Community Brag Posts

Hello everyone! I built the Logan entertainment center for our apartment and it is amazing! I used Ana's plans with a few modifications. This was the first projected I finished and while it's not perfect, I love it and I learned a lot in the process. Because I was learning to build as I went, it might have taken me longer than someone who has more experience. I built this project over several months and it took a long time, but it was totally worth it. Check out more details about my experience over at my blog. 

Here's a round top side table I built.  The top is made from reclaimed red oak barn wood, sourced from a barn right here in Charlotte, NC.  The base is made from standard 2x6s and trim.

More pictures and information is available on my site at http://famousartisan.com/reclaimed-red-oak-barn-wood-side-table/

My first woodworking project. Found the instructions very easy to follow. Took me a couple weeks because I only had a few minutes to work on it at a time. Biggest issue was I happened to have picked up a few warped boards.

We needed a twin XL for our 17 year old grandson. This platform bed was perfect. It didn't take much to change the plans for the XL since it's the same length as a queen bed. We added the center support simply for added strength and changed the legs to make them longer so I can put wheeled drawers underneath the bed for added storage.

We needed a smaller breakfast area table and I found this mid century Drexel oval table top resting in my garage.  Variations include - used 1x4 select pine instead of 2x4's for a tighter more finished fit.  Used 5x7 pre-made shelf brackets for supports.  Nice elegant trim pieces and saved much time rather than shaping 2x8's.

Very happy with with the results.  Thanks Ana for the plans. 

hand built and designed by my self

Farmhouse Table Plans. 8ft long, Antique Walnut Stain. Absolutely adore!

My wonderful husband helped me with this project. This was our first project from Ana White plans. This took us longer than we anticipated but I think it was due to the finish and dry time of each layer. We plan on making a second one to give us a set. I added a decorative knob on the back piece to hang a towel from or bag. This was so much fun, a huge money saver and now a one of a kind piece. Thank Ana your site is amazing.

This bed took me just about 2 weeks as I only worked on it roughly 2 hours a day. I had to convert the plans to work with platforms because we needed a platform bed. I used whatever wood was around the garage to make the platforms so they are a mix of different woods and sizes. I originally was going to have the platforms detach but I wanted the bed to come apart in as few pieces as possible, so I made the platforms part of the main box. So there are only 3 main pieces. Although I do have 2 pieces of wood for support under the bed, beneath the center beam. I also used bolts instead of screws so I could take it apart more easily. I did end up putting the arch in using my handheld jigsaw.

We love the bed and think it turned out great! Love this website!!

Farmhouse Media Center

I built the library book cart to organize all my toddler and preschooler's books. What we were using just wasn't cutting it; the books end up being scattered everywhere. I love the idea of a pretend library cart (I used to work in one...), and the kids can feel like they have the library in their room! They're playing "library" as I type!

This was an easy build. I used 1 1/4" screws for the 2-in castor wheels for 3 out of 4 screws per castor where I had enough depth. I also used wood glue. For the 4th screw per castor, I used 1/2" screws. This was mainly due to being all I had on hand...not sure if it was correct. We'll see if the wheels hold up with the weight of all the books! Other than those changes, I followed Ana's plans.

Oh, and I managed to create handles without really knowing what I was doing! They turned out OK. I tried two different methods for each handle, but basically used a drill, chisel, and jigsaw and then sanded, sanded, sanded after I made the cut. I think I can do better next time!

When I saw this bed plan, I knew it was a must have for my 4-yr old daughter. It was a fairly easy build as long as you have the right tools (ie Kreg Jig). Due to the size of the finished product, I built the 5 sides out in the garage, put one coat of paint on everything, and then carried them into the bedroom for assembly. I then put on a second coat of paint. Needless to say painting this bed was tedious, and if I had to do things over, I would consider a power sprayer and at least priming the entire thing before final assembly. I went with the toy boxes in the steps per Ana's plan and it is perfect for all of my daughter's "babies". We found some wall stickers at Target that fit our theme perfectly and added them to the bed. She loves it!! Thanks Ana for the plans!

I've been thinking about this one for a while, and finally built up the courage to do it.  Ana had lots of good plans and I learned so much from her other table plans, but the brag post: http://ana-white.com/2012/03/simple-square-cedar-outdoor-dining-table is the one that ultimately pushed me over the edge to start.  I spent a ton of time researching wood types, Minwax types, Kreg Jig settings, etc.  Finally pulled the trigger and got started.  It took me several weeks start to finish, but it was usually only a few hours at a time at night after everyone had gone to bed.  The most labor-intensive part was triple-coating all of the redwood.  Coat, dry, flip, coat, dry, sand, repeat.  Took a loooong time but the finish is absolutely gorgeous.  The photos don't really show how deep red the wood really is.  Actually assembling the table didn't take that long.  Big thanks to Finns-Dad (user) for the inspiration and good photos - it was relatively easy to build my own plans in Illustrator from those.  Now to make some matching benches...

I have wanted an outdoor sectional for our Atrium for a really long time, but I didn't want to spend the thousands on it that Pottery Barn/West Elm Charged. I built the entire sofa for $220, which is less than the cost of one armless piece from west Elm. (To get the pieces that I built from West Elm it would have cost $1116 which includes the extra delivery charge, but not tax or shipping.) I also sewed my own cushions to save a little extra dough (even though I'm a TERRIBLE sewer) for aprox $29 a cushion. (Their cushions are $59 a piece!) I also used leftover stain and poly that we had from some window trim we had freshened up a few weeks prior. So, total, I saved myself about $1000!

I mention that this project is probably a week long project, but that is only because there are so many pieces. In reality, I probably made one part of the sectional per day, including all of the sanding, staining, and poly.

I'm so proud to have such a beautiful piece to lounge around on and entertain this summer while still keeping a budget!

My dream project...took me a lot longer than anticipated. But a very sturdy bed when finished. I only have the matress and not a box spring, so i raised the support for mattress almost to the top of the sideboards.  The large posts gave me problems at first because i was unsure if ''special 3x3'' meant actual 3x3 or 2.5x2.5 so i ended up having to send them through table saw twice.