Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse Table - Thanks Ana!!

I tackled the Farmhouse Table over a long weekend while my boyfriend was away - he was surprised needless to say!
I have not attempted any woodwork projects since grade 8, but this was alot of fun - I did not find it very difficult and loove using power tools :)
I made the matching bench, however I guess I did not stir the bottom of the can well enough and my bench is now red :/ soo I am going to either stain it dark or paint it white and use it as a mudroom seat!

*I also made mine shorter - 7ft long to fit in our dining room and adjusted the bench to fit.

Estimated Cost
$160 for table & bench inc. wood, screws, stain, sand paper
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I sanded it until I was pretty sure the risk of splinters was eliminated. After pre-stain conditioner, it got a coat of Minwax 'Ipswitch Pine'. The result was perfect on the table (two coats), however I must not have stirred the can well enough as my bench turned out dark red :/ I wanted it to look like it's 100 years old.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Maggie Jaye

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 17:15

Thank you so much Ana! We are in the process of renovating our house and your website has inspired me to take on so many more projects now!! :)

Margaret Kubiszyn (not verified)

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 19:46

I love your choice of stain - it is beautiful!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/02/2011 - 04:52

I built a similar table and I am having problems with my kids getting food in between the pieces of wood. Do you have this same problem, is anyone having this same problem? Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to fix it, how to keep food and other particles from getting trapped between the cracks? Thanks! You did a great job!!

Guest (not verified)

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:00

I am building this table as we speak. The thought occurred to me as well concerning the cracks attracting crumbs. I believe using clamps to make the fit as tight as possible will help. Also some poly finishes may be appropriate with children which may even seal the cracks... if sanded and clamped well.

Maggie Jaye

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 15:11

I did try my best to clamp the wood together as tight as possible - due to the pieces of wood not being completely straight, they are there.

I haven't had this problem yet. I do use place mats when eating at the table, that generally stops any crumbs etc.That's probably the easiest way to avoid it :)

Thank you for your comments!

Custom Headboard and Filman Platform Bed

Submitted by ohbygolly on Mon, 10/07/2013 - 19:50

More images and details can be found at http://ohbygollyblog.com/?p=4029 Come visit me!

Estimated Cost
1 bed= $120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood stains
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Blue Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/07/2019 - 13:15

Built from plans

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalk paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Pswag on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 14:08

Modified the bed so that is was not as tall as the original project plan. We also changed the molding on the top to a 2x4 with a angle cut and then a 1x4 on top. The bed can only be positioned one way in the room and we didn't want to cover the window with a real high head board. Thank you Ana! You rock!!

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We used Cabot Red Oak stain and sprayed with Polyurethane clear gloss spray.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Picnic Table for Two

I've got a full how-to and FREE PLANS at
http://www.iliketomakestuff.com/two-person-picnic-table/

The whole thing was built for under $60 and could be done with only a circular saw and a drill, in an afternoon.

(optionally, a router and sander can smooth out corners)

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Project "Garage Organization"

Submitted by tnjyoung on Thu, 12/31/2015 - 06:57

I saw the "Easy DIY Garage Workbench" plans and got motivated for a little garage organization.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Long Modern TV Console w/Cedar planks

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/11/2019 - 18:50

Built this project to organize and store the electronics in the living room. Followed the plans for the most part with a single sheet of 3/4” Maple ply for the console. 2” Oak lumber for the legs. Cedar planks instead of 1/4 plywood for the backing. I glued Cedar planks to 1/2 ply and trimmed for the doors; hidden hinges. I drilled holes for adjustable shelving in each section and bought the shelf pins on Amazon.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Waterbased Pickling for the console. Edge banding for the visible edges. Cedar planks for back and door.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Benches that Convert to Picnic Tables

Submitted by Steph99 on Thu, 02/02/2023 - 11:14

Simple benches that convert to picnic tables

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

First real project: Tryde Media Console - success!

Tryde Media Console plans, with slight modifications.

This was my first real project after building a very basic woodworking bench. It might look a bit daunting but is actually very simple - build the box and add some legs. Keep your cuts square and accurate and have a lot of wood filler (putty) on hand for mistakes :)

Tricky parts of this project were:

1) building it here in Australia - our wood sizes are different, and untreated 4x4's are not easily available.
2) hinges - I hate them! Still can't use 'em and may never do again.

I began this project sticking pretty much to the plans Ana posted, just making the width of the console a little narrower as my tv is 36" wide only.

Then I saw a post by the Shanty2Chic sisters who made a Apothecary Media Console with stained doors project and I fell in love. To be honest I wasn't crazy about the open sections on each side of the Tryde Console anyway, and I thought adding doors would be easy. Plus the glass knobs used by the S2C sisters were gorgeous! So I guess you could say this is a Tryde/Apothecary Media Console hybrid.

So this project is pretty much as Ana wrote it except it's narrower, and has doors with faux drawer fronts. And as it always goes the longest part of this project was doing the finish.

Please please read about this on my blog - I go into a lot of detail about the build and finish process and I make a lot of mistakes so you don't have to.

I will be posting the matching hutch project soon as I've finished that too.

UPDATE: You can read all about the matching hutch here

Estimated Cost
Approx $100AUD (not incl hardware, paint, stain)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Wattyl oil-based indoor stain in 'Wenge'
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
Beginner

Comments

hammertime

Tue, 10/18/2011 - 06:54

This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing all the details on your blog. :-)

Farm House Bed-Headboard

Submitted by V Woodcock on Sun, 10/13/2013 - 16:09

Hello,
I made the head board from the farm house bed project. I used western red cedar for this project and I bolted it to a standard metal bed frame. It came out really well and I'm very pleased with the plans and the results.
Thank you,
V. Woodcock
Minnesota

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax whip on polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

A gift to enjoy everyday and forever

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/02/2016 - 10:47

I wanted to make something for my daughter Jaclyn and her significant other Sam for their new condo that would bring memories to the table each and every time they sat at it with memories that would last a lifetime. This was perfect. I made it in a week and was ready just before they moved into their new condo. The top is a slab of maple and the frame is pine 2x4's. I deviated by using a 4x4 center post on each side of the pedestal. I used my keg jig to hide the hole in various places. I used chains, a hammer and nails to distress the top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
kona stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Ten dollar ledges with reclaimed wood

I love how this project turned out. My neighbor is a collector of of old pallets/fences. Now he is trying to clear his yard. I just had to pull out the old nails, cut and nail. The wood was perfectly weathered.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
FREE!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farmhouse Storage Bed

Submitted by dmather82 on Wed, 10/16/2013 - 16:41

The first piece of our replacement bedroom set. We have this hand me down set from the 70's that is just awful looking. I have dressers, bed side tables, a wardrobe, and closet doors to do still. I love the way this turned out. I tried the oxidized finish from Hillary and with some trial and error I found the right colors. I replaced the standard slats with a one-piece frame that can be lifted out for the storage space below. I can't wait to replace the rest of that awful blonde furniture and repaint the room. I made wood slides like those on my built in dresser although this time they are positioned beneath the drawers. The front of the drawer boxes make up the drawer faces with a face frame. I changed the front of the boxes to 1x12 to achieve this concept. The drawers work flawlessly and will be perfect for seasonal clothes accessed less often.

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Black tea, Vinegar, and Steel wool Oxidized finish. The top coat is simply SEJohnson Wax. I had never used either and couldn't be more pleased with the result. I really liked the oxidized colors but the wax made me love them. The only issue I ran into was with the edge banding on the plywood frame. Initial attempts came out black or cobalt blue. Shame on me I used Red Oak banding. After sanding and playing with it I ended up adding a quick coat of Rustoleum Classic Cherry I had leftover. It worked pretty well to fix the color.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kentwood Nightstand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 12:36

I made this nightstand and one other for my bedroom. I used 1x2's for the door and diamond willow for the handles. :)

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

Great project!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/23/2019 - 10:56
This project was easy to follow and to build!  My only criticism is the "under $20" cost estimate was way off.  If you're actually buying materials and using pressure treated lumber (which seems like an obvious choice), it ran more like $55ish (lumber, hardware, wood glue (ours was dried out and is something we normally have on hand).  I think most people looking for a project would be wanting a total top cost and be happy to subtract what they may have on hand.  We also happened to have some yoga-mat foam and a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth and staples/staple gun for upholstering the seats.  I figured this was a more weather-proof option.  Our little 3 have been on it non-stop!  Definitely a win!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
55
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet - may stain later...
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Trinket and Sign Board

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/16/2023 - 12:03

Just a few boards put together and added three shelves for trinkets. Main reason for the shelf is to hang a sign with statements like" LIFE IS BETTER IN THE COUNTRY" LIFE IS BETTER BEING RETIRED. ACTUALLY, THE ADDED SIGN IS WHATEVER YOU FANCY

Simple Nightstand

Submitted by hoffer5353 on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 21:54

I was itching to start another project, so when my friend said she was moving to a new house I was excited to make her a custom-made housewarming gift.
She has a beautiful pine bed and to my delight she was in need of nightstands. I looked over many different plans but kept coming back to the simple nightstand plan.
I was concerned about plans that had drawers, and some plans have multiple drawers. Since I haven't made drawers before, I decided I could tackle a 1 drawer nightstand and do the simple night stand.
I was pleased in the end how it turned out! The hardest thing was choosing stain and the perfect drawer pull.
I was pleased when she sent me a picture of it and it matched her bed well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

hoffer5353

Tue, 10/25/2011 - 05:52

I was concerned about the strength while constructing but once I began putting everything in place it was very sturdy.
I wasn't crazy about how my drawers turned out but I wasn't about to take it apart and rework it!
I was tempted to keep it for myself, but I couldn't since my friend was expecting a special gift.

Farmhouse Queen Bed

Submitted by Amanda G on Fri, 10/18/2013 - 19:56

First building project ever! I wanted a new bed for our new mattress and got inspired when I came across this website. A compound mitre saw, orbital sander, nailer, and many more tools later, I am building furniture whenever I get a chance!

Modified the way I attached the frame to the head board and foot board a bit. I used joist hangers on the footboard, which the frame slid into perfectly, and secured it with a couple screws on each side. I attached the headboard with 2 large carriage bolts on each side through the posts and frame.

Overall, I loved the way it turned out. On to the next project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Distressed white. I used a shade of white paint, sanded the edges and corners (mostly with an orbital sander) and used a stain pen (in Provincial shade) on the sanded spots. Sanded the entire project by hand using 220 grit sponge and finished with 3-4 coats of Minwax Polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

In reply to by Ana White

Amanda G

Wed, 10/23/2013 - 19:38

Your website really guided me through everything, from buying the wood to the finish. I credit you and tell people to visit this website whenever anyone asks me about my projects :)