Community Brag Posts

Kids Play Kitchen

Submitted by julievic on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 11:28

Christmas 2010 my husband and I made our little girls a kitchen using Ana's plans. We used the materials on her cut list, and used paint for the finish. Used fabric scraps to sew the sink skirt, found the knobs at hobby lobby and habitat for humanity, and small bar faucet at Home Depot. It turned out amazing!

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

Comments

julievic

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 16:04

Thanks so much for the compliment! Means SO much coming from you! I love your site and your plans, Ana you are amazing! Thank you for making me your featured builder this month, I had no clue until someone saw my face on your blog! I feel like a rock star now ;)

Farmhouse bedside tables

Submitted by TarheelTim on Wed, 11/06/2013 - 18:30

Made these out of left over antique heart pine flooring. Definitely not for beginners. Lots of small pieces, good for using up scraps! Made to match a Reclaimed wood headboard made from the same wood.

Estimated Cost
Next to nothing. Leftover flooring scraps.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mixed my own. Dark walnut, red mahogany, golden oak, and a little cherry.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Fancy X Farm table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 14:02

First attempt at building a large piece of furniture. I had success with other smaller projects from Ana White so convinced myself I could do this too! I used 2x6 red oak boards for the top and pine 2x4's for the frame. Love the way it turned out.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial for top, General Finishes Milk Paint in black for the frame.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Loveseat

Still need to stain but this was my very first project and it turned out well!  The directions are very easy to follow and I am very happy with it!

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will be using Minwax oil-based stain over a wood conitioner, and a clear flat oil-based top-coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Floating Bunk Bed

Submitted by JBand4kidz on Sat, 04/08/2023 - 15:12

So...we are 6 people in a 3 bedroom house. We needed more room! Thanks for the inspiration Ana. I think these beds turned out GREAT. And the girls love them!!!

Comments

Nightstand

Submitted by Klem413 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 18:05

Another project my husband worked diligently on! It took him forever because he's a perfectionist, but he finally got one done. He used a piece of 3/4" plywood framed with mitered wood instead of the planks for the top. Now, on to the other one.

Estimated Cost
20.00 each
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Poly Shades Bombay Mahogany
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Debbie440

Wed, 01/22/2014 - 07:51

I love the way the top is done.......... I made a bed and stained it with the same stain as you used. I'm hoping my nightstand turns out like yours.

Reclaimed wood-look headboard

Submitted by TxDork76 on Sat, 11/09/2013 - 21:52

A friend found Ana-White, found the plans and asked if I could build this for her. I'm still new to building, so this was a great, easy project to work on. I went with slightly less expensive boards/furring strips. It means more searching/digging though.

Jaime_C mentioned having to use boards on the back to brace/even up the face boards as much as possible so I did this as well.

We were very happy with the finish. She painted a couple of coats of the base color (antique beige) then we glazed the headboard. We thought about distressing but the practice board looked great without it. I wiped on the glaze and she followed wiping it off to get the look she wanted. The picture really does the finish no justice.

Great plans, easy to follow and fun to build.

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
base coat of ?Glidden? Antique Beige (satin) Rustoleum Java Brown semi-transparent glaze.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Privacy wall

We needed some privacy from the neighbors and to hide their pool equipment and voilà!!! 4 2x4 for the frame 22 1x4 for the slats

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$176
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by DCecil43 on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 19:54

Just like my previous post on the nightstands, It was cheaper to build a bed than I envisioned instead of searching for something over priced.  I found the plans for this bed on the site but made the headboard a little over 6 feet tall.  This came out amazing and really compliments the nightstands.  I also built the sconces that are centered over the nightstands to keep the tops of the nightstands clean and not cluttered.  They also have touch pads for the lights mounted behind the bed to make them easy to turn on and off.

This is hands down the best transformation in any room in my house.  Ana, you saved me a ton of money with DIY.  I even picked up most of the Kreg jigs along the way which is an added bonus!

Estimated Cost
$275
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American Stain and Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Clubhouse bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 05:36

My dad and I built this for my son. He wanted a treehouse bed so that’s what he got.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Kitchen Table

I couldn't find an exact plan for the kitchen table I wanted, so I used a combination of the farmhouse table and pub table to create the perfect table for my space. I liked the look of the 4x4 legs, but my local lumber store did not have a good selection of 4x4 boards. So I used a 1x4 and 1x3 kreg jigged together in an L shape to get the look of the 4x4 legs. The overall table dimensions ended up 44" square by 31" tall.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Well, I asked for charcoal gray minwax stain. However, it turned out VERY blue, so I believe the paint machine must have made a mistake. I havent decided if I like the color, perhaps it will grow on me, if not, I'll be sanding it down and restaining it this spring. I used minwax satin polyurethane over the stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Erinski3 (not verified)

Mon, 04/16/2012 - 18:48

Great make, will you help with the dimensions and size of boards you used? What did use use for the top and aprons? 2x6? Any info would help. This would be a perfect fit for my place

MarioM

Sun, 10/27/2013 - 01:02

Is it necesery to drill holes on angle and what does it help (picture 3, under the table) ? Thank you

suedrakewest

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 05:43

Love the way the color of the table turned out and the size boards you used on top. Where did you find the matching chairs? This is the exact color scheme of my dining room remodel. Thanks!

Faux Fireplace

I tweaked the plans to fit the spot I had in mind- It's a little skinnier, but still super cute!

I eliminated some of the extra trim, but I don't think it suffers any for it.

It's super cute!

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I sealed the knots with kilz primer and then used a paint and primer in one that I had laying around for the white.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jackiemacrae

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 14:47

Thanks Ana!
I have this set up in my photography studio. The floors are just ripped 1/4 inch plywood painted brown, then the crackle stuff, and then a top coat of white, and a poly to seal it.

Pam the Goatherd

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 09:50

The "fireplace" looks really good! And I'm glad to hear how you did your floor. I've been trying to convince my hubby to do a 1/4" plywood floor in our trailer as a temporary fix until we can either afford to put down "real" flooring or build the house we have been intending to build on this piece of property for the past 17 years. I've pointed out that we can replace the almost 30 year old, worn-out vinyl and carpet in the living room, kitchen and main hallway for less than $300 including paint/stain and polyurethane. But he thinks it will look tacky. I'm going to show him your picture so he can see for himself that it can look pretty doggone good!

jackiemacrae

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 10:37

Hi Pam- try googling plywood floors if you haven't already. I know I've seen some bloggers use plywood floors in their laundry room , and rec rooms.

Toddler Day Bed

Not bad for our first project...We love it and so does our daughter! Followed the directions except we did 1x10's instead of 1x6's and we left one inch to hold the mattress on instead of the 1/2 inch it called for since we bought her a foam mattress it needed a piece of plywood for extra support.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120 total. The wood alone was $90. We had the sheet and crib skirt.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Headboard was fitted with a velour crib sheet. Bottom of bed we used her crib skirt that was made of tulle.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 16:19

This is just darling! Absolutely beautiful. Congratulations on a terrific first project!

Farmhouse night stand

I loved this plan. It fits perfect in our daughter's bedroom as a night stand.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax special walnut and ebony
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

2x4 sofa and chairs

Submitted by papadog on Mon, 07/22/2019 - 08:01

Combined the 2x4 sofa and 2x6 chair plans. Added the extra 2x6 under the arm rest, to keep future pillows from falling through the gap. Great plans! Thanks!

Estimated Cost
$700, including cushions (on clearance at Lowe’s) and fire table (on sale at Amazon).
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

papadog

Wed, 08/14/2019 - 23:38

Thank you! Actually added another couch, two side tables, and a ottoman to match! Looks like it came out of a magazine! Planning on doing one of your bedframes next. Love your site!

 

MartyMcFly

Mon, 12/21/2020 - 12:04

@papadog - I love your build and the way you iterated on the plans to make it work best for your specific needs. I'm in the process of building off these plans myself, and the one thing I cannot figure out is how the base of the back is intended to be secured to the sides. In the plans (step 7) it just says "secure to the sides using 2 1/2" screws". Am I supposed to drill from the outside of the sides into the back base? I'd like to avoid that, and based on the pictures, it looks like you have. If you can share how you secured the back base to the sides for your build, I would be very grateful.

Rustic X

Submitted by khump1990 on Tue, 04/25/2023 - 10:57

This was a big undertaking for indoor furniture and I learned so much! I slightly adjusted the size to what I had available with some scrap wood from my old stairs so saved a little on costs with lumber!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

one more farmhouse doll bed

Submitted by justqltin on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 19:27

A cooperative project. Hubby made the bed and I did the bedding.

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
going to paint it white
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Raised Planter Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 13:02

Created the stand for the raised planter using 2X2 assembled using dowels. Painted the stand mixing black with a bit of white to simulate metal. The actually plastic window box fits within a wood open box with mitered corners fir clean log. Bottom of the stand provides a shelf using (9) 2X2s with a dado placed on either end to fit on the runners of the stand.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Entryway Closet Drawers - Done

Submitted by cdswhite on Sun, 01/01/2012 - 20:28

We're still working on these but I wanted to show an in progress picture. Getting organized is fun! I've got lots more details on my blog if you're interested.

Update: We're all done with the drawers and they are the perfect way to organize and create storage in the entryway. It was a lot work getting them to fit into the closet but well worth it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$110
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We'll be painting these white when they're all done.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

sdevost (not verified)

Tue, 09/04/2012 - 11:21

Do you have a detailed how-to for these closet drawers.
I love the cut out portion at the top - and I have been trying to find an affordable alternative to the Ikea Stolmen drawers ($120 for 2 drawers)
If you could perhaps send me some details on materials, sizes, how you did the cut out at the top - that would be great.
Thank you
Stephanie

Farmhouse Storage Bed = Amazing

Submitted by hechoenwi on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 15:18

We bought our first home this year and I wanted a new bed frame for my new home. This plan was perfect for our narrow bedroom in our small 100+ year old home. It fits right in with the character of the home and provides a lot of needed extra storage. I did try to make the drawers but as the instructions state drawers are tricky for beginners! So for now I will leave the drawers off. This bed is very sturdy. No one can believe I made it all by myself!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Ultra Swiss Coffee with antiqued edges
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments