Community Brag Posts

A Different Take on the Cedar Shed

Submitted by afbutters on Sun, 10/18/2015 - 12:26

Loosely based on the small cedar fence picket storage shed plan, this was my first attempt at making a storage unit with a roof. There was only one unplanned trip to the store (to replace two 2x4's that I cut to the wrong length). Pro tip: "measure twice, cut once" doesn't work if you measure the wrong length twice. Also almost lost two fingertips because I'm an idiot and forgot the most basic of safety rules for power tools, namely the "don't put your fingers near the blade of a circular saw when it's in use" rule. Very lucky to only come out of it with a good scare and some wounds that will heal without permanent damage. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500 (Canadian)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Changing Table

Submitted by dritcheson on Sat, 11/10/2018 - 19:05

Changing table built for my first grandchild!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Oil Based Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simple Step Stool

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 08/08/2022 - 07:43

Fun and quick build. Made this one out of maple and African mahogany (khaya) for the laundry area of the garage.

Comments

Photo Ledges

This was an extremely quick and easy project to complete. I really love how the ledges tie my dining room together and display all the great pictures of our family. Now I just need to get some more pictures and frames...

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat of white primer and 2 coats of Behr Glossy White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

How to build a kid size picnic table out of old recycled pallets

I needed a place for my daycare kids to sit and eat at lunchtime. I stumbled upon the bigger kids picnic table on Ana White, so I just had to build this!

Since I am on a tight budget, I once again searched my ol’ pile of wood outside and found most everything I needed except the tabletop pieces in which I found an old pallet and used pallet planks instead for the top. Since the pallet planks are a lot thinner than 2x4s, I put a brace underneath the tabletop which made it very sturdy.

I have the whole tutorial with lots of pics at http://teediddlydee.com/how-to-build-kid-size-picnic-table-out-of-old-r….

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I just sanded the rough spots and finished with a clear, natural color.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Vintage simple bench nightstand

I followed the plan but added a drawer.  I had a drawer that I had previously built but it didn't fit that project. It just happened to be the right width for this, I had to cut off some on the length, and that turned out to be easier than I thought it would be.  I used wooden slides.

Estimated Cost
Less than 20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Red oak and golden oak mixed. Wax finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse toddler bed

Submitted by Lukilla on Fri, 11/30/2018 - 18:37

Our little guy decided at about 2 years old that his crib just wasnt going to cut it anymore. My wife and I had a blast throwing this together. A good tip is to use leftover pieces from the headboard to cut slats.  We love our wood projects, check out our facebook page. Wyvace woodworking.

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax jacobean/espresso mix on the platform. Red mahogany on the headboard
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Love these modern Adirondack chairs!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/17/2022 - 17:16

We had some very old Adirondack chairs that just broke on us (in the middle of summer, no doubt) so I went looking for some new ones. They were so expensive I thought I’d make some but I have limited tools (circular saw, drills, etc. but no band saw or mitre saw or table saw). Found these because they were fairly simple and didn’t require fancy tools.
It took me a couple of weekends to build four of them, and they still need another coat of sealer, but I’m stoked with the results, and they're SUOER comfortable too!

Thanks Ana for these awesome plans!

Comments

Bathroom Shelf

Submitted by lizseburn on Wed, 08/10/2011 - 11:13

Another perfect shelf to decorate my little basement bathroom. Plans were so easy to follow! A little help from my hubby with this one... We had to drill into concrete to hang it. I love the end result!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Folding Chalkboard

I bought two pre-cut 1/4 inch panels and adjusted the dimensions of the trim to fit the panels, using 1x2's and 1x3's. I painted before I assembled, which was where the most time was spent. Thanks Ana for another great project!

Estimated Cost
I'm guessing $15 including the hardware and chalkboard paint.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
left-over interior green paint and chalkboard spray paint (Rustoleum)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Twin Over Full Bunk Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/30/2022 - 15:21

Utilized the plans from this website to frame out the general idea, but as typical with my projects, I took it to a little further and utilized more traditional joinery (mortise & tenon, oak dowel pins, dado). Guard rails are bolted with carriage bolts. Hand planed all boards and added chamfers to every edge (zero sandpaper). Both beds are joined together with 1 inch oak pins (x4 legs). Each bed breaks down very easily by knocking out the three 1/2 pins that join the legs to the stretchers (x4 legs).

Both beds were built out of structural southern yellow pine lumber. The boy's bed was merely varnished with Danish Oil (dark walnut) all over - on Southern Yellow Pine, this color choice gives it a rustic look. Girl's bed was two toned: painted white and stained with Varathane (Kona), to give it that country look.

I think the total installed cost of the beds was just over $300 - $350 for the lumber, oak pins, any hardware, and finish material. This was a while back, so with lumber prices high, I'm not sure that's easily done anymore. But, it's solid as a rock and will last an extremely long time for our family.

Great project. Thanks for the ideas! Steve

5 Cube Tower Bookshelf

Submitted by rhilborn on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 12:25

This narrow cube bookshelf is a very handy addition to my kitchen! I use this shelf to store cookbooks, our iPod speakers, and some other utilitarian odds and ends. I'm particularly a fan of how to facing on the front and back acts as a stopper to keep your items in the bookshelf. It did not specify in the plans but we chose to align the back facing piece flush with the bottom of the shelf and the front facing piece flush with the top of the shelf. You can see what I'm describing in the pictures.

This piece was fast and easy. I think there is a time when finish work is faster to be done once a piece is finished but this not one of those projects. This shelf would benefit from finish before assembly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
existing can of Behr Premium paint plus primer; Minwax Wipe on Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Simple white potting bench

Submitted by JW on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 05:59

Finally, a place to corral all of the stuff on the patio!

What we really needed was a wood rack and buffet/usable surface for the patio, but this potting bench fit the bill perfectly because:
1. It's sturdy enough to hold all that firewood
2. I had all of the supplies already (2x4 scraps, leftover paint, screws, etc)

Free and easy? Yes, please!

Only real change is that I added an apron to the front of the top shelf, and used well-sanded fence slats for the top shelf instead of a regular 1x6 (it's what was in the garage already).

The towel bar is from Ikea. That was also an extra that was already on hand.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$0 (made from all leftovers from other projects)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Some exterior white paint that was already in the garage. Pretty sure it was Behr brand paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Unfinished tables

Submitted by depsher on Thu, 10/29/2015 - 17:30

I built these three tables for my aunt.  She had specific dimensions that I had to alter the plans to fit.  All in all it was a pretty easy project.

Estimated Cost
62 for all 3 tables.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Horse Stable

Submitted by Abby721 on Thu, 12/27/2018 - 18:20

18” Doll horse stable modified with a third stall turned sideways to house smaller horses for 12” dolls. Added shingles to the roof since I didn’t like how the plain plywood ended up looking. I kept the finish plain, but I may paint the base white and stain the shingles darker at some point. To add the third stall I just extended the base to 36”, built an extra truss but left off the bottom rails and added rails to both sides a instead of 1. I then added two posts with rails extending sideways to create the smaller stalls

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Outdoor chair and side table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/04/2022 - 10:43

Loved building this and especially love that those who have seen them in person are asking me to build one for them. Thank you Ana White for making your plans easily available.

Comments

Bathroom storage tower

I just recently decided to try my hand at woodworking. This was my second project, first one from Ana, super easy instructions. I hadn't gotten the straightest 2x2s, since I had done my shopping with a two year old in tow, but I got it to work. After I completed it, my husband tells me it actually looked good--he seemed surprised. Anyway, I built this tower so that our new parakeet will have somewhere to live and I can conceal his food and other supplies in the baskets underneath. Without making any adjustments to Ana's plan with the exception that out 1x12s are only 11 1/4 it is the perfect size for our little bird cage. Thanks Ana for the design and inspiration to do it myself!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot Golden oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

X Dining Table

Submitted by raybotelho on Sat, 09/07/2013 - 06:57

I built this table a year ago just never got the chance to post pics. It was an easy build.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
It's been so long I cant even remember exactly :/ but I believe I started with the vinegar steel wool mixture.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Sat, 09/07/2013 - 17:16

Your table looks beautiful! Love the finish, and the way you arranged and photographed it is wonderful, great job!

Benchwright Console Table

This was the first attempt at using the vaseline method to distress furniture and my wife loves it.  I made the table top out of scrap 2x4's.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Heavy Cream in eggshell and Minwax Paste Wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Coat closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 06:57

I just wanted better organization and shoe racks up close to the front of the closet instead of in the back but I also didn’t want them too deep. These plans fixed that.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments