Community Brag Posts

My first Ana project- took the spa bench and added doors. Thanks for the easy-to-use plans, Ana. Still learning, though- I ended up buying three sets of hinges before I was happy!

My summer-long project (admittedly, I was lazy about getting it done) was to make built-in bookshelves for our huge family room. For the bookshelves themselves I cobbled together plans from different sites, and modified them all to fit our space/needs, and the cabinets are built after Ana's cabinet plans, modified to be as thin in depth as the bookshelves. Doors on the cabinets were a pain, but they are also my favorite part of the whole shebang with their beadboard inserts. Moulding at top and bottom finishes out the look, and caulking in all the gaps helps give it cohesion.
I could not be happier with my built-ins. I feel like I have a library now, and it got all of our books out of boxes and onto shelves. Yay!

This entire project cost around $80-$100 because I acquired quite a bit of free wood off Craigslist. I also got wood from the scrap bin at Home Depot for great discounts. Since this would've likely cost near 1k to buy, I am quite pleased.
Anytime you are making projects without real plans, it take quite a bit longer and more mistakes are made. But, to have something completely customized to your needs and space is better than any price tag/time you can put on it!

Tools used: drill, kreg mini pocket hole jig, orbital sander, countersink bit, miter saw, jig saw, HPLV paint sprayer, clamps, circular saw

This is our first time building this awesome table.  My husband used Ana's plans with the greatest of ease and then I was able to do the fun part, paint it! Did I mention that our table SOLD the very day we finished it? Yes, the same day.  We are in the process of building another table as we speak.  I am so excited!

We've recently moved into a new house and I've wanted a bench for the mudroom entrance from the garage. This bench is perfect.

We made this table using the Rekourt Farmouse table plan. We used wider boards for the table top and simplified the angles on the legs a bit. We also built benches for each side of the table and dressed the ends with formal dining chairs. Used Dark Walnut Minwax stain and a clear satin epoxy to coat the top and bench seats. Had issues attaching the breadboards even with a Kreg Jig, Would probably do better if we did it all over again but totally happy with how it turned out.

My husband and I built this changing table for our sons room. We made a few modifications, but overall, I think it looks great! This was the first of many projects to come from this website!

Distressed chalk paint

Doubled the size of Ana's toy storage to accommodate my niece and nephew.

These little dressers are inspired by Ana's Master Closet System drawers, and the Willy Bookshelf. These were made entirely from scrap wood, so it only cost me for the knobs and the felt for the drawers/bottom. These drawers were sized to fit inside the cubes in my vanity/desk, and to fit the left over wood available from my scrap bin. This took a while to cut everything, but it was fun and didn’t cost me anything but my time. On the top dresser I used some ‘slices’ of lauan for trim, to hide the cut edges and the bit of ‘cup’ on my side pieces (these were re-purposed old shelf boards from the garage). I used my finish nailer and glue for these.

Here’s a shopping and cut list (and a few tips) to make the 4-drawer equivalent (similar to the top one) with standard sized 1x12 lumber, and using 1x2 for drawer front/back/sides and applying 3/16” lauan ply for the bottoms. Haven't figured out how to use sketch up yet, so I can only provide a shopping list, cut list, and finished dimensions, so here goes:

Shopping list: (my 1x12’s are 11.25” wide and .75” thick, and 1x2’s were 1.5” wide, and .75” thick, and lauan is 3/16” thick)

1 pc 1x12x8
2 pc 1x2x8
2 pc 24” x 24” lauan (3/16’ plywood) (you’ll have some left over from the 2nd piece)
Felt - 4 pc 8.5” x 9.75” for insides of drawers, 4 pc 10” x 11.25” for drawer bottoms, and 1 pc 11.75" x 11.25" for dresser bottom. You can use 9 sheets craft felt (9” x 12”) for this – the 11.25” front – back measurement on the drawer bottoms is what’s most important –craft felt is 9” wide, and it’s OK if the felt doesn’t go all the way to the edges on the side-to-side measurement
(Sticky-back felt works and looks great, but costs a lot more than regular. I use sticky back on something I’m making as a gift, but these were for me so I just used regular felt and glued it in place with wood glue)
4 mini-knobs (Mine are unfinished ones from Ace, got for 2/$1.29 and spray-painted them)
Finish nails (I had 1 ¼” on hand) and plenty of glue
Finishing materials - filler, sand paper, plus paint/stain to suit your tastes

Cut list:
2 pc 1x12, cut at 2” (spacers - use these 'slices' for spacers while assembling, so the shelves are all spaced the same distance apart – this idea is from the Kreg jig demo video where they built the bookshelf). I like to cut these first, making sure they are nice and square. To me it’s easier and safer to cut these thin pieces from a larger piece with my miter saw.
2 pc 1x12 @ 11.75” (dresser top/bottom)
5 pc 1x12 @ 10.25” (2 for sides, 3 for shelves)
8 pc 1x2 @ 10” (drawer front/back)
8 pc 1x2 @ 9.75” (drawer sides)
4 pc 10” x 11.25” lauan plywood (drawer bottoms)
1 pc 11.75" x 11.75” lauan plywood (back)

Finished dimensions:
Dresser: 11.75” H x 11.75” W x 11 7/16” deep (includes back)
Drawer opening size: 10.25” wide x 2” tall x 11.25” deep
Drawer dimensions: 10”wide x 11.25” long x 1 11/16” tall (felt on the bottom of the drawer will make this height just a little taller)
Finished inside depth of drawer 1.5”, drawer inside dimensions 8.5” wide x 9.75” long

Finish: sanded, filled, sanded some more, and painted with some left over white paint, and used silver spray paint for the knobs

Assembly tips: Dresser part is constructed very much like the Willy bookshelf. The top and bottom are the same size on this one and the dresser bottom is applied the same way as the top of the Willy bookshelf. Once the bottom is on, use the ‘spacers’ to make sure the shelves are the same distance apart all the way up, then the top goes on last. 3/16” plywood goes on the back. Drawers are constructed like the master closet system drawers. Drawers slide directly on the shelves (and bottoms of drawers covered with felt) so no drawer glides are used. Applied the felt and knobs after sanding and finishing. Make sure the felt goes all the way from the front to the back of the drawer bottom, and is glued on thoroughly.

I tweaked the console plans to work best for my space, and to work with the reclaimed barn threshing floor boards that I used for the top.

I love how it turned out and it works wonderfully in my space.

Hi Ana! Thank-you for the detailed instructions on how to build the indoor playground! We had our contractor build this for our twins' 3rd birthday present. The kids absolutely LOVE the playground and use it every day. I'm planning to paint it, reinforce and install a rock climbing wall up to the bridge, and install some easels in the bottoms of the playhouses. You can see more pictures of the kids playing and the construction here: http://feedingtwins.com/body/the-best-3rd-birthday-present/ Thanks again! Julie

Well, this was my first ever wood build. I have made plenty of sewing projects and many other things, but haven't ever done a wood build.....and I have to say - I'm ADDICTED! I can not wait to do my next wood build. Actually, already making plans to take the beach hut bed and modify it to be a bunk bed for my two girls!
Modifications I made to the kitchen center are as follows:
Fridge: I installed magnetic clips inside the door area so it would stay closed and not go in to far when she closed it. I used basic exterior hinges due to the ackwardness of the size of the boards and placement, but it actually looked better. I installed hooks on the left side for her apron and hot pads and hooks on the right side for her cooking utensils to hang up.
Stove: I made the knobs to the stove able to turn and pull out a little to imitate an actual knob on a stove so she feels as though she is able to turn on the stove and cook. I made the top have four electric burners on the sides and a gas grill plate in the middle....she loves this for her "burgers" lol. I found some cookie cooling racks at dollar tree and they sit perfectly on the shelves inside the stove. I also mounted a tap light on the inside of the stove so it has an "oven light" in it.
Sink: I painted a ceiling medallion to match the set colors and have that as her decorative sink border...the actual sink is a purple tupperware bowl. The faucet is actually a sink mounted soap dispenser I purchased. It has a bottle that attaches under the sink that I can fill with water so that when she is playing she can pump the faucet and actually get water! I made sure to use kitchen and bath grade silicone sealant on the sink and used paint that is ok in a kitchen/bath area.

I painted her set Disney Tink Pink lol.....her favorite color! She is loving this set and I am so thankful I found this site so I could make it!