Community Brag Posts

First workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/07/2017 - 07:47

Loved this project! Now I can really start building some other wood projects.

Estimated Cost
$60-70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Lift Top Coffee Table

Submitted by tfollin on Mon, 11/02/2020 - 13:31

Sticking with the same color scheme as the Console Table. The brackets are a bit of a pain to attach

Estimated Cost
$225
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark walnut stain & creamy white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

One Piece Play Kitchen

Submitted by jenmac75 on Tue, 01/08/2013 - 11:29

I decided to modify the one piece kitchen plans for just a stove and sink as I wanted something a bit smaller. I added a shelf (or rack!) to the oven and "tiled" the backsplash with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. The burners are wooden plaques from Hobby Lobby that I painted with chalkboard paint and on the side outside of the kitchen (not pictured) is a chalkboard and towel rack. The Kreg Jig was incredibly nice to have for this project but I did add L-brackets to the outside shelves in case a lot of weight (i.e.. a 30 lb toddler) was placed on them.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats Olympic Plus in Egg Yolk
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

A miter table project for my bookshelf project

Submitted by icecool2 on Mon, 11/03/2014 - 07:14

I started building built-in bookshelves based loosely on the LACK copy-cat plans Ana posted.  I started getting to work on them and realized I needed a way to handle the 8' and 12' boards I have to cut down to make the parts.  Back to the home store I went!  This was an extremely easy project to put together.  I used one sheet of cabinet grade plywood ($30) and had it cut down at the store on their giant saw and three furring strips (as described in the plans, about $1.50 each).

My cuts were: 

  1. In half lengthwise (now you have two 24"x96")
  2. 24"x36" (on both halves from 1)
  3. 24"x30" (on the long part remaining from both parts from 2)
  4. You are left with two sections of 24"x29.75" (depending on the blade)

Assembly at home was really fast.  It took me 90 minutes, it would have been probably under an hour if I had the table already!  I didn't like the folding brackets at the store, so I went with fixed cheap ones for now.  I'll swap them later. You'll notice the saw sits a little lower than the side tables.  I'm going to mount the saw to the table and I'll fine tune with that.

Back to the bookshelves!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80 (including casters and shelf supports)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Indoor Fancy Pet Kennel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/10/2017 - 11:51

I had so much fun building this!! It ended up being 80"L x 29"W x 40"H

I added a removeable center seperator to make it available for 2 dogs and a hinged top for easy cleaning. If you would like to know more, mssage me here! https://www.facebook.com/almshousecreations

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White Gloss and Jacobean Minwax Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Beautiful headboard to match existing nightstands

We slightly modified this headboard to fit a California King. We needed something to match the style of our nightstands. This turned out perfect!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades Black
Clear Matte Poly top coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Planter bench

I built this bench for a Christmas present. She loves to work in her garden and I thought this would be the perfect touch. The plans were easy to follow. I made a few minor adjustments to fit the lumber I had on hand. The center bench is only 4 foot wide so I could conserve on the amount of 2x4 I had to buy. I thought the bench turned out great!

Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Cedar planters!

Submitted by DogDoc25 on Wed, 11/05/2014 - 11:44

These planters were really easy to make, and held up well all through the spring and summer. This was my first garden, and I was excited to try raised planters. I added some reinforcement to the middle just to keep everything together, and they were really sturdy! Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15 each
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Ana White

Wed, 11/05/2014 - 12:48

DogDoc25,

Looks like you have a green thumb as well!  Great Job!  Thanks for sharing!

Rustic x coffee table with 2x4 X

This is the rustic x coffee & end table I used 2x4's for the X. I like the wider look of the 2x4's over the 1x's it adds more dimension to the table. 

Estimated Cost
200 for all 3 tables
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
First layer special walnut 5 minute dry time then added weathered grey for 5 minutes
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sofa table

Submitted by blondewolf on Wed, 11/11/2020 - 05:24

We are building a small rental cabin in the Red River Gorge and I needed a sofa table to do double duty. We needed a place for people to eat that would also be a useful sofa table when lounging. I modified this piece from the plan; very beginner friendly I’d say, lol. The bottom is painted glossy black and the top is stained a grayish blue. Galvanized hardware finished it off on top. I chose not to use the side arms once I brought it inside.

Estimated Cost
$65, I used scraps for the base. I already had the stain and varnish. Biggest cost was the galvanized pipe.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Black gloss paint for base and gray blue stain (my own concoction) for top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Clubhouse bed build

Submitted by donberry on Fri, 01/11/2013 - 18:56

This is the first wood project I have made in years. Just got my wood shop built and this was the first project - thank you Ana. It ended up taking me way longer than expected. It was the first time I have ever used the Minwax custom color stain and quickly discovered after trying to stain one side why many say it is best for smaller projects. I quickly learned for a large project like this, it is best to do the boards before they are assembled.
It is pretty much the stock build, tho I did deviate some and added a couple of things. First, as i was doing this project by myself, I discovered that just flipping a wall over to add the trim is not as easy as it sounds. At that point in the build, the only thing holding the walls together is the bottom trim piece so it is very flimsy. To make it easier to flip over myself, plus maybe add some extra stability, I ran a 1x4 along the entire back wall about half way up. I believe it really helped with the stability and still can't be seen.
I also added 1x4's on the inside of the front walls from the edge by the 2x4 leg to the doorway - one above the windows and one below the windows, on each side. I just wanted to make it as stable as possible as I built it for my 3 year old grandson and I knew his 5 year old sister would be jumping around in there with him. It didn;t take any room away from the inside and really helped make it sturdy.
One other thing i sort of changed was the ladder. I do not know why as the trim piece was right at spec according to the plans, but the 38" ladder came up about 3 1/2" too short, so I ended up having to cut another one at 41 1/2". Also, especially as it was for a 3 year old, I thought it was a really big drop to the first rung when they were getting out of bed, so I added a 4th step. With 3, my grandson would have had to climb into the bed and when he was getting out, would have had to hang over and find the rung, this way he just walks right up. Keeping it at the 8" apart, the 4th step fit perfectly.
You can't really see the legs in the picture, but on the front legs, instead of using bolts going thru both legs, I put in threaded inserts on the front wall legs, that way you do not see any bolts on those legs. I also used the threaded inserts to mount the ladder.
It ended up costing a small fortune as I used #1 grade wood. I was originally going to stain it something along the lines of early american, but after spending hours trying to find decent wood at both of the big box lumber yards, even buying #1 grade I could not find enough good wood where the grain patterns were similar. I tried 4 various stains on some test pieces, was not happy with any of them, so then went with the Minwax Custom color charcoal gray, and I am glad I did. It has a bluish tint to it and looks just about right for a little boy.
Also, instead of adding the top trim piece to the back of the back wall, I put it on the front where it could be seen, plus it made it easier to hide the boards not lining up perfectly.
After it was all complete, I then applied 3 coats of brush on poly, sanding between each coat. I really wanted to finish it off by then wet sanding it and rubbing it out, but I did not think my grandson really wanted to wait any longer while I waited for the poly to cure, so instead I sanded it down one more time with 220 grit and then applied the wipe on poly.
In my opinion, it was Jaime from That's My Letter idea of the window frames that really sets it off. It looked kind of plain until I added the windows. For framing the windows, I just went ahead and sort of did it like a real window. The only difference was I was a little worried about my grandson maybe hitting his head on the window sill, so I turned them around and the window sill is on the outside. I didn't think it thru as i was thinking he could set some stuff on them, like his thomas train or something, but that obviously wouldn't work as everything would fall off when he opened the window.
For the red, I just used latex paint, apple red, then stained over it with the charcoal gray.
And then to finish it all off, the last thing I added was a 16' LED rope light. I just ran it along both sides and the entire front. I do need to put a switch on it so he can turn it on and off and not have to have his dad plug it in. I will just add it to the back of the wall where you can't see it, that way he can just flip the switch.
Biggest thing is I can't thank Ana (and jaime) enough. The grandkids love it. It isn't as nice as many would have done, but I am very happy with it and I forgot how much I like doing projects like this, tho this particular one took me a looooooooong time.
I still need to make him a sign and we are thinking about putting up a bell in the space in the top of the wall.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500 + - but I used #1 wood. Mucgh cheaper if you can find decent #2
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax custom color, minwax brush on poly, minwax wipe on poly, apple red latex paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Printers Triple Console Cabinet

Very happy with the results.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around $300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Distressed paint over stain.<!--break-->
Stained the finished product with 3 coats of Miniwax Special Walnut<!--break-->
One coat of Shirwin Williams "Breezy" blue <!--break-->
Sanded with an electric orbital sander.<!--break-->
Another coat of Shirwin Williams "Breezy" blue to cover all the little circles the orbital sander left behind.<!--break-->
Sanded by hand.
Touched any blonde spots up with the Special Walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

My first table with raw edge table top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/14/2017 - 13:05

First table!! I used all white pine that was milled over 45 years ago cut my own lumber out of this wood and the table top was made with 3 pieces of wood to make the top. Bench is being made now! 

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White chalk paint and drift wood stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic X Farmhouse Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/16/2020 - 04:48

I built the Rustic X Farmhouse Coffee table this weekend. I want to thank Ana for the inspiration. She makes beautiful furniture. I did modify this table just a bit. I used pocket hole screws around the entire table as I didn't want the exposed holes nor did I want to have to use wood filler on them all. It really makes the look seamless. I also wanted a slightly wider table, so I added an additional board to the top. I kept the length and height the same. I also added 2 coats of a clear satin Polyurethane to the top to help protect it against water or heat stains from cups. I used the same Golden Oak Varathane stain. The clear satin poly just slightly darkens the stain on the table top and makes it just a bit shiny. But not too much difference to need to poly the entire table.

This project took about 8-10 total hours to build over the course of 3 days if you don't count the wait time. With lumber prices what they currently are, it cost about $50-60 in lumber. I also didn't have the stain and had to stock up on screws and glue.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60-70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Golden Oak; Clear Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My White Mudroom Bench

This was my attempt at the 'Build an Entryway Bench...' project. It was also my first Ana White build.

A few notes:

- I had to modify the length of the bench in order to fit the 12 x 16 inch wire baskets I bought off eBay. Basically, I added 5.25" to all the horizontal pieces.
- I used a jigsaw to the the half-oval cut-outs on the bottom pieces. I got this idea from a similar bench from the Pottery Barn website.
- I routed the front edge of the seat with a round-over bit.
- I also routed the inner edge of the top with a core box bit.

It was amazing how quickly this went with the right tools and a couple mornings. Thanks for checking it out!

-Will

Estimated Cost
~$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil-based enamel, satin finish, "Snowfall" color.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Griffen pottery barn inspired Media Console Table

Liked the Griffen Reclaimed look Media console, but not the $1099 price tag that came with it!  LOL

So with $100 and 3 hours of work, BAM! 

70L x 15W x 30H

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Classic Black Polyshades by minwax for the base
Provincial by By minwax for shelfs
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jpujdak

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 06:21

Hi! I love your Media Console table! Do you have plans to go along with this? I'd love to create this for my apartment. Thanks!

Fancy X farmhouse with extension

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/16/2017 - 18:02

This was the first furniture my husband built. He also did amatching  sideboard table using Ana white plans.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used wood conditioner and then dark walnut stain. My husband built me a sideboard table to match this table.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse King Size Bed

I just love how this bed turned out. Now I have plenty of space and those 3 kiddos can't boot me out.

Comments

Tyde coffee table (modified size)

Submitted by Doro.marie on Sun, 01/20/2013 - 14:45

This is our first project. I mentioned to my mother in law, we were one a mission to try an Ana White project while we were home over Thanksgiving. She surprised us with a kreg jig for Christmas! It is absolutely amazing!! I suggest it to anyone who is considering making this a hobby. Not on screw, is visible. THANKS SO MUCH ANA, WE CAN'T WAIT TO FILL OUR HOME WITH BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used two stains,. Under layer golden mahogany, layer was dark walnut. Finished with satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

End Table

Submitted by JoeP on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 16:48

Quick and easy endtable made from scraps I had on hand.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Antique nickel paint and 3 coats of gloss polyurethane, I sanded between each coat of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner