Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Deck Tables

Submitted by Scott-F on Sun, 10/11/2020 - 18:34

My wife and I were looking for a dining table for our deck. We looked at a few to purchase but could not decide. I wanted something that would not take up a lot of deck space. When the Facebook post for the "Outdoor Bar Table" came up, it inspired me to try to build a similar table. I already had purchased a Kreg HD pockethole jig for a project I never got to (At least yet), so I figured construction would be pretty simple.

I should say my tables are loosely based off of Ana's plans, they served as a good reference. I lowered the table to 30" to match our existing deck chairs. I decided to actually build 2 half tables, so that when we were not using the table they could be set to the side of the deck. The back of each table is constructed with 2x4s so when the tables are put together it maintains the 4x4 look.

For the tabletop I had extra composite deck boards that I never used for the deck, so the depth of each half table was based on using 3 deck boards, with a 1/4" gap between each deck board. I used the same hidden fastener method I used on the original deck, so the deck boards are secured from under the table.

This being my first pocket hole project, there are a couple of small mistakes. 1) On the 45 degree trusses cut all 4 at the same time, then did the pocket holes. I missed the fact that I needed to drill 2 of the pocket holes on the opposite side. 2) I built the 2nd table back on top of the 1st table back so they matched. but I got mixed up when assembling the 2nd table so the pocket holes that should have been on the side facing the other table back, are facing the opposite side.

I did use Treated lumber for the table frame, and some of the pieces were still pretty wet, so we will wait until next year to paint the base.

We really like how they turned out, and that we still have almost all of our deck space when the tables are in the "Stored" locations.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None as of yet, Plan on painting after treated wood dries out
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Twin size headboard

Submitted by stevendaun on Tue, 01/01/2013 - 07:17

I built this full size headboard for my son. It was a fun project and he loved the fact that I did this for him.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used minwax cherry wood stain. It took about 4 coats to finally get the color and grain look that matched his other furniture.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

King Storage Bed *Forgot to post*

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/25/2017 - 18:03

It was a long and brutal process, but so is child birth and I did that twice so... I was definitely a beginner at the start. I learned A LOT from this process and it paid off in the end! Couldn't be happier with the outcome!

Estimated Cost
A lot more than expected. Measure 10 billion times before you cut!!!
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Espresso Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

ENTRYWAY bench with drawers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/16/2020 - 13:31

Built from scratch. First DIY build ever! Thank you for your plans. I customized it for my space 💜 instagram @onefortyfour_

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
250.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr white paint. Polycrylic seal
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Rustic Storage

Submitted by Scrapwood on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 11:52

To build I used mostly all pallet wood.  This made things interesting because not one drawer was the same and had to custom fit each drawer.  

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

Flat Wall Book Shelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/29/2017 - 18:33

Turned out great! Instructions were very easy to follow. My first attempt at building a piece of "furniture". 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax gunstock stain and quick dry polyurethane (2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Canopy Bed

Completed this project last week off of the plans here under outdoor! I Love it and plans were soooo easy to follow!

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted white with exterior paint, outdoor fabric and twin size air mattress.

Comments

Doll Bed with Bedding & Patchwork Quilt

Submitted by lbrown on Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:29

When I saw Ana's plans for this doll bed I knew it would be a perfect gift for a little seven year old girl in my life this past Christmas. I love how it turned out and she was thrilled with the gift.

For more details about how I made the bed, bedding and quilt check out my blog at http://homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2013/1/3/doll-bed-with-bedding-patc…

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table

Submitted by jbryan5 on Thu, 10/23/2014 - 07:23

Built from the Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table plans. It took at lot longer than I wanted, but I was taking my time to avoid mistakes. All of the wood is "2 x ?" pine studs. the table is solid and very heavy.

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 . Stained with 1 coat Early American 2. 3 Coats Minwax Semi-Gloss Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Slat Top Patio Tables

Submitted by Indiri on Sat, 10/24/2020 - 17:36

The little tables I had on my front step were super ugly and it was time for an upgrade. I raided my scrap bins for most of the parts and only needed to use 2 new 2x4s but overall it would probably be 7 or 8 - 2x4s and 6 - 8' 1x4s to make all 3 tables

Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of spray paint (2.5 cans). With the slats being so close together it was the easiest way to get down in there.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Work Apron

Submitted by Choover85 on Fri, 01/04/2013 - 20:30

I followed the directions for the apron pretty much to the "T" but I did end up using double fold biased tape which made doing the trim a bit easier (it's just what I had on hand). It took me less than 2 hours, (kid interruptions included). Easy project and great work apron!

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

Comments

Emily Frazier

Sat, 01/05/2013 - 08:53

Very cute. I wonder if you could get a new style started with these aprons. wear them to the store, put you keys, cell phone, and wallet in it when you dont have any pockets. I would try that. This one is very cute.

abbpim

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 21:14

Emily, that's the first thing I thought when I started making this apron. I was thinking it can be the "fanny pack" of 2013! I invented the piano key purse apron! I invented it! (Zoolander)

Small Hall Tree

This project was something my wife wanted, but I didn't want to spend alot of money. I managed to build this project for less then $25.00 minus the paint. We are not sure what color it's going to be and I think I might add a shelf to it at a later date. We had to cut this down by 19 inches to fit it into our hall way. Hopefully I will get the rest of it finished in the next month or so depending on the weather.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$24.30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No clue yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy Sliding Door Console

Submitted by kjmorley on Sat, 02/04/2017 - 22:32

I made it a little deeper to accomodate my tuner (59" wide x 21" deep x 35" tall).

I liked the look of the long, top shelf that others makers had built, it's perfect for my 3 front speakers!

These sliding door rollers worked great for the door hardware:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPH8M9Q

I used  1" x 0.125" flat bar (hot rolled steel) for the rails and door mounting stips (6" x 4).  It's fairly soft, so is easy to drill the holes for the screws.

Total cost was about $250, but $80 of that was for the thick cedar top. I used cedar, as I like the colour it goes when ebonized with vinegar/steel wool solution. The door are also cedar. I finished the top and doors with wipe-on polyurethane. The paint was grey eggshell latex.
 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Eggshell latex. Cedar top and doors ebonized with vinegar/steel wool solution, then clear coated with polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wine & Cheese Crate

Submitted by binamom on Fri, 10/30/2020 - 13:41

WE love these crates and have so much fun making them!

We have decided to sell these on Etsy and they have done well. we offer multiple stain colors as well as shou sugi ban.

(shou sugi ban traditionally involves scorching wooden boards with a torch or controlled fire, cooling the wood, softening the char with a wire brush, removing dust, and, if desired, topping the wood with natural oil)

Thank you for providing us with a source of income!

Estimated Cost
$14
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
stain
brad nails
shlac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modified for Maltipoo

Submitted by LydiaP on Sun, 01/06/2013 - 18:25

I shopped for these types of crates long ago, but resigned not to buy one because the professionally built ones were way too expensive ($400-$600!). So I was so happy when I saw these plans via Pinterest and got to work! I modified the dimensions to make the shortest side of Ana's original plans to be the longest side of my crate. Which ended up to be the exact width and depth of my Maltipoo's wire crate. This was my first building project ever (not counting high school shop class over 10 years ago). It definitely took longer than I expected and if I could do it all over again I learned a few lessons that I will implement when I make a large crate for my Golden Retriever, but overall the directions were easily followed and we had fun experimenting with things that work and things that don't.

1) Pick good wood-- even for the 1x3 and 1x2 pieces we just went to a big box hardware store and thought we could use just anything, but quickly found out that it was warped and cracked easily when we tried to start assembly.

2) Pre-drilling is essential- especially for the thin cuts of wood which were already soft and prone to cracking. When we predrilled we were able to avoid these headaches.

3) Invest in a good wood for the top- Since we were using as a night stand, we decided we would like to use a nice wood for the top of the crate since that is ,mostly what we would see and come in contact with everyday. We found some beautiful Birch wood on sale (plus they gave us an additional discount for a footprint--which was easily sanded off) and it was really worth it. It has some nice texture and grain patterns which really came out when we stained. Worth it!

3) I wish I would have added a drawer- Since I am using this as a night stand, and my dog is so tiny, she does not need all that head room. I could have easily extended the open slats further down the sides and installed a drawer in the upper space for bedside storage. My Golden will need all the headspace in her crate so this is something we still wont try with our next build, but I wish I would have thought of it for this one.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Wood stain (we just matched it closely to our bedroom furniture) and Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Workbench

This was a really simple and easy project. I modified the design to fit the scrap wood that I had on hand to lower the cost. This bench is for my 2 year old and is the perfect height for a 2-5 year old. I used chalkboard paint on the work surface and peg board to add another interesting dimension to the piece.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Using scrap wood and finishing supplies on hand, I spent about a total of $5 on this bench (for peg board and hooks).
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I first spray painted the work surface and peg board with chalkboard paint. I then used 2 coats of high quality flat paint (red) and 2 coats of gloss polyurethane to protect the workbench frame from wear and tear.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Extra long storage bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 02/06/2017 - 19:32

We needed a long bench to cover up our chords and outlets against a fairly large wall. My husband cut holes in the back of the bench so that chords could pass through and we could hide a cable box inside the bench. 

 

It turned out perfect!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Flat paint and water based poly for base. Walnut stain for top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

One Piece Play Kitchen

Submitted by jenmac75 on Tue, 01/08/2013 - 11:29

I decided to modify the one piece kitchen plans for just a stove and sink as I wanted something a bit smaller. I added a shelf (or rack!) to the oven and "tiled" the backsplash with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. The burners are wooden plaques from Hobby Lobby that I painted with chalkboard paint and on the side outside of the kitchen (not pictured) is a chalkboard and towel rack. The Kreg Jig was incredibly nice to have for this project but I did add L-brackets to the outside shelves in case a lot of weight (i.e.. a 30 lb toddler) was placed on them.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats Olympic Plus in Egg Yolk
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Tryde console table in oak

Submitted by rherlein on Mon, 11/03/2014 - 06:04

I altered the plan to make the table work as an end table.  Due to the table being made of oak, I was not able to  add the leg bacing at the bottom.  I am going to purchase a pocket hole jig to try to attach the bracing that way.  Both tables have 21 inch legs, one table I left the original length, the other I shortened by 12 inches to better fit in the corner of the room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Due to using oak, I have about $150 invested between the 2 tables
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Polyshades
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner