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Submitted by Felicka on Mon, 05/14/2012 - 22:29

Easy, fun great project that my husband and I did together. This project cost about $202, and I will take that price over the price that you would have to pay in the furniture store any day. We found some great wood at Lowe's that worked perfectly and gave it the "rustic" look that we like. Thanks Ana for the plans and sharing them with us.

Estimated Cost
$202.54
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used Minwax wood conditioner and then a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain. We then used a coat of poly followed by wet-dry sandpaper for the smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Debi_G (not verified)

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 19:01

That's a fine quality piece of furniture!

Why can't I get dark walnut stain to look like that?

Felicka

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 22:07

Thanks

My hubby used wood conditioner prior to applying the dark walnut. with using the conditioner especially with soft wood such as pine it allows the stain to adsorb in evenly. we only used one coat of both.

claydowling

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 19:45

Debi_G, I've had lots of trouble getting stains to look the way I want too. What I've taken to doing is either mixing my own (see http://claydowling.com), as well as trying out various commercial stains until I find one that satisfies my desires. Good use for your scrap.

So far the best commercial stains I've found are from General Finishes. They're designed to sit partially on top of the wood, which prevents some of the splotchy and washed out look that make some stains unpleasant to work with.

Large 6 X 8 Sandbox

We wanted to make a large sandbox for lots of kids. We love that it has an easy cover and two large benches to sit.

Supplies and Steps are shared at http://myhomedonemyway.blogspot.com/2013/07/building-6-x-8-sandbox.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse table!

Built this for a friend of mine and his fiancé. They just bought a house and thought I would help them fill it. This is my 2nd farmhouse table. I really like the thickness of the table. 

Estimated Cost
$125 with bench and stain
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut on top and white paint for the frame
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Single picket recycle friendly bird feeder

Submitted by sxewhodey on Fri, 03/13/2020 - 06:45

I deviated unknowingly from the plan, lol. The top is wrong. I trimmed a half inch off one side to make the two lengs even, but you aren't supposed to use the lengths to go all the way down, but rather the lengths going accross as an overhang. Our project still came out nice, and my little girl will put hers together tomorrow.

I am getting ready to do a privacy fence project and I was debating between pine and cedar....this project actually seems to have confirmed I am allergic to cedar, so it was very useful in plans for a bigger project and saved years of sneezing.

Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Fat Tire Bike Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/29/2023 - 19:03

Fatbike rack! Ten minute project for the beginner. Heavy enough to keep your bike standing upright even in windy conditions. Great if you are short on space.
(2) 14" treated 2x4
(2) 28" fence posts
(8) 3 1/2" outdoor screws
6" space between the fence posts
Alter width, if needed, for your bike tire.
No part of the bike hits the wood except the tire.'

Deanna Peterson

Playhouse loft princess bed

My daughter was turning 4 and we were expecting our 2nd child in a few months and needed her crib/toddler bed back to start setting up the nursery. After googling fun big girl beds for a few weeks i came across the plans for the cottage bed and decided to sit down with my husband and decide if we could build her this bed. by building instead of buying the bed of her little girl dreams we were creating many fond memories with her and a real attatchment to it so she would actually sleep in it. We went through alot of the other brag posts first and picked out a few things we liked from each and made a few modifcations. I felt the spindles around the bed needed to be taller to keep her from falling out of the bed. We also made a door way under the slide that is now a little secret fort for her to go in and read her books and have quiet time. Under the steps my husband made a closet for her dress up clothes utilizing as much of the space under the bed as possible as it takes up most of her bed room We painted the back wall under the bed with chalk board paint to give her a art space under there as well. In the end it took us about a month to build the bed working on it on the weekends. We spent around 500 dollars including the purchase of a few tools we diddnt have and needed like the kreg jig and all the paint and princess decals. She loves the bed and my very amazing handy husband has been approached by many friends and family members to make one for their children as well.

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

Comments

birdsandsoap

Sat, 05/19/2012 - 19:37

I love the little valance over the window, it looks so cozy. You've got one lucky girl. The picture with all of the princess dolls on the steps is adorable.

Planked Wood Sideboard - Rustic Yet Refined

Submitted by becada on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 08:06

This was my first finished project using plans from Ana's site, and I am very pleased with the finished product. Every aspect of the finished sideboard is based on something from the site. I started with the plans for the Planked Wood Sideboard, and made no modifications as the dimensions were perfect for our basement family room. I decided to inset the back (http://www.friendly-home.net/2012/02/gigantic-rustic-sideboard.html) as Ana explained that Hillary had done, and love the final result. This will allow us to use this to potentially divide a room in an open concept space at some point in the future.

For the finishing process, I decided to follow the "Rustic Yet Refined" finish tutorial highlighted on both the Ana-White site (http://ana-white.com/2013/08/rustic-yet-refined-wood-finish) and Jen Woodhouse House of Wood (http://jenwoodhouse.com/blog/2013/06/07/diy-dining-table/). I fully intended to complete the 9 step process, but found that after we applied the Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner, followed by Minwax special walnut stain and wiped it off within 15-30 seconds, the finish mirrored the restoration hardware finish that we were going for. We decided not to proceed with layering on the weathered oak or applying the whitewash, and went straight to the spar urethane satin coats.

Overall, the project was a success, but was difficult to finish during the Minnesota winter as it was unbelievably cold and was forced to complete the finishing process in our basement/laundry room, which extended the length of the project. I am very excited to begin building other pieces from Ana's plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250-300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner; Minwax Special Walnut (natural bristled brush); Helmsman Spar Urethane in Clear Satin (natural bristled brush)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Playhouse with Swing Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/01/2016 - 12:48

We really enjoyed building this playhouse swing set for our kids.  We have a decent slope to our backyard, so we needed to sink our posts, which required a bit more work thank Ana's plans.  We also used a real window (my dad just happened to have in his garage) instead of the 3 open aired windows Ana's plans called for.  Inside we built a fold under table, shelf, and a chalkboard for thier entertainment.  

Estimated Cost
$800
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Scrapwood Potting Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/23/2020 - 15:51

I wanted to plant some herbs and have them easily accessible from my kitchen, plus I had a ton of scrap wood lying around the garage. Hence, my scrap-wood planting bench. No cost to build and only a couple of days. It's not as deep as the original post due to where it will be located. The size is 39 in.x10.5 in.x48 in.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic Banquette Bench with Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/04/2023 - 14:16

I needed some extra storage space and have always wanted a storage bench in this corner of my dining room. It took me a week to build from start to finish. I’ve never done any woodworking before, so this plan was good for me, as it was easy to follow with the color coding. The only thing that was “off plan” were the X’s on the face of the bench. I had some leftover 1x1 trim, from a handyman project a few years back, that I was happy to use up. It fit perfectly and I had just enough for all X’s. My biggest challenge with this project were the lids. They have a very minor bow, so one of the corners isn’t flush. But, it’s not enough to bother me or need to re-do the lid. All-in-all, I’m super happy with this banquette and may have caught the woodworking bug!

Vanessa's X Picnic Table Modified

Submitted by jessisnapp on Mon, 05/21/2012 - 15:05

This table was built using the Vanessa's X Picnic Table plans but made plenty of modifications to it. We used 3/4 thick boards and made the table 60 inches long instead of 71 3/4". We have a small dining room and wanted a table big enough for four people so this size worked for us. Since we made adjustments to the length we used less supports under the table top. We made the table top using pocket holes and only two joists were needed. We added extra support between the table top and the stretcher because the table wiggled more than I wanted it to. This nipped the problem in the butt! I knew I wanted to build this table but my concern was finding chairs to suit the table. I ended up getting unfinished chairs from Ikea for $19 a piece and finished them myself. I feel like this project took forever, but that table itself was assembled in a weekend. The finishing process took an additional weekend since we had to do the chairs as well.

Estimated Cost
$135
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, Minwax English Chestnut Stain, and Minwax Clear Semi-gloss Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Factory cart coffee table

Submitted by ACarrell on Wed, 03/05/2014 - 07:21

After seeing the plans for the Factory Cart Coffee Table on this site, I decided I should build one. I didn't actually follow the plans exactly...really just used them as "inspiration". I went with 5" swivel casters and 8" fixed casters, and the stain is Minwax hickory poly that has been sanded back a bit. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Now on to the next project !

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Hickory Polyurethane

Wiped on for about 5 minutes, wiped off, then sanded back a touch to give a more worn look.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Malka on Fri, 06/03/2016 - 23:32

This was my 5th build. Took a few weekends working in the morning. Table is Weathered Oak (base) and Early American (top) stain. Modified the plans to make it slightly smaller so it would fit better in my kitchen. Very sturdy and table looks gorgeous in person, very happy.

Estimated Cost
$110+/-
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American and Weathered Oak
Rustoleum Triple Thick Polyurethane (2 coats on base, 3 on table)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pool Steps & Safety Gate

Needed a safety gate and steps to get into the pool. Even provided shelter for the pump and filter.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/06/2023 - 11:07

8’ by 12’ shed with extra 15” of height. Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)

sandbox

This is the first thing I have ever made out of wood in my life! I'm a quilter, I have never even used a screwdriver, but I followed your plans exactly and made this for my grandchild! I am so proud of this sandbox. (I did talk the guy at Lowe's into making the woodcuts for me).
Thank you so much for this plan and thank you for making it so easy to follow. Sherry

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
was told to wait to paint for six months because pressure treated wood needs to dry out
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Doing things big in Texas

Submitted by StewartTX on Sat, 03/08/2014 - 15:18

We decided to build this a bit bigger and taller. I will caution you to be careful as we came inches to not making it through our doorways. We expanded the depth 15" to make it a full bed and we extended the length of the legs to allow for 48" clearance underneath.

We also went with a rock wall instead of a ladder. I 1st built the angle too steep; recommend at least a 30 degree angle on a wall. Kid's love it; mom not so much when attempting to make the bed! :)

We went with military theme - green rope lights, camo netting for a roof, and sandbags filled with old clothes from my high school years for a bunker underneath.

Great project! Thanks for the idea!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350 - materials. Needed to invest $250 in new tools
Finish Used
Natural Minwax stain then clear satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Farmhouse Storage Bed (California King, headboard with bookshelves)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/07/2016 - 19:51

Modified the Farmhouse Storage Bed with Storage Drawers. Changed the design to california king and added booshelves to the headboard. Will eventually turn a shelf into a nightstand for water/light. I LOVE IT!! Thanks for the Design, Ana!

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
minwax grey stain and light grey paint (I can't remember the color, but it's valspar prairie something)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

American Girl Doll Storage and Bed

Submitted by advanlente on Sat, 03/28/2020 - 11:09

For my niece's birthday, I built her this awesome storage solution. Mom was super happy that everything could fit together in one spot and my niece takes this with her wherever she goes. I was so happy to find plans to build this as I was not sure what to make her for her birthday!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)

Comments

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