Community Brag Posts

Bike work bench

Submitted by hjason on Thu, 06/26/2014 - 08:31

My daughter and I made this for a Father's Day gift, along with a bike rack, to get my husband's bike "shop" in better order.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Scrapped the Sliding Barn Doors, Rustic Cabinet Doors Instead

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 09/26/2016 - 12:15

Changed up the plan a little, shortened the overall length, which changed the size of the door openings, but the biggest change was making four cabinet doors instead of two exposed sections and two sliding barn doors.  Used Lowe's chalk paint products.  Made this a dresser for our cabin in Maine.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American, Lowe's chalk paint and antiquing wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse King Bed with Drawers

Submitted by jpad067 on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 15:55

Inspired by the Queen Size Farmhouse Bed with Drawers, my father-in-law and I converted those plans into a King size. This was quite the project and took us a substantial amount of time to complete. We used a modified French Cleat to make the entire bed modular, so it can be easily (still very heavy) moved. The entire storage capacity is roughly 30 cubic feet, so we will have ample room to store our linens and other items not regularly used. This entire project was modeled from an antique door that my wife found in an antique store. Enjoy!

Estimated Cost
$1300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel (Snowbound)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

small shed

so i put this storage shed on the outside wall of my garage and then i put my dust collector inside it and cut a hole for the pipe to into the garage. It's nice and out of the way now. I adjusted the size a bit to make it fit more of my outside tools like the trimmer and blower. Its not in the picture but I also extended the roof about 30 inches over the side to park the lawn mower under it. If I were to do it again I'd make it even bigger.

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

"Nook of woe" is now "nook of wow!"

Submitted by OliveJuice on Sun, 06/29/2014 - 11:36

We had a 28 inch nook in the mud room/bathroom that was the collect all for our shoes, hats, boots, scarves, and pup accessories. Had seen shoe cabinets at ikea but with the space being small it needed a "custom" build. Ana had the perfect solution!! We took basic plan and reduced length to 28 inches and top width to 12 inches. I wanted a larger top surface to place baskets. We took the 2 drawer and added a 3rd for increased storage space. Drawers were also made deeper to fit with the wider top piece. Also added a 4 thick chunky legs (4x4) to help support and stabilize dresser. Those were set in a bit to accommodate the molding along baseboard. Added faux drawer fronts using 1/4 inch ply wood. We put the magnets on but made drawers hard to open so we kept magnet but removed the plate. An old leather belt was recycled for the back strips to prevent drawers from flopping down.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60 (we had drawer pulls from other project that we recycled)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Morocco Red with a turquoise under coat. (Used 1 small sample sized jars each from Home Depot) lightly sanded red off edges to let the turquoise show through. Same with the wooded knobs.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Garage Shelving by using 4 by 2s

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/02/2016 - 19:02

Simply inspired by Ana's Garage Shelving project using 2 By 4s. Thank you Ana. Below are my project details.

1. Shelving Height =  8 Ft, Width = 12 Ft, Depth = 13 inches (Each shelve having 3 pieces of 2 by 4s). All 8 Ft and 12 Ft lumber available in this standard size.  Only cutting required (done at Home Depot) was for the 13 inch pieces to build the shelving legs (which in Ana's original plan is 17 inches, and has 4 pieces of 2 by 4s).  Able to carry all lumber (multiple trips) in minivan after folding seats.

 

2. Garage Floor was a bit uneven - so I used Shims (plastic) as suggested by HomeDepot associate.

 

3. To secure the shelves from the top of the wall, I used corner L brackets, 3 inch by 3 inch.  I used 1-1/2 inch screws to mount the bracket on the 2 by 4s, and then to mount the other side of the bracket to wall studs, I used the 2-1/2 inch screws (which I used throughout the project as Ana suggested). I mounted two brackets sideways, and one on the top (because the stud was around the corner).   Used a thin nail to find the stud as studfinder results were not reliable

 

4. After making shelving legs, we made them stand next to the wall, and then mounted the shelves (3 pcs each on each shelve) and then put screws.  My wife, her uncle, aunt, and cousin helped to mount finally, and it was great fun.

Estimated Cost
Approx $150
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Twin loft beds with platform

Found this on Pinterest and FELL IN LOVE! I have 2 kids that are inseperable, ages 3 & 4, a boy & a girl. I had been toying with ideas for them about bunk beds or maybe some PVC forts. But when I found this, it was like everything in one. Let me also start off by saying, although I am artistic I have never used a single tool or built ANYTHING in my life. EVER.

The beds were surprisingly easy to build and are incredibly sturdy & strong. I followed the plan exactly except for the platforms. I made my daughter's huge. (The plan calls for 22", I made hers 50") My son's I made smaller b/c that wall is shorter & there wasn't enough space. So his is only 16" but it's still plenty of room to climb up & get into bed. They use her platform as a stage to perform on or a small play area.

I'm going to glue down padding to cover both platforms and all the stairs b/c my kids are small but rough & tumble and I can already see the hospital bills. But the bed is EXCELLENT! Surprised to see no one else has posted a brag for it!

Make this immediately! The priming, painting & building for each only took one day. ONE DAY! I painted the room, the trim, and made both beds over the holiday weekend (Labor Day, Friday-Monday). My kids are now the envy of every child (and adult) that we know LOL!

Estimated Cost
75.00 for the bed w/the smaller platform, about 150.00 for the bed with the giant platform (I already had the paint & tools)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
First coat- Killz: White oil based primer.
Second coat- Glidden: Pewter, Semi-Gloss finish (same as the trim)
Distressed with medium grit sandpaper all over.
I opted not to go with a third gloss coat. The wood is soft from me sanding it all over and I figured the gloss coat would take away from the distressed look & make it look new which isn't what I was going for. It's beautiful as is.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Nail Polish and Accessories Cabinet

Submitted by vickitee on Wed, 07/02/2014 - 07:39

I made this cabinet for my 9 year old daughter. My daughter enjoyed filling the shelves with her things and the door with her ear rings. The shelves are made from 1x3's. I added 4 small hinges and 1 magnetic closure. The stain used is purple (daughter's choice). This was a fun build that took 2 days start to finish.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
purple stain
Try to stain the cabinet before installing the chicken wire!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modified Laundry Basket Dresser

Submitted by dkarinen on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 17:54

We modified this just for more stability around little ones. I also torched the Oak top so the grain would be more prominent and routered the edge. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr ultra pure white paint and gunstock stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Headboard

My daughter is thrilled with her Farmhouse headboard. She’s a horse-loving teenager & this fits her bedroom style perfectly. All of the wood I used was pulled from piles at our family farm. This plan has plenty of room for little errors & customization of the finished look. I scarred up the wood with a hammer, big screws & went to town with a Dremel sanding tool to round the edges & make it look very rustic. So much fun to build & see my girl so excited. Thank you for sharing this plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15 screws & wood stain (had free wood)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toddler Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by benabb on Wed, 09/05/2012 - 20:34

I followed the instructions to a T.
This is a very simple build and makes a great bed. My daughter loves it and I love the look.
I didn't screw down the 1x2 supports because I was having trouble with the wood splitting. It's worked out fine this way, I just need to rearrange a little bit when I change the bedding on her mattress.
If you have a kid who likes to climb or jump on their bed a lot, be sure to use a lot of screws to connect the bed frame to the foot board.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat pre-stain.
2 coats Minwax Golden Pecan.
1 coat poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Woven back bench

Really fun project. I plan on making a side table and 2 chairs with this plan as well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Cherry gel stain and oil pecan back. Followed with high impact clearcoat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

pde00311

Tue, 07/08/2014 - 10:26

Awesome job. I love the finish. I actually just finished a pair of these (which I have yet to post on the website) that are sitting on my front porch. I was also thinking of making matching side tables, but I cannot decide what would look good with the benches. Are you using Ana's plans to make your side-table, and if so, which plan? Looking forward to seeing what you create.

Hailey Platform Bed

Submitted by juls02 on Thu, 07/09/2020 - 10:15

I'm just beginning to experiment with furniture building, but I am pleased with how the bed came out. The plans were easy to follow. I didn't have a finish nailer at the time, so I had to use 2 inch finished nails which I hammered in. Although you can see the nail heads along the side of the head board, I don't think it distracts the eye.

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Alternating with Verathane's "Flagstone" and "Briarsmoke" wood stains
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids' Trestle Play Table and Four Dollar Chairs

I wanted an inexpensive but wonderful gift for a special co-worker who is having her first baby after many years of trying and painful medical treatments. I loved this PB inspired trestle table and thought the plans looked like something I could handle. Paired with the four-dollar chairs, I felt this would be a winner. I had a few burps along the way with the table project....there's a paint stick glued to the bottom of one of the legs as a shim....have no idea how that leg ended up shorter. There's also a countersink drill bit inside the table somewhere, broke right off in there! My biggest challenge with the table was the stain. I have never used the all-in-one stain before and have to say, it is a tough product to work with. It is hard to do with a brush. I brushed on my first coat and wasn't happy at all. Sanding away mistakes is an ordeal because the poly in the product hardens everything up so quickly. I really had trouble here and am still not happy with how the stain turned out....I wish I had applied the first coat with a cloth, as I did all the other coats because there is so much more control than with a brush. If I use this product again (which I probably will), I would only apply with a cloth. The chairs were a breeze, however, you may notice that my back legs are on the wrong spot....that was a mistake I made with the first chair. Since I used glue before screwing, I couldn't undo it. So I just made the second chair the same way....no big deal, but they are NOT stackable this way. I tried to use firring strips, but they were splitting like crazy, so I just used them for the seat slats and used regualar boards for the rest. The other thing I did differently was that I didn't countersink my screws on the seat boards. I painted my pocket hole screws black and let them show. This way, if my friend ever wants to change the color of the chairs, she can easily unscrew them, paint the chair and screw them back on. This was a fun and "just challenging enough" project. The table was my second build and the chairs are my third. Each project has taught me a ton!

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Min-Wax All in One Stain with Poly in Antique Walnut for table and chair seats - 3 coats for table top and two coats on everything else.
Benjamin Moore's Niagara Falls in eggshell finish for chair body.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Side Street Bunk Beds

Submitted by FinchMommy on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 08:52

We just finished the side street bunk beds! We got all our wood from Menards, our favorite store! My husband build the bunk bed and I finished it. I sanded it all with 180 and 220 grit sand paper. Sanding probably took the most time, I was covered! I filled all the screw holes with wood glue and saw dust. These areas ended up looking like knots when stained so I was very pleased. Our wood was rough (now super smooth), it had a lot of character, so the screw holes blend right in. After sanding it, I applied the wood conditioner and 2 coats of Varathane premium dark walnut wood stain. I then applied one coat of Varathane fast drying, heavy use formula, clear, semi gloss Polyurethane. I did a light sanding on everything using 400 grit and then applied one more coat of Polyurethane. For the wood conditioner, stain and polyurethane I applied it with a foam brush and wiped it off a staining pad. It went on very even, definitely recommend using both! I ahve used expensive brushes before and the cheap .50 cent brushes worked so much better! We waited to attach the ladder and guard rails till it was up in my son's room, which made staining it a lot easier. I even stained the boards that hold the mattresses. My son is a very tall, almost 4 year old and the angle ladder is perfect. He was very excited to get it up in his room this weekend!

Also in the finished photo are two navy blue Simple Bookshelves and the Flat Wall Bookholder also finished in dark walnut!

Photo's: I posted a photo of after the first coat of stain and after the second coat. I was nervous the second coat was too dark (accidentally forgot to keep stirring the can) but after I applied the polyurethane the chalky look disappeared. Only had to use one quart can of both the stain and Polyurethane for the finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Premium Dark Walnut Wood Stain
Varathane Fast Drying, Heavy Use Formula, Clear, Semi-Gloss Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Manukyanya

Thu, 06/16/2016 - 03:21

Hi, I am about to finish my bed. Did u use oil based stain and top coat. How long did u wait to put the bed in kids room? Thank u.

Outdoor Couch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/11/2016 - 18:23

If you're looking for an easy built that will INSTANTLY add more seating for your outdoor space, look no further! This was such an easy build and is one of my favorites so far. All it took was 2X4 boards, which are dirt cheap. 

 

www.withlovefromgablog.blogspot.com

Estimated Cost
$50 for couch and also single seater chair
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse Table Home Run!!!

I needed an outdoor dining table for our very long narrow paved side yard. I looked just about everywhere for a table I liked and that was even reasonably priced. Gotta be honest, there was no way I was paying $1000.00 for something I didn't like. That's when I stumbled on the plans for this table on Pinterest. I have never built furniture before, but I had just finished building a privacy fence so I thought I would (could) take it on. It took me about 4/5 hours, by myself, to make the table and I practically burst into tears when I saw how stunning it was!! I altered things a bit and used three 12-inch boards rather than six 6-inch boards (and I used 1/2 inch spacers so that rain water could move through). I was so excited by the table, that the next day, I built the bench! Same alteration as well. I used a single 12-inch wide board (with a gorgeous raw edge--sanded for comfort and safety) for the seat. I'm so damn proud!!! Thank you so much for this spectacular plan! It has inspired me. My next project is the Farm House bed frame for my teen daughter!!!

Estimated Cost
$100.00-$125.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Library Book Cart

Submitted by Terukosan on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 22:54

I built this book shelf for my daughter.

I made both the top and the bottom shelves an angled.
I used a finishing nail punch to emboss the name.

I mixed 3 different color stains to match the other furniture.

Used 2" caster wheels from Home Depot.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$55
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood finish (Golden Pecan, English Chestnut, Red Oak), Minwax Wipe-On Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

tommirhea

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 09:39

This is so pretty, I love the name in it! How wonderful. When you mix your stains, how do you know how much of each? Is is just a trial and error type of thing?

Terukosan

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 12:06

Hi tommirhea,

Thank you for your nice comment!

Mixing stains is just a trial and error. Pour into empty yogurt cup and mix with form brush. I like rustic looks, so, I don't care if color is not even ;-)

Have a nice weekend,

Sunny

tommirhea

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 12:14

Okay, thanks. I think I will try it on the desk I am going to make. I don't always love the color of stains, but never thought I could just dump different ones in to make my own :) I like rustic looks as well, makes it more unique.

Backyard Pergola

First pergola build. Plans were very easy to follow and it turned out great!

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Barn door built in cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/16/2016 - 12:25

Built in cabinet based on the bar door cabinet project. Reclaimed bar wood used for the doors and trim. Custom made steel hardware. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark walnut danish oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate