Community Brag Posts

Kentwood bookshelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:14

Together with my wife, we decided to start making our own furniture and it was our first project. It took us a week to complete it (it took us longer than most people as we had to learn from scratch how to use the tools for each of the steps such as the circular saw, sander, pocket holes, etc.). We also learned the hard way how critical it is to use straight boards and how difficult it is to find straight 2x2. Overall we loved the process and are very excited by the final result!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Danish oil - natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adirondack chairs

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

I made five of your 2 x 4 Adirondack chairs. Well I started with one and then my wife wanted four more after she saw how it turned out. We absolutely Iove them and they are easy to make! Thanks Ana!

David Knight

Comments

X Planters

Submitted by Celeste808 on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 07:53

I took the original plan and tweaked it to have the X's on the sides to go along with the Weatherly Outdoor Sectional I made. Also, added the top ledge to finish it off.

Cost was less than $20 just as the plan said. Use fence pickets and furring strips to save money!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Outdoor White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

New Kitchen, New Table!

We just finished our complete kitchen remodel, from tearing down walls to new cabinets, appliances, hardwood floors, and countertops. I assembled the cabinets and installed them myself, along with tiling the backsplash and nailing down the floors. So I though I'd try my hand at furniture building. It was my first time building anything like this and I thought it turned out pretty nice!

I used left over boards from the removation for the bases of the table and benches and 2x6 poplar boards for the tops. I made some adjustments in the size since we're only a family on 3. Since I made the table shorter, I changed the 45 degree cuts on the cross braces to 30 degrees so they would fit. 

Estimated Cost
$300 just because I bought high quality poplar with the edges planed so they would fit together with no gaps
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
minwax sedona red
zar merlot
minwax red mahogany
in that order, but I found that the stain effects poplar differently than it does pine
3 coats of brush on polyurethane sanded with 220 in between coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Book Nook Bed

Submitted by chart2006 on Sun, 07/23/2017 - 10:40

The bookshelf, of which I made last year, was made from crates. I used Ana's Clubhouse Bed idea as the basis for mine but I deviated from it quite a bit. Instead of a front entrance I made a side entrance and added two windows. Additionally I attached it to the wall instead of making it two sided.

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

Double Seat Outdoor Chair

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 16:29

Very easy and quick to build. It is amazingly comfortable. There are no cushions needed. My wife loves it. I took parts of Ana’s Simple Outdoor Lounge Chair and Modern Outdoor Chair with a twist patterns and modified them to be a double seat instead of a single seat.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Ana White Admin

Tue, 10/05/2021 - 09:29

That is so cool how you combined the plans and came up with that! It looks amazing, thanks for sharing!

Rustic TV/Media Console Table

Submitted by tracysmith on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 17:18

This is our first build ever, not what I would suggest for a first project, but it came out wonderfully! This was a piece built specifically for a friend of mine who had just cancelled an order for a console just like this because the company she was buying it from wanted to charge her an arm and a leg for shipping.

I had been spending a lot of time on Ana's site and started to use Sketch-up to build some pieces that I needed here for us. I told her, Heck, I could build that.. and so it began. :-)

This is made of plywood and is mostly pine, with a couple of exceptions. As soon as Ana has her plan submission thing going right, I will post plans to build this console for yourselves! :-)

I listed this as intermediate because I think you would need to have at least a decent knowledge base as well as specific tools such as; Kreg Jig, circular saw or table saw, power sander and nail gun. I also listed it as 20 or more hours, because that's what it took us to build. You might not take that long, but this was our first build with NO real experience. :-)

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax water-based stain, clear tint, in Coffee
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic x coffee table

Submitted by Mtrhea on Tue, 05/21/2013 - 19:14

My first project. Hope to make more!

Estimated Cost
40-50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oxidized
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Restoration Hardware Inspired 4x4 Truss Beam Outdoor Table

Submitted by susanshamp on Fri, 04/10/2015 - 23:48

Hi! I was truly inspired by the plans I found at this site and the many brags that I saw! I have now built this table set a few times (first for myself, then for friends & family) and learned a lot each time. The things I have modifiied include...

 

1) Length = make it longer or shorter as space allows (I've done tables from 84" to 108" long)

2) Outdoor table top = because these are being used outdoors, I use screws as spacers between boards so that they have a 1/8 to 1/4 gap to allow for water to run through

3) Breadboard end support = I found that with just the pocket hole screws, my breadboards were a little 'wobbly' so I added Simpson Stong Tie metal plates underneath to reinforce the ends.

4) End length = in order to provide a little more legroom to those sitting at the end of the table, I recently changed the plan so that I would have at least 15" from the table base to the end of the table top (although this pic shows the regular plan with the ~8" overhang)

I really appreciate all of the plans and brags which have been shared by users of this site. Thank you!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I picked cedar boards that had some color variation in order to add interest. To get an even more rustic & weathered look, you could consider using a steel wool & vinegar mixture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Mon, 04/13/2015 - 09:38

Beautiful build! I was just curious what your cost was. I want to build this for outdoor use as well and also want to use Cedar. I priced it at a local lumber yard and they said it would be around $400.

In reply to by spiceylg

susanshamp

Thu, 04/30/2015 - 21:38

Thank you!!! That sounds about right for the cost - I spent about $425 on my lumber and hardware. Cedar is more expensive, but I was happy with the results. And it still seems like a good 'deal' when you consider what you would get for that price from a store.

Seasonal And Holiday

Kiddies table and chairs

Submitted by pADDY1957 on Thu, 08/03/2017 - 23:28

I made this table and chairs for when the grandchildren come over. The chair design was from a larger chair I had made and just downsized them

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
White French paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wide Bookcase - TV stand

Submitted by mamasteph on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 07:18

This was my first carpentry project. I made a few mistakes of course, but I am very proud of myself for building it.

I love the fact that I painted this such a vibrant red! It adds a great pop of color to our family room. This bookcase is a great stand for our new TV, and the shelves are so nice and big, they will be great to hold toy boxes and craft supplies.

Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Guest bedroom with fancy king farmhouse bed, $10 ledges, wooden crate nightstands, and wine bottle lamps

Submitted by henryholub on Fri, 05/24/2013 - 08:03

This the recent remodel of our guest bedroom. Its a modified plan from a fancy farmhouse bed that allows room for tubs to be stored underneath, three of the ledges, and the nightstands are old wooden crates that have been sanded down, painted, and mounted to the wall. We decided to do vinyl stickers as the "headboard" and felt the birds on a wire made for a good look. The lamps we made from wine bottles with labels we liked using westinghouse lamp kits. Thank you Ana White for these plans and ideas!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
"mistint" paints. White for the bed, yellow for the nightstands and lower ledges, and an orange-red valspar paint for the 8 ft ledge.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic X Console

Submitted by cudazi on Mon, 04/13/2015 - 11:11

This is a half-width version of the Rustic X Console table on Ana-White.com. The oxidized finish came out purple and needed some sanding. If I build another like it, I would highly suggest sanding the X pieces before assembly. It went together very well and was my first Kreg Jig experience. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 Outdoor Patio Furniture Set

Submitted by trodkewich on Mon, 08/14/2017 - 12:24

Using the plans from this website for the 2x4 tables and 2x4 loveseat, we modified the sizes to fit the couches that we bought at Target.  Used cedar wood and painted black when we were done to match out deck.  Less than $300 in cedar wood.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Desk rustic x

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 03:26

To simplify and elevate the design I chose a pre made butcher block top. It turned out beautiful!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

See-saw for kids

Submitted by Michael M on Mon, 05/27/2013 - 09:01

Took no time at all - 1 hour start to finish on a rainy day. Built it for the little kids but kids came out of the "woodwork" from all over the neighbourhood. Easy, fun and cheap! May add some old rubber bike tires beneath the seats to protect the wood that comes in contact with the ground. Didn't bother with a padded seat - an off-cut of plywood, with sanded edges works just fine and will be easy to replace if it starts to weather.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15 in wood, $5 for bolt and washers
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Lack Inspired Entertainment Center

Submitted by eralben on Mon, 04/20/2015 - 07:24

The IKEA Lack Inspired Bookcase plans became my inspiration for the entire entertainment center.  I made a few changes to the bookcase plans.  I increased the height of the bookcases to 84 inches and added adjustable shelves.  I also included some major extras including a console for the TV, a bridge to connect the bookcases, and doors inspired by www.shanty-2-chic.com.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kitchen Island +

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 08:28

I decided to combine Ana's wastebasket project with her island project and then added a retractable tabletop so I can use it to prep food and even use it as a counter height table for two.

Comments

Starting Small with the Farmhouse Doll Bed

Submitted by QueenMahin on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 05:34

This was my very, very first woodworking project. My daughter and I needed beds, but decided to start small. I’d been scoping out Ana’s plans for weeks or maybe months, and finally, finally worked up the nerve to tackle a project. Everything worked out beautifully. Somehow, I’d been intimidated about the idea of learning how to countersink screws, but with Ana’s directions it was easy! I did get a measurement wrong somewhere and after cutting all the wood, the 5 1×3′s for the panel were too wide for the panel top, so instead I spaced out four of them. My daughter has never liked dolls, so I made the bed thinking that it would be a gift for someone else, but my daughter really, really liked it and wanted to keep it. Now the doll bed lives at the foot of the full-sized bed that we made as our second Ana White project! Now if I could only figure out how to sew a doll-sized pillow… Thank you Ana for making this simple.

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr paint with primer – turquoise
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project