Community Brag Posts

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!

This was such a fun build!  First time working with plywood - definitely won't be the last.  Really love how it came out.

I've been eyeing blanket ladders in Pottery Barn and other stores for a while. No way was I paying over $200 for one, so I turned to Ana! I had some supplies on hand so this project only took me 20 minutes to make (minus staining) and cost $12! I set the rungs higher up because it's going behind my couch so I left the bottom open. I didn't bother with wood filler for the screws because I was going for rustic and the blankets would be covering it anyways. I used 1 x3's instead of 2 x 4's since I wanted it to be a little thinner. I stained it with Minewax Dark Walnut and used a little water on the wood before I stained to bring the woodgrain out.  I'm going to make a few more as gifts now that I know how easy it is!

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!

If you are wondering if you can do this, I just learned to use a saw a week ago! So... YES, you can! =)

Took me all weekend to do the cutting and building. Was able to do everything alone except final assembly. I just didn't have enough hands.

Feel free to ask any questions. Also, take a look at my site for custom signs!! =)

www.heathersvinylcreations.com

I used Ana's idea for the plan, but modified it slightly to stand up to my wrecking crew (aks the kiddos). I posted a step by step plan with photos on my blog if you want to use the information for yourself.

Thanks for the plans Ana! We love our new bed.

Easy beginner project. I had a spare pressure-treated picket on hand, so I used it instead of cedar. We're repainting our house this summer, so I stained the wood to match our eventual new house color.

I took Ana's amazing easy upholstered bench from modern to "magnifique," with a simple pleated skirt and silk upholstered seat cushion! Now our oddly shaped breakfast nook has a built-in that doesn't look so--well--built-in! Ana was right, it truly doesn't get EASIER than this :o)

I chose to laminate 1x2's together for legs, and then simply used a 1x2 as the brace between the legs. I also ran the top across my router to give it nice rounded edges around the top. Really was super easy and super cheap. I painted it to match my dog-kennel coffee table.

These tables were easy to build.  We ended up using paint and stain to give the tables a distressed look.  They will make a great addition to our guest bedroom.  

This is the second one of these I have made. I love the 1st one and I wanted to make one for my sisters birthday. Being on a pretty tight budget, the extra $40-$50 I needed for the materials was pretty illusive. While closing up our shop one day I noticed that our buildings dumpster was overflowing w/ perfectly good cabinet doors. I jumped rt in there and grabbed a few of them. I had them for a few days before I realized what I could use them for. I had to change the measurements a little but it worked out well. I used my kreg jig jr. To fasten them all together 1st (the plan says to attach the cleats 1st but because I was changing the measurements , I did it last). Instead of putting a back on it, I used scrap 1x 2 furring strips across the back of the cleats and it feels just as sturdy as the 1st one I built. To dress it up a bit, I painted the molding on the cabinet doors and the cleats a blueish grey and aged it for some character. Finishing w/ Johnson's paste wax.

My first build from your site. The plans are great!  I changed it and used half lap joints for the Xs to keep them as solid pieces. Only cheap lumber is available at the big box stores, so LOTS of sanding. 

This project started with our older girl wanting sleep in the same room as her younger sister once she was out of a crib. Since it meant no more sneaking into Mom & Dad's bed I was happy to comply. The only problem was all the plans I found were for one bed not two. Both girls love storytime in bed, so I had to make it strong enough for the whole family to be up in bed. To not turn her room into a construction zone, it was made in sections that could fit up the stairs & through the bedroom door. 

All together we have a twin bed, a crib-size bed, three removable railings (to let me put them in bed when they fall asleep elsewhere), a slide anyone can use, a secret tunnel to crawl through underneath (and strong enough for adults to use as a step-ladder), a spiral stair for the kids to climb, and enough room for adults to sit up underneath. There is a flag pole next to the slide, but neither my wife nor I have gotten around to making them a flag yet.