Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by ekgade on Tue, 07/22/2014 - 09:08

This was my first project and couldn't be more pleased. Took about 20 hrs, and $120 including new materials (brushes, etc.) with borrowed tools. I filled cracks on top of table with wood putty and stained with Mission Oak; looks great, but make sure to dry wood putty with heater or hair dryer to avoid cracks if you go this route. Thanks Ana for the plans!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mission Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Joshman010 on Sun, 10/30/2016 - 18:36

First piece of furinture I've tried to build, went surprisingly smooth. Raw table only took 5 hours to construct; an hour or two to sand; and then the waiting game after two coats of stain and 4 coats of poly. Used southern yellow pine for the top, dark walnut stain, and spar pro series semi-gloss poly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut and Minwax Spar Pro Semi-Gloss Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Karl B

Tue, 11/22/2016 - 05:18

How did you attach the top to the base?

There is only 1 support board.

Joshman010

Mon, 01/16/2017 - 19:16

I used the pocket hole jig to drill pocket hold along the center support that runs parallel to the top boards and also drilled pocket holes on the top supports of the legs that run perpendicular to the top boards. Alternating pocket holes on both inside and outside faces of the top support boards gives it some added strength.

btw, sorry for such a delayed response. 

rustic x desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 12:28

I liked this project and the desk turned out very well. I am substituting 5/4 lumber for 2/6 as they make a really nice top.

Outdoor Wood Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2024 - 09:42

Great project plan, thanks Ana. Followed Ana's plans the only thing I did different was to coutersink and plug all visible screws.

Chair seats are cedar with a few coats of semigloss total boat varnish on the cedar. This enhanced the visibility of the cedars wood grain. I like the way the flat and gloss work together.

I bought covers on Amazon to help protect them from the sun a rain.

John Harrison - Michigan

Seasonal And Holiday

Olivia's Doll Crib and High Chair sets

Submitted by Linda7 on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 16:15

I have three granddaughters and four great-nieces. I was able to find vintage 50's baby doll cribs for the older two, but not for my youngest granddaughter. I was so excited when I found Ana's doll crib, realizing that I could make the beds and high chair sets for all of the girls. I wanted to use water-slip decals to make the beds look vintage like the older g'daughters', and I found this great website: www.decalcottage.com. I wanted each set to be slightly different, so for the first two sets for sisters, I followed Ana's plans exactly for one, and using the idea from another brag post, used just a rectangle for the ends.The high chair backs are also slightly different. I have since made two more sets which I'll post later, but they all have vintage lambs on the beds and high chairs. It has been so much fun!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $20 per set for the lumber. I already had the paint and pocket hole screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I first primed with one coat of Kilz, then used Olympic brand white gloss spray paint and the clear spray finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Entertaintment Center

Swiss coffee Entertainment Center... Distressed. All Trim work made by me.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Swiss Coffee , Dark Walnut Stain, polycrylic sprayed with air gun
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Breakfast Bar inspired makeup vanity

I built this makeup vanity to fit a 40" wall. I was inspired by the design of the DIY breakfast bar. The hutch sits on the top and has plenty of storage. The front drawer fronts are hinged at the bottom, this storage space holds a hairdryer and iron or makeup with a cord pass through at the back. The stain is a mixture of three colours.

Estimated Cost
300$ approx.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

whancock

Sat, 11/05/2016 - 07:47

Can you link to the plans you based your inspiration off of? I can't seem to find it on the site. Thank you!

Beginner Farm Table and benches

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/25/2020 - 21:02

We built a larger version of the farmhouse table. It’s always been a dream to have a massive table for family dinners. I loved the look of the table and have wanted to attempt it for a couple of years. I finally got the courage up. We kept the legs the same size and just used 10 ft 2x6 and stretchers. It’s extremely solid and heavy! We are exhausted, it took all day! But we are so proud of ourselves. It’s definitely not perfect but it was our first and we love it!

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered burn effect stain For the legs and runners and an antique white for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse bed with Cathedral Window quilt

Submitted by calara on Thu, 10/04/2012 - 12:07

Farmhouse bed with 2 inch foam mattress and fitted sheet set with cathedral window quilt (blocks made half size)

Estimated Cost
free
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

My dogs new home!

Submitted by spustay74 on Mon, 07/28/2014 - 06:17

Built this project for Mindy, our dog who needed a new crate. We used metal screen for the front door, and probably would use it fo the sides too for the future. Lessoned learned, be more accurate in cutting pieces! I also didnt find the door plans! So i had to wing it!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used semi gloss paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Barn Project

Submitted by Hookster on Mon, 11/07/2016 - 12:10

 Hi Ana & Hubby

 Completed the shelving unit this past summer in my Barn, great plan and really easy to put together,

Thank's for the plan and step by step instructions, Going to build another unit in the barn come spring time here in Upstate New York.  I made mine only eight feet wide by eight feet high givin the space I had 

it's eight feet between 4x4 upright polls. I went with a center 2x4 for added strength to avoid possible sagging from heavy weighted items I will be storing. I left room inderneath as you can see, I store my saw horses and my push mower under it well.  

Warmest Regards

 Steve

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
bare wood
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Live-Edge Cedar Chair

This chair came together beautifully and is really an impressive piece. I managed to finish it in about 8 hours start to finish. I used the "original plans" that are linked in the description in order to avoid pocket holes (which are out of my skill range for now). In step 2, there is an option to place the back support on the inside of the legs instead of the outside for lesser of an incline. I followed this and would strongly recommend it. The chair is sturdy, wide, and comfortable even without a cushion. Thank you for the detailed plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
<$5 - cedar is off-cuts from a mill
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor DIY Wood Furniture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/01/2024 - 12:40

Second pic is a 6ft variation of your bench with a cooler installed in center. The other 3 pics are also from your plans, this is an 8ft bench with coffee table, end table and chair. not sure where I went wrong on the angle for chair but the length was correct however as you can see the back of the arm came up 1" short.

 

John Dunn

Outdoor Bar

I used two of Ana's designs (the Potter's Bench and the Recycle/Garbage tilt out design) to make this outdoor bar. The containers can hold the beverage of your choice (I found metal ones and used ice to keep things cold). It was a big hit at the party and makes serving much easier. Thanks Ana! Keep up the good work.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I stained with Walnut stain. I used cedar for the wood, and a $100 piece of Bluestone for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Indoor Playground

Submitted by Leann on Sat, 11/12/2016 - 08:45

I built this project by myself.  My husband helped move the large pieces when I connected them, so one person really can tackle this project!   I had a combination of scrap wood from new home construction on hand and store bought lumber.  Most of my time was spent sanding, sanding, and more sanding, especially with the construciton grade lumber.  Yes, it was worth it!   I used tongue and groove wood for  upper level flooring and bridge.  It really made it easier to put the floors together.  I connected all the tongue and groove pieces with a snug fit and used my brad nailer to secure it down on the perimeter of the floor.   Therefore, not every peice had to be screwed down.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
All the green paint is chalkboard paint! It seems to be working out quite well. I added inexpensive wood drawer pulls (as hooks to prevent poking an eye out!)) to hang costumes inside. I also cut the ends of the wood at an angle and sanded it to prevent sharp and pointed corners. Spacing around windows and the bridge was intentional to have that rustic look, yet allow for feet and hands to get in there for climbing. I need to add the monkey bars but definitely need help.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Adjustable pipe stools

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/31/2020 - 14:38

White chair was made first mostly based on the original plans, but my pipe flange broke immediately. So I just bolted the top on and then made red chair with a pipe and harbor freight pipe clamp instead of all-thread and nuts. It allows easy instant adjustment and a better fit with the pipe flange.

The reason I made the change is that pipe threading has a tapered angle, so when used with all-thread which is a strait cylinder, it doesn't make proper thread contact. On top of that, the only all thread I could find had a different threads per in (10 vs 14) than standard pipe and cross threaded my flange, causing it to break on the first use.

I used 3/4ths pipe because I was trying to avoid all possible problems from the first try (which used a 1/2 in pipe flange) and this took too much material out of my cross supports for my comfort. So I added 45 deg right triangle scrap to the corners to beef it up. Probs would be much cheaper and still work fine with 1/2 in pipe.

Finally both chairs have much shorter legs than suggested in the plans because I needed regular chair height stools, not bar stools. And they still get high enough to be usable at counter height (but not ideal).

Estimated Cost
35ish
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of random paint, sanded down a bit to look worn.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Horizontal 6 hole cubby

Submitted by angeleyes on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 19:04

I really wanted a built in unit for toy storage for our kids toy room but truth be told couldn't afford what I wanted ie pretty and solid. So while searching on refinishing furniture I came across this site. Thanks a bunch Ana. You've inspired me to create things I didn't think possible, all on a modest budget - diy. This was my first woodworking project. It was actually easy to me because it follows the same principles as sewing in which the depth of the wood is like the seam allowance. I really liked the 6 cubby plan but wanted it horizontal. I had to replan this piece as the plan dimensions changed when I changed the orientation of it. I also added crown moulding (but this was kind of a ledger style that rested ontop of the 1x2 - they use it as a door headers). I initially intended to paint this white but decided that it would have got lost in the white wood panelling. (DH even commented that i was taking way to long on this project but after seeing the finished results said it looked amazing.) So I painted it a grey blue, distressed the edges and then used a stain that I bought from benjamin moore's mis-tint section for $5.00 which says it's a danish walnut based but seems to have a slight purple huge to it. thanks again Ana, its because of you I don't have to stare at a messy toyroom any longer!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125-$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
paint, then stained washed and sealed
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Simple Round Table

Submitted by mtairymd on Sat, 08/02/2014 - 14:15

This project was built with a round top from a broken table and two 2x4’s. The top in this project is 30 inches in diameter. However, the designed can be scaled up or down based on your top diameter and/or desired table height. See drawing and video for build instructions.

Build Instructions:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Round-Table/

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZGR2giAIv8

Drawing:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B21TbB8gGNQbeG96QVdsNGNKZHc/edit?usp=s…

Estimated Cost
$10 since I had the free top
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project
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