Community Brag Posts

Aunt's Kitchen

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/11/2019 - 04:47

My husband and I redid my Aunt's kitchen.  She has no storage, hardly any counter space and her kitchen was cluttered.  So we painted, put up beadboard and trim, plus added storage.  We took the console table plan and modified it to fit what she needed.  We raised the height to 39" tall and made two tables for the "L" shape storage.  She absolutely loves her kitchen!  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Braden Shoe Shelf Entry Way Locker

I modified the Braden Shoe Shelf plans to fit our entry space. I also wanted 4 cubbies, one for each family member. This was a Huge learning experience for me but I loved every minute.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Sanded and then 3 coats of CIL furniture and cabinetry smart paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Corner media cabinet

Submitted by Jodie on Sat, 01/02/2016 - 09:45

I used the Rustic x console table plans and modified them to make this corner media console. I closed the sides with plywood instead of leaving them open with the X detail. Then I closed it in further with doors to keep all our video game systems hidden and dust free. It's a good addition to the Man Cave.

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

First time building anything like this

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/16/2019 - 12:04

I love how the 2 tone turned out!!!

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

Window seat with storage

I wanted a window seat that would fit my window. There was no way I could afford to buy anything. Ana's site inspired me to modify her plans to create what I wanted. My husband and I worked on this during the weekends and between my son's nap. The piece is so large that 2 people were needed just to pick up the wood. The finished piece is 8' long, 2' deep and 18" tall. If we ever move, it might have to stay with the house.

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats of Swiss coffee (Home Depot)
2 coats of poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X Kitchen Island

Submitted by ichibans13 on Wed, 10/16/2013 - 15:51

This is the first time I've built something. My wife found this site on Pinterest, and made hints about wanting a kitchen island. Our apartment has maybe 3 feet of useable counter space, so I thought this would be nice to have. Ignore the tools in the picture, I literally just finished it and just put stain on it. Overall, I think it came out pretty good, and I really like the design of it. This site is pretty awesome. I've already picked out my next two projects from here. Thanks Ana!

Kyle

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$185
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Pre-stain/Miniwax English Chestnut/Miniwax Polyurethane Clear Semi-gloss

I only used one coat for everything except the top, I applied 2 coats of stain on the top. I applied fairly generously and within 2 minutes I used a sock to wipe what I just applied to ensure an even finish. After 2 hours I applied a second coat to the top, and in the same manner I used a sock to remove excess. I applied 1 coat of poly on everything except the top, where again I put on 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kentwood Nightstand

Submitted by Wiscogrl on Thu, 08/29/2019 - 12:04

I made this nightstand and one other from the Kentwood plans. The handles are diamond willow from Wisconsin. I used 1x2's for the door.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Haven't decided yet :)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table and Side Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/23/2019 - 08:53

I absolutely love how this coffee and end table set have completed my living room. Each one took me about a day to complete and $80 or less!! Excellent, detailed plans resulting in a gorgeous piece. Thank you! 

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
The top is stained with Minwax Jacobean finish, then whitewashed with watered down Dover White From Sherwin Williams. Base is painted Sherwin Williams Dover White in semi-gloss finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ladder shelf build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/16/2023 - 09:02

Thanks for the plans had to go with something like this to avoid putting cabinets in and risk hitting a water line in the wall.

Comments

My Tryde Media Console Hutch

This was the second part of my Tryde media center build. You can read about the console build here.

This part of the project was very quick to put together, I spent a lot of time reading the brag board and looking at pictures of what others produced.  I really appreciate when people upload high res pictures of their builds so you can really look at the details - I've tried to do the same on my blog post about this project in case you needed further information (see link below).

I made the plan as per Ana's original, with some modifications.  These were:

  • added a back kickboard at the base for stability
  • added trim around the back and sides at the base to stop it toppling over
  • added felt to the feet to avoid scratching my console underneath (worked so hard on that one!)
  • added 'L' shaped brackets to join the two pieces together, for added stability (check my previous post for more details on this)
  • changed the orientation of the beadboard on the back to be vertical and not horizontal (I just preferred it this way)
  • after seeing Perchik's build of the Tryde media center I shamelessly copied his idea to extend out the trim around the top.  It looks much better wrapped around than jutting out the front, a little less severe I think

I hope you would give this project a go, as a hutch it is very simple to put together for a beginner and quite satisfying.  To get more information about my build please read my blog post where I go in to a lot more detail (and leave a comment too, I'd love to know what you think!)

Happy building!

Estimated Cost
Approx $100AUD (not incl hardware, paint)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Taubman's Endure interior paint (satin) in 'Milk Paint'
Custom 'glaze' (see blog posting for details)
Cabot's wood putty in 'Radiata Pine'
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

perchik

Tue, 10/25/2011 - 08:34

Annie this looks great!
I'm glad you found inspiration in my design. I think I'll go back and upload a side picture and the sketchup model I worked from so that other people can see the details of how I did the trim. I think yours turned out wonderful!

I don't like painted furniture in my home but I really like the look of your furniture. The antiqued white goes well with the stained console top and the faux drawers.

Great job!!

CreativePineapple

Tue, 10/25/2011 - 15:37

Aww cheers Perchik... You're right, the natural beauty of wood is lovely, but I have so many different shades of wood in my living room from collecting 2nd hand furniture and old college furniture over the years that nothing seems to match :) Plus I do like this modern trend of stained top and painted legs, it looks quite fresh. The hard part with this stuff is deciding which project to do next - so many to choose from :)

CreativePineapple

Tue, 10/25/2011 - 15:38

Oh also I think if you have that sketchup stuff to hand I would definitely upload it, I zoomed in quite a lot on your photos and others photos of completed builds to understand details that are sometimes difficult to visualise on the plans.

My Big and Small Helper

This was my first real woodworking project and I loved it! I had a big helper (my Dad), who has a full woodworking shop teach me how to use the different tools and assist with building. It took a while longer than the plans say because we did some extras like powersanding and rounding off all the edges on each piece before assembling it. My Dad was very picky about it having a polished look! Plus, I insisted on my Dad teaching me, not doing everything for me. We also predrilled and glued on 16 hinges so it would fold. That definitely took four hands to do and the majority of the time.
My 'small' helper (our last name is Small) and son Dominic is almost two and loves using it. In hindsight, I would have made it a couple inches less wide overall to fit better in our kitchen that has limited counter space. And would have painted it prior to screwing the sides together with the hinges to make it easier to paint. However, I built it at my Dad's over the weekend, then painted it later. I chose the bright green colour so it would be playful and gender neutral to pass on once we no longer need it.
Thanks for the inspiration and great plans! I will be back for more projects!!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40 for wood etc, $52 for paint
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of Benjamin Moore Multi-Purpose Latex Primer in Paradise Green. And two coats of Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd in Pearl finish in Paradise Green. Both are low VOC and low odour.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Tryde Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/05/2016 - 00:30

This is my first DIY build project and it turned out awesome. For some reason I was unable to find untreated 4x4's anywhere in Hawaii, so I took two 2x4's and attached them by countersinking wood screws. Beware, the dimensions of this project are massive. I scaled down the measurements drastically to fit in my living room with my sectional.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Unknown
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
A coat of Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner then two coats of Mixwax Polyshades Mission Oak Satin finish with light sanding between applications. I stained the top and legs separately for ease of application.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Reclaimed wood - look Headboard and . modified platform bed.

Made wider for a king and modified platform bed. Used a weathered oak stain followed by a 50/50 whitewash.

Estimated Cost
$300 ish
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Used a weathered oak stain followed by a 50/50 whitewash. Varythaned.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

A little take on Ana's sink

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/19/2023 - 21:55

This was a build to convince my wife that I should do the cabinets in our new house...now I have to do them all. I should have just said, Sure, go to Ikea!"

Comments

Apothecary Cabinet

Submitted by evilanne on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 16:12

I painted the entire cabinet a dark blue, then painted over it again with an antique white. After it was completely dried I sanded it all down to give it a distressed look. I used antique label holders for the drawer pulls.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I use this cabinet in my piano room to store all my music.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 11/12/2011 - 02:55

It's funny cause I have been thinking about doing the same set up with the apothecary console under a wall painted tree. I have to ask how you made the tree - is it stickons or stencil (if so please tell me where you got them) or is it hand painted. It's absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo Gallery Made Easy!

Submitted by mdean on Mon, 10/21/2013 - 12:50

I love my new photo ledges. I had a huge space on my wall and these ledges are perfect. The ledges were so easy to make. I got a kreg jig for my birthday (I never thought I would ask for a tool for a birthday present) and I have gotten so much use out of it. I saw similar ledges at pottery barn for 10 times the cost of this DIY project. I saved so much with these ledges. The kreg jig has already paid for itself. The ledges make it super easy to switch out photos and I love being able to display so many fun photos. Everyone who sees these ledges loves them!! This was my first project. Thanks Ana for the great plans!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White gloss spray praint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

mdean

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 12:51

I might spray paint all the picture frames white or an oil rubbed bronze in the future...I'm not sure yet. Opinions?

JoanneS

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 18:27

Your gallery looks beautiful! Great job on your first project, congratulations!

(ps- I think the oil rubbed bronze would look super on the picture frames.)

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 15:23

I saw this table on Pinterest and knew that I needed to have one in my life. I then bought a saw for my husband, for his birthday, and you can guess what happened. We followed the directions, except we made the table and bench a little longer in order to accomodate more people (I wanted at least 12 people to be able to sit at the same table). This was our first wood-working project and we learned a LOT. It took more time than we anticipated but it was well worth it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
We did buy a saw to start this project, but other than that I think all of the supplies (screws, wood, wood filler, polyurethane) ended up costing us a little over $100. Not bad.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We stained the wood using MINWAX Dark Walnut. We let it dry 24 hours and then stained the sides that had been on the floor and let them rest for another 24 hours before applying the polyurethane.
TIP: My wood was still a little rough after applying the stain, so I used brown paper bags as a fine sandpaper. We also used brown paper bags to sand between coats of poly.
We used Varathane Poly - Satin and water based, crystal clear. We applied 4 coats (because I'm paranoid) to every piece. We let everything dry for 24 hours and then put the table and bench together.
We stained and put polyurethane on every piece before putting everything together because we felt that we would get a more even stain and wouldn't mess up the poly coats (bubbles, drips).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/24/2023 - 11:04

This was an easy project t to build. Decided to go out of my comfort zone and burn all of the wood before adding the finish. I loved the design of these plans and my aunt wants me to build one for her.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Farmhouse Bench

Submitted by pwky on Thu, 10/24/2013 - 15:03

First time building furniture. This turned out much better than I thought. After this I probably could've build the farmhouse table myself instead of paying way too much for my wood dining table. Only if I have found Ana's site sooner. :)

Having a Kreg jig also made the whole process much easier.

Estimated Cost
$40 without the stain
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona and Minwax pre-stain conditioner and semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner