Community Brag Posts

Armless Sectional Bench

Submitted by seaweed805 on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 21:14

I built four pieces of the sectional (1 corner, 3 reg) It took me a long weekend, I would come and go so actual hours are hard to estimate. For the stain I used steel wool and vinegar, followed up by strong black tea. Teak oil was used for the sealer. The second photo is a picture of one stained chair approx 30 mins after stain applied, the other one has no stain yet. The pillows I sewed myself, outdoor fabric is from Jo-anns (use the coupons!) and inserts are from ikea. The only large investment were the cushions! Pine Wood - FREE. My dad works for a lumber company. Outdoor fabric - Between $6 and $10 a yard Pillows - $3 for small, $6 for large Cushions - $29 each **my picture wont display correctly even though uploaded correctly!!!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wool and vinegar, followed by strong black tea. Finished with teak oil.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Full Size Storage Bed

Submitted by duchamp6 on Sun, 06/12/2016 - 20:57

My daughter turned 10 this week and we did a room makeover for her birthday. She is in LOVE with her new space. She has been sharing a bunk with her 6 yr old brother. We told her when her 2 yr old brother climbed out of the crib that she would get the baby's room and the boys would then bunk together. Well, he climbed out as they ALL do. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Behr satin finish white with primer and applied it with a sponge.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by B.W.Martin on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 20:46

I used the Rustic X Coffee Table plan to make a living room set. I added a 3.5" deep lift top storage area out of plywood, and also used plywood on the bottom of the table as well instead of 1" by 12".

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used an eggshell antique white for the paint. I used a minwax pre-stain, one coat of minwax honey stain, and two coats of minwax polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dog Walking Hall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:24

I made this for some friends who are fellow dog lovers. I used the Mimi’s hall tee and storage bench plans. They were very happy with it. This is the second time I’ve used these plans. It’s a very fun project to build.

M. Wold

Comments

Back Deck Furniture

Submitted by Utopia_mom on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 20:21

I started with the simple white outdoor sofa, then the factory cart table, adirondack stool, and 2 simple outdoor lounge chairs. Wow! This was my first adventure making furniture. All in all it took me about a month to make everything in my spare time. I made a few mistakes along the way, all part of the learning curve. But definitely learned so much from this site. I am forever grateful to you, Ana.

Estimated Cost
Total cost for all about $150 for all 5 pieces of furniture
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I primed and painted with exterior latex (3 coats). All the furniture is on a covered back deck. I did not use cedar or any other better suited outdoor wood due to cost and the fact that all the furniture is well protected from the elements. I made the cushions for the sofa, but bought the chair cushions from Home Decorators.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Utopia_mom

Mon, 06/04/2012 - 07:10

Yes, for the factory cart I painted angle brackets black. I also painted the caster wheels that I got from Tractor Supply.

jlsillito

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 10:22

What width foam did you use for your cushions? I've been wanting to make some outdoor furniture, but the price of foam is holding me back. I've found 3" for a reasonable price, I just don't know if that will be thick enough.

Utopia_mom

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 12:17

I used a 4" foam, but I think you could easily use 3". I know foam is not cheap. I shopped online for foam suppliers and found a pretty good deal... much cheaper than local fabric stores.

VC

Sat, 07/13/2013 - 16:19

This is beautiful! I'm planning to make the chairs and I'm wondering if you changed the plans at all, especially any dimensions? Maybe it is just the angle, but the arms look a little lower, which I love. If you can let us know what you did, I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!

10 Cube Shelf

Submitted by john.h on Sun, 03/16/2014 - 18:38

Expanded the 6 cube shelf to 10 cubes, beefed up the feet a little and fancied up the top to more closely match the picture in the plan page. Just joined a couple 1x8's and cut to length for the top.

Used the Kreg Jig to make the shelf box and face frames - biscuit joiner for top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150? had some leftover material and spent a little extra on finishes.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
primer/spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

rwkaupas

Wed, 11/26/2014 - 05:32

Hi John- this is exactly what I'm looking for- did you by any chance save your modification measurements and cut list?  Also- I'm considering putting a 50 inch tv on the unit- would you recommend additional support?  Thanks for any help.

 

Cedar Wood Fired Hot Tub

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/17/2016 - 16:31

We are developing a completely off-grid property and before starting on construction of the house, we decided to start with a smaller project to get our feet wet (no pun intended!). We also wanted a place to soak our sore muscles while we build a house since we are restricted to taking 60-second hot showers, and so we came up with the idea of a wood-fired cedar hot tub.

Buying a cedar hot tub retail can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000, but we were curious to see what we could build our own for and it turns out, we spent $850. Since there were no existing plans on the internet that we cound find for such a project, we decided to document the entire process and make our own! We struggled a bit with the build, but on our blog we documented what worked to save other people time who want to build something similar. In our post here, you will find a 9-part video series on how we put the hot tub together. Enjoy!

Estimated Cost
$850
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
No finish needed on a cedar hot tub.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

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

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

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
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