Community Brag Posts

Pallet Bookshelf

Submitted by stucush on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 04:35

Pallet Bookshelf.
A great project turning old pallets into a funky bookcase.
My bookcase is slightly different than the plans that dan-k put up but that is mainly because of the type of pallet i used - there may be a difference between US and european pallets?
I recommend getting 3 pallets, all of the same size, and all in pretty good condition - which is trickier than I expected.
The wood from the 3rd pallet is used as the shelves and the supports underneath the shelves.
I really enjoyed making this, and love how it turned out.
Hopefully the photos inspire others to give it a go!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
€0
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
wood primer and matt emulsion. I used a "Farrow & Ball" paint called 'Stoney Ground'.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Entry Way Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 12:15

Entry Way Table. Although not made from one of your plans I wanted to share it as is the biggest thing I have made so far from my own design.

Estimated Cost
$210
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony (2 coats) and Minwax Poly Satin Finish (2 coats).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Long Modern Media Console or Entertainment Center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/21/2016 - 19:55

I essentially used the same materials as posted on Ana's website, with the addition of modifiying the plans to fit to my needs. I used the same hinges, however got mine from home depot Canada for 3 bucks each! woot woot. The paint was a high gloss enamal with 4 coats on the top or so. The legs were bought from a local hair pin leg guy and the cabanit doors were something a lil more special. The doors were made from 3 really really really old fence boards, that were sanded down and stained with golden oak minwax then 2 layers of oil polyurathane. Since the boards were a little more fragine than i thought, i attached them together with an extremely thing pieace of birch plywood and screws on the back. I really loved this project and pleased that ana replicated it on her website. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$200, with $80 hairpin legs.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
behr high gloss enamel paint, minwax golden oak, oil based poly
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Rustic x hall tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/19/2020 - 19:57

My first wood working project. Made it a little taller and added a shelf.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hall Tree for Apartment!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/26/2023 - 12:26

My husband built this for my birthday. He adjusted the seat height so the storage bins would fit underneath. We also added the corbels under the shelf on top. I can't stop staring at it! Just love it! We had no place for coats etc by the front door of our apartment before!

Built from Plan(s)

Outdoor Canopy Daybed

Submitted by maw0130 on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 18:45

I asked for labor on Mother's Day and my two sons and I built the daybed in about 6 hours. I used treated wood. They did not have treated 1x3s so we used 1x4s instead. Waiting on it to cure before staining. It was a great Mother's Day!

Update: I added a crossbar and put a light up. Now I can use it anytime of day! So excited because there are so many options. Can't wait to build even more. Great plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

birdsandsoap

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 00:01

Looks like you had a great mother's day and now you have a beautiful retreat for every day! The mosquito netting makes it look so neat.

Entrance Cabinet

Submitted by AndyH on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 19:55

First project from own design and wanted to share as pretty pleased with how it turned out. Sides are 4 by 2s with a routed 45 degree grove on each edge to give some detail. Wanted to make the drawers stand out so I added the edging detail.

Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax pre stain. Minwax Ebony - 2 coats. Minwax Poly Satin - 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Susie's Big Girl Bed

After moving from Hawaii to Maryland, I was finally able to make good on my promise to make a new bed for Suzie. I made very few minor modifications to the plans as posted.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used simple white interior latex semi-gloss paint. Several coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

picture ledge

Submitted by Jess1ka on Tue, 04/21/2020 - 07:44

A great way to display books in the kids playroom. So easy to make.

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

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/03/2023 - 08:46

I'm a 65 year-old woman and proud to say I built this all by myself with leftover lumber from our deck project. I'm almost finished with a second sofa and plan on building the section piece and a dining table and benches.

Keren Weaver

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Sandbox :)

This sandbox is based off one on this website. We made ours 5ft x 5ft x 1ft and instead of spacing the boards out 1/2' we put them right next to each other and routered out the space for the hinges :) It looks amazing and such fun!

Estimated Cost
225.00 - With sand and we are in rural comminity so things cost little more :)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahagony wood stain and tried to use Thompsons waterseal on top.- was not working! LOL Just brushed the stain on!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Pedestal Table Build

I used the plans from your site to build this table for a friend. I made a couple of little design changes just to make it look different. The plans were very easy to follow, and I had a lot of fun putting this together. I did have a small problem with the pine stock wanting to bow and twist, but that was taken care of with the planer and sander.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
MinWax Dark Walnut and satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft bed

Submitted by Ball on Tue, 06/28/2016 - 08:26

The bed is a mixutre of the loft bed plan and the farmhouse loft bed plan with some modifications of my own thrown in.  I liked the headboard look of the farmhouse loft bed and incorporated it into the plan.  I also made the side rails out of 1x10's to make it more beefy looking and I think it works better.  The supports for the mattress are made out of 3/4" bookshelves, cut down to fit as it added more support than 1/2's.  The desk is based off the loft bed desk plan, but I made the top piece out of 3/4" MDF. I think it makes a nicer look.  I added 1x2's to the face of the bookcases and desk top to finish it off and make everything look more finished.

I also added a programmable, remote controlled, RBG LED lighting system under the bed.  My daughter can go from dance party to mood lighting depending on the situation.  This bed will deliver.

I also modeled everything in 3D CAD using Solid Edge.  This was a very helpful tool to get all the measurements correct as well as incorporating 3 different deisigns blended with my own.

 

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Pro-Classic acrylic latex enamel.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Barn Door Console

Submitted by calcowoods on Fri, 04/24/2020 - 08:11

Followed the overall plan to build the console for my daughter's birthday. Made several modifications including using (3) 2 X 6 inch pine boards attached using Kreg pocket hole screws for a seamless and sturdy top; substituted barn door hardware rollers with Barton Kramer 1-1/2 in. Patio Door Wheels providing a smooth glide and budget friendly alternative; added more partitions to accommodate extra shelving; and utilized u shaped brackets lined with felt to keep barn doors in line.

Used Kreg pocket holes to assemble the unit which gave us the ability to easily transport this rather heavy and
6-foot large console. My daughter was extremely pleased and actually many of her friends wanted to know where she bought the unit. This was truly a rewarding experience and confidence builder for me and my wife.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Weathered Grey and Kona Wood Stain.
Entire cabinet finished using MinWax Paste Finishing Wax Natural applied with a rag and buffed for a durable finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Backyard Retreat Daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/08/2023 - 08:43

We fell in love with this daybed plan right out of the gate but had to modify the plan somewhat due to the rain and crazy weather we are experiencing during the warmer seasons. Rather than use a twin mattress we purchased the largest size outdoor cushion we could. We covered it in Dacron wrap and used an olefin material for the huge cover which maxed out at 54x96. It was one heck of a big zipper to sew! The material is mould and mildew resistant and has proven to be really resilient and I vacuum to keep it clean. It feels luxurious to slide into. We added a polycarbonate roof with a 6% slant, that projects 8-10 inches from the front and back, for rain and snow and because it sits under a crabapple tree which provides shade but will drop small projectiles on your head. We wanted to be able to manage the snow efficiently if we received a heavy fall. We hung the curtains using a chain link fence rail and are able to spend afternoons resting catching the breeze and reading so comfortably. It is situated in a southwest exposure so they are necessary to provide a little protection. The curtains are closed and secured with clamps for heavy rainfalls and so far so good! Everything has stayed dry despite high winds.
 

As you can see from the little ramp, we have four buddies that love the bed as much as we do! It is our little retreat. We love our magic space and the relaxation we experience the minute we slide in. Thanks for such great plans. It was so straightforward that modifications were simple and easy!

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Kids Mini Dining Table

This kids mini dining table is a pretty easy build, especially if you have a Kreg Jig. I love that it is so pretty at a great price. It fits in well with our home too, which is awesome. The final product measures 30"x48", so it is big enough if your little one decides to have some friends over for dinner. One of my goals when building was I wanted multiple kids to be able to paint, color, glue, cut, or eat at it without getting in each others way. I think it won't be a problem! The whole project only takes a few hours. It was my first project with the Kreg Jig that has been sitting in my garage since Christmas. I was scared to use it. I can't believe I waited so long! That thing is amazing!
Thanks Ana for all of the encouragement and inspiration. I truly enjoy building furniture. It is so exciting thinking about my next project. I can't wait to use your plans to build storage for our entire play room!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Table Top is finished with one coat of Minwax Dark Walnut.
Base is painted with two coats of Valspar Pillow Mint, followed by dry brushing on Aqua Ocean. The edges of the aprons and legs were then sanded for distressing and stained with the Minwax Dark Walnut as well.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Full size farmhouse bed

Submitted by sbethTX on Sat, 04/05/2014 - 19:09

Day one...Two of us making cuts and starting headboard and footboard.

Day two...Working solo, had to get creative in order to add posts and 24 and 26 to top of headboard. Sanding and staining complete.

Day three...Two of us again. Built frame and added slats using decking brackets rather than screws for ease in disassembly. Attached headboard and rails with bolts.

Only issue not specified in plans was how to attach frame to footboard. But we made it work.

Thanks, Ana!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Clear polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sewing Cutting Table (over rabbit cage!)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/02/2016 - 14:46

Our rabbit lives in a 2'x6' Xpen cage set up in my tiny sewing room. As cute and fluffy as he is, I couldn't help but see his space as intruding on some valuable sewing real estate. I had to do all my fabric cutting on the kitchen table and lug everything back upstairs to the sewing room when it was time to eat. Laying out patterns had to occur on the floor. I thought it would be quite nice to have a table in the rabbit's corner ... :) I've used 2 of Ana's plans for bookshelves years ago and so I KNEW I could come up with a simple table plan and execute it. It took me about 10 minutes to formulate my plan and about 4 days to build it. :) The top is removable so we can easily move the table ... otherwise it would be a real back-breaker! 

 

Note: The estimated cost is $100, but that's because I had supplies other than wood to buy. Screws, glue, stain, etc. I'd say it was $60 in lumber.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used chalk paint with Annie Sloan clear wax on the leg portion. For the top (pine plywood trimmed out with select pine 1x2s), I used wood conditioner, 2 coats of Minwax Gel Stain, then wet sanded with lemon oil followed by 2 coats of Annie Sloan clear wax buffed to a subtle shine. Let me tell you ... if you don't know about wet sanding with oil, Google it! It created a baby-butt-smooth finish on this plywood. So simple and such a difference!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First Ana White style modern Adirondack chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 09:19

Thanks Anna, great design great plan. My first attempt at a chair. Was a lot of fun , just have to build 5 more, my wife loves it.
Bob
Duluth MN

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Un decided
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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