Community Brag Posts

This spring, my neighborhood started a community garden.  Five families came together to break ground, sow, tend, and give away our produce.  The local church close by allowed us to use their front lawn for the "Lakeside Community Garden," located in Duluth, MN.   Every Saturday during harvest season, we gave away our produce to the community.  I took on the project of building a farm stand.  One of our neighborhood families donated re-claimed lumber to the cause, and I started building.  I had research many farm stands on-line, and knew I needed two large boxes to hold the veggies, as well as a sign to indicate what produce we were giving away.  

I was looking to make my foyer a bit more kid friendly while still being coze and practical. I came across the modern farm bench plans, and I knew it was the perfect fit!

I have done a few other plans, but all with help. This project I started around 9 pm (after bedtime) one night, and by 11:30, it was completely built and stained. My son was climbing all over it by the next morning :)

I love it - I think it adds the perfect bit of rustic charm to my foyer, while still giving my little guy a sturdy spot to get his shoes/coat on. I have since added baskets underneath for winter storage.

This will definitely not be my last build! Thanks Ana!

DIY lemonade stand with awning

These were inspired from a few different projects of Ana’s, great fun to build and have transformed our patio area

We recently decided to turn our bonus room into a Den/Play room for our energetic 20 month old son. It quickly became apparent that we needed storage... and FAST for all of those little toys that toddlers love so much.

I loved the idea of the 5' x 5' room divider cubby, but needed something that would accommodate the sloped roof. I modified Ana's plans to allow for a tiered storage option that would work with the roof line.

Cutting/prepping and assembling went quickly with the Kreg Jig. I prepped all the materials and assembled the unit in the room as it is quite heavy completely assembled. Cutting and Assembly took about 1 and 1/2 naps for my toddler (so about 3-4 hours). Sanding and Painting the following day took about another naps worth of time (2-3 hours).

The unit is still 72" tall at its highest point- and I modified the plans slightly to ensure that all cubbies would be a minimum of 13.5 inches tall/wide. After 2 coats of paint, it was ready to be mounted against the wall for safety. I installed 2 L brackets on the top and middle rows and screwed directly into the drywall- can't be to safe when it comes to toddlers and their love of climbing!

Cost Breakdown:

1 x 12 x 8 (6): 65.00
1 x 2 x 8 ( 3): 10.00

Low-Voc all in one Paint/Primer (Valspar) (Quart)- $2.50 (a paint department return area find!)

Total Project Cost (estimate) $80-90 (including screws, wood filler and supplies)

Quick build for the garden swing.

Your potting table is/was a hit and is used weekly with great love.

Darren S.

I used some flashings from Lee Valley to make these rustic tables really pop. The corners and the big brad nails really make them pop! These are also STURDY pieces of furniture as the Monster Husband has stood on them both without a wobble.

I started on the project when I went home for Thanksgiving and finished up the drawers when I was home for Christmas. I live about 7 hours from my family. I took a few tools with me (kreg jig and drill) but borrowed a circular saw and miter saw for all the cuts. It was difficult working on it because it was fairly cold and my dad only has a carport. Which is why it took longer. My step-mom says she wants to paint it maybe with some milk paint. She also did not want the center shelf as she wanted a place for taller items.

The butcher block top was $299. It comes from lumber liquidators in 25" by 96". My dad had about 2 feet cut off the length. Ikea also sells butcher block tops for roughly half the price I think, but they were out of stock in both Atlanta and Charlotte.

I also made the small kitchen island before and this one went much more smoothly. Having the extra set of hands was awesome and made for a wonderful memory as I built it with my father:-)