Community Brag Posts

Love this stain and how it makes the grain stand out!

So my son and daughter-in-law have a new home, and lots of empty space. I told them to find a table they liked and I'd try to make it for them. They liked the PB benchwright table (http://www.potterybarn.com/products/benchwright-dining-table/http://www…) with the iron support pieces. I had to get creative for those using electrical conduit and some plumbing pieces that I spray painted black. I finished it exactly like Jen of House of Wood (http://jenwoodhouse.com/blog/2013/06/07/diy-dining-table/) and it turned out beautifully!
It was a fun project and they love it.

Ana, I really loved this design and was pretty easy to build! I like the way the finish turned out by painting it black and just a few coats of poly on top. 

The benches are overbuilt with intention of converting 2 benches into 4 chairs in the future.  I made them larger so I can simply just cut them in half and add two 4x4s 18 inches higher than the current bench legs at 24" and just deck it as a chair back, seems simple enough. One thing I would change in the design is eliminating the 3 1x12s and 2 of the 1x4s and just going with a solid table top at 33 3/4 x 40 3/4, similar to what I did on the benches.  

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions.

Brookstone desk with a white oak top and drawer that I built for my 8- yr old son. It is a very fun build.

This was a very modified version of this plan. I mostly just dismantled two stools and built the top. The top is one solid plank of wood and two layers of 1x2's to create the frame. It goes perfectly with my Farmhouse table. I love the character of the wood top, its so unique. Enjoy!

I needed a small rectangular table to put between the sofa & wall. I also wanted a small table to set elsewhere in the room temporarily. Nesting tables were the answer. I adjusted several measurements to fit the wood I had on hand for the tops. The larger table used 2 1x8's. The smaller table is topped with 3 1x6's. I also used 1by lumber instead of 2by except for the 2x2 legs.

With a little one on the way, we just couldn't find a changing table that fit our space and wasn't too expensive. So, thanks to Ana's plans, I was able to put together a smaller changing table with a slide out shelf. In the future, I'd do a better job of measuring out the height of the middle sliding shelf...anyone over 5'5" will have to bend way over to slide it in/out. I switching the 1x4s from the top to the middle shelf and made sure to measure my changing pad before starting (after reading the comments on Ana's original design). My local lumber store cut my 3/4" ply to size for free, so if you can go in with dimensions already planned out, it'll save tons of time and headache driving with 4'x6' ply floppin' around.

I shortened the length of the table but kept the width. I have to re-figure the angles of the cross beams underneath. I also added decorative hardware to the raw post edges on the sides, on the edge of the breadboards, and underneath. I used Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain, and Rustoleum Satin Poly for the finish. I bought the 4 chairs before I stained it so I could match the table to the chairs. I then made the matching bench and upholstered it myself to match the chairs. All in all, it looks like a complete set and I'm so happy with it!
It is very heavy...

I followed Ana White's instructions to a tee and things turned out great! I chose a dark brown wood stain and used an exterior Helmsman Spar Urethane for protection. Because the sandbox will always be outdoors, I ended up putting 5 layers of urethane on it.

I also attached a tarp (not seen in the pictures) to the bottom to hold the sand in. This way the sandbox can be dragged if you want to move it's location.

I made this bed for my daughter who is not yet two, but can climb out of her crib.

I needed to use some different lumber: 2x3's instead of 2x2's and 1x3's instead of 1x2's. I adjusted the headboard, as beadboard was not available and this simple design seemed more suitable for us. I was very pleased with the simplicity of the plan, although I wish I had read it more carefully before I began. I loved the Kreg jig also. Very easy to use.

My son was too big for his toddler bed and had been spending his nights in the guest bed, instead. For his Christmas gift this year, his grandparents were going to get him bedroom furniture, but I insisted on building it instead! I love the rustic theme, saw the rustic dresser on wheels and thought it was perfect for him and perfect for us since we move so much with the military. Hello, a dresser on wheels? Like, no man labor trying to carry the thing out of the house? Just roll it? SOLD! I HATE the wheels that I put on it, but I really did not want to dish out $100 for the spoked wheels. I think I may change them one day and put the wheels on that will make it look ten times better, but for now, these will do. The wood for the dresser was pricey, but it was my first time buying plywood and I didn't realize that I could buy nicer plywood in smaller amounts that would have been a little cheaper since I didn't need to buy entire boards! Otherwise, it wouldn't have cost as much I am sure. I built a bed and a night table to match the dresser (as seen in the pictures), and frankly, I am very pleased with this set that I built! (CHECK OUT MY BED! http://ana-white.com/2014/02/rustic-twin-bed-upholstered-headboard-matc…) It was quite a difficult project for me, being the first time I had built drawers and because I didn't have more than a few hours in a week to get outside to work on it, but I finally finished :-) I also had a very small space to work in, since my husband consumes the garage with his man "stuff" and it was cold, so I needed the door closed with the space heater ;-). This project could definitely use some good amount of workspace!

I made this little end table for my daughter-in-law to accompany the porch bench I made for her about 2 years ago. It's a simple little table but it does have one unique feature.  My son and daughter-in-law cut down a large old cedar tree from in front of their house and gave me the wood.   I thought it might be nice to build something for them from the tree so aI milled several pieces of the tree and let them dry in my shed for about one year.  It took a while to run the wood through the planner to get it just right.  I used the wood for the table top and the wood grain looks just beautiful.  In fact, I'm  just now leaving to their house on Bainbridge Island  to give them the table.  I know she'll  love it!

My wife asked if I could build this, showed me the pictured. Well, I’ve never built something that big before but I’ll give it a try. I took the time to draw it all out and get all the measurements down before hand, and it all turned out pretty nice. Most importantly my wife loved it! We paid someone to paint it, because I know my limitations lol.

Bob J - Texas

This stool is a gift for my nephew's 4th birthday!! The hardest thing about this stool is trying to get all the legs put together without having enough room to get the drill at the right angle. This time, we used an extender piece on the drill bit (duh!) and it was MUCH easier than the other stools we have built.

I used a projector to put the trace the Superman symbol, then painted it.

I hope he likes it!!!

Of course, with our new king farmhouse bed, we needed matching his and her bedside tables. It was a pretty straightforward build. However, if I were to build it again, I would install slide hardware for the drawers. For whatever reason, our drawers, which use the wood on wood slides in the plans, are difficult to open/close. When I get a chance, I am going to sand everything down to try to prevent the drawers from sticking so much.

Loved making this dresser, and it works awesome in my baby girl's room.