Community Brag Posts

Farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/15/2023 - 14:45

First time doing anything this big. The crosses on the side kicked my butt but I think I got them figured out.

Comments

Kitchen play set

Submitted by amym on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 12:13

I made this for my daughter for Christmas last year. Well, actually Santa did, or at least that's what she tells people. I had one of the big companies cut the lumber for me, but a few boards were cut incorrectly. I live about 25 minutes from a local hardware store and needed to have them re-cut. Luckily for me, my father-in-law is handy and he brought out his circular saw and helped me even out my boards. Then, for Christmas I got a gift too - a table saw.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a tip from Ana and looked to the OOPS section at Home Depot. I had this color matched with a swatch, it didn't come out quite the color I intended, but I am happy with it. Its a little difficult to see in the picture, but the finish is quite flat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Red library cart

Submitted by Nomads on Sun, 10/06/2013 - 10:59

I've been eyeing the Land of Nod library cart for months!
...However, I wasn't sure about the price tag, so I started researching how to make it myself.
This is our first of many projects!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandy TV Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/27/2015 - 12:20

Modified the plans to make smaller and shorter to use as a flatscreen tv stand to fit up to a 60 inch tv. It has room on each side for baskets that I will put in later!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades in Mission Oak satin, and Behr premium plus ultra in satin Ultra Pure White
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 08:33

I made this as part of a room makeover for my teenager. It was my second furniture project, the first being Ana’s original farmhouse bed. This was my first project with the Kreg jig and I watched a great YouTube video by shanty2chic to learn the basics of pocket holes. This was also my first staining project and I love the results. My daughter loved it so much she had me stain her closet doors to match! The lumber for the bed was only $120, I spent an additional $80 on wood and screws for the slats to support the mattress, my new kreg jig came with enough screws to make the bed frame. I spent another $80 on wood conditioner, stain and poly since she didn’t like the first stain (Briarsmoke, which I will definitely use on another project).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I started with a wood conditioner and then used Varathane Early American stain applied with a rag and dry brushed on top of that with varathane Kona, again watching a shanty2chic video for technique. Poly is water based satin finish. I used the triple thick but still had to do 2 coats, partly for coverage but also because the water based poly raised the grain so I needed to do a light sand and a second coat of poly for a smooth finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

okstout4

Mon, 10/19/2020 - 19:49

This is very nice. Love the color too. I used Special Walnut in Behr brand and it came out too dark. Wished I had looked at some of these builds before I did the Behr brand stain.

Custom Accent Tables - by John

Submitted by MadJack73 on Mon, 01/23/2023 - 09:32

The tv table is most recent and custom with acquired skills using your other plans along the way. Coffee and side table are 100% from your plan .  Hall table is modified from a plan as I wanted it to fit the top of stairs landing.  Love your site!   I've done other projects but these are all in my own and built in the last 18 months.  Cheers!! 

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!

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

Made for DUCKS!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/17/2019 - 08:12

Built in 2017 for our ducks! They use the ramp just fine! I am now working on editing this coop plan to make a coop for 4 chickens we just brought home. I'm going to leave out the planting area, since it's going inside their open run. 

Estimated Cost
$600 with materials for run fence as well
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
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