Community Brag Posts

DIY Murphy bed made from solid wood

My husband used the plans from this website to make a single Murphy bed. He didn't make any changes, save for building the frame out of solid poplar and using birch plywood for the flat surface the mattress sits on when it's unfolded. We trimmed it to mimic the the lines of a built-in in the same room, and stained it Jacobean to make it look dark. It's a solid piece of furniture and is saving us tons of space.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Rustic Coffee table

Submitted by pappa on Tue, 06/10/2014 - 12:49

Table was built for my daughter, now she wants me to build the End table and Sofa table. LOL

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Lag123

Sun, 07/26/2015 - 11:19

I love this color! What stain and finish did you use?

Doll bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/10/2016 - 19:25

Can't believe I forgot to share this.  Fixing to make two more!

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Organizer for knitting needles & crochet hooks

Submitted by Wendy KT on Wed, 06/24/2020 - 13:47

I used Ana and Jaime's desk organizer plans to build this, but I'm using it in my craft room instead for my needles/hooks/small accessories. This plan was part of Ana's Handbuilt Holiday plans found here: https://ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/desktop-office-or-vanity-bea…

Estimated Cost
10.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Duck egg blue chalk paint and clear wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/08/2024 - 08:57

I liked the design of the barnyard dinner table and needed a table on the patio for family get togethers. I modified the table plans to seat 10 and made it bar height. I also finished the top vs planks. Came out great.

Kevin Cole

Built from Plan(s)

Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by jwerne2 on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 09:29

We made two of the Farmhouse Bedside Tables to go with the Farmhouse Queen Bed with Arch. The nighstands went together quickly and are beautiful! You just can't beat the quality for the cost to build them. My husband added a piece of wood behind the drawer to act as a stop so the drawer doesn't push in too far. We chose not to add drawer slides because the drawers are perfect without. Another great plan.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Java Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Pottery Barn benchwright TV stand

I altered the dimensions from the plans slightly to meet my needs. I added self-closing, heavy duty hinges for the doors because a basic euro- hinge from home depot would not hold the weight of the doors with glass. For the finish, I sanded the edges slightly after painting and used a minwax stain maker to stain the sanded areas giving a clean, distressed look. I used gel stain for the first time on this build. Softer woods such as pine or alder are prone to blotchy finishes when stained. I built the top out of Alder and stained it with gel stain from general finishes. I am very happy with how the top turned out after using the gel stain. I did not have to use a pre-stain conditioner either.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$230.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Crème brulee by Behr, Nutmeg gel stain by General finishes
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Grandy sliding door console

We needed a new TV stand, so me and my boyfriend picked out this plan. We worked on it together. It took us about a week. Barn door hardware is pricey, so we made our own hardware with steel stock and garage door pulleys.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250-300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark walnut top
"Porpoise" by Sherwin Williams for base
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Inspiring First Woodworking Project

Submitted by WomanPower on Sat, 06/27/2020 - 21:52

**From a Woodworker First Project Perspective**

Power Tools: I used a circular saw (Ridgid, lifetime warranty) for all of my cutting because it was the easiest tool to use once I got into a rythem for cutting plywood and other materials.

Other helpful tools: I had 2 height adjusting saw horses that made it easy on my back made by Kobalt. There were some mistakes in the beggining with keeping the lines straigt but a circular saw track (kreg) easily fixed that problem for most of the cutting. After awhile it got easier to steadily cut following a drawn line with no track (hubby was impressed). Overall, this project was a process of trial and error but I learned from every hiccup along the way. Next up, chicken coop... :D

**How It All Started**
While deployed I had a lot of time to imagine my very own personal workspace to complete DIY projects and when I saw this design I could not wait to get home and begin my new hobby. This project inspired me to really get serious about woodworking. Never in my life had I ever built anything from plywood and 2x4s, much less had I ever used a circular saw. I'm proud of myself for completing this from start to finish as a first project. Thank you Ana!

Peace and Blessings,
WP

Estimated Cost
420
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Purse / Bag Holder

Submitted by karahart on Sat, 08/25/2012 - 08:27

Make your own hanging coat / purse / bag rack with scrap woods and some inexpensive hooks. To see more details, please go to : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2012/08/tutorial-hanging-purse-diaper-bag-r…

Estimated Cost
$10 for hooks
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax's water based stain tinted in red, white, and blue. I taped off where I wanted each stripe to go and waited for the stain to dry before re-taping. Please see my blog entry for more pictures!
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Octagon Kitchen Table

Submitted by rmaenza on Tue, 06/17/2014 - 22:44

I used Ana's plans and modified the top, I used 3/4 MDF with hardwood flooring. I then used 2" door casing for edging.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut with a Spar Urethane finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Porch Swing squeezed into suburban porch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/17/2016 - 08:24

This is a super easy build, but it cost us WAY more than the estimate. By the time we painted and hung it the total was closer to $150. 

 

We we squeezed the swing into the crack between the pillar and wall of my back porch. It barely fit, but we are a family of six so I wanted it to be as big as possible. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Laundry Pedestal

Submitted by Kamoanui on Tue, 06/30/2020 - 09:42

This was quick build. First time for us using trim, so we wasted a few feet getting the angles right. We attached the legs directly to the frame, and did not use the metal brackets. We also did not build the floor frame. We measured how high/wide the laundry baskets ($3/piece at Target!) were, and made it to fit them. We added a piece of rubber mat to the top (bought at Lowe's). A few weeks later we helped our daughter and son in law build one for their new house!

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White satin paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Sized Headboard

Submitted by ecsorah on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 11:35

I did not edit this project, except the original project plan called for the bed to be turned sideways, I made this with the bed facing the right original way. The longest part of this project was waiting for the stain. It is not included in the estimated build time.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Loving my new patio thanks to this bench!

Submitted by DogDoc25 on Sat, 06/21/2014 - 17:53

My patio was bare. (see boring before picture). So, I made this bench and wiped out a garden sale at Joann's, and now I'm SUPER excited about how it turned out! Really simple and straight-forward build, but this one was pretty hard to make by myself because it is super heavy! Nonetheless, I managed on my own, and I'm not the strongest person around, so that goes to show you that you can do it as a 1(wo)man show. Love this bench! Thanks Ana!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Concrete top variation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/21/2016 - 11:58

I used the plans to build my island, but I'm using it more like an extra counter. I reduced the depth by about 4 inches so it would fit in the space better. I did all my cuts with a circular saw, and I can recommend using a table saw and/or chop saw to get straighter cuts. The gem of the island is the concrete countertop. I poured 2 bags of concrete reinforced by rebar, darkened with a charcoal colorant. This was an experiment to see if concrete countertops would work for our whole kitchen. Success! 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white chalky paint, 2 coats of wood stain on legs + 2 coats of clear coat poly, 3 coats of sealer for concrete + wax layer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White

Wed, 09/21/2016 - 14:54

This is awesome!  The concrete countertop is amazing - I'm going to have to try it myself!  Yours looks perfect, love the color.

40 Farmhouse table and "20" dollar farmhluse side tables

Submitted by eslicke21 on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 17:56

Built this awsome 40 dollar farmhouse table and matching set of side tables. Original plane was 20 per table but I went with oak plywood so more luke 40. All in all nice little table once thwy were all finished.

Estimated Cost
80-100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

DIY Bookshelf and Side Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/26/2024 - 13:43

Madethe framed three shelf bookshelf with plans from Ana White. It was a gift for new baby in the family. I added a matching side table I designed based off Ana's plans! I used poplar 3/4" plywood, pine trim and poplar top for both pieces. Used Sherwin Williams Emerald trim paint in light green. Love the way these turned out!

Ray Bruhn

Built from Plan(s)

Farmhouse Table (Rustic Table)

Submitted by tmunds on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 21:57

My mom has been addicted to Pinterest for a while now, so eventually she was led to this site. To make a long story short, she asked me to build her a dining room table similar to the Rustic Table design, but just a bit beefier, and with custom dimensions to fit the family's needs. I used 2x8's (8 feet long) for the table top, 2x4's for the apron/skirt, and 4x4's for the legs. This thing is a monster. I'm assuming it weighs close to 200 lbs. I beat the legs up with an old golf club, and scratched them up pretty good with screws.

This was my first time attempting something of this caliber, and I am really pleased with the results. The best part is that my mother LOVES it, and I now look like the greatest son in the world to all of her friends on Facebook!

Estimated Cost
$160
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sanded: 120 grit then 220 grit
Stain: Minwax Special Walnut (Brushed)
Finisher: Minwax Paste Finishing Wax (Rubbed in with a rag, then buffed off 20 minutes later).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JenniferCarter

Mon, 02/09/2015 - 07:17

Hi there! Your dining table came out beautiful! Do you happen to know where those chairs are from? I have a client that is in love with them so wanted to see if you know where they are from! Thanks so much!

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