Community Brag Posts

Modified desk

Submitted by bef0016 on Sun, 07/17/2016 - 17:25

Modified table to desk. Built the original table plan for a friend and it was too big, so I had the frame in my shed for a year. Repurposed it to office desk. 

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

Garden Bench Storage

Cut down the Farmhouse Console Table to make a garden bench with storage

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Presuure treated Cut & Seal with a Saman Poly finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack Chair for dolls

It was a fun project and it went well.
It took me longer to make than Ana, but I am still new at this!
The girls love it and my daughter is very pleased.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$10 with the cost of spray paint
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
lagoon spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Easel

Submitted by Moses13 on Thu, 07/21/2016 - 23:49

Thank you for allowing us to use your plan this is a great gift.

Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Scrapwood garden markers

Submitted by Kate_14 on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 15:07

Who doesn't like a great scrapwood project? I made these beautiful garden markers with pine, but cedar would have been even better! I just didn't have any on hand. I used 1x3 to put the name of my vegetables and 1x2 for the pickets. I screwed them with 1 1/4 inch exterior screws.

Estimated Cost
0$
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Master Bedroom Fireplace Wall

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/10/2024 - 07:37

My husband and I had so much fun building this together! Your plans were easy to follow and has given me confidence to tackle other projects. The addition of the storage mantle was perfect for our needs. Love our cozy bedroom!

Modern Farm Bench with a Twist

Submitted by GrahamD on Fri, 07/06/2012 - 20:22

I am new to furniture making and my neighbor and Friend showed me this website. I wanted a piece a bit more modern looking with a rustic flair so I picked this bench for the ease. I did however change the dimension of the bench to accommodate a Fallow that I shot last year and had tanned. I look forward to building the next piece.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats primer
2 coats black paint
2 coats poly
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Boys Dorm Bunks

Submitted by moonprysm on Wed, 04/23/2014 - 09:26

For starters, I apologize for the quality of the photo - the bed is so large and my sons' room so small that I had to splice together 4 different pictures to get a picture of the entire thing. Now, onto the project!

I found the details lacking in the instructions quite often. I definitely recommend having sketch-up installed on your computer so that you can turn the pieces around and see them from both sides - in many parts you're layering wood and attaching pieces on different sides. So being able to rotate the pieces in sketch-up was a huge must for us.

It took myself and my girlfriend about a week or so of working several hours a day to finish this up. Since most of the bed is made in sets of 2, the second set always went faster than the first, since we knew what we were doing.

I also found we needed different size materials than the instructions suggested. 1 1/2" screws were just long enough that they came out of the other side if they were countersunk at all, so we ended up switching to 1 1/4". The plans call for 32 3" bolts and 4 2 1/2", but we needed 32 2 1/2" and 4 2" - when we first put it together we had 1/2 of bolt hanging out of all of the holes - obviously not ideal for 3 little boys running around.

All told this project cost us somewhere between $250 and $300. I had to run out for new 2" screws at least twice, so make sure you buy a lot. We got lucky with the paint and found this super bright yellow/orange in the oops bin for $7, and decided to do a wash instead of painting so we could still see the wood grain. (And my 8 year old promptly took a marker and wrote each boys' initials on their beds - kids!).

All-in-all I'm incredibly happy with the bed - it fits the exact need we had, and unlike the only other plan I found online for a set of 3, it doesn't attach to the wall (which is important as we rent) and will be fairly easy to disassemble when we move.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250-$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mixed paint 50/50 with water, brushed on thin layer with sponge brushes
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

My Bailey Console Table for the #IGbuilderschallenge

I was so excited to participate in the #IGBuildersChallenge! My modifications included reducing the width a few inches so I could cut two boards from a single 8' length for both the top as well as the bottom shelf. I added two additional legs to the front so I could divide the table into three drawer sections. I also decided to make it two thinner drawers as well. I added the x's on the sides to match the x coffee table I built for our home last month! I used tongue and groove to attach the breadboard ends which is something I'd never attempted before and is something I will try again. The top is stained in Minwax Jacobean and topped with a satin wipe-on poly. The base is painted Ashwood which is a Benjamin Moore colour I had colour matched at Home Depot in their Behr Premium Plus line and then topped in a satin polycrylic.  I'm thrilled with how my table turned out and have already received a request from a friend to build her one for their home.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Planked Wood Sideboard

Submitted by dlmurphy25 on Sat, 05/16/2020 - 01:36

Build was very satisfying. It did present some challenges and a decent learning curve. Drawers almost drove me mad, my own doing, buffet wasn't level and top had not been attached and the drawers wouldn't line up. Failed to ensure i was level on the tile floor I was working on.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Barn Wood Rustic Island

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 19:12

My daughter bought a condo this past summer in St. Louis, MO. It's in an old factory that was rehabbed into condos. It's very industrial looking. Her condo has a lot of open space in the kitchen. She asked me to build her an island. I've previously used several of your plans to build various pieces of very functional pieces of furniture for my daughter, my son, and my wife and me. But this one is one I am especially proud of. I based it off your plan, "Michaela's Kitchen Island" modifying it to meet my daughter's unique needs. The majority of it is oak barnwood reclaimed from my wife's grandparents barns that were torn down to make way for an interstate highway. It is very attractive and user friendly. My daugher couldn't be more pleased. Thanks for all your great building ideas and plans. You've made this dad and daughter very happy.

Greg Winemiller, Mount Carmel, IL

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Craft table from Michaela Island

I needed a new island for my craft room, so we used the Michaela's Kitchen Island plan and modified it to be 30 1/2" deep. First time with drawers...they were a booger!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Top stained in Dark Walnut. Painted with Behr Mermaid Treasure and distressed and glazed with stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Small dog crate

Submitted by Annklem on Fri, 04/25/2014 - 08:36

This plan was modified for a small dog. The measurements are 18w x 19h x 24L. I added pocket holes to all the boards around the top of the base so I could easily attach the wood top. It took me 2 days but only about 6-7 hours total.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Vintage Market & Design Chalk Furniture Paint for the base & Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain on the top. Black hinges and latch.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rustic X coffee table

This table was very easy to build. A little bigger than I expected. You can fit storage cubes in it perfectly. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain and chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My Front Porch Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/18/2020 - 08:06

The directions were so easy to follow. I plan to use AnaWhite many more times!

Estimated Cost
82.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted with outdoor white paint and semi glass finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

TV stand

My husband loves this piece. I built it just for him ;) It had nothing to do with the fact that I had a great dislike for the glass/metal unit that he had when we merged our things together...wink wink!

I modified this plan in order to have shelves for the dish console and the dvd player. I also left the bottom shelf open for display, instead of placing the wine rack there.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut by Minwax
2 coats of semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tool Storage Sideboard

My family and I are constantly looking for ways to save space and still enjoy the look of our 1500 sq/f apartment. Due to all of our different intrests and hobbies, along with a lack of storage solutions, i do a lot of building on the patio.

Tools for all of these projects always seem to scatter throughout the place, so my lovely wife decided it was time for a little storage project. So that's just what I set to work on.

The Planked Wood Sideboard was perfect for this!

There is one major deviation from the plan on the site. Rather than hinge two doors for the center area, I made one big panel with trim and plywood, held in with two cabinet magnets, that removes completely.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I Tea Stained the sideboard to get at the distressed wood look. Easy stuff and basically no cost. Dont forget to sand and clean all dust from surface.

Make a jar of sun tea (a couple of tea bags in a jar of water out on the patio for the day).

Put a steel wool pad in a 3/4 full jar of vinegar and let sit for at least 10 hours. The longer it sits the darker your project can look.

Brush or wipe on a coat of tea and let dry completely.

Brush on vinegar mixture and let dry. Different woods have different results!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bar Height Table and Chairs

Decided to use mortise and tenon on the chairs to make for a clean look since I was staining and not painting.  I did use a lot of pocket holes on the table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
American Walnut and Dark Walnut. Oil Based Poly and Furniture Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/20/2020 - 15:47

Such a fun set to make! We switched out 1x6 for the back and seat, stained and torched. Gotten lots of compliments and even have some in the works for our neighbors :)

Estimated Cost
35-45 each
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Soy stain, char, linseed oil
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

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