Community Brag Posts

a bench

I love how this bench turned out!  It's one of my favorite builds so far.  It's simple but really beautiful to look at.  I have a few pictures of the process and the stains I used to finish it up on my blog.  Thanks, Ana, for another great plan!

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used what I had on hand: watco danish oil in natural, general finishes gel stain in antique walnut, and general finishes outdoor oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Works great for a Great Dane!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/28/2017 - 12:52

This was a really fun project! We increased the leg height to 16" to work better for our Great Dane. Also, there's a typo in the "to buy" list. It says you should buy 1X2 @30.5" but they really mean a 1X3 since they refer to a 1X3 the rest of the time. It still works with a 1X2, but we used 3 pocket drilled holes instead of the 5 they suggested. 

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 12:53

Started with the 3 plank plans from Anna's project, then dremeled the logo.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Gardening Shelf

Submitted by MMTruncale on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 08:23

I wanted a gift for my mom. Something special and unique I think she would really like. Once on a guest post Ana posted a jewelry holder using a board, and some mismatched knobs.

My mom likes to garden. She works so hard on her back yard, and spends a lot of her time there. How could I make this outside proof? A few Pinterest finds later I found my answer: Water Spigots.

Voila! This is what we came up with.

** It's not going to hang by a string. It will be attached to her fence. This is just for picture purposes.

http://www.countryliving.com/homes/makeovers/fast-makeover-projects?src…

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
No finish. We wanted a rustic look. It came out perffect.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Work bench with wheels

Built this over a week because the table top needed to dry and harden. I decided to paint the whole thing to make it look decent. I Kreg jigged four 2x6's together and added wood hardener to the table top. It was pretty weak because the wood was still wet so I had to dry it out for a few days. I also filled in the gaps with wood filler and then used a belt sander to smooth everything out. Everything else were just 2x4's. I knew it would be heavy so I added wheels to move it around and as a final touch I am adding 90 degree iron accent brackets to the table corners but I haven't got those delivered yet. I also added rubber screw-in feet so that the bottom doesn't chip when you move it around. Got those from Home Depot for $3

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100 for wood and paint and sandpaper
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Kona stain, Golden pecan stain, polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

play table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/30/2017 - 06:40

This one was fun to build. I feel in love with it when I saw it. I used weather grey stain from rustoleum and I love how it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
weather grey stain from rustoleum, with 3 coats of gloss clear coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Storage bed with platform modification

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:06

Hi, I’m Joe and love working on my cabin in Stanley Idaho. I needed a queen size bed on the ground floor but the room is small so I incorporated the footboard into into the platform to gain 6 inches of space in the room. It took a couple months working off and on but all fun. I also made the drawers deeper front to back to maximize storage. I did this at the peak of lumber prices and spent like $900 on lumber. It came out great, my Airbnb guests love it!

Comments

Pottery Barn Logan Knock Off Media Build

Submitted by anb80 on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 12:37

This was one of our early builds.  I"ve learned a new way to do doors since then so hope to replace these before we move.  I love all the storage on this unit!  The finish on the tops is a metallic glaze I made.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/04/2017 - 06:51

Our version of the outdoor sectional.  We couldn't find 24" wide pillows so we modified the design to accommodate 22"x24" ones.  We also added a 1x8 held on with pocket screws to provide some additional support on the back and help keep the pillows from falling through.

Estimated Cost
$110 in wood
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Keepsake Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:43

Keepsake box made of maple, black walnut, mahogany and zebra wood.

Comments

Craft Closet

When I was given a stack of MDF sheets from a friend, I knew this was the desk I wanted to build with it first! We recently moved into my husband's grandmother's house, and have been making some improvements. We took out the dark old built in, and I replaced it with three 4' long gallery shelves, and the Parson's Desk modified to 4' long. It fits perfectly in my space, and looks so chic and modern against our teal walls. It's the perfect craft nook and workspace! I added a mason jar pendant light I DIY'd from the IKEA bulb kit, and also sewed a reversible runner to match my handmade duvet cover. The fabric is Deer Valley, from Free Spirit. I also had the glass top from the original desk cut down at Lowe's for free, and it's a perfect fit.

Estimated Cost
$30 for ledges, $30 for desk
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded the 2x2's with 150, then followed up with three coats of semi gloss white paint, sanding with 220 in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

nightstand

Submitted by cnlynch on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 19:32

I needed a small nightstand and was able to build this with wood left over from the Farmhouse table project, it's not perfect but I love it.

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

Comments

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/06/2017 - 16:32

I used the Outdoor Sofa plans and added an outside frame.

Estimated Cost
$80 in lumber, $130 in deep seat cushions.

I built this alone and sanded all boards, so the time into it too a lot longer than expected.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Small Farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 14:24

I used scrap wood from a squat rack I built. In the process of making 2 benches for it

Comments

Farmhouse Dining Table & Rustic Bench

With a couple of projects under our belts, my husband and I decided to tackle the Farmhouse Table. We shortened it to 6' to better fit our dining room, and also chose 1x6's instead of 2x6's to give it a lighter look. We also nixed the stretcher, and opted for 3x3 poplar table legs, that made the overall cost jump quite a bit. I absolutely love how it turned out, and the bench really fits well. It's stained and painted to match.

Estimated Cost
$120 for table, $15 for bench
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax gel stain in Dark Mahogany, semi-gloss white paint. I sanded the table within an inch of it's life with 60 grit, then upped it to 150, then 220. Used 220 between three coats of white paint for the legs. Sealed with 3 coats of polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Shoe Rack for Mother's Day

Submitted by AleksClark on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 07:48

A pretty simple shoe rack. My wife wanted something to hold a LOT of shoes that could go in our garage by the door to the kitchen. Girls helped with the painting :)

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Baer Indoor/Outdoor Latex on top of primer. Needed two coats to cover up the wood primer.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X coffee table with industrial trim

Submitted by AndWhatnot on Sun, 04/05/2015 - 18:34

I added metal corners made by bending 1 1/4 x 1/8 inch flat bar and attached with 1/4 x 1 inch lag bolts 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Asiago paint and Kona stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Country living

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:14

Hello,

 

I had some downtime at my furniture business, so I built this to sell. It's just a basic bench with base board. People in southeast GA are loving this piece!!

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint, espresso stain and wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chestwick Queen Bed

Submitted by TXN8IV on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 11:39

My husband was thrilled to build us a new bed - it meant he got to buy a Kreg Jig. Of course, he refused to buy plain ol' pine off the shelf at the Big Box stores and just HAD to buy the solid red oak from our local lumber yard. (So much for keeping the costs low. Oh well.) It's stunning and I love it. If it weren't for Ana's plans for this, we'd be settling for some hunk of junk off Craigslist or, worse, one of those furniture chains. For still roughly half the cost of something out of a store, this is a far superior bed frame and will last forever.
My hubby's no stranger to using power tools, but this still took him a few weekends due to life and letting the stain/finish set. He still has to attach the quarter-round, which he broke out the router to customize himself, but I was super impatient and told him to finish the base and put the trim on later. I'll try to remember to update this when that happens.
He also found the Queen Anne style legs off http://www.osbornewood.com/

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Honey stain with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner