Community Brag Posts

Table

Submitted by bosox43 on Sat, 06/06/2015 - 18:49

Great project, super easy to follow instructions and really easy to modify with some simple math.

Perfect weekend project, started the table around 1pm on Saturday, finished the bench and had the garage cleaned up and sitting at the new table by 330pm on Sunday!

Thanks for posting the plans, they were very easy to follow!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Deck table
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Faux fireplace

Submitted by nhsarah on Sat, 12/30/2017 - 12:00

I live in an apartment, so I had everything cut for me at the nearby hardware store except the trimming. I scaled it so that it fits in my living room. It was my first woodworking project since high school, but I’m happy with how it tuned out. Thank you so much for the easy to understand instructions!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sawhorse Table

Submitted by Alark on Wed, 06/26/2013 - 06:32

New table for our patio space. This was a fun, relatively easy project. The weather was my only hiccup in the building. Spent an afternoon making cuts, the next day sanding and staining and then assembly. Hubby saw the pieces laid out before staining was complete and loved the two tone look, so I went with it. I used minwax Kona for the stained area and covered everything with Spar Varnish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain - Kona,
Spar Varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wedding Panel

Submitted by brittanyj on Wed, 06/10/2015 - 08:40

So glad to finally make this beautiful panel wall art for a friend for her wedding. The last name is Iverson, so the tree stood in for the I. I made it on cedar pickets ripped in half and sanded, kona stain, then designed my tree/lettering/birds in Cricut, cut it out, and painted. Can't wait to give it to her!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
varathane kona, spray clear top coat, acrylic paint and markers
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm Table w/ Pocket Holes

I did a few thing different than the plan calles for. I used kiln dried douglas fir 2x8's and ripped them to remove the rounded mill edge. For the stretcher I used 4x4 rather than the 2x4. Where the bread board is attached I put a very small bevel at the joining edges of the bread board and table to create a visual distinction.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Espresso stain and Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor Pine Canopy Daybed

Submitted by evilmom on Sun, 05/01/2011 - 14:01

This is my first venture into woodworking/carpentry. Since I did not want to shell out too much money for lumber, I used untreated pine (worst wood they say to use) for the daybed and used an exterior wood stain (with uv protection) to seal the wood. I also did not invest in power tools and used a hammer and wood saw to cut and nail everything together. As I cannot sew, I waterproofed the mattress by sandwiching it between two plastic mattress covers (dollar store) and duct taping the seams. It's not elegant but no one is going to see it. I used a cotton fitted twin sheet (old one) for the cover and found some outdoor pillows for $16 a pair ($8 per pillow and made with solarium fabric). Also as this is placed outside (deck), I'm looking into getting a mosquito net to use over the daybed instead of the bed tent I have on right now.

In hindsight, I should have used pressure treated wood for the posts and canopy beams to prevent bending/twisting (I had to re-do 2 posts). If I get 3 years of use for this furniture. I'm a happy camper. Ana, thank you so much for the plan. Kathy thanks for the advice on painting the lumber first.

You guys can do this!

Estimated Cost
$70 for the lumber, $ 40 for stain, sand paper, nails, wood glue, $4 for mattress cover, duct tape
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Olympic exterior wood stain with UV protection (oil based).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sandbox (plus stage and puppet theatre)

I started with the original plans for the sandbox with the benches, and then just sort of took off with the modifications.

When it's open, it's a 4'x6' sandbox with a bench on one side and a canopy overhead. When it's closed, it's a stage complete with curtains, or can also convert into a puppet theatre.

I had to make several adjustments to the original plan to allow for enough support for the stage to be walked (and danced) on, including an extra armrest in the bench, and a few blocks built up from the base of the sand area. I also used 1x6 boards for the top instead of 1x4, to cover the entire 4' with only the one bench.

Thanks so much for the plans, my girls love it! (and thanks to KnittingEmily for posting the plans for the 6' sandbox, which gave me a jumping off point for the sizing I used.)

The story of how I built it can be found here:
http://www.thislemonyogurt.com/a-box-of-sand/

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Lasso the Moon

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 07:51

Oh, this must seem magical to those little ones. It looks like so much fun. Great job!
Anna

Rustic X End Tables

Submitted by BeauKSU on Mon, 06/15/2015 - 09:46

I made one table following your original plans and it turned out great! The top is American Walnut Polyshades from Minwax (stain and poly in one), topped off with paste wax. The bottom is just regular white paint that we had lying around the house. The plans were easy to follow and introduced me to the Kregg Jig. How did I ever live without it?! Thanks for posting them for everyone to see, we're so happy with how they turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70 per table
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White pain on bottom and Minwax Polyshades - American Walnut on top, finished with paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Book shelf with reading nook

Submitted by Knathu121 on Fri, 01/05/2018 - 20:24

I made this book shelf with a reading nook for my daughters nursery. I found one you can buy online for $250 and decided I could make it for much less. I used 1 x12’s and the cushions were made by my mother and grandmother. All together it cost about $65 to make. 

Estimated Cost
$65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ana White

Sat, 01/06/2018 - 11:41

This is adorable!  I love the entire room!

We've had a couple of people ask for plans.  If there aren't any available, would you be willing to let us draw some plans up from your photos?  Thanks! Ana

Knathu121

Sun, 01/07/2018 - 09:11

I don’t have my cut list anymore but rough dimensions are as follows;

height - 23.5” 

width 44.5

depth- 12”

I tried accounting for the width of the wood in order to make each square on the bottom 10x10 and the 2 middle shelves to be 12 inches high and the bottom on the middle shelves to be 10” wide. I wanted to have at least 20” for the seat while also having 2 wide enough shelves at the top to be able to put things. Sorry but I don’t have the angles of the 2 side walls for the sitting area. I know that’s a pretty rough explanation but with the things I’ve seen you make I’m sure you can make do!

 

 

Knathu121

Sun, 01/07/2018 - 15:43

I don’t have my cut list anymore but rough dimensions are as follows;

 

Height - 23.5”

width 43.75”

Depth - 12”

 

I tried making dimensions to account for each box on the lower level to be 10x10 and the boxes in the middle to be 12” high and 10 inches wide. I wanted the seat to be at least 20” but I miss calculated the angle cut length and my seat is less then 20”. I can’t remeber the angle I used for the walls (sorry!) but I wanted to make sure that the top shelf was wide enough to put stuff on it. I know this is a rough explanation but based on the incredible stuff you make I’m sure you can work it out and make some pretty awesome plans!

Farmhouse Bed- Queen Sized - Self milled wood.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 19:46

All of the wood used in the project was milled in our yard, from trees on our land. The 4x4 uprights are poplar, and the rest is spruce, all originating within 500m of our house. The wood was sticker stacked for 2 years prior to planing down to the required size( last picture shows a not yet planed 1X6.)

Was a great project we have had many compliments on as it is the bed in our guest bedroom and has been used plenty during the Christmas season.

My only change up was using 1x6 for the side rails instead of 1x10 due to availability. Turned out amazing!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Child's Book shelf

Submitted by Marisol on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 20:20

First Project...really got me hooked! It's only 4 feet tall so it really was a cheap one...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr white paint with primer
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Little helper

Submitted by dijo284 on Sun, 06/30/2013 - 14:01

We used ana's plans and they were great!
We did not do the curved pieces we made it square all the way around. We did the modification and used hinges.
We have all the pieces for the anti-tip and will be adding that later.
We added on extra side pieces for safety using industrial strength velcro so they can be removed in the future when our 15 mo old gets big.
We do not own a kreg jig....so we just did screws and wood glue...making sure to pre-drill holes since the wood is thin and could split...

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
We will be painting or staining in the future.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Baby changing table

It seemed as though this project started out as a nightmare. I didn't think it was going to happen. Working with 2x2 and soft doug fir is no fun. I bought a kreg jig and was super siked to use it but really couldn't figure it out yet so I just pre drilled and blasted screws in from the sides. Luckily I took some time to wood fill and do clean up work and you have no clue. I am so proud and excited about how this came out. It brought tears to my wife's eyes and maybe even a little to mine. Added some dipped blue legs and a simple blue band molding to pop off some color. Went to babies r us and purchased some canvas cubes and crazily enough the blue matched exactly!!! That was not planned.
All in all this will be in use for years to come.

Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
No voc paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Sweet T's Entry Way

Submitted by Sweet T on Sat, 05/07/2011 - 20:23

Finally had some nice weather and finished this entry way and shelf project! Did have to change the side cuts to 11 1/4" because 1 x 12's are not 11 1/2 " wide. But other than that this project went very smoothly. The building only takes several hours. However the finishing does take hours to days depending on the weather.
I also used the leftover plywood to upholster the bench cushion.

Estimated Cost
$110 includes 3 hooks and the hardware to hang the shelf
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer, Ralph Lauren Tribal Pottery and Satin Nickel Tri-hooks
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bottle Cap Tray

Submitted by Jann Antos on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 18:29

How to build a Bottle Cap Tray AND what NOT to do.

These Bottle Cap Trays are sold for 45+ Bucks online. I spend maybe 15$ on it.

You need a lot of Friends drinking a lot of different Beers... For this tray i needed 88 Caps. I also asked Bartenders and Co-Workers to collect Caps. As more colorfull you get as better. Twist off Caps are the best behause they do not have dents.

I bought the Tray at Hobby Lobby for 3.99$ (you can also build one from a Plan from this Side) and after sanding with 220Grid i stained it to fit my Home Bar. After lay out the "Design" i removed them all and lay them in the back of the now empty tray.

2 Ways to glue the Caps to the Board:

1. Hot Glue (be carefull the Caps get very Hot)
2. I poured just a small amount of the Epoxy in there and pushed the Caps into the Ressin...

How to mix Ressin...

Read the Manuall!!! The first 2 Trays i poured to much and then it gets very very hot and ruin everything (see second last Picture). 2nd Glue the board to the Walls, if the Ressin runs out of the Tablet it is also a great mess!

I Used 2 small cups messured it and Mixed it in the Red Solo Cup...

Put the Tablet on an even surface (protect it) and pour a small amount into the tray... Level it and then put the Caps in there and use a torch to get rid of the Air Bubbles. I needed 3 layers to Cover all Caps. Keep it Dustfree during curing - very important .

I let it cure for 12 Hours bevor the next layer was applied. Total Curie after 72 Hours...

Sorry for Bad English - i am German...

Hope that helps to build your own Bottle Cap Tray...

And made it as colorfull as possible. I aranged them to face One Side but you also can turn them happy around.

Thanks for comments and Reading

Jann

Estimated Cost
15$
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Espresso Stain
Polyurethane
Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Parsons dining table (with extension leaves)

Here we have a Parsons style dining table built out of solid Alder wood. The table length is 72" but can extend up to 110" with two drop in leaves on either end. The table was clear coated with a satin poly.

Estimated Cost
$400.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Clear coat of water based poly
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Disentanglement Puzzle

Submitted by mtairymd on Fri, 01/12/2018 - 05:46

This is my take on a classic rope and ring disentanglement puzzle. The goal is to separate the ring (the light colored one) from the puzzle strings. As with most disentanglement puzzles, the solution isn’t intuitive. Can you figure it out from the pictures? If not, refer to the video for the solution.

Build Instructions: https://www.instructables.com/id/Disentanglement-Puzzle/
Solution: https://youtu.be/cwdpTndAEw8

Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Lawn Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/28/2021 - 12:06

Built these for my daughters new home

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Our First Project!

Submitted by gabbiegal on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 20:02

We have built things before, but this is our first from Ana's Site. We just finished this over a month ago... Was so much fun to do and I just love how it turned out! I decided not to paint just yet, so the buyer can decide. I have just primed it. I learned how to use a kreg jig, and bought a very cheap one... Best tool ever. There are no screws visible at all. I think if I did it again I would do something different with the handle.. not sure what though. It was difficult to make it look right. Thank goodness for the patience of my husband.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer Only
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner