in the aisle of the hardware store to make sure they were straight. I wish I did this the first time.

The towel rack is just piping and a valve from the hardware store. There's also a bottle opener on the right side.

I was going for a more rustic/industrial feel, so I didn't use a polyurethane.

A table of my own design, that can can be pulled apart in order to save floor space, and create work space.

I made twin beds for my boys. It was the first time making furniture. It was a pretty easy plan to follow. Lowes did all my cuts for me so I didn't even need to find a saw.

Built from recycled yellow pine bleacher seats my school I worked at wanted me to toss. No plans just made it up as I went along.

My mother found this old end table in her mother's basement in the mid 90's and brought it home with her to refinish. The table was very flimsy and Mom just didn't know how to fix it, so it sat in her garage since then. I saw it back in March when helping clean out the garage. I asked if I could restore it for her. I think it turned out really nice. Thanks to this site, I have been given the confidence to tackle projects like this. Just wanted to share the project and say thanks to everyone here for making this site a great resource.

I fixed the table legs, sanded the table, used red mahogany stain, and about 15 coats of Poly to give the table a high gloss finish.

The additional photos are 1 of the original table and 1 of the table after staining and no Poly applied.

Mom was shocked with the finished project. Nothing more pleasing then see Mom smile!

My boy was sleeping on a queen box spring / mattress sitting on the floor; figured he needed a bed and the storage bed seemed just the ticket.

Found some beadboard on clearance for $16 a 4x8 sheet so picked up about 5 sheets. It was on clearance since it was prefinished. Not a big deal since I knew I'd be painting the bed (had to prime the stained wood first). I think the beadboard adds a nice touch on the ends.

Haven't built drawers yet, but the wife kind of likes the looks of the cubby bins so drawers can wait.

The headboard wasn't from any plan; just followed the same basic concept as the bed; sides are 3/4 plywood, but I rabbitted out the trim in order to insert the 1/4 beadboard. Used some scrap hardboard pegboard as a template for the shelf pin holes on the inside of the headboard to enable an adjustable shelf.

The bed sits up a little high for our liking, but eventually we will remove the boxspring and just set the mattress on the bed frame; just have to figure out where to store the boxspring . .

I miss the family when they're out of town, but at least I get a lot of projects done . . .

I wanted a farmhouse table look, but no too county. I think that this table accomplished that.

I debated a while with staining the entire table or staining the top and painting the legs. I'm really glad that I decided to paint the legs. I think it turn out great.

This was my first DIY wood project. I'm pretty much addicted now. Every time my wife wants to get a new piece of furniture, I always tell her that I can probably build it.

Fairly easy to make with a jigsaw and sander. I would suggest to whomever makes one of the Charlie scooters to use a hardwood as some of the section in the handlebar area can be fragile when weight is applied. 

These chairs were easy to build, although I modified Ana's plans a little bit. I opted for solid wood 2x2s for the legs (I wanted it to be sturdier), and a solid seat instead of a slatted one. I notched out the back of the seat so it would fit flush against the back legs. Because of my modifications, my chair was just a couple bucks more.

Also, I was so excited to find solid wood balusters for the chair legs - they're not only better quality, but cheaper than furring strips!

Check out my blog link for a complete play-by-play!

My daughter needed a chair that wasn't as bulky as our high chair but higher than a normal dining chair. This plan was perfect. I changed the dimensions to suit what I needed. The actual building took only a couple of hours but the finishing seemed to take forever. I probably spent about a week just on the finishing. I distressed it to help disguise the inevitable bumps and grubby handprints.