Community Brag Posts

Toddler Bunk Bed

This project cost around $75 dollars for all the materials and paint. It took about 10 hours to complete. It is costructed of pine 2x4 with the exception of the slats which are 1x3.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Latex Semi-gloss Interior/Exterior Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

chalip2

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 18:45

Love the bunk bed, its looks perfect for my needs.

Is there anyway you can send me the plans for this?

Cottage Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/17/2016 - 18:37

My first project using Ana White's plans.  Love how easy the plans are and how great the bench turned out.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White Chalk Paint with Dark Brown Wax then sanded for a distressed look
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My first attempt

Submitted by Tricia H on Thu, 12/05/2013 - 11:04

This is my first attempt at woodworking. There are plenty of mistakes, but I'm happy with the finished project

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Upholstered daybed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/20/2016 - 11:41

Fun day project. Had toddler mattresses left over after my boys moved to big boy beds. Used the mattress and upholstered it to look similar to a couch. Now it lives in their playroom complete with throw pillows from target. I built some of this with scrap wood on hand to save cost. All in all, a very fun project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 16:19

Made this outdoor table with Lowe’s lumber. Added some industrial accents like the metal rod and turnbuckle underneath and the metal corner brackets in each corner of the top. Spray painted the metal hardware black. I did incorporate the pocket holes for the table top.

Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades, in walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Camping life

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 14:21

This was a great project. Easy to do.. Had to down size the table to fit our trailer…

Comments

Dresser Cabinet with doors!

This is our version of a dresser cabinet. Thought we would share. We used mostly birch plywood and began by staining it but ended up painting it after the stain didn't work out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
eggshell cream with eggshell white for the door trim
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

sandrabees

Tue, 04/17/2012 - 07:34

Great job! I am in the process of building mine. Trying to figure out how to do my doors. I did a double set (6 baskets). Figuring hinges out is baffling! Lol

Wall Jewelry Cabinet

Submitted by stdismuke on Tue, 12/10/2013 - 12:38

My wife has been looking for a jewelry cabinet at local antique markets so I decided to make her one for Christmas. I mostly followed the original plan but added cork in the bottom section so that she could push in earrings that can't be hung from the front.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Oak for the stain and Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy TV Stand

Submitted by imsomark on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:34

This was my first woodworking project and I really like how it turned out. The instructions for building the unit were pretty clear and I only deviated from them in two ways: 1) Since I am using this as a tv stand, I added a port (pictured) for xbox / cable box HDMI cables. I painted the port the same color as the unit so it blends in well. 2) To attach the top two stained pieces of wood, I used pocket holes instead of drilling down from the top. That way I didn't need to use any wood filler. I think I used 7 or so pocket holes per board and it seemed to be held pretty well. For the paint color, I copied kbdesigns' unit and used 'Intellectual' by Behr. I don't remember the stain for the wood but the stain is a darker color than it shows in the pictures. As far as the hardware, I modified those plans as follows: 1) I used a vise to bend the aluminum flat bar to provide stopping points for the doors, so they don't just slide right off the bar. I think I bent about 1.25-1.5 inches at the end. I just used a hammer and a vise and the metal bent fairly easily. 2) I drilled four holes instead of three for more support. 3) For the bar pieces on the doors, I made them 4.5 inches instead of 8.5 inches. I liked the shorter look in the original Grandy examples. 4) I used the clevis pins from the pulleys I bought to attach the wheels to the bars. Note: her instructions for the pulley wheels seemed very difficult. I was able to find pulleys on clevis pins that could easily be removed from the wheel casing, or whatever it is called. I found them at Home Depot. I think they were 1.5 inches.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Potting Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/16/2023 - 11:27

Proud of this, my very first build. Thanks to Ana White for the detailed, easy to follow plan. Can hardly wait to start the next project!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

4X4 Truss Beam Table

This was my first project. It's not perfect, but I love the way it turned out! The original plans were too large for my dining room, so I altered the plans to make it a 5-foot table. I actually ended up making it a little bit wider as well by adding an additional 2X10 to the table top to make the table look more proportional. The wider table top has made it perfect for family-style meals! For the finish, I did one layer of Rustoleum American Walnut stain applied with a foam brush and wiped off with a clean cloth after one minute. After the first layer of stain, I sanded the table with a very fine paper and then did two layers of Rustoleum Dark Walnut applied with a foam brush and wiped off with a clean cloth after only a few seconds of setting. Finally, I did three layers of Rustoleum Matte Finish polyurethane.

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

daydra

Tue, 03/06/2018 - 19:15

Your table is beautiful!!! You done a stunning job on it!!! This is the same size that I need for my table but I'm having a hard time figuring out the measurements for the legs and the length of the benches I need!!! My table needs to be 60"x32" would you mind helping me with the measurements of your bench and also of your legs on the table?? I plan to make the table legs the same height as hers but need to make the top board and middle brace to match the 60" top!!

Noah's Modern Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 17:31

Thanks so much for this build post.  We actually were about to purchase the dresser that this is designed after, but I couldn't stomach the 900 price tag.  I headed to anna-white.com to see if she had plans for anything similar and voila! the plans for the exact dresser we wanted were here!  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I spent about $300 in materials.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used red oak stain from minwax, and white paint. We coated it all in a rub-on poly finish for durability.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Collection tables

Submitted by jeep97jc on Fri, 10/04/2019 - 19:17

Saw this table and had to build it, love it, easy and fairly quick to build, I also built the console table after seeing the finished coffee table. I also want to make matching end tables. Love this site and how easy it is to build projects with the plans, my go to when finding projects,  Thank you

Estimated Cost
$40-$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Classic Grey, Rustoleum Polyurethane Clear
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Doll High Chair

Submitted by angiemicn on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 01:20

I love this design, Ana has created the perfect toy, esp to give as Birthday presents! The size is perfect, very sturdy, I put mine together with Kreg Jig. I've made 7 so far, the first time I made it, I didn't have a 1x8, and ended up Jigging 2 1x4's together. Worked so well, I do it every time now. I like to make these, fully sanding the piece before I put it together, and letting my niece or whoever is recieving it, paint it themselves. It's a great way to spend an afternoon with your aunt
Blog is under construction, I will be posting additional high chairs as I make them

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
15 if I bought the wood, use scraps and leftover screws
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Kilz primer, and semigloss paint. This is a project I let the kids paint, and I always tell them, "It always dries different." When they go down for their nap or bed, I come behind and touch it up.
My nieces have used glitter pens to write their names on them, and I've spray Poly'd which holds up well
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern King Farmhouse Bed with Canopy

Although I have experience building projects and using tools, this was my first Ana White project. I am a huge fan! I wanted a little bit more modern take on the Farmhouse bed with canopy, so I attached the headboards and foot boards directly to the 88" tall 4 x 4 posts. This was done instead of creating the king farmhouse bed first and adding the canopy on top of it like the plans show. I used solid 3/4" birch plywood instead of the planks for the headboard/footboard for a more streamlined look. I also used 1 x 4's around the entire perimiter of the headboard/foot board instead of just the top and bottom. I am thrilled with how it turned out, it looks exactly the way I wanted it to! Step-by-step information on how I built the bed are on my blog at decorsanity.com. Thank you Ana, you rock!!

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 sprayed coat primer, 1 sprayed coat Behr flat paint in Polar Bear White, 1 coat sprayed Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

BeaxBuilt

Fri, 01/24/2014 - 23:28

It looks very sturdy. I like your idea of the 1x4 around the entire perimeters and making the canopy the actual bed frame. Thats what I would have done too. I am always trying to think of ways to use 2 x's or 4 x's instead of 1 x's I like the chunkier look. Great job

Loft bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/28/2016 - 18:35

I loved making this bed. This was my first experience using a Kreg Jig and it was great! We added three inches to the height of the bed so that my daughter could stand up for the next two years or so without bonking her head. We opted for rungs instead of stairs to save more space. We also used 2x4s cut to width for bed slats instead of a bunkie board.

Estimated Cost
$90 for all lumber, wood condition, stain and PH screws
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood conditioner
Minwax Ipswich Pine
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

American Girl Doll House

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 18:59

This Project was a Challenge mostly because of its size. Standing 6ft Tall and 4ft wide it was hard to handle at times but easy enough and fun to build.
I followed Ana's Three Story American Girl or 18" Dollhouse plans.
We also made the American Girl or 18" Doll Sofa or Couch.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used White Latex Paint and Walnut Mini Wax stain for the floors
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planters for Steps

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/27/2023 - 12:10

Very happy with how these planters turned out. Beautiful with red Geraniums and ping wave petunias.

Built by Dave

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Headboard

I used the Farm House Headboard plan to make this headboard. I had to mix the stain to match a dresser I already had. I used a mix of Minwax pecan, red oak, and jacobean stains for the base coat and then Minwax red chestnut for 2 additional coats. I then used 2 coats of fast drying poly to top coat with. The wood is pine stud grade. I did modify it a bit by adding an additional vertical cross member in the center and I had to add a 1" x 12" at the bottom because the style of the bed frame. I built it in an afternoon but it took several days to stain and top coat.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
One coat of a custom mix of Minwax pecan, red oak, and jacobean stains. Two coats of Minwax red chestnut stain. Two coats of Minwax polyurethane. I sanded between the coats of polyurethane using 320 grain sandpaper. All finishes were done with brushes. I wiped down the stain applications with cotton cloths after waiting 15 minutes.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

A letter shelf

A built these shelves for my nieces birthdays. I reversed the color schemes to keep them separate. The plans provided are great! I would certainly use the added 1 x 2 supports if hanging on the wall because the shelf is heavy (about 14 pounds).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar paint sample from Lowes
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner