Community Brag Posts

Shanty Open Shelf Console

Submitted by carongirls on Tue, 12/24/2013 - 07:55

I had been eyeing this for awhile but, doors scare me. This is my daughters Christmas gift. It was a fairly easy quick build.
I am pleased with it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Val Manchuk

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 22:24

Doors scare me too, but seeing what a great job you've done encourages me to give it a try. Looks beautiful. I like how the hardware ties in with your choice of stain. Nice work!

Val @ artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

carongirls

Wed, 12/25/2013 - 10:21

The measurements for each door is a bit different because I wasn't careful with the trim. I used shims on all sides of the door to keep it straight and spaced to attach the hinges. Big plus is they open and close :-)

Old Red Clubhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/05/2016 - 23:03

My husband and I had a lot of fun building this bed for our 3 yr. Old son. We are very proud of how it turned out. There were a few changes we made on our own as far as bracing was concerned, so our measurements changes just a little. The plans were easy to follow. I'm already searching Ana's site for our next project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Chalky Finish paint in Ruby Earbobs with Valspar Antiquing Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Wood Closet Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 13:57

This was a great build and easy to do.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Bunk with Dovetail Joinery

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/05/2023 - 08:34

This double bunk bed has been inspired by Your plans for modern bunk bed - Side Street. To facilitate quick assembling - disassembling of beds for relocation dovetails joints with double inclined tails and wedges have been made. Because the beds has been made for orphanage/"kids in difficult life situations" I changed spacing between headboard and footboard rails to let footboard serve as ladder and in this manner reduce costs and time of construction, save place for installation, avoid tripping hasard. Thank You very much for detailed and simple plans.

Andriy Pronin, Ukraine

Built from Plan(s)

Farmhouse bed king modified

Submitted by susanr on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 06:40

This is a modification of the Farmhouse bed with a panel headboard and footboard rather than individual boards. It currently fits around the mattress/boxspring/metal frame. When we buy a new mattress, we will then add the joists, etc.

The headboard and footboard are both 72" wide. We had the guys at blue do a rip cut at 72" which ensures that both pieces are exactly the same measurement (for square.) Then, they turned the plywood a quarter turn and cut at 15" for the footboard. This left a 33" high headboard. It is 3 inches larger than the original plan, but it doesn't require a second cut and you don't see it anyway. The trim is just a 1x3 with a 1" overhang. (I might make it just a 3/4" if doing it again.)

The side boards are 1x12 cut at 80 1/4", but you may want to add a little if your comforter is really thick or if your mattress is much longer than ours at 79 1/2". We used non-mortised (no cutting into the wood) bed rail hardware from Woodcraft, so we could easily take it apart. These were placed 1 1/8" in from the inside edge of the 4x4 post. They were placed on the very edge of the side rail so it would butt up against the post. The 1 1/8" gives us plenty of room to shove the bedding down inside the side rail.

We glued and nailed 1x2s from the back for the trim on each piece.

Estimated Cost
about $190, but you could save $17 by not spilling an entire can of dye/stain on yourself when you foolishly open your completely full pressurized sprayer
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes dye stain in Dark Brown; polycrylic - 3 coats; prefinished all the wood before assembling.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Kate (not verified)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 05:18

Looks beautiful! We are currently making this bed with the exact samce change to use panels instead of boards and then one board down the middle, except we made our footboard and headboard higher.

susanr

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 07:32

I would love to have the footboard higher, but my husband is 6'4" with large feet, and he asked that I make sure that he could sleep on his stomach with his feet dangling down without touching the footboard! We actually measured it. Make sure you post yours when it is done.

C.Lang

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 20:40

This is a beautiful bed. It is actually pretty much the exact bed i want to build for me and my wife.

sandrabees

Sun, 04/29/2012 - 16:47

I am wanting a king... love the farmhouse plan and I think that hardware is the way ij want to go. Is that where you can slip the side rails in and out of the headboard and foot board?

Full Length Mirror

Submitted by AndyH on Wed, 03/09/2016 - 10:27

Full length mirror made from a cheap $10 unframed mirror from IKEA. Trimmed out with some 1 by 3, 1 by 4 and 1 by 2. Stained black and then painted white. sanded between coats of white to show some of black through and give antique worn look.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained black and then painted white. sanded between coats of white to show some of black through and give antique worn look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farm table and bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 09:42

The table was my first ever built and I am beyond thrilled!! The 8 ft table is beautiful and sturdy and fits perfectly in my kitchen in front of my picture window. I bench is equally beautiful and sturdy. I can’t wait to start my next project!!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Square Picnic Table using Deck Boards

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/07/2023 - 11:32

I used deck boards instead of 2x6 for the top and seats; this lightened the table overall while negating the need to sand and finish the boards.

I also used a cedar-tone treated board so staining wasn't necessary.

Kelly S.

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse Doll Bed X 3

Submitted by brigitep72 on Sat, 02/25/2012 - 03:12

I made these three farmhouse doll beds for my daughters. Initially, I made two beds following the plan as written but started feeling like they would take up too much space. My girls are close in age (4 and 2 yo twins) so waiting for one to outgrow something and passing it on isn't an option.

I gave the first two regular sized beds away as gifts and made three narrow versions that I saw on another blog http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/02/b-is-for-bed-5.html Her bedding is still the gold standard in my eyes. LOVE IT!

On two of my beds, I left off one 1x2 slat, and on the other I used 3-1x3's. The width of the 3 beds are slightly different. Heck, I think I am incapable of making two things exactly the same. lol The girls love them so that's all that matters. For the bed that used 3-1x3s, I didn't write down the width of the top boards. I measured and cut as I assembled.

I put an extra 1x2 mattress support in the middle because I knew they would sit on them and used masonite to hold the mattress. Seems strong enough so far.

Before painting, I used lots of wood filler and caulk to hide some flaws. By the way, I feel like painting the beds is the hardest part. So many little grooves, nooks, and crannies. I recently bought a Graco 3900 HVLP paint sprayer. Painted a half wall and 6 long pieces of trim in 30 minutes today---love it! If I make another bed (or anything for that matter), I'm totally going to spray it.

Oh and I have to confess that after the first two beds, I got too impatient to use just screws so I used the nailer, glue, and used a few screws at key points. It made things go so much quicker, and the beds still feel quite sturdy. If my kids manage to break them, I'll make them new ones. :-)

I used 1" foam and muslin for the mattress & cover and fabric that I obsessively buy and hoard for everything else. The middle quilt is an actual quilt. I cut the squares and all---first time for that too. The other two are made of pre-made patchwork fabric from Joann's.

Thank you to everyone for sharing your creations, and thank you, Ana, for the plans. I am so inspired!

Estimated Cost
$20 (best guess - for all three)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sherwin-Williams ProClassic Alkyd Interior Enamel in white and primed beforehand with the recommended primer. I had both on hand from another project.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Living Room Console Table

Well after a successful first project building a Wine Console for my sis-in-law it was time to tackle a project for my own home. We have a huge back wall in our living room that used to be covered by a cheap set of "DVD/CD Organizer" shelves. I hated them from the day I bought them, but they were cheap and they did what we needed. So for my next project I wanted to replace them with something classier.

The basic concept is based off the same workbench console that I used to build the wine table but with some major modifications. First off, it's 9 and a half feet long to better fit the size of the wall. I also wanted to add some shelves for more display space. The wife likes non-symmetrical design styles so I offset the shelves with one hanging from the bottom of the tabletop and the other resting on the bottom shelf.

I just finished it and moved it in so we're still trying to figure out what to put on it. Personally I like a more minimalist approach while my wife loves picture frames so I made a deal. You can see a guest appearance of the first of two $10 gallery shelves that I plan on putting the rest of our pictures on. Stained the same color as the table it looks great on the wall right above it.

It's all made from good ol' Home Depot pine and finished with 3 coats of Varathane's Kona Stain-Poly applied with a brush.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kona Stain-Poly by Varathane. 3 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Val Manchuk

Sun, 12/29/2013 - 21:22

What a unique and creative design you did with the shelves! Looks good!

Val @ artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/12/2016 - 11:54

Followed the plan, pretty straight forward. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30 Wood
$8 Stain
$12 Poly
$5 Paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore - Kendall Charcoal
Varathane - Dark Walnut + Semi Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/23/2019 - 18:42

Love this coffee table. I built it for my daughter and she was very happy.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Dark walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dollhouse Bookcase

We built this dollhouse bookcase pretty much to plan. We did add "shingles" to the top.
View more on our blog: http://www.bearrabbitbear.com/2012/02/dollhouse-bookcase.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

TamaraP. (not verified)

Thu, 12/13/2012 - 06:21

My husband is about to start cutting the wood for this bookcase. He made the farmhouse doll bed last year! It turned out great! He is making the doll bed for a friend andthe doll bunkbeds for our daughter.
Yourbookcase is beautiful!:o)

Toddler bookshelves

Submitted by Mrspulk09 on Mon, 12/30/2013 - 17:36

This was mine and my husbands first build! Considering we had absolutely zero knowledge and experience with tools, I think they turned out ok. Definitely need to find better board next time, and we know a few things to better/differently for the next build! :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar primer and spray paint in flat white
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Loft Bed in a Day

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/15/2016 - 06:21

Yes, really a bed in a day! It took 24 hours from the time we bought our supplies to completion. So much nicer than any store bought we looked at, these plans are really a breeze even though I had never tackled a project like this before.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sewing Cupboard

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 15:08

Sewing cabinet for avid quilter. Rolling barn doors on top with barn quilts. Rolling door on bottom. Drawers for thread and cubbies for projects.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack Chair with Fun Finish!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/11/2023 - 07:54

I love this chair. Thanks to Ana-White! I added a little pop to it. The red buttons are screw hole plugs I bought from one of the big box stores. A one inch strip of pine I painted red to coordinate with the blue.

Patrick

 

Pin For Later!

Adirondack Chair with Fun Finish!

Changing Table/ Storage Shelf Combo

Submitted by westmjk on Sat, 03/03/2012 - 11:09

Combination of Entryway Bench and Storage Shelf with Hooks and simple changing table. I did make the table a little taller as my wife and i are pretty tall. I also had to add about an inch to the overall length of the table as well to fit the baskets. Mostly straight forward.

Estimated Cost
~$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
4 applications of Min-wax "Red Mahogany" stain, and 4 coats of satin polyurethane. Stain kind of hides the grain, but you do what your wife asks...
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farm Table

Submitted by fenway75 on Wed, 01/01/2014 - 06:32

A farm table modified slightly from the Farmhouse Table plans. Six feet in length, pine wood, Ipswich Pine stain (minwax) with gloss polyurethane coating (3 coats). Woodburning tool used to distress tabletop and legs. Great plans made this build easy and fun, thanks Ana!!

Estimated Cost
125.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Ipswich Pine
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Back