Community Brag Posts

Retro Style Wall Hanging

Submitted by Joni on Mon, 05/21/2012 - 14:40

This piece began with finding a unique piece of walnut that had been discarded by a custom cabinet manufacturer. When I saw it, I thought I could make a beautiful wall hanging out of it. The walnut wood is absolutely beautiful; pictures don't do it justice. The majority of the piece is not stained; the natural color is enhanced with a clear polyurethane designed to give a hand-rubbed finish. The darker walnut section was lightly stained for contrast. The frame is made of pine 2x2s. I built a platform in the grooves with shims, and embedded earth-toned glass and stone tiles (as well as river rocks) in the grooves around the "waves".

While this didn't come from any specific plan, most any inspiration and techniques come straight from what I've learned on ana-white. Ana's site has really changed my life and given me a passion for building.

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

hammertime

Tue, 05/22/2012 - 10:15

Joni, I've been admiring your work all along, but this one takes the cake! You have such imagination and vision. I think this is an outstanding piece.

Cottage Side Table with Vintage Label Painting

I modified the plans just a tad bit, i.e., framed the top and used 1" x 4"s on the top and bottom horizontal planes... painted a vintage citrus label on the top and now I have a one-of-a-kind side table for my porch.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ebony stain with a white milk paint dry brush on top of stain. Art work is done with acrylic then sanded and distressed. Finished the table with semi-gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Alexia Bench modified

Submitted by rkyount on Sat, 06/04/2016 - 15:35

This was a very quick and easy build that was completely finished in an afternoon. My Kreg jig was loaned out, so I have exposed fasteners, but I prefer to let them show instead of filling the holes. I built this with 20" legs to make it a little taller and more comfortable for my height. I also prefer straight lines and angles, so I changed the trim pieces a bit to suit my style. The hardest part was getting the drawer slides lined up. The finish is Rustoleum Heirloom White with a coffee colored glaze. The picture makes one drawer look darker, but it's really just a shadow. I'm in love with this project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Heirloom White with a coffee colored glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Stinctly Made Crib

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 10:15

While I found the plans a little difficult to follow as there were steps left out, missing measurements, and misinformation, it was an easy project and I'm so glad I made it. Even at 21 weeks pregnant it was totally doable alone. The only thing I needed my husband for was to hold the side rails at the correct height.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Kona by Varathane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Stacking cube

Submitted by Joleene24 on Thu, 05/24/2012 - 13:41

Hi all,
This is my second project I have build from plans I have found here. I'm a novice at woodworking and only get a couple hours on the weekend to work on projects. So it takes a while to finish one. My daughter loves her new toy shelf. The hardest part for me was to attach the doors straight. I'm sure there is a secret I just haven't figured it out yet.
I primed the whole piece, applied three thin coats of latex paint and sanded with 320 grit sandpaper in between coats. I applied two coats of finish after 48 hours and sanded with 400 grit sandpaper in between.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Loft bed Black with monster high colours.

Submitted by moka58 on Sat, 03/08/2014 - 20:18

My wonderful hubby built this bed in a short amount of time and I did the sanding and staining. We made it for my 6 year old daughter for her 6th birthday surprise. Her reaction… a high pitched scream of excitement.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades. I don't recommend this since it's oil based and it took a long time for the smell to dissipate. Go with a water based product.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Queen size farmhouse bed with storage

Submitted by fdfp84 on Wed, 06/08/2016 - 17:11

I made the bed  from the plans on this site, I made the drawers using a dovetail joint.Took a little longer because of that. 

Estimated Cost
cost was around 350.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wood Hall Tree

Submitted by advanlente on Sat, 03/28/2020 - 11:41

My family was all coming over for Christmas and we were going to have about 30 people at my house. I only had my mudroom hooks but no other place to store people's keys, coats, etc. When I saw these plans they looked quick enough to build in one night (the night before the party lol). So I did! And man did it get use. I wish I would've taken a picture with all the coats and purses and keys on it. 

Built from Plan(s)

Tryde Coffee Table

Submitted by JHughes on Sun, 05/27/2012 - 15:00

Tryde coffee table pattern with added magazine rack. We used pallet wood which was sanded but still retained it's rustic appearance. Dark walnut stain was used to finish!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain with Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Armless Sectional Bench

Submitted by seaweed805 on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 21:14

I built four pieces of the sectional (1 corner, 3 reg) It took me a long weekend, I would come and go so actual hours are hard to estimate. For the stain I used steel wool and vinegar, followed up by strong black tea. Teak oil was used for the sealer. The second photo is a picture of one stained chair approx 30 mins after stain applied, the other one has no stain yet. The pillows I sewed myself, outdoor fabric is from Jo-anns (use the coupons!) and inserts are from ikea. The only large investment were the cushions! Pine Wood - FREE. My dad works for a lumber company. Outdoor fabric - Between $6 and $10 a yard Pillows - $3 for small, $6 for large Cushions - $29 each **my picture wont display correctly even though uploaded correctly!!!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wool and vinegar, followed by strong black tea. Finished with teak oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Salsa Console

Submitted by paineda on Mon, 06/13/2016 - 08:59

There is 1x10 on the shopping list! This was the first cut to make and I realized no where does it say to grab a 1x10 board.  Other than that, the plans were great.  Definitely made some mistakes along the way but overall I am very pleased.  Thanks for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350-400.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Painted two colors, brown then blue. Sanded to give it antique look and finished with polycrilic.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Joss' Big Boy Bed

My building write-up goes with the post for the plans. The only thing I need to add here is the change I made on the toddler rail. The first one I did wasn't quite long enough for my little guy. He's quite the squirmmy bug at night, so he kept slipping off the bed with the shorter one. He never just really fell hard, but it was enough to wake him up a few times, so I added a little more length to the rail and it seems to be working much better. I'm excited to see how this bed will evolve :) Hoping to make a few additions to it a little further down the road!

Estimated Cost
$450
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Distressed a few shades of blues and greens of interior flat paints. Wiped on a light coat of a satin poly for the top coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

A Little Longer

I followed plan but added 20 extra inches and an extra woven insert plus an extra brace in center of seat.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Roughly $60
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Coloured wood stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Office Desk

This was my first project. I followed the plans exactly! I LOVE it! It is a perfect desk that I will be using to work through this remote teaching I'm having to do. Thank you for the plans. Next up-Rustic X Console!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Wood Conditioner, Stain, Polyurethane Top Coat
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Headboard out of a door

I made this headboard last year. I got tired of my 5 year old shutting the door on my 2 year old, it was a large heavy old wooden door, so I took it off the hinges and had it sitting there staring at me forever. So I decided to make a headboard out of it. It was simple, just using the basics of the farmhouse bed around it. I love it :D

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
A can of mistinted semigloss paint from walmart
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Entry Way Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 12:15

Entry Way Table. Although not made from one of your plans I wanted to share it as is the biggest thing I have made so far from my own design.

Estimated Cost
$210
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony (2 coats) and Minwax Poly Satin Finish (2 coats).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Build Michaela's Kitchen Island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/21/2016 - 20:08

Used ana's plan as more so a guidance. The top is made out of 3/4inch hard maple planks glued/clamped together. The harder part was then planing the top down to ensure the top was relatively flat. All the other wood was pine.

 

The slats were stained golden oak and incurred 1 coat of polyurathane. Really love this piece. 

Estimated Cost
The maple planks costed a bit. Total was probably $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

My version of the outdoor chair

Submitted by jharrisjr on Mon, 04/20/2020 - 00:12

I saw the plan and thought I would give it a shot. My wife loved the plan, but wanted something with a higher back. I used the bases of the plan as is, but I adjusted by adding some higher pieces at the back. They are attached at the seat flat and the back rail. It worked out pretty well. I still need to sand and stain.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner