Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by kristine on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 23:08

So the husband was not happy with the fancy x dining table he made and thus, within a short 4 month period, he made another dining table :/ This one, however, he loves, so no more dining table making for him anytime soon! He veered off plans by joining most of the projects using dowels. You can read more about the build at our blog:

http://tonyandkristine.blogspot.com/2013/03/diy-farmhouse-table.html

Estimated Cost
appx $100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Stain + Poly in Early American
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Fancy X Farmhouse Table & Bench

Submitted by diegaeb on Fri, 05/14/2021 - 00:55

Last summer we got a new terrace and definitely need new outdoor dining furniture.

Estimated Cost
200 €
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Mylands Artillery Ground No. 164 Wood & Metal Eggshell & Mylands Cadogan Stone No. 59 Wood & Metal Eggshell

Comments

Porch Swing Glider

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/19/2017 - 09:25

Built the porch swing and was inspired to build the glider frame by another "Brag Post" Looks great and fits perfectly in my back yard!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Transparent deck sealant for frame, white exterior paint for seat panels
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rachael Brown

Fri, 02/18/2022 - 08:20

Are there any dimensions for the glider part? I have first year agriculture students building this, but we are unsure of the cut list for this. I am sure I can figure it out as the teacher, but with 20 students in the class, it would be better to be able to give them instructions to follow on paper. Thank you!!!

Cedar Fence Picket Planter

Submitted by MMTruncale on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 18:31

I'm still getting to know my Compound Miter Saw, so I wanted to get another small project under my belt. Not to mention I had a whole other picket and a half left over from yesterday's project. This just seem to be the perfect project to do. And needed since we actually needed a few more planters.

Estimated Cost
$1
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Left it natural.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rhyan coffee table with our own twist

Took us about 2 weeks from start to finish but we could only work on it about an hour a day. We also had some issues with the stain. We were going for an aged look and weren't happy with the colors so we layered different stains till we were happy. Hardware is from Martha Stewart. Over all, the table wasn't that hard, but I would definitely advise measuring and cutting as you go, because of all the drawers, the slightest mis-measurement can put the whole thing off. You can see better pics at facebook.com/oldsouldesigns. Absolutely love the end result and so do our customers!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miwax provincial, covered with minwax sun bleached, and topped with a natural reddish stain (can't remember)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 06:05

The table came out great! I ran every board through the table saw to make sure each piece was square. On the breadboard ends I added 2 1 1/2x1 1/2 x 9 supports. I decided to take off a lot of material with 40 grit sandpaper so every top board was completely smooth. Added adhesive felt to the bottom and used minwax polycrylic finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125 with stain, polyethylene, brushes and rags.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax oil base Esspresso
Minwax polycrylic semi gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Square Picnic Table

Submitted by frmoody on Tue, 08/10/2021 - 07:05

Enjoyed this project although with the price of lumber it was a little expensive to build. The only modification I made was to put a cross brace in the centre of the table top. That allowed me to attach the top boards a little more securely as some of them were a little bowed. I'll add a better photograph once I get it out of my garage and on to the back deck. It is a little heavy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$240
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I stained the dark part of the table with Behr water based English Chestnut and the seat and top with Minwax Ipswich Pine followed by four coats of Varathane Exterior Gloss.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Craft table with Oak Plywood and Chalk Paint

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/18/2017 - 09:29

As a solo and novice woodworker, it took me a while to get used to the pocket hole jig and longer to cut the wood myself but eventually it all came together.   To ensure I could get it out of the house if I move, I used circle 8 desktop fasteners to fasten the plywood top to the risers.  I am proud I finished and love to use the table now for both craft work and breakfast on the weekends.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Top is oak plywood finished with Danish oil.
Shelves are pine with Minwax oak stain
Paint is Valspar chalk paint: Kid Gloves for the outside and Bonnet Ribbon for the interior, all finished with Satin finishing wax.  
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Truss Beam Table

Submitted by firebug on Sun, 03/22/2015 - 22:08

I built this farmhouse table from your plans. It turned out great, I had to modify the plans and make it bigger to fit my needs. But we love the outcome and it was well worth it to do this project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain: Dark Walnut. Table Top Finish: Famowood Kit 1 Gal Size Glaze Coat Gloss Polyurethane.
Bottom and Benches Finish: Glossy Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

wy2ak

Mon, 03/23/2015 - 19:27

Outstanding finish! After seeing this, I might have to try it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Storage Bench/Daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/23/2017 - 20:49

This was my 2nd woodworking project, so I was very pleased with the results. I wanted more seating and storage for my office area. I liked the look of the Farmhouse Storage Bed, so I decided to modify the plans and turn it into a bench. I made the seating area 30" wide and 68" long. Instead of headboard and footboard, I made 2 sides that were about 40" tall (36" 4x4 plus the 2x4 and 2x6). I made 3 24" deep drawers and left the back side open so that I can store electronics that need to be charged in them with the cords hanging out the back of the drawers. It was a lot of fun to make, and I know that my family will enjoy it!

Estimated Cost
$350 for wood and hardware, then paint and cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Flat black oil-based enamel paint, then finished by lightly rubbing with fine grit sandpaper
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

transitional bath room vanity

Submitted by Texalyn on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 07:14

I changed the height of the Connor Side Table to that of a bathroom vanity and added an apron to hide the underside of the sink.  I carefully built the vanity to be level, then discovered that the underside of the sink surround is wavy (apparently they are made by being poured into an upside down mold, hence the wavy surface).  I added trim at the top of the vanity to hide the shims stabilizing the sink top.  Thx to Rogue Engineer for the well-written plans, and thx to Ana White for your Kreg pocket hole jig video.  It made me feel confident I could pull this off!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Golden Oak stain, two coats of MinWax Clear Satin Polyurethane, with light sanding with fine sandpaper between coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Western jail bunk bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/02/2017 - 13:55

Still waiting to add the stained jail sign. But a dad's twist to a mom's honey do project added the porch to the front to catch my youngest if he falls out of bed. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Cedar stain and high gloss finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse storage bed - double the storage

Queen sized storage bed in width for  a full sized mattress. I wanted this against the wall, so i put both sets of drawers on one side and hinged the footboard for access underneath. 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bdrez33

Thu, 04/08/2021 - 08:26

I just finished building the same bed and designed it with a second set of drawers above... I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS FIRST!! What an ingenious design with the step built in. I made a step stool for my daughter to get into the bed, but this was really a fantastic idea. Well done!

Reclaimed Wood Headboard, Queen sized

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/13/2017 - 17:34

My boyfriend and I wanted a calm relaxing beach feel at our Florida vacation home, however with kids in college and two getting married, we were on a tight budget.  We found these plans on Ana White's website.  He made the headboard and bench and I distressed it to make it look weathered.  We used Minwax Dark Walnut as a base,  let it dry over night,  and lightly wiped it down in the morning.  We then used Rustoleum "Chalked" in White Linen and applied it with a large stencil brush we found at Michaels craftstore.  We applied it almost haphazardly,  purposely making it look rough.  The chalk paint dries quickly.  We then brushed on some clear Americana creme wax.  We are very happy with the end result,  it was our first project build, and we nailed it.  Thanks. Ana!!!

Estimated Cost
It cost about 100 dollars to build both the bench and headboard. We also spent about 40 dollars on the medium to finish the headboard.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax: Dark Walnut
Rustoleum Chalked: White Linen
Americana Clear Creme Wax
(All the above purchased at Home Depot)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Minnie Mouse Child’s Adirondack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 15:34

Made this for my grand niece, who was obsessed with Minnie Mouse. When done, my friend said I needed to add a foot rest, so I did!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Ana White Admin

Mon, 10/04/2021 - 16:42

So incredibly adorable, thank you so much for sharing! Your friend was right, that footrest is the cherry on top!

Modern Farm Table at cabin

Submitted by jehenslee on Mon, 05/04/2015 - 10:38

I pretty much just followed the plan. It did not take long to build, but I spent quite a bit of time on the finish. I sanded and sanded and sanded. I was going for a restoration Hardware type finish and got pretty close. This was the first piece of furniture I built. Recently moved to a farm so have been building farm needs projects and finally had time to build some furniture.  I purchased the bench cushions. 

Thanks for the awesome plans, information and site Ana! I love it!

 

Janice

Estimated Cost
$150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used the colors and process from this post:
http://ana-white.com/2013/08/rustic-yet-refined-wood-finish
I wanted my table darker though so I used more of the darker stain. Started with the gray, then dark, then a mixture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Funky Step Stool

I kept coming across photos of this step stool plan in the brag pages and felt very envious that I hadn't seen it before I built the other set of steps!  So I decided I likely had enough scrap wood lying around I could make one for our upstairs bathroom too!
I used two pieces of pine rough barn board for the sides and for the treads I used 1x4 scraps I had, two pieces that already had an edge routered in them from some trim I did for my sons World Map Mural. 
I used my Kreg Jig for everything except the treads which are nailed.

I'm thrilled with it!  It's nice and light and easy to move around and holds up my little guy with no trouble!

Estimated Cost
Free! I used leftovers!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
miniwax colonial maple rubbed on with a rag, no topcoat. (we'll see how it wears... didn't want a slippery finish.)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Chair Bench

Very nice bench.  I have now made three.  This one is grey washed red cedar.  

Estimated Cost
170.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Grey Washed Flat Exterior paint, mixed 50/50 with water. Varathane Satin finish. Practice on scrap wood wiping on/off the grey paint to get the desired look. Polyurethane has a yellow hue, the varathane is crystal clear.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cubby Storage System

Submitted by beckysnest on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:04

This was my first building project ever! Even though it took longer than I expected to complete (I have four tiny kids and snagged an hour here and there during nap time over the course of many months), it was absolutely worth the time investment (and wait)! Hanging the doors was tricky (my awesome husband tackled that part), but other than that it was easy to put together. Finishing it was the hardest part by far. If I were to do it again, I'd probably do some preliminary sanding of the boards before putting them together and I would most certainly not use oak (I was talked into it by the HD guys) especially since I ended up painting it. I think it would have turned out just as great if I'd used a cheaper wood or MDF. Thanks for the plans Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Started with two coats of Behr Ultra Interior Satin (paint w/primer) color matched to Martha Stewart Barn Red (sanded between coats). After one final (light) sanding to distress, I finished with one coat of Ralph Lauren Glaze in Tobacco that I had on hand (brush on one side of surface and then quickly wipe away excess with an old rag--moving the rag in the direction of the wood grain). The glaze brought out the wood grain more and helped tone down the exposed wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy Jewelry Box

Submitted by JoanneS on Thu, 06/04/2015 - 14:35

One of my friends at work is going to a new job, and this build is her going away gift. It is a variation of the Fancy Jewelry Box, with the following modifications:

Made from select pine, no plywood is visible on the outside on this build.
Slightly smaller, the box is made from 1x6, the back is a ½” x 5 ½” craft board, and the door outsides are 3/8” x 5 ½” craft boards.
The drawer boxes are ¼” thick craft board and the doors and overlay drawer faces are 3/8” thick craft board.
Overall dimensions are 13” wide, 5 ½” deep, and 14 ¼” tall.
The select pine worked very well for the luxe stained finish I was trying to achieve.
Used fancy knobs instead of wood knobs (also swapped out the included screws for shorter ones).

I really took my time on this to get everything just so. The project took about 15 hours in total, including the build, finishing, and decorations - - a bit at a time, spread out over the last couple of weeks.

I'm very happy to say the gift was a big hit!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finish: 2 coats of Varathane Stain + Poly in Early American, with a top coat of Minwax Polycrylic in Gloss. The drawers and doors are lined with embossed felt, and the box bottom and drawer bottoms are covered with sticky-back felt. The ring holder is a scrap of high density foam covered with sticky-back felt. The knobs are acrylic crystal and the back has flat hinges in antique brass (swapped out the included screws for shorter ones on the hinges and knobs). The hooks are ¾” brass shoulder hooks.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner