Community Brag Posts

Tall Narrow Modular Bookcase!

Submitted by ferbit on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 07:55

This is my very first woodworking project! My oldest daughter badly needed a bigger bookcase... I made this last year and it's already completely stuffed full of books now! Home Depot ripped the MDF for me, hubby helped me put it together and then I finished it. Since it is tall and narrow, the sides were bowing inward. I decided NOT to make ALL shelves adjustable, so I made two of them part of the bookcase. Squared things up nicely. The rest of the shelves are removable though.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Two coats of primer, three coats of semi-gloss Acrylic Latex paint (same paint used on the trim throughout our house). I did not put poly on this project.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

Tryde end table

Submitted by mdbennes on Mon, 04/13/2015 - 10:37

I built this table in about 3 hours with 5 2x4s yellow pine for the total cost of around $17 total...thats not including the kreg jig screws or stain.  I deviated from the original plans for the top to try something different with the 45 degree mitre cuts.  It came out great but I had to review a youtube video on making the kreg pilot holes at the 45 degree angles to attach the corners together.  I then cut the (4) 2x4s to fill out the top and used kreg jig screws to attach.  Very nice instructions by Ana and after posting to my FACEBOOK page, I'm getting orders!  :)  

Estimated Cost
18-20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American stain...then Minwax Polyurethane 3 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bird Feeder on a pole!

Submitted by Sue Hill on Fri, 08/11/2017 - 15:34

What a great little feeder! I didn't put mine in the window yet, because the screens are on for the summer. I screwed a metal flange into the bottom of the bird feed then screwed a metal pipe into the flange. Then put it in the ground under the window.  I'll add the suction cups and put it in the window in the fall.  I love watching the birds!

Estimated Cost
It didn't cost me anything since I used scrap wood from other projects. I also had the metal flange & pole in my basement. The 1/2" pipe flange is about $5, the metal pipe can run $12-$15 or more depending on how tall you want it. I used some exterior paint that I also had from another project.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Console Table

Submitted by Anneke on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 21:51

This is a piece I made out of scraps just for fun. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and how functional it is!

I looked on the Tryde Console Table and Simple Console Table as a reference and just figured out the dimensions from what material I had. I also added a piece of wood in the center, and winged it with the shelf on the bottom.

Estimated Cost
$5
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Minwax Polyshades Bombay Mahogany Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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

Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by leannb on Sun, 04/19/2015 - 20:30

Built from the King Farmhouse bed plans

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

Comments

mtz_lin

Tue, 11/08/2016 - 10:49

Did you use a metal bed frame or did you make the side rails and frame? i am curious how high my mattress will sit above the footboard because I want to make the side rails and use slats. I have a boxspring that I will be using.

Entryway lockers and bench

Submitted by DIYMomof4 on Tue, 08/29/2017 - 19:24

I love Ana's plan for lockers!  This project is so rewarding and was very straight forward to build.  I added a fourth locker and a shoe bench to accomodate my children.  I also added a toekick behind the face frame so things won't get lost underneath.   Instead of using 1 x 12's, I ripped plywood into 4 equal strips.  They came out to be slightly less than 12 inches each as you have to account for the saw blade.  Each locker has three hooks, a place for shoes, and a bin for winter gear.  I made the fabric bins and bench cushion following online tutorials.  I set the hooks according to the height of my children, so even my youngest can hang up her things.  This project took me about a week and a half to complete, including the sewing portion.  It is very sturdy and the 1x4's along the back allowed me to attach the unit to several wall studs.  I placed the 1x4's(with hooks) low enough that the heavy backpacks will also have the shelf for support.    The shoe bench measures 48" in length at the longest point.  It is the same depth as the locker unit and fits perfectly behind the locker face frame.  Thank you so much for your wonderful plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used a semi-gloss alkyd paint by Behr. The color is called Flagstaff green and is a bit greener than the picture shows.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sofa and table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 07:01

Ana Whites easy to follow plans. Lake house. Love the way it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

bench

Entryway bench, modified size to fit space and added cushion. ** Cost includes foam and fabric for cushion. Bench itself cost about $60.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1. one coat paint with primer, Behr French Roast semi gloss
2. sanded 120 grit, then 220 grit
3. two coats paint with primer, Behr French Roast semi gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Herb planter from reclaimed pallet

Submitted by dlhunter on Tue, 05/28/2013 - 11:21

I used a pallet I found in a burn pile, cut it down, added a bottom piece from one of the other cross pieces, painted, stenciled, and covered it with a coat of poly. I then added potting soil and herbs, and screwed it into the studs of our porch. It's off the ground so my dogs can't get into it and my chickens won't sample the plants!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

CUSTOMIZED FARM TABLE

Submitted by dogg29er on Fri, 04/24/2015 - 12:02

This is a customized version of a farmtable that my wife found here! 

Estimated Cost
$300.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax - Espresso, Black and Poly Sealant.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Breadboard Ended Fancy X Desk!

Submitted by pnytail01 on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 07:59

I felt a little bold deviating from the plans when this was my first project.  But I saw another version of this desk with the breadboard ends, and I really appreciated the added craftsmanship this gave off.  Other than the top, I followed the plans to a T.  For the top, I made this from 2x6's with the 4 lengthwise pieces cut to 61" and the ends to 22" (I think I ended up trimming the ends down to match better, but 22 was a good starting point).  As for the finish, I layered stains starting with Minwax's Classic Grey followed by Minwax's Jacobean.  I made two of these desks to put in our home office.  If I think of it once the office is complete and decorated, I'll add another pic!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
After lumber, stain, and hardware, I figure I spent about $75 for each desk.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1st Layer - Minwax Classic Grey
2nd Layer - Minwax Jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by hnick78 on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 15:06

This was my first Farmhouse Table build. 8ft long with 2 benches. Distressed white with True Brown tops.

Comments

My First Project

This was my first project I did close to a year ago. I was so excited about the site I decided to go big right away and do a table and benches for our first house we hadn't moved into yet. I had help and it was quite the learning experience. I think I would start with something smaller first but in the end we got a wonderful table in our dining area that has had plenty of use!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax ebony stain and satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple Memory Box

I needed a way to display some old pictures... I just love the look of old pictures and and wanted something different than an ordinary frame.This is one of the easiest and cheapest picture display project you can do.

A full tutorial can be found at www.AHouse-2-Home.com

Feel free to leave a comment on our site, we greatly appreciate them!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Distressed - Stain, dry, paint , dry , sand
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Workshop Step Stool

Submitted by jaime19861 on Mon, 04/27/2015 - 13:29

I built this Workshop Step Stool as part of the #GetBuilding2015 #BuildCave challenge. It was a very easy build. I had all the needed supplies in my scrap wood. But if you did need to buy the wood, you could do it for under $10.

I found the plan here. http://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/ridiculously-simple-shop-stool-p… 

If you want to see the steps I took to build mine, as well as more pictures, please stop by my blog at http://jaimeofalltrades.blogspot.com/2015/04/diy-workshop-step-stool.ht…

Estimated Cost
Under $10
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Since this is just going to be used in my workshop, I did not apply any stain or paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Fancy Arch King Size

My husband calculated the dimensions to extend the plans from a queen to a king size bed.  It was our first project together and we're both really excited about how it turned out!  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MINWAX - Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Customized Corner Desk

Submitted by DTeague on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 21:21

This was my first build I have wanted to get this particular desk from Pottery Barn but don't have the space for it.  I used the corner desk plans but on one side I used the plans for the legs used on the smaller desk. Since it wasn't too big I made the desktop one piece.  All in all it was pretty straightforward.  The only problem I had was when I put the legs on the wrong side, I didn't realize until after I had used wood filler and painted. 

Estimated Cost
$175.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the desktop I used Red Mahogony Minwax Stain and Minwas Wipe-on poly. For the base, used a Benjamin Moore paint for Metal and wood in black.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

outdoor sofa from reclaimed wood

Using Ana's plan as a guide, I built two of these sofas to fit an outdoor cushion I already had. I used wood from our old deck -- a great way to re-use and save money, too!

Estimated Cost
$110/sofa (lumber was free)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None, although eventually I will probably seal it with outdoor PolyWhey by Vermont Natural Coatings.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate