Community Brag Posts

Treehouse/Playhouse

Submitted by Bigbill99 on Sun, 01/10/2016 - 00:07

Thank you! You've helped me look like a true carpenter who knows what he's doing! My whole family is impressed with my woodwork lately, and now I'm addicted. I've done your seesaw, bar table and stools plus the treehouse in 2 weeks. Thank you for sharing your plans!

Estimated Cost
$500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Spar urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First Ever Furniture Build - Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/02/2023 - 10:30

This was my first ever piece of furniture that I made and it was so much fun! I’ve got the furniture making bug now!

Melissa Pilcher

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Swing Slide Playset for Grandson

Submitted by shellyward on Wed, 05/20/2020 - 09:22

We are used to seeing our grandson every weekend but during the 2020 COVID quarantine we were unable to do so. Instead, we filled our time building him a swing set for our backyard. He loved it!! We are going to add more to the swing side but the hardware I want isn't available right now (apparently there is a lot of swing set building going on during this time). I look forward to many years of playing on this with our grandson and hopefully additional grandkids in the future... Our cost was pretty high mainly because our first round of lumber came from a local lumberyard that was willing to deliver within a few days (big box was going to take several weeks) and they had what is supposed to be higher end lumber (not sure I am convinced of that)....also, i chose some pretty expensive hardware (brackets) just for the added security.....

Estimated Cost
1800-2000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
not done yet but will be staining/sealing when the wood is ready
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Outdoor Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/09/2016 - 16:29

Great plans!  I modified the bench by adding a slanted back (which enabled me to put the slats closer together), extending and curving the front of the arms and extended the seat to the outside of the legs.

 

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by dionneds on Sun, 04/10/2022 - 07:16

This was our first big project with our Kreg Jig. We adapted the plans to make the sofa 8' long. On Friday night, my husband did all the cuts and I pre-painted everything. With the help of our son, we had the whole sofa built in a few hours on Saturday morning. I puttied the visible holes, did a second coat of paint, and made custom cushions. The plans were very easy to follow. I followed the others' advice about pre-painting and assembling the back on a perfectly level surface. It came out better than I expected and it's super comfortable!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

kdykes08

Mon, 04/11/2022 - 07:44

I want the plans for this one! I like this style a lot better. I really like how the bottom cushions are at a slant. I suck at modifying plans.

Seasonal And Holiday

2x4 modern Adirondack Chair (modified)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 17:45

I was so excited to find the plans for these awesome chairs, I’ve built 7 this season already—the modification happened as an accident, but I loved the result !

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Aged Oak and Black paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

My city farm

My friend and I bought all of the materials for about $350. We started Friday afternoon and he worked most of Saturday on it. The plans were super helpful! My four little silkies are enjoying their new home. 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin Williams exterior paint in Alabaster. Lots of pumpkins and mums from Lowe's.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Chunky leg bedframe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/12/2019 - 17:43

I got tired of sleeping on the floor like college kids, but I didn’t want to buy a junky particle board bedframe. My husband and I are novice woodworkers. Even still, we bought the lumber around noon and managed to finish the whole project in about 5-6 hours! We used a Kreg jig for the first time and it was pretty simple. I am really pleased with how this turned out, and I can’t wait to try more of Ana’s plans in the future.

Estimated Cost
$100 including the cost of pockethole screws and finishing nails.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Two Story Rabbit Hutch

For my first woodworking project, I foolishly decided to build a rabbit hutch without plans for my daughters new Easter Bunny. So I literally scratched some ideas on my wood working bench and started going to work. I did some construction over a decade ago, but never attempted to build any furniture before, so I'm pretty happy with how this came out.

I spent a few days researching various rabbit cages and for our place we needed something that was ascetically pleasing and functional as it was going in our living room. I got some ideas from the web and decided the best thing for us would be to have an entry ramp, 2 sets of barn doors for each level (for easy cleaning) and an open roof. We went with linoleum floors since she's already litter trained. The floors could easily be modified to add 1/2" wire mesh if we decide to change things down the line. Also, we chose an espresso finish with silver hardware to accent the wire mesh

I pretty much crashed and burned on the staining as I've never done that before, but it ended up looking ok after all. I did a light sanding, but will probably invest in a planer and jointer to get my wood in better shape before assembling in the future. Also, I'll probably lightly dab some stain on ends of wood before final assembly as it made it difficulty trying to hide the white pine with the dark stain.

Other cages I saw ran around $200-$350.00 so i don't feel so bad about the cost. It's really the time that it took learning and making mistakes. I'm sure if I had plans I could of cut my time in 1/2.

Total Cost came out to around $150.00 but probably would of been cheaper if I had some plans to go by. I probably wasted a few 2x2s and accidentally mis-cut a scrap piece of 1/4"plywood which added another $16.00 to the bottom line.

Here's a breakdown of my total cost.

Hardware - $30.00
Includes 5 latches, 4 sets of hinges (8 total) and a 3' piano hinge

Stain - $8.00

Linoleum Tile @ ¢.69 sq ft - $16

Brushes, Stain Rags - $5.00

Screws - $6.00

Wire Mesh Roll $30.00
Needed 2 rolls at $15.00 each. I used 1" Wire Mesh measuring 2'x15'

Total Wood $50.00-$60
I used 2x3's for the legs - 2 @ 8' - $2.00 each ($4.00)
probably 15-20 2x2's - $1.52 each - can't remember how many I used to be honest ($30.00)
and a few 1x6's for the Doors - $2.00 each ($6.00)
Sheet of 1/4 plywood - $12.00

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ashinshaw

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 08:09

I also have been thinking with the idea of building a two story hutch for our rabbit. I love your ideas so now i have a new project to work on. Thanks for sharing!

Nicolene (not verified)

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 12:46

I LOVE your cage! We have 2 rabbits and 2 Guinea pigs which means we have 2 ugly cages in our living room. We are planning something similar, but a bit bigger (but lower if that makes sense). And we'll put a 3rd story on for our Guinea pigs. So we have everyone on the same patch of real estate so to speak. I was going to do 3 solid walls with wire "windows" too keep all the hay, poops and such contained. I am also going to put lockable wheels underneath, so I can move it to my office if I ever need to (parties and renovations).

Is there anything that you can now think of that you would like to change on yours? R my research purposes.. :) It looks awesome, I'm just picking your brain for "hindsight" tips.

I Built The Farmhouse side table (Large)

Submitted by nekeroom58 on Sat, 04/17/2021 - 20:10

I had fun building this side table it took me one day to build it. I didn't sand it or stain that's how my daughter wanted it. I used pocket holes on the bottom shelves and the tabletop.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
none

Comments

Ana White Barn Door Entertainment Center / Closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 17:07

After many months of trying to find the perfect piece of furniture for our bedroom, I stumbled upon Ana White’s barn door entertainment center. I loved it so much that instead, we turned it into an armoire for our bedroom. Behind the barn doors are shelves that holds our clothes, and in the center we added simple pull out drawers. The center space was perfect for our tv. We had to rework the size of the piece and it is 7 feet instead of the 8 feet that the plan called for. This is my favorite build (we have done a lot of them)!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600-$650
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Graphite grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor Patio Set

Submitted by @m@nd@ on Wed, 10/17/2012 - 15:10

I started this project with just one of the Bristol Outdoor Lounge Chairs. I ended up liking it so much I decided to complete the collection with anther chair, a love seat, and a table. I got the designs for the other pieces from OldPaintDesign.com Poplar was my wood of choice because it is a hard wood that will last but won't break the bank. I also had a really hard time deciding how to finish it. Initially, I was going to paint the wood but liked the natural wood grain of the poplar so much I just simply put a few coats of polyurethane on it to preserve it. I ordered the cushions from Restoration Hardware this fall when they were on sale and even then they were expensive, but I love them. (Brown was the only color on sale.) Finishing the pieces was much more time consuming than I thought it would be.The first chair took much longer and required much more sanding since some of my joints weren't flush. The rest of the pieces combined took me about as long as the original chair. I wised up after completing the 1st chair and did the majority of the sanding before I assembled the boards together. Next, I am going to build an outdoor dining table to match.

Estimated Cost
$1600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Helmsman Satin Spar Urethane - 3 coats.
I used 220 grit sand paper before application and thoroughly cleaned with tack cloth before and in between each coat. I also lightly sanded out any rough spots in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 10/18/2012 - 08:14

What a beautiful job you did. I've loved this set since I first saw it on RH website and requested plans for it. However, I realized with the cost of those cushions and such, my hubby probably wouldn't agree to the cost, at least now. So we built the outdoor sectional and got a great deal on the cushions from Costco. I haven't given up on this set maybe some day in the future when we built our pergola because it's just so beautiful. Again, great job!!!

MrsMcKay

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:56

My husband made the chair and it has turned out great, it just needs to be stained. My question is about the cushions... getting them on RH is expensive so If I want to make them myself how do I do that? What is the foam I need? Where can I get it?

Indoor Garden Boxes for Science Class

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/16/2017 - 19:12

After doing some string art with the Kindergarteners in my class, the were anxious to pound some nails in "all the way." I remembered seeing this plan before on Ana's website, and earlier in the week our science teacher had been talking to the Kindergarteners about how the seeds they had planted were starting to get too big for their containers. The students themselves suggested a bigger box to put them in, and just like that... our next project was born!

 

The students did every part of this build, except for the cutting of the boards. They loved it, and couldn't believe how quickly they put it together. Here are a couple of tweets to show these little #elemakers at work!

https://twitter.com/JimTiffinJr/status/830163344057327617

https://twitter.com/JimTiffinJr/status/830164086847655936

https://twitter.com/JimTiffinJr/status/830164527304077313

 

Thanks for sharing some very simple projects and plans that even the littlest of builders can do!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

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

Outdoor bistro table and tall backed stools

I build the bar table with an x-base and created some stools using part of the plan. We really wanted backs on the stools so I made them up!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primed and painted white, sealed against the weather.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Tue, 11/13/2012 - 05:39

That build came out really nice, but the scenic background, wow!!!!

Jake

Wed, 11/14/2012 - 18:16

Hard to believe that you are a beginner. Fantastic work. Keep it up and the whole home will be furnished.

dallynd

Sat, 04/13/2013 - 13:47

I'd love some information on the backs. My husband has a bad back and it's a necessity, but I'm a beginner and not sure how you did it/

Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/22/2020 - 05:47

Thanks for the simple plans Anna, they worked out great!. I resized the table to make maximum use of the material, still within the same quantity you specified in your plans. I glued the legs along the lengths of the table, and kept the table top and shelf screwed in, for easy dismantling, if necessary.

Finally I added pop down heavy duty wheels allowing me to move the table (not shown in this pic) easily. When the wheels are not being used they pop up, making the table very stable. The height of the table is about 1/2” lower than the table saw, making it an ideal outfeed table as well.

Great design, and fun build.

Estimated Cost
Cn$148 (went with a finished 3/4” 4x8’ ply board)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farmhouse Storage bed with platform modification

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:06

Hi, I’m Joe and love working on my cabin in Stanley Idaho. I needed a queen size bed on the ground floor but the room is small so I incorporated the footboard into into the platform to gain 6 inches of space in the room. It took a couple months working off and on but all fun. I also made the drawers deeper front to back to maximize storage. I did this at the peak of lumber prices and spent like $900 on lumber. It came out great, my Airbnb guests love it!

Comments

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