Community Brag Posts

Perfect!

Submitted by lbadger on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 06:59

I went round and round trying to figure out what type of shelving to install in our kitchen to go above a cabinet below that will be topped with a rough live edge pine slab (not yet completed). I stumbled across your industrial chic shelves post, found an old board laying around the yard and whalla! As always, thanks for this amazing site!!

Estimated Cost
n/a
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Cleaned up a bit, sanded down a bit and top coated with poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Young Mrs. (not verified)

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 12:44

Hi! Love how your shelves turned out. I was just wondering how much weight these shelves would hold. Looking at yours with plates on them, it seems like they hold quite a lot!

Did you use larger L-brackets or the same size that Ana used?

Thanks for posting your shelves!

Patrick's Jelly Cupboard

Submitted by tamicaleb on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 16:30

I am built two of these cupboards for my dining room. I am calling them pie safes though. Making two added twice the work but I only had to think through the steps once.

Estimated Cost
$250 to build two. That included paint, hinges, hardware etc.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Interior painted butterscotch. Exterior spray painted black then painted over with a muted red. Distress sanded and then wiped down with dark walnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Red Oak Headboard with Herringbone pattern

Created a headboard for my guest room bed.  Used red oak slats to create the herringbone effect and regular red oak boards for the frame and legs.  Natural shellac and sealer used as the finish.  No real plans used, but can provide the dimensions to anyone who is interested.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Bullseye Shellac and Sealer (clear)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Coffee Table

This was my first project and while I prepared to build it I had to endure some real negative forces coming from people who knew my building skills. But I was heart set on doing this and proving people wrong.

As you can see from the pictures I made some adjustments to the table as I did not want a square table rather a rectangle to fit perfectly in front of my sectional, LOL.

I could not believe how well it came out and how easy it was to build. Thank you Ana for this site as I know I would never have taken on this project without finding this site. Furniture building is something I always wanted to do and have as a hobby. I will NEVER purchase another piece of furniture from a store again!

I have included a few pics to show the progress.

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Initially stained using Ebony minwax then painted over with Pottery Barn Blue (Van Courtland Blue). Then scuffed with sandpaper to give some distressing.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Loft bed with stairs

Submitted by Rory1976 on Mon, 11/04/2013 - 11:38

I've made three of these loft beds. The plans are very easy to follow, and once assembled, they form extremely solid structures. Thank you very much Ana, what you are doing us very much appreciated.

Estimated Cost
£150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Redwood wood stain three coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Handmade by [email protected]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/20/2016 - 04:31

This is our first time building this awesome table.  My husband used Ana's plans with the greatest of ease and then I was able to do the fun part, paint it! Did I mention that our table SOLD the very day we finished it? Yes, the same day.  We are in the process of building another table as we speak.  I am so excited!

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor hangout using 2x4 and fence boards

Submitted by sylvialh on Sun, 06/16/2019 - 18:13

Bought enough lumber for one sofa but ended up using old fence boards for the  decking so had enough lumber to make the sectional and a shortened coffee table. 

Great way to save some cash even if u have to buy the fence posts. 

Added a reinforcing piece to the one armed sofa between the legs using a kreg jig to stabilize the legs a bit more. 

Waiting on my foam from Amazon to finish off this project!

Used inspiration from the beer/wine cooler patio table and made the middle of the table removable to add a buck underneath later. 

Note the 5 year old patio set, also an ana white project from back in the day!

Super quick build!

I did find that the measurements for customizing it for your cushion size seemed about 1.5 inches too big for all the depth pieces so I sized down but I haven't received my foam yet so maybe I'm wrong but Smth to think about. I didn't want my cushions to slide around so I took that into consideration when building. 

Estimated Cost
60$ CAD for the high density foam for each sofa (3x24x72) plus throw cushions for the back.

11 2x4x10 - cost varies depending on cedar or PT
Fence boards were reused

Outdoor Fabric to cover the foam
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Queen Storage Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 19:19

I’ve been planning to build the Queen Storage bed for some time. Last year I took the plans and resized it to a twin for our son. For the Queen I made it s little higher to allow for two rows of drawers and to maximize 4x8 sheets. I also opted to put the end drawers facing the sides rather that the end. This gives two drawers that are 28” deep for blankets and sheets. The footboard is 1x4” resawed in to 1/2x4” and nailed onto the plywood carcass. Drawers are all 1/2” Baltic birch made in the 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 method with shaker style drawer faces. Next up is a matching headboard but I needed to get the bed out of the shop so I had room to work on something else.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Easiest Chalkboard Shelf from Scraps

Submitted by jlamorey on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 10:19

I loved this when I saw it posted the other day, it really doesn't take long to make and adds character to our kitchen! I added a dowel that i sanded a little on one side to the long end of the 1x4 so that the chalk won't slide off, just something that I can see happening here.

Estimated Cost
$6 - can of chalkboard paint and hooks
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
primed and then spray chalkboard paint. I sanded the corners and edges a bit.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Factory Cart Coffee Table with Storage

I have been longing to make a factory cart coffee table for years after seeing one in a local antique store in Jacksonville Florida. I started by following the dimensions from Ana Whites table and then decided to make the table top with the ability to open up into storage. I followed the plans and updated with hardware that I (painstakingly) pieced together from various sites online. I love the industrial feel the cast iron hardware brings to this adaptation and cannot wait to start building matching end tables. Thank you Ana for the inspiration!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax provincial stain for the primary and minwax espresso to detail the distressing and edges. Finished with 4 coats of minwax water based polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

jahnkekong

Wed, 11/06/2013 - 17:11

Could you share any details about how you finished the wheels? I have a cart I am trying to refinish but stalling out on the cast iron parts. I really don't want to paint them, and I don't want them to rust.

Just noticed the Kupo Nut reference! I love it!

In reply to by jahnkekong

TongueAndTeak

Wed, 11/06/2013 - 19:16

Thank you so much for catching the Kupo nut reference! Haha I only felt it was fitting to add a little nerd flair :) rust oleum has a hammered black paint that also doubles as a rust inhibitor so it worked perfectly to touch up the cast iron parts and keep that rustic feel to the hardware. I finished with a clear top coat as I'm sure that I will end up constantly kicking the wheels by accident haha.

Cyber Sapp

Wed, 12/04/2013 - 18:45

I know you mentioned it was painstaking to find all of hardware, but can you share where you found the front casters? Also how did you put your stamp on it? I'm knew to woodworking so please excuse my ignorance.

In reply to by Cyber Sapp

TongueAndTeak

Wed, 12/04/2013 - 19:18

Hi cyber sapp! I was able to piece them together from eBay and etsy items. I searched for key words: "antique cast iron caster" or "factory/industrial cart wheel" and you should be able to find ones that work. I held out for the best deals I could. Be prepared to search quite a lot if you want to find the best deal.
As far as the decal is concerned, I created the template on illustrator and used it as a template to paint the decal on. I checked online and saw a few examples of transferring images on to wood that will probably be easier than hand painting. Hope this helps!!

Cyber Sapp

Wed, 12/04/2013 - 22:25

Thanks for the update. I made one similar to your modifications. I'm using storage too, I will share once I get the soft close installed. I'm looking for something that want slam fingers when it is closed. I also used Walnut to build it. It is solid like a tank with the hardwood, but came out pretty good. I made a few minor mistakes and now want to make one closer to yours.

Mandymoochops

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 23:30

What an amazing job you did, I'm still holding out for my end wheels too and you are so right about search search search. It doesn't help being in Canada with shipping costing so much for these too.

Love love love, well done

TongueAndTeak

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 21:23

Thank you very much!! I do not envy you right now as the search took me forever to find the right wheel that matched one I already had. I have had good luck in the past asking eBay sellers about changing to flat rate shipping options. Not sure if they have that option for shipping internationally but it never hurts to try! Keep up the good fight as the wheels REALLY pay off in the end.

Reclaimed coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 10:31

I built this coffee table from reclaimed pallet. The design is based off of the West Elm Emmerson line.

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Hand rubbed clear wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Modern Park Bench

Submitted by Ecorn on Fri, 06/28/2019 - 21:15

This is my second project using Ana's plan. Plans were easy to follow. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 CDN
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
double boiled linseed oil on bench and milk cans. I lightly sanded the milk cans to keep the patina.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Raised planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/08/2023 - 10:13

Gift crate (aka man crate)

Submitted by JoanneS on Sat, 11/09/2013 - 13:31

This is the prototype builds for the Plywood Gift Crate (man crate) plan. I had a great time developing and building this plan! I read a forum post about these and was inspired to do up a plan and build. When you give these as a gift, present it with the top nailed shut, and a crowbar for getting it open!

Two crates are shown. These each took a little over an hour to build. The 3/4" plywood one was entirely from scraps, and I purchased the poplar craft boards ($2 each) for the 1/2" plywood one. New wood would cost about $15. I left them unfinished like the inspiration. The picture just has the text added to it as a graphic. I do plan to stencil "man crate" on them though. The first prototype with 1/2" plywood scraps was made with a 1/4" scrap plywood top and poplar trim boards. My scrap top wasn't wide enough to cover trims on the sides, which is why the sides on that one are plain. The 2nd prototype was with 3/4" plywood scraps and uses strips of 1/4" thick scrap plywood for the trim boards.

If anyone is interested in different size crates, I've created a project calculator in Excel, that you can key in the desired dimensions and sizes of wood you plan to use, and the spreadsheet will give you the sizes for the pieces and a cut list. I couldn't figure out a way to attach that to the plan, but if you would like one, just send me a note through the contact form, and I'll email it to you.

I hope you build these, it was a fun and easy build!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
These are both unfinished, just sanded smooth. I'm planning to stencil "man crate" on them in black.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Toy storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/24/2016 - 14:09

Doubled the size of Ana's toy storage to accommodate my niece and nephew.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
135
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Console Table

Submitted by DCecil43 on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 18:48

I built this for one of my friends that gave me the dimensions he needed.  He gave me complete control with the only caviat of needing 2 drawers.  I used Premium Pine from Menards, Minwax True Black stain and Minwax Satin Polyurethane.  This one came out better than I expected!

Estimated Cost
$225
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax True Black Stain and Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bedside tables

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 04:01

Made for my granddaughter. First time doing multiple drawers.

Comments

Easiest shelf ever

If you need a shelf/ledge, this is the plan for you - regardless of your building ability. Easiest. plan. ever.

And if you are like me - you won't even have to make any cuts! We have this ledge in our dining room along the long wall. it gets decorated for each season and it's GREAT! We love showcasing family photos as well as our holiday decor.

Wood, glue, nails or screws. Paint. Done! It's that easy!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams Dove White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

The BEST 3rd Birthday Present Ever!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/27/2016 - 09:37

Hi Ana! Thank-you for the detailed instructions on how to build the indoor playground! We had our contractor build this for our twins' 3rd birthday present. The kids absolutely LOVE the playground and use it every day. I'm planning to paint it, reinforce and install a rock climbing wall up to the bridge, and install some easels in the bottoms of the playhouses. You can see more pictures of the kids playing and the construction here: http://feedingtwins.com/body/the-best-3rd-birthday-present/ Thanks again! Julie

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft Bed

Submitted by BGBuild on Tue, 07/16/2019 - 07:30

This is the first bed I built for my daughter when she was about 3 years old and we were living in Colombia. I was able to get the people at the hardware store to cut most of the wood for me which helped since we were in a very small apartment and I put everything together was a $40 starter drill kit. In the end it came out great and she was very happy with it. When we moved back to the US and I had access to more tools and workspace I built her a Little Cottage Bed which was a much harder build but worth it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner