Community Brag Posts

Classic Bunk Beds for our boys!

Submitted by TheLufkins on Wed, 11/25/2015 - 13:13

We found the plans for the Classic Bunk Bed look and we loved it.  Since our boys share a room this bunk bed design was the perfect match for us.  We used Red Mahogany stain with a polyurethane clear coat to give it a good shine.  I made a little revision to the slats but adding a 1X6 crossbea, across the bottom and top bunk to give added support for the boys as they get older but other than that the beds are directly from the plans.  Now onto the same design for our girls!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany and Polyurethane Clear Coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Black and White Beam Table

Submitted by Landers15 on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 12:38

I have to shorten the design up a bit to fit my dinning room. I also did Epoxy Resin on top to give it the glass like appearance.

 

So ebony stain on white pedistole with an Epoxy Resin finish.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Lumber $80
Stain/paint/aprasives $30
1 gal Epoxy Resin $80
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White paint, ebony stain,and an Epoxy Resin Finish, which took 5 days alone.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/15/2022 - 10:12

The plans from Ana White were excellent! I worked on this greenhouse through last winter and finished this past March. It worked perfectly for my needs through the entire growing season. I highly recommend this plan for a cost effective greenhouse, even if you have no prior building construction experience (I didn't before I built this). It only cost me $1,100 or so when all was said and done. The cheapest I could find a comparable greenhouse of this size to purchase was $2,500.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

entry locker

Entryway locker cubbies, top portion constructed in custom width and shelf height. Two sets.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1. Primed
2. Two coats semi gloss white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Chevron kids table

Chevron kids table

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot red oak and golden
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 08:25

This came out really nice: it's unique! However, you should put the picture in the beginning of the post instead of under additional pictures so it's nice and big.

Hall tree

We had a great time building this
We did the bottom half one weekday, and the top piece another day. Primer, painting, and sanding in all took us 6 days.
It look fantastic

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farm House Bed w/Drawers

Used the farm house bed plans from here with a few modifications.  Instead of plywood for the headboard and footboard, I used tongue and grove 1x6 planks.  I used edge glued spruce planks from Lowes for the drawer fronts and I invested a bit more on the drawer slides and opted for the full opening type.  Also, rather than 3 large drawers on either side, I opted to put 2 smaller drawers in the center.  I felt the shallower drawers would be more useful for smaller items (socks and underwear).  I also used a 3/4" molding to hid the ends of the plywood drawer boxes.  The weathered finish was created using a video I found on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Via9Lz4Pw).  My upgrades increased the overall price, but it was still under $600 and should last a lifetime.

Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Multiple products - follow YouTube tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Via9Lz4Pw
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Coffee & Side Tables

Submitted by MacandFab on Sat, 11/26/2022 - 12:50

Milled all prices of wood from 2x8 Douglas Fir, Esresso Minwax stain, and Sherwin Williams Emerald Tricorn Black paint. Used mostly Kreg pocket hole screws and GRK #9 - 2 1/2” screws to secure the top to the base.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Outdoor Sectional- The Great Outdoors

I can't thank Ana enough for her plans on this project. We recently purchased a big project house that was going to need a lot of work (and a lot of money.) That's why I was thrilled to find Ana's plans for the exact West Elm Wood Slat Sectional I was eying for my screened in porch. The exact configuration at West Elm would have cost $2130, but I built it and sewed all the cushions for just $288! Ana's sewing plan was really helpful too, but I altered mine to include zippers in the back to remove the fabric for washing, and ties to hold the cushions securely to the sectional. We finished the sectional with super easy india ink and poly for a deep black finish that still shows the wood grain. The screened in porch is now our favorite room in the house! Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
$288 with all cushions and pillows
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
India Ink- Found in art supplies stores this thin, watery ink goes on with a sponge brush and soaks completely into the wood leaving a deep, dark wood finish that still shows the wood grain. No need to worry about drips or evenness, this finish goes on in one coat and is super easy, especially on a tricky, large piece like this. Topped with 3 coats of water based poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JES

Mon, 09/05/2011 - 11:05

This looks really super! I clicked on your blog link and read a few entries (funny!) You did a great job! Love the fabric for the cushions too. How much India ink did it take to stain a piece this big? Did it take a long time to dry? cheers!
J

Chair

I built this chair for about $12. I used 6 four foot landscaping timbers. The legs are 12''
and i used 1/4'' cedar or you could use pallets. The ends are Dog Cut . The chair is sealed and finished with Helsmans Clear. E mail me if you have any questions

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi clear Spar.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Craft Table

Submitted by Jenga on Sun, 12/06/2015 - 13:08

Project was rather simple. Just wanted to create a space that my wife could work her projects rather than always working on our dinning room table. Took the concept of the plans and made the table work for the space we had available.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint and Dark Maple Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/26/2019 - 15:39

Sister asked me to make her a table. Since I am out or work right now I said yes and got this thing done in about 3 days! 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
130.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White chalk paint for the bottom and a combo high gloss poly/stain for the top
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Time Out Bench

Submitted by VelvetSky on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 07:19

I built this from wood scraps. I saw one at Walmart online but thought it was too small. I built this to suit my tall toddler.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finish Gel Stain Java

Decopauged 'Time Out'
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Tree Shelf

Submitted by Stasia on Fri, 12/11/2015 - 17:56

We loved making this project, I even learned how to work with angles.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Outdoor 2x Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 20:48

What a fast, fun, and FUNCTIONAL project!  I did lower the seat height, as I think it allows you to sink into them a bit more -- especially with the cushions I had for them (which BTW, were on sale at Lowe's for $14.99/each.. normally like $60, I think).  Thanks ANA, for making yet another project such a breeze!

Estimated Cost
IDK.. I had all the wood laying around already.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
semi transparent deck stain in chocolate
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Benchwright Dining Table

I built this table using a hybrid approach; I used Ana's plans as a loose guideline (leg angles) and drafted the rest using the dimensions supplied at Pottery Barn's website (for the fixed table, not the extendable version).

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
The table is finished in an Espresso stain with a clearcoat of Minwax oil-modified water-based clear satin polyeurethane. I beefed up the table legs by using "4x"6 lumber and also included a wood stretcher instead of a metal one. I originally installed a "3/4 metal stretcher made of spray-painted conduit, but it looked too flimsy and dinky when juxtaposed with the thick legs of the table. I added two countersunk lag screws to each endcap and also attached the stretcher with two lag screws and joist supports (all spray painted with Rustoleum textured black enamel). My favorite part of the table is the faux slotted cross-brace ends that protrude from each leg. I simply cut four "1 pieces of "1x"4 scrap and attached one to each leg using glue, two nails, and a nail set. Pottery Barn charges $999.00 for this table; I built it for $150.00.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Keri Beth (not verified)

Wed, 09/14/2011 - 23:04

This is awesome. I'm finishing up my first project (floor to ceiling bookcases) and looking for a dining room table to make next. This just might be the one. Thanks for sharing!

Harvest Table Love

Submitted by ksmith311 on Sun, 09/29/2013 - 12:50

This Harvest table is the heart of our home. It was one of the first furniture projects we ever completed and my favorite finish to date. The night we spontaneously decided to buy lumber and build this table we had a lot of unexected visitors. We were out in the driveway working and a bunch of friends dropped by randomly so we all took a hand in building this table. It was so much fun. Spontaneous building party.

When I finished it it was my first time using a belt sander which wound up gouging some of the wood. The table top is super smooth but very rustic and I LOVE IT. I started with pre-stain conditioner, then cherry stain which I hated, then early american mixed with dark walnut. At this point it looked pretty lovely but I wanted it to look aged and gray so I lime waxed, dark waxed and buffed the whole surface of this piece. It turned out so special and you can see some red notes from the cherry stain and those are my favorite moments on this table.
Thanks again Ana.

** updated with a few better photos on 11/21

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
See summary.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Toddler SIzed Easel

We opted to make this a regular easel (no chalkboard) and just used a sheet of paneling as the background. It's perfect, our toddler loves it. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
unfinished
tray painted with milk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Maple Bookcase with Fluted Trim

Submitted by NeoMoses on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 20:57

Just finished this maple bookcase with fluted trim for my daughter's room.  I chose all maple trim even though it's painted because I wanted a good hardwood with low grain that would look good for decades to come.  Full build details are on my website.  Router bits used were a roman ogee and a core box bit.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Paint - Behr Premium Plus Semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments