Community Brag Posts

Truss Table

I have been wanted to build this table for over a year and finally had the time for it. The plans made the cuts very simple.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Watco Danish Oil - Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/16/2016 - 07:25

I built the sofa and loveseat from 2X4's and used 1X4's for the top of the coffee table. I used standard patio cushions for the sofa and cut the tops off to use at the side for arm rests.

Estimated Cost
$130.00 (I already had the cushions stored)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
latex wood conditioner followed by exterior CIL woodcare exterior stain by home depot
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Hall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/30/2019 - 12:23

Completed this about a week ago. As usual, I went with the "--" instead of the "X", but it still turns out great.

Built from Plan(s)

Indoor Punee/ Daybed

Submitted by hawaiitara on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 20:18

In our living room/sun room we needed a place to lounge as well as a place for guests to sleep. We used the chunky leg bed frame plans with the full size modifications to build 2 of them to make a giant Hawaii style Punee. We were able to build both of these easily in 1 day. We modified the legs and used 4x4's to make them taller and more rustic looking.

Estimated Cost
$200 for both
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
After priming, I spray painted them with Rustoleum 2x coverage in Satin Moss Green.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

theHammerGirl (not verified)

Sat, 05/19/2012 - 14:47

Nice beds! They are very tropical looking - really blends in the outdoor with the indoors.

Junior Size Classic Bunk Bed

We built this in our living room start to finish - we live in an NYC apartment. Because of the small room size we chose to modify the plans to a small mattress - hoping that it will last our boys until they are about 5 and 7 (currently 2 and almost here). This blog post outlines our buy and cut list for the modified size: http://wp.me/p3DCu3-Kd

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$215 (plus $200 for mattresses and bedding)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Our Kitchen Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/18/2016 - 15:25

We wanted to build a new kitchen table for the home we moved into. I had just bought a new table saw and needed a project. We searched through a lot of plans and settled on the Benchmark Octagon Table that Ana White had. My 14 y/o son and I built this over a few nights in our garage and my wife did the finishing. We were thrilled how it turned out. It comfortably seats 8 adults (yes we have had 8 adults at it). My wife and I always sit in the bench that is pictured and we easily eat side by side on one end. It is a great project. I would recommend being very careful attaching the table top support to the base column and also reinforcing the joints of the diagonal upper and lower supports to keep the table top from twisting easily. All in all a fantastic project and people are shocked when I tell them my son and I built it, particularly from off the shelf pine.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Stain and about 5-6 coats of Satin Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kids table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/06/2020 - 00:19

This little table and chairs were so simple to build. My little granddaughter just loved her Christmas present.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Unicorn SPiT, pixie punk pink, zia teal and purple mountain majesty. 2 coats of wipe on polycrylic, and 2 coats of furniture wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Bench

Submitted by mweir on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 18:29

My first real project from your site. This was my first time to use my pocket hole jig. Wow did it work great. The video was great made it very easy to follow the plans

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and polyurethane one step (2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Buffet Changing Table

Submitted by T S on Mon, 01/27/2014 - 09:29

So I altered the Emersen Buffet a little. We needed a changing table and I liked the idea of having the baskets handy for diapers, ect.. I will add the changing pad topper after we get the actual pad.
The door is from a weathered pallet I reclaimed.
I must say this is my first large project of this type. I would have NOT been able to do it without Ana White's site. However, now I feel capable of a lot more.
Thanks so much.
T S

Estimated Cost
Probably less than $80 but even plywood is expensive!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Special Walnut 2 coats, sand lightly, then coat of polyurethane - satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First project ever

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/21/2016 - 18:53

I challenged my husband who is new to any woodworking project to make me this table! That he did!!

Estimated Cost
$250 (benches and table)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum American walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Expanded Dream Dollhouse

Submitted by bellenh on Sun, 01/12/2020 - 17:13

We chose the Dream Dollhouse plan because all four grandchildren could play with it at the same time.  We also wanted to make the dollhouse entirely by hand - including much of the decor.  The original plan was expanded by raising each floor 2 inches (to allow for the repainted Susy oven cabinets); and an attic was added to allow all the third floor walls to be full height.  Interior walls were increased (7, 9 and 12 inches) to accommodate Barbie-sized furniture.  Eliminating the stairs and adding an elevator also increased usable floor space.  The wallpaper was scaled from online wallpaper images or designed to coordinate with the space.  All the bedding, rugs and the living room furniture were made by hand.  Some plastic Barbie or Susy doll furniture was repainted.   All the art and photos are specific to each grandchild.  Both the fireplace and chandelier will light.  The floors are cut from vinyl floor tiles.  The shingles are cut from jumbo craft sticks.   The completed house took 2.5 months with some very long days  as we were on a Christmas deadline!   We intend to make a 2-car garage topped by a deck (and maybe a pool) that can sit next to the house this summer.

Finish Used
white paint with primer for all wood surfaces, sticky vinyl tiles cut into strips for flooring, jumbo craft sticks for shingles, t-tracks (from a workbench system) for the metal elevator slides.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Easy Raised Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/11/2023 - 12:57

This was my first ever Ana White project!!! I’ve never built anything and really needed a planter for my front door. I loved the size of these and how easy they were to put together. The plans are detailed and easy to follow. I plan to build identical ones next spring for my front yard 😍

Anna Ovchinnikov

Built from Plan(s)

Cabin Bunk Beds

Submitted by lainus on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 14:20

Customized the cabin Bunk bed palns and built this for about $200 and 2 weekends work.

Nuff said!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None, unfinished wood rocks
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/26/2016 - 12:38

My husband built this following the plans for the farmhouse table and I painted and stained it using 2 different stains and a whitewash. We are so pleased with how it turned out.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse king bed

Submitted by hailey807 on Fri, 01/17/2020 - 20:42

i love the farmhouse look and decided to start changing the furniture in my bedroom. I went shopping and everything I liked was very expensive. I looked online and found DIY plans on Ana’s website. They were an awesome start. I tweaked a few things and absolutely love the end product. 
 

I decided to buy a metal frame and put the mattress on plywood. It’s as solid as a rock!!

Estimated Cost
500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I did one coat of Danish Oil in dark walnut. If you have never used Danish Oil....I highly recommend that you try it. I applied the oil with a foam paint brush and wiped off the excess with an old pillow case. It took about 2 weeks for the smell to lighten up.


The knotty alder is beautiful wood. It sands nice and stains easy.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Baby Doll Crib

Submitted by BusyMomof1 on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 10:00

I made this as a birthday present for my two year old neice. It was really easy to make even for a beginner like myself. My five year daughter has been asking me every day if I would make her one "just like it" for her dolls, so I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$41 (wood, paint, and fabric)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Debbie's Nightstand

Submitted by Debbie440 on Sat, 02/01/2014 - 07:33

This stain color photographs blotchy looking. It does not look that way in person........

I used beadboard for the sides because I had some left over. I'm glad I did. I really like the way it looks. I also used trim on the outside of all the drawers. It really gives it a polished look. You could also use it if you have uneven gaps where the drawer slides in.

One other thing I did was use a solid piece for the top. I wanted it to be a smooth surface. I then trimmed the top piece with trim that I used on the Fancy Farmhouse Bed I made. I wanted to tie the two pieces together.

I've never made anything with drawers before. It is a bit more challenging, but not that bad if you are careful. However, I am not looking to build anything with drawers again for awhile :>}

Estimated Cost
approx. $75 (drawer slides were $6 each, handles were $3.50 each, trim pieces are what really added to my costs)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Bombay Mahogany Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

alpinecwt

Sat, 02/01/2014 - 09:56

Pretty cheap and all wood. When we bought my daughter's bedroom set,her nightstand cost us an extra $160,and its cheap mdf with an extremely thin wood laminate over it. Wish I had found Ana's site before we purchased it,could have saved a ton and built a bedroom set out of real wood.

Superb job on the nightstand,really like the way the trim u added came out!!

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