Community Brag Posts

Truss table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/29/2016 - 15:10

I reduced the length by 12 inches to accomodate my space, and I ripped the boards on the table saw so they would be more flush when I assembled the tabletop. Otherwise, I followed the plan exactly. Distressed tabletop before staining. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Multiple stains including pickled oak and jacobean by minwax. 2 coats of poly on tabletop only.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Patio Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 07:18

With a mix of the 2 attached plans, I found the perfect design! Plus, I was able to build them both, including the table, out of the scrap from the deck I built!! Thank you so much!!!

Comments

Footboard cubby bench

Submitted by benhuard on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 06:13

This was basically half of the entry way palns (I didn't make the top piece). I am yet to have a cushion made for the top but it looks great at the foot of our bed.

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple Console - First Build!!

Ana's simplest console inspired my first build. I decided to make it a bit wider like one I saw on Shanty 2 Chic's website, and this is what I came up with. So excited about my first build - can't wait for the next!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax water based stain in Latte. Olympic indoor paint in Brigade.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kid extremely happy

Submitted by hrios on Sun, 01/01/2017 - 17:49

This project took us four days. The biggest job that took us awhile was sanding and painting.

Estimated Cost
156.27 this included paint, wood, screws and glue
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double-wide Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/12/2020 - 10:13

This was a fun build, though it took me quite a while because I decided to paint the interior. I ended up making it twice as wide to accommodate our six chickens. It took some planning but in the end I had essentially two coops side by side with no dividing wall between them. I also doubled the size of the run.

I cheaped out on the plywood and went with 1/2" - there was a big difference in cost as plywood was hard to find at the start of the pandemic. Using 1/2" turned out to be a big mistake. The 1/2" plywood warped quite a bit after I had painted it making it difficult to use the doors. I may have to replace the doors eventually with 3/4".

Overall I'm very happy with the end result. It's been easy to clean and maintain and the girls seems quite happy in it. This is one of the best looking coops I've come across. Thank you for these fantastic plans!

Estimated Cost
$1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Exterior Benjamin Moore Aura/Regal leftover paint from previous projects.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Sun, 09/13/2020 - 11:25

Love the double wide modification plus the extra work on finishing it, is the cherry on top! Thanks for sharing!

Flip Top Storage Bench

Submitted by jagrjones on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 17:00

This bench works great as a piano bench with storage inside for all of the sheet music. I added one little 4x4x.75 piece of wood inside in the middle because I found that the 1x12 seat would flex in the center but after adding that piece of wood it was solid. I also added eye hooks and chain for the top so that it does not flip all the way backwards.

Finish Used
Started with two applications of Minwax wood sealer, then a coat of Minwax English Chestnut and then some spray on polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Husky Farmhouse Table

We built this farmhouse table for my Mom's house, to create a space big enough for our growing family to gather at holidays and birthdays. We added to the size- the final dimensions were 82″ (long) x42″ (wide) x 30″(tall). It is a huge, chunky table! My parents prefer natural finishes, so we gave the natural wood several protective coats of polycrylic. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/03/2017 - 13:23

project for my niece's Christmas gift.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used wall paint for this one. Buy next time wood paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Can’t Believe We actually built this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/14/2020 - 13:48

5 1/2W x 5 1/2L x 8H.
Ana made this project very easy for me. I did the main building while hubby cut the wood & helped drill in hard to reach areas. Thank you Ana for boosting my confidence. I’ve never done anything trike this.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Did not have time to paint. Will have to be another long weekend. When I do, it’ll be white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Matching dog crates

Submitted by lwitte on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 23:50

My wife told me she would like a pair of matching dog crates built to fit the space between the wall and the dryer in our laundry room. I built her two crates (25L x 17W x 18H) and painted them to match the colors in the laundry room. They fit the open space exactly and sit on top of each other. The entire project took about 2 days to finish and set me back around $80. They seem to work perfectly for our dogs, both of whom are on the smaller size of medium. They really tie the space together and add a wow factor to an other wise normal laundry room.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White and Teal satin paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra Long Bench

Submitted by lrsummers on Thu, 09/18/2014 - 10:37

This was a custom build for a friend. It's nearly 8 feet long and I used the plans from the classic chair made simple for the back legs and support for the seat. Everything else was customized to fit her needs. =) Lots and lots and lots of pocket holes but this piece turned out better than what was pictured in my head! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum black in Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modified Farmhouse Desk

Submitted by AhmaNaz on Thu, 09/17/2020 - 10:04

Desk for my sis, build on out of state visit. Left raw for her to finish. The X was a character builder as I only had my circular saw and my first time but decent enough lol

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Raw
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Home Shiplap Fireplace Update

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/08/2024 - 11:58

"My husband came up with the idea to build a bump-out fireplace to elevate our master bedroom space… and I’m so proud of him for executing it perfectly we can’t wait to relax here as the weather gets cooler. While contractors have quoted a job like this at $3000-4000+, we spent around $1250 doing the work ourselves (this includes wood, shiplap, paint supplies, electric fireplace, mantle, and recessed TV mount - we used a frame TV we already own)." - Carsonsays_ on Instagram

Cedar Compost Bins

Submitted by AmyJM on Fri, 12/07/2012 - 18:27

For this project, I used 6 foot cedar fence posts and 8 foot cedar 2x4s. I used a pencil to space the boards and allow extra air flow. More space between boards is acceptable - even to the extent of dropping off one full board and putting an inch between each side rail.

Another option is to make your sides interlocking layers, one or two boards high - http://cedarstackingcompostbin.blogspot.com/

Since I am composting large amounts of leaves and grass clippings, mine is made in one piece. I don't turn my pile often - when I do, I can either lift the whole thing up or move the pile from side to side. I cut the 2x8x8 posts - cut a 3 foot length off of each end. Save the 2 foot center piece to brace the long sides. Affix your 1/2 (3 foot side) and full fence (6 foot side) boards to the 2x4, leaving the desired gap between each board. Affix each board with 2 weather proof screws - I used coated deck screws.

Attach the vertical posts to the inside of the cedar fence boards, including the short 2 foot boards that are just long enough to brace the long sides. I alternated the dog eared sides, so that each corner had one flat and one notched board.

I used 24 cedar fence posts and 16 feet of cedar 2x4. Note, I was able to do this all along. The trash cans acted as supports - no clamps or saw horses needed.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Light sanding, no stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

AmyJM

Fri, 12/07/2012 - 18:43

This is a little heavy when finished. I can easily flip it over to turn the compost, but after building it and tiring my arms out with the cutting and drilling, it was a long haul to the back yard to position it. You might be happy with a 3x3 bin, in which case, I suggest making it 1 board shorter and leaving wider spaces - if you think through the math, you can probably get it down to 10-12 cedar fence posts and 1 longer 2x4. Cost would be about $35 that way - cheaper than most compost bins.

Gaby Buffet Table

Submitted by zjlawlor on Sat, 09/20/2014 - 10:39

I built this buffet table for our dining room using the Gaby Kitchen Island plans. I used some reclaimed boards I salvaged from a trash pile at work for the top and side aprons. I also used old pallet wood for the bottom shelf boards. This gave it the cool, rustic look I was going for and really helped set it apart. Really fun project. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than 50$ (wood, screws, stain, etc) - I was able to use salvaged wood for much of it and had the tools.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Started with light coat of primer, immediately wiping away excess. Dark stain is kona (2 coats) and the top and sides are stained weathered gray (1 coat). We wanted more of the white to show through the grey, and the nature of the reclaimed boards helped with this.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Christmas Present

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/08/2017 - 12:56

Thank you for the plans. It was a fun build and my girls love it!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used min-wax stain for the floors and major league sports colors for paints from Home Depot. We used flagstaff green for outside paint and textured spray paint for roof. I also added 6 LED lights in the house.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate