Community Brag Posts

Mudroom Bench and hutch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/13/2020 - 17:41

I really liked the mudroom bench, so we created our own version. Thank you!

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

reclaimed wood headboard

This was our first project.. it was a good one to start off with because it was pretty easy. Our bed is king size. Our boards weren't perfectly flat so we had to screw a few braces in the back with some scrap wood we had left over.

Estimated Cost
maybe $130.. i can't remember exactly
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax dark walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Platform Sectional

The only real change I made to Ana's plan was switching out the 2x6 board for 1x6. I still used 2x6 boards for my base, but went with the 1x6 for my decking boards, and top backing boards. My reasoning for this was to reduce weight. Other than that I increased the size of the base by adding another 2x6 on top (basically doubling up the base height). This made the sectional the perfect height, in my opinion. The plan Ana offered was pretty straight forward, and I love the size of the sectional itself. Very happy with how it turned out.
Cost Breakdown:
Lumber : $200
Screws: $20 (I used anti rust deck screws)
Stain: $35 (I used a semi-solid stain in a drift wood grey)
Cushions: approx $500 (when I started this project I had no idea cushions were so expensive)

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pursuit of Handyness

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 09:35

Looks Great. Don't you love how Ana's plans are so customizable. I'd like to build something similar but I'm aware that cushions are pricey. Where did you find yours? What do you think of the quality?

White King Size Storage Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/18/2016 - 06:04

Took be about 2.5 weeks to build this bed, working evenings and a couple full days on the weekend. I HIGHLY recommend getting a Kreg Jig. It made life so much easier.

To go from a queen to a king, simply add 16" to all of the width pieces. All of the length pieces will be the same for a queen and king.

 

I added one 2x2 support beam down the middle of the bed, with two 16 3/4 inch legs attached to it, for added support.  I screwed the slats into all 3 of the 2x2 support beams.

The drawers are the trickiest part. Make sure you follow the plan in order, waiting to install the drawers until after you have screwed the storage bins to the headboard and footboard.

 

 

Estimated Cost
$400 for everything (wood, paint, screws, drawer slides, etc.)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white Olympic One semi-gloss paint
Miniwax polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse End Table

Take a deep breath in... then out. Relax as the warm water soothes your muscles. Then look at this freaking amazing end table I made! And this was only my third project ever! Great plans and easy to make.

***Only necessary change to plans was for the decorative Xs. The 2x2s must for the decorative Xs on the small version of the end table must be AT LEAST 25" not 22" as the plans call for. The 22" 2x2 did not reach diagonally (especially when making miter cuts).

I used pre-conditioner on the pine/douglas fir wood before applying the stain.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30-$40 including wood, screws, pre-conditioner, and stain
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
- Zar brand Grey Cashmere
- Minwax pre-conditioner
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by kristine on Mon, 09/17/2012 - 12:35

This was the hubby's second project off this site. Our dining room has been empty for the past 6 months that we moved in to our first home, so it was only appropriate for him to build something for this very empty space.

We did end up modifying the plans a bit... making it smaller (instead of 8 ft, it's 6ft) since we didn't need a huge table with just the 2 of us and the pups living in our home.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Table Top - Varthane Stain + Poly in Early American
Table Base - Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Countrey Grey and Old White plus Dark Wax for the antiquing
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rusty Cottage

Tue, 09/18/2012 - 05:32

how many cans of chaulk paint did you need? The one picture has about 11 cans! I haven't finished my two projects that I have constructed....how much paint and stain does everyone use???

The finish is amazing!

kristine

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 12:38

oh sorry! didn't realize that there was a comment here. it took less than 1 can of chalk paint. i don't even think i used up half the can of chalk paint for this. the can may be small, but you get a lot of use out of it. i just had a bunch of chalk paint laying around because i was trying to figure out what color to use and i was also using them for other projects. as for the wax, this project didn't take use up too much wax either. i'm still on the same clear and dark wax cans that i first bought and i've used them on at least 5 other projects. so you really get a lot of use out of them!

winwinglades

Fri, 04/26/2013 - 14:13

Your table looks great! Question: as you made your table 2ft shorter, I understand that the diagonal pieces also need to be shortened. What are there final measurements? I'm trying to do the same, but am a newbie!
Thanks for your help!

winwinglades

Fri, 04/26/2013 - 14:07

Your table looks great! Question: as you made your table 2ft shorter, I understand that the diagonal pieces also need to be shortened. What are there final measurements? I'm trying to do the same, but am a newbie!
Thanks for your help!

Kmccoi

Wed, 06/25/2014 - 21:27

Hi! Did you use some of old white and mainly grey? Wondering paint ratio on Annie Sloan paint. Thanks!!!

Weatherly sectional

Submitted by JoseO1998 on Tue, 07/15/2014 - 02:18

First I built the 3 weatherly style sectional, then I added the two-seat bench with table in between to square off a seating area in our yard... Family and friends loved them for 4th of July and I really appreciate the plans!!! Thx Ana White ;)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Outdoor white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

MarieCorbin

Mon, 05/11/2015 - 05:45

I love how you did the arms on your version. I was thinking of building this set, but wanted more traditional arms you could actually rest you arm on or set a cup on. Your finished product looks awesome!

Adirondack Charis

Submitted by djp33d on Fri, 10/21/2016 - 14:54

Connected Adirondack Chairs from Spring of 2015

Estimated Cost
Used reclaimed pallets and two boxes of screws. So really only cost were the screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

2x4 outdoor couch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/18/2020 - 18:46

I used cedar and added the extra boards so the cushions would stay put. We also made the arms 2x6 boards so we wouldn’t need end tables for the couch. The plans were super easy to follow. I mostly used pocket holes so the screws wouldn’t be visible. Love how it came out! Thank you for the plans, Ana!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Nothing yet. Deciding on whether to let it grey on its own
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Tidy Up End Table

Submitted by ethidda on Wed, 09/19/2012 - 11:41

A simple Tidy Up end table. It was super easy to make, and fit between my desk and the day bed perfectly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
"Danish Oil" without any stain, two coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Walkin Closet for my Wife

Submitted by Indy69 on Mon, 10/24/2016 - 09:52

I built this closet system based on the plans here.  So easy and so basic, just putting them all together to make a very nice looking closet setup.  I used 12 sheets of birch plywood, and premium select 1x2 pine.  All stained in Minwax Jacobean and satin clear througout with semi-gloss clear on the drawer fronts.

For the rods, I used chainlink top bars, which cost $6 for a 10' piece, and used #0000 steel wool to buff them out and then polished them.  For the 45 degree corners, I used 1" electrical conduit, and placed two 45 degree bend in each piece, and again steel wool and polished them as well. 

For the drawers, I used soft-close slides.  When using these, I highly recommend installing the rear brackets as well, as they make installation so much easier.  16 pairs of soft-close drawer slides with brackets cost $120 for all of them on Amazon.

 

   

 

Estimated Cost
Under $1,000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean in satin and semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Fancy Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by Varonec on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 06:40

Made this for the mud room. Been wanting a place to sit while we put our shoes on and take them off. This was a mod on the 63" version of the Fancy Farmhouse bench. I saw a mod similar to this but even more reinforced supports. I used Pocket holes for this first time with the project. from a distance you can't see the covered up screws on the top. I dunno if this was the best way but I wanted a solid connection for the bench and it's legs. instead of a bottom support beam I went with 20" diagonal 2x4's so we could put our shoes underneath the bench.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Ebony Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My 17 year old stole my project!

Submitted by Bonnaroo on Sun, 09/23/2012 - 13:23

This project started off as a way for me to get some much needed "me" time and create a sense of accomplishment. However, after purchasing the wood & cutting it into lengths, my "Lego Maniac" 17 year old son decided he wanted to take over! He begged me to let him assemble the units. Since he single-handedly assembled our IKEA kitchen remodel, I decided to let him have his way.

We spent one day painting the cut pieces. I think it looks nicer having them painted first and patching up holes, rather than deal with drips and such with the numerous spaces and sections. We had a wonderful time chatting the whole day and painting. O.K., this is just as good for the soul as "me" time.

That evening, after the paint had dried, we couldn't help ourselves...we NEEDED to assemble one section. So we started with the corner unit. And after one major "re-do", we had it figured out. My son, Jacob, ran with it from there and he and his cousin finished it, wood patched, sanded, and re-painted.

All told, it took him (us) about 3 days to complete. We found the cushions at Lowe's and the entire project cost us about $500.00! HUGE savings and some serious mother-son time!

Sense of accomplishment doubled!

Estimated Cost
$500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
flat paint in Robin's Egg Blue
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modified loft beds

Submitted by Sb1212 on Wed, 10/26/2016 - 21:53

I built these beds for my son and daughter. They picked out their paint color and fabric for the curtains. I apologize for the picture being side ways. It uploaded up that way for some reason. 

Estimated Cost
$180
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Truss end table

Submitted by carolq on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 22:49

This 2 X 4 truss end table is a fun build. I'm going to make a pair and finish them with a farmhouse finish to use as night tables at the cottage!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
pickled finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wood Chaise Lounge Chairs

Submitted by TexCin on Tue, 09/25/2012 - 14:31

We built two of these wood chaise lounge chairs from Ana's plans. We wanted to make sure they could endure the Texas weather so we sanded, primed and painted them. We used wood we had left over from other projects so our costs were limited to screws and chair pads....about $125 (chair pads are expensive).

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used primer and paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

First Project - the work bench

Submitted by twinlife on Tue, 07/22/2014 - 00:44

I've been a long time creeper, pinner, favoriter of this site. I finally got a garage sufficient to build. Of course, the first project had to be an actual work bench for the many projects to come.

33" was a bit short for my tastes so I adjusted the leg height to 40". Also half way through my project I realized that my 2x4's were not true 2x4's. This became problematic with the four support beams for the top board. I was able to cut some proper length boards from some backup/emergency lumber. I still plan on figuring out what I want to do with the stain but that was all time allotted for!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Still deciding
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Great plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/30/2016 - 17:31

These plans are easy to build. Built it in about a day. It was around $100 plus paint. 

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Play Fences

My first ever building project! I learned a few important lessons: it's really hard to make a straight cut with a jig saw, and you have to use large hinges (the tiny hinges I put on there first ripped right out). It was a great learning experience, the fences really were easy to build, and my two-year-old LOVES them! Now I'm ready for my next project. :)

Estimated Cost
$10 for the wood, I had to get some other supplies too!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Rusty Cottage

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 04:44

Use a carpenter's square (shown in the "getting started" section to draw a straight line where you will cut. Now for the secret to straight cuts... line up the blade of you jig saw with the cut line and then slide the carpenter square up to the jig saw base and hold it firm so it acts as a straight edge and make your cut.