Community Brag Posts

simple stool

Submitted by vic b on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 19:27

I shortened the legs to 20 inches and left the lower rung off.
It lives in the playroom and is just the right height for our sons desk.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Media and Storage unit

Submitted by jpurp on Sun, 10/11/2015 - 18:47

I followed the basic plans but adapted it to fit in my cabin.  The whole unit is 82" high by 126" wide.  I also put in more drawers and made the fronts in a shaker style. I used 2x4's that I ripped down to 2x2's and 3/4 inch birch plywood.  I trimmed out the birch with 1" pine boards. I sanded the whole unit, primed with an oil primer and painted 2 coats of latex from General Paint in Grayling.   I don't know how many hours I put into it.  A lot.  Probably around 80.  Mostly by myself.  My husband helped with getting the 4x8 sheets of plywood through the table saw and occaisonally when I needed a 3rd hand to pursuade some wood to do my bidding.  I love how it turned out.  Tons of much needed storage in my cabin.

Estimated Cost
Wood, screws, sandpaper, primer and paint. Approximately $600. I'm in BC Canada. Most things cost more.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Oil primer and latex paint from General Paint. Colour Grayling.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modified Wide Cabin Dresser

Submitted by bcarter_1 on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 04:32

We modified these plans to make this, liked the sides.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Finally Built a Platform Bed!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/25/2022 - 10:39

I've been wanting to build this bed for awhile and finally got around to it. I made a few small changes to the plans:

-I used 2x8's instead of 2x6s, so it wouldn't be so low to the ground.
-I ripped 3/8" off of the 2x8 supports in the middle so the mattress would nest inside the frame and not slide around
-I didn't add the headboard because it seemed a bit chunky/rustic for my taste. I will come back and do something else for the headboard. Maybe a cool paneled wall with built in sconces? We'll see!

Love these plans though, appreciate it!

Comments

Red Coat Tree

Submitted by StacieM on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 19:35

So I finally painted my coat tree this weekend (in the 105+ degree heat). I love it. It's far from perfect but it was only my second project and was a great learning project and serves great for towels, coats, hats, dog leashes, etc. Sorry about the poor photo.

Overall the project took much longer than it should have since I was cutting everything with a crooked cutting circular saw so getting the angles right took a long time. (I have learned that a power miter saw is worth every penny!)

I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the great plans Ana!

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of spray primer, two coats of Krylon Pimento spray paint (Satin finish).
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Casual 2x4 (sort of) Desk

Submitted by Sox on Thu, 08/29/2013 - 03:30

I had to a quick conversion from the original plans as we get metric wood sizes so decided to use the following:-
Desk frame: 44 x 94
Desk frame front: 44 x 69
Desk Top: 32 x 144
I drew up new plans to fit my 1500mm space I needed the desk to fill, with the new wood sizes.
The purchase of the Kreg Jig was my best investment as it made construction so easy.
I finished the desk off in Antique Oak after wanting to add a little Antique White to it, but got scared that I would mess it up!
Total cost for wood and finishing materials was R1,500.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Nova 18 - Novadye (Antique Oak)
Woodoc 10 Indoor Polywax Sealer (Velvet)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Sox

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 08:39

Many thanks for the compliment. The design is based on the casual 2x4 desk on this site, however I made adjustments and redrew them due to the standard timber size I could get hold of and also a bit of personal preference. I have the plans in electronic format should you wish to have a copy.

Easy night stand!

Submitted by Medickep on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 08:33

I made this fast and easy table, I was using as a small night stand in a small bunk room at my work for a coworker.  I used scraps that I had and had him choose a paint I had on hand! Covered the top with polyacrylic to add some protection!

Estimated Cost
Free, since I used stuff on hand, otherwise 40-50???
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used two coats of an old based primer and than two coats of paint, which was Renaissance Alkyd paint. 3-5 coats of polyacrylic on the top surface.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fancy Farmhouse Bed to attach to existing frame

Submitted by Kboshers on Wed, 11/07/2018 - 10:00

This was a fun and quick build!  Because I had an existing bed frame (and didn't want to headboard to stick out past the mattresses) I narrowed this by eliminating (1) tongue and groove board and changing the "legs" to 2 x 6 boards instead of the 2 x 4's in the plan -- overall width ended up at 76-1/2".  Before framing out the tongue and groove, I cut the exposed tongue off of the last board so the frame would attach better. After getting it all together, I wished I had used a 1 x 4 (or perhaps even a 2x4) as the very top piece so it hung over the moulding more.  I painted it with Old-Fashioned Milk Paint in Tavern Green and sealed that with Howard's Citrus Shield.  The wax turned it a little too John Deere green so I'm thinking I'll go back with a Burnt Umber Wax to darken the color a little.  Overall this was a great project that got me back in Dad's wood shop and refueled my love of building things.  I'm searching out my next project now.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Boards were just about $40 but mouldings almost doubled that price to just around $75 total (I had all the needed fasteners). There were much cheaper moulding available in narrower widths, but I wanted them to be more substantial.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Milk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic barn style door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/05/2022 - 03:59

Using cedar fence slats, my son and I built this barn style hanging door for a space between two rooms in his partially finished basement. We planed each fence slat to achieve a smoother surface and to join the boards together. We finished it with a liberal amount of butcher block oil and beeswax to keep the wood from drying too quickly. We think it turned out beautifully!!

Comments

Playhouse loft bed

Submitted by redbic on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 16:24

This is my very first project! I had so much fun building this for my son. His room wouldn't fit the stairs so I modified the ladder so that it was inclined to make it a bit easier to climb and less scary for him. This was such a fun project to take on. Thanks Ana for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Connie

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 03:13

Love it! My granddaughter wants one for Christmas and I can only hope it turns out half as well as yours! Great job!

jlbbrandt (not verified)

Sun, 12/11/2011 - 12:35

Hi. my husband is just about finished building this bed, and now it's time for me to paint it. Just wondering how you painted it for a nice finish. Did you use rollers or brushes? And tips on technique?
Thanks!

Cozy outdoor seating at last!

This project seemed to take forever, but it was so worth it! We finally have a great cozy outdoor space to gather around the fire pit comfortably. Thanks so much for the plans Ana!
I should mention I used 2x3's instead of 2x2's for all legs because pressure treated 2x2's here are only 1 1/4"??

Estimated Cost
$175 lumber & $225 cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr premium weatherproofing stain in Padre Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Reclaimed beauty

Submitted by mkrgolf on Thu, 10/22/2015 - 20:38

All wood used was reclaimed. Some tabletop pieces were warped, but added character to the table. Took about four 6-hour days with interruptions in between. I bought the stain from the Habitat store for $1.50 and the poly was left at the house we recently moved into. The stain was brushed on then rubbed in with a rag. I originally used about six coats of oil-based poly and when that didn't seem to work, I applied 2 coats of Polycrylic.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Colonial maple stain with water-based satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy sliding console

Submitted by Brad Wills on Mon, 11/19/2018 - 14:51

Finally took the time to use a lot if my scrap pile.  This one is a bit of a beast to manhandle around the shop, but well worth the finished project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar dark walnut stain. Under Behr Flat white paint. Distressed then cleared with valspar poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Pretty Pony Shelves

Submitted by angiemicn on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 23:45

My daughter had all of her collection of Pretty Pony's in boxes, and like mother, like daughter, she likes working with her hands. She restrings their hair, paints new designs on their bottoms, etc. She loved the look of the 25 cubbies, just wanted them bigger across to accomadate her ponies.
These shelves are customized just for her toys, I used 1x4 instead of 1x6 because I don't want her bumping her head, when she gets out of bed....I didn't need that much width.
My daughter drew the Scalloped edge on freehand, and I cut it out.
Love this project.

Estimated Cost
10, most of my wood was from scrap
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats of China Red (minwax) sanded, vacced, and 2 coats of Satin Polyacrylic (minwax) all waterbased.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Kids table and chairs

This is a table and chair set I made for my 3 year old son and he loves it! I changed a couple of things. One of the things was with the table top, instead of making it rectangular I did mine square. The second thing was instead of doing the three pieces of wood I used a single 3/4" 2'x2' piece of birch plywood I found at Lowes. With the chairs I also did solid piece seats instead of the slats and I decided to do the legs with 2"x2" wood instead of 1"x2" and I found those modified plans here http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/12/t-is-for-table.html?m=1

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
For the table I used Minwax stain in Early American then sealed it with Minwax Polycrylic in a semi gloss finish. Then for the chairs I just used red paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Tue, 09/03/2013 - 08:44

I really like the modifications you made. These look like the chairs I remember from my kindergarten days. I have the table and chairs in my "to do" list. Now I know what to do to make them look more like the kid-sized chairs I like the most.

clubhouse loft

Submitted by oterojaime on Mon, 10/26/2015 - 05:26

This is just a loft I made for my kids. I didn't want to spend over $1500 at PBK for a twin bed size bunk bed. the size is 4x8 enough for them to have fun.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse table with pocket holes

I followed the plans with the exception of cutting off ~19" in length to get the table down to 5.5' in order to better fit my space.

Unfortunately several of the 2 1/2" pocket screws did pierce the top - nothing too terrible or noticeable, but disappointing.  My wife says it just adds to the rustic feel, so that works.

One thing I did that I notice other people not doing: I ripped off ~1/4" from the edge of all boards for the table top.  This gets rid of the "crumb catcher" spaces between the planks which come rounded.  By ripping off the rounded edge, the boards will fit more flush and you won't have such an issue with crumbs getting in between the boards.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Classic Gray Stain (set for 15 minutes), applied with sponge brush AFTER using Minwax Wood Conditioner, and Minwax Wipe-on Clear Satin Poly (2 coats), applied with clean cloth
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My bag dispenser, made from scrap pieces of maple and pine

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/26/2022 - 13:13

I went looking at plans for a bag dispenser, and I found Ana White's. Nice, simple design! The top, front, and bottom are made from a recycled maple table top. The sides are made from 1 x 3 boards that I glued up. Works exactly as I hoped!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Shaker Peg Board

Submitted by rhilborn on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 12:15

This was a fun easy & free project! I had a number of 1x4's left over from building the Classic Bunkbed and we paired that with some old knobs I saved. These 3 peg boards have made a great addition to the foyer of our house. We use them to keep purses, bags, dog leashes, and hats handy and still organized. I am tempted to put up a few more peg boards in our hall now!

This probably took 30 minutes total from inception to installation.

Estimated Cost
Free!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Wipe on Polyuerthane and minimal sanding. I basically sanded off any thing that could give someone a splinter and polyurethaned just enough to protect the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Coffee table with a massive drawer!!

Submitted by Bunnie1978 on Wed, 09/04/2013 - 19:39

This was my second coffee table. Anticipating that the hardest part would of course be the drawer, I actually started with the drawer and built the rest of the table around that! Made a big difference too. It was much easier.

I took my time with this project with things that I had rushed through before, sanding parts before assembly, dry fitting with lots of clamps at each step, and I took extra care on cutting pieces square.

Since I was able to get the drawer done so much easier this time, the hardest part was the top. I hate how the ends turn up slightly... does anyone know how to stop that from happening?

I spent about a week and a half on this table, working on it for a few hours a day while my son was in school.

I am SO SO SO happy with how it turned out. The drawer was really tight in the shop (no air conditioning) but when I got it home, it has loosened up a bit, and its still just a little sticky, but not bad at all. I just love this finish. It's by far my favorite finish of any that I have tried.

I am trying to sell this coffee table, and my next project is going to be a console that coordinates, but will have the base part painted and the panel top stained. I really need a good job in the near future so I don't have to keep selling these things that I build and fall in love with!!

** On a side note, this coffee table got me a marriage proposal from a near stranger. Who would have thought that making sawdust would be so attractive to guys? LOL.

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
First stain with Minwax Golden Pecan, then rub edges and massage into a gradient with Minwax Red Oak. Two coats of semi-gloss poly. Last coat on top is applied VERY HEAVY. Sanding with 600 grit by hand in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

brookifer86

Wed, 09/04/2013 - 20:47

You can get silicone in a spray can and it will keep the drawer sliding slick and not catch. I had to use it on my apothecary console table. I believe beeswax or candle wax can also help if you'd like a more natural solution. Great table!

Bunnie1978

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 20:44

actually since I have it home and it's so much cooler, it doesn't stick at all anymore. It is completely perfect. It took a couple days for the wood to adjust, but I'm so happy because there are NO "obviously handmade" flaws. You know what I mean?

Doll pram in baby's room

Submitted by whitebrow on Thu, 10/29/2015 - 11:22

This is a fun a straight-forward project.  I built it for our littlest one's first birthday as both a doll stroller and a walk-behind push toy.  I used select pine for the stroller, a 1" oak dowel for the handle and some pre-made wheels / rounds.  Wheels were from Michaels (I think) and the rest was from Lowes.

I want to find a way to better secure the wheels, but the plans' method works pretty well.  The axle caps can sometimes fall off so I just check them for tightness every so often.

Best of all, Greta approves.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
painted wheels, whitewashed body
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner