Community Brag Posts

Modern Craft Talbe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/18/2016 - 13:26

The desk top measures 39" X 69". It extends 15" on one side, creating a counter overhang for a second crafter. The top is supported by a 1X3 frame fashioned after the desk design shared on Ana's brag post (pg. 7 as of this writing). The room has a tile floor, so adhesive-backed felt strips were placed on the bottom of the bookcase units, making it easier to pull the desk into the middle of the room should I need to access my work from both sides.

 

A lumber yard cut all the pieces. Next time I would use 1X12s for the two side pieces.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MDF for table top. White wood for bookcases.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corona square coffee table

Submitted by ygoryanina on Fri, 02/21/2020 - 09:26

Farmhouse style wood coffee table with gorgeous balustrade legs, 38" x 38", 18" high. Stained antique oak, sealed for long life...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
under $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes water based stain antique oak, flat water based poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

12' Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/16/2023 - 09:03

This is a 12’ Farmhouse Table made from old reclaimed barn wood. I used the plans from Ana White Farmhouse Table and just scaled it for 12’.

Shawn Imes

Comments

Let's go play on the see-saw!

Submitted by mamahowell on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 15:50

Super easy project....and already, hours of enjoyment by my kiddos!!

Thanks Ana for another awesome plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$22
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Haven't painted it yet....
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

VegTrug

Submitted by carongirls on Sat, 02/22/2014 - 18:52

A friend needed a raised garden bed for her husband who is in a wheel chair. I searched and found the VegTrug's. It took a lot of trial and error. I based it off Williams Sonoma's pictures. I wouldn't of attempted this with out a plan if it weren't for Ana's website.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

steve badham

Wed, 09/09/2015 - 02:56

We have just set up a "Men'sShed" in our little village here in the UK, and think that these would make a great first project for novice handymen. Are there any plans available to help us?

Steve

Trickman2

Wed, 05/18/2016 - 21:45

Not sure what the story is here,  Maybe she got in trouble for saying Vegtrug?  I would like plans for a DIY Raised planter bed like the above. 

Modern outdoor bench

My last piece of my collection

Estimated Cost
$100
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

gtg673a

Tue, 03/09/2021 - 12:17

Hi Lila - I love this table and bench and have been searching everywhere for the plans. The link you connected to: "2x4 truss benches for Alaska lake cabin" doesn't look like your set at all :(
Maybe it's the wrong link?
Do you have the link for the plans you followed for this table and bench?
Thanks in advance!

Corner Media Console

Submitted by craw4dz on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:39

We had just moved into our new house and were using an end table for our TV stand I just didn't like it.  I found this and modified it so it's shorter and fits in our room better.  I also opted to not put doors on it and use it to display items instead.  This was a relatively easy build and I'm learning new things with every build I make.  It took about 2 days to complete not including filling holes/paint/stain.  I love it, it looks so great in our room and I am planning on building end tables to match as well as replacing our buffet with movies in it to match also.  Thanks for the easy-to-follow plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Whatever white paint I had on hand (haha) and Varathane Kona with a satin poly for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Computer Desk and Chair

I bought a dining table set just for the chairs a while ago and the table legs have been sitting there ever since. The rest of the materials were scraps from the shop. I never worry about matching wood types if I'm planning on painting it. Everything matches when you paint over top of it.

The chair is something I made a while ago. I realized I didn't want to make 3 more after hours of just making one. That's why I bought that dining set in the first place.

Estimated Cost
Free if you have scraps. $50 if not.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray primer and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Greg (not verified)

Sat, 06/30/2012 - 18:41

How tall are the legs? I'm thinking about making something like this for my daughter's room.

In reply to by Greg (not verified)

patrickhosey

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 15:01

They are 29" tall. I got those legs at Home Depot for $12 a piece.

Turned Leg Farmhouse Table

Submitted by pde00311 on Mon, 02/24/2014 - 22:39

After I found these awesome walnut chairs on craigslist, I did by best to match the stain and build a kitchen table on the cheap for our new house. As you can see, I modified the design into a square to fit the space. I also attempted to create a unique design by making diagonal cuts with the miter saw and connecting everything in the underbelly with my Kreg Jig. My one regret is that after my palm sander broke, instead of buying a replacement, I got a little hyperactive with my belt sander. It ended up making a unique swirl design over the grain. A part of me thinks it looks cool and the other part thinks it looks ridiculous. The moral of the story is never use a belt sander on something you intend to stain.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Old masters American walnut with 3 layers high-gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

DogDoc25

Sat, 03/08/2014 - 16:33

I've accidentally done the same thing with the sander on pieces of my furniture too. I don't think yours looks ridiculous at all- it is a really beautiful table!!

pde00311

Fri, 04/25/2014 - 07:04

It was a fun build, and despite a few marks on top, we love the table!

Double farmhouse bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/25/2016 - 20:05

My husband built the full size farmhouse bed for our 2 year old son. It turned out beautiful but very high off the ground. In hindsight he would've cut off about 4" from the end posts so it would be lower to the ground. Overall we are very happy with it!

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Barn door Pantry/Coffee station

Submitted by tcossins1 on Mon, 03/09/2020 - 08:19

My wife has been asking me to build her a pantry since we bought our house last year and I finally got around to doing it. I used the Barn Door Entertainment center plans as inspiration but Instead of using the 1x12x8ft lumber suggested I used 1x6x8ft boards connected with pocket holes to save on costs. The Barn door hardware is the SMARTSTANDARD 8ft heavy duty (double door) which I purchased on Amazon for 73$.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350-$450
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint: Behr Plain White paint and primer
stain: Varathane classic dark walnut.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mobile Storage Cart with Chalkboard Back

Submitted by vendo on Mon, 10/23/2023 - 11:14

I was asked to build something for my daughters varsity basketball team room. There wasn't a lot of extra space, so this is what I came up with. I wanted to give parents a place to set treats or leave an inspirational message. I was inspired by Ana's modern craft table plans. The smaller bookshelf measures 14" wide by 33 1/4" high (using a 1x8), the larger bookshelf measures 21" wide by 33 1/4" tall (using 3/4" plywood), with a 3/4" plywood top and 2" casters, it's a nice 36" counterheight. I used edgebanding for the top and front exposed plywood edges. I used aluminum flat bar (spray painted gold) to the shelves adding a decorative element as well as to help keep items on the shelves. The back is 1/8" panel spray painted with chalk paint. I added some bay supports at the top of each bookshelf to attach the top from underneath. I'm happy with the results!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

A clearance shelf

Okay in all fairness to a woodworking site, I did not actually MAKE this shelf. However, I saw the plan for how to decoupage my scraps and thought hey I did something like this a few months back. I think I will take a picture and share what you can do with decoupage and some scraps.... did that make sense? Anyway, this is to give you an idea of something you can do!

So - found this shelf on the damaged section at Hobby Lobby for less than $20 in fact I think it was about $16 or so. It was missing 2 of the glass sections, one of the backs to the picture, and one hook. It also had some small places where the paint was chipped off. So I bought it with a great place to put it but no definitive plan on how to fix it.

Here's my rehab - filled in scratched spots with a black sharpie, it looks pretty good. Instead of trying to find glass/backs, I found some copyright free letters and had prints made of them (there is a whole folder out there on flickr of copyright free letter photos for personal use). Of course, I had to agonize over which ones to use and which had the correct orientation - I ended up with a metal stamped C, a concrete O, a wood carved a, a stitiched T, and a painted s. Then I took thin scrap board, cut them to size, and decoupaged the letters on to each board. For my final decoupage coatings, I used a small brush one way and then the other to give the product a canvas like texture. When that was dry, I sprayed it with a matte clear coat (if you don't do this over mod podge it has a sticky feel to it and dust/dog hair etc will stick to it). I put these little plaques in the holes of my shelf with tape. No glass needed when the decoupage is sealed like this.

Unfortunately, I could not find hooks to match the missing ones so I just bought new ones and will save the other 4 for some other project.

Hung it up and hung coats on it!

Estimated Cost
$20 - including the shelf
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Monster mash activity table

Submitted by monster on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 19:20

This was a really easy and inexpensive project. As I don't have a table saw and I'm scared to death of my circular saw, I had the laminated MDF cut to size and edged. Assembly and painting was really quick. This little man will road test it for me!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Enamel paint for the red trim
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Nailed it!

Submitted by yiffergan on Mon, 03/16/2020 - 08:30

I only work with reclaimed/junk wood and this has literally been the most rewarding thing I've ever done.  I absolutely love these projects! can't thank you enough for sharing plans- and for free!  (I also made a chair but it won't let me upload a pic.)

Estimated Cost
$10 for nails
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Rustic Coffee Table with Custom Finish

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/29/2023 - 19:41

Great coffee table by April!

For the Finish:

First I lightly burnt the wood. The base is minwax in ebony. I actually sprayed water on the wood and used a damp cloth to apply. 

The top I used random spots of regular satin paint in grey, a couple shades of blue and an olive green and a chalk paint white. Then sanded it down removing most of the paint and stained it with minwax provincial.  And went over some of the edges with the ebony. 

Entryway Shelf

I built this from the Easy Kitchen Shelf Plan, but only used 3 2x6's as the top to make it 16.5" in width and shortened the length to 46" to fit the space.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I finished it with Minwax Dark Walnut Stain and used some leftover off-white Beautitone paint for the legs. Finished it with 3 coats of Crystal Clear Varathane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Disney inspired SeeSaw

Submitted by Anne in AL on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 11:51

Our 2 year old granddaughter loves seesaws, so my husband built this one for her. We had just been to Disney World and decided to make the seat Mickey shaped for a little extra fun. He used his bandsaw to cut the seat.

The seesaw is plenty stable enough for us to go on it with her and has been a BIG hit with the neighborhood kids.

More pictures on our blog: http://yearoflivingdisney.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/disney-ride-at-home/

Thank you, Ana, for these plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
wood was minimal cost, the paint was the expense!
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
exterior semigloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Alexia Bench modified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/02/2016 - 08:21

This was a very quick and easy build that was completely finished in an afternoon. My Kreg jig was loaned out, so I have exposed fasteners, but I prefer to let them show instead of filling the holes. I built this with 20" legs to make it a little taller and more comfortable for my height. I also prefer straight lines and angles, so I changed the trim pieces a bit to suit my style. The hardest part was getting the drawer slides lined up. The finish is Rustoleum Heirloom White with a coffee colored glaze. The picture makes one drawer look darker, but it's really just a shadow. I'm in love with this project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$65 for standard boards and a small can of paint
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Heirloom White with a coffee colored glaze
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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