Community Brag Posts

Middle School Class Builds Picnic Tables for School Grounds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:59

Ana,

Thanks so much for your octagon picnic tables plans. I teach a Life Skills Class at Russell Christian Academy for middle school. This class of 18 students completed the build of 4 of these tables (with a little assistance from me) and are now being used as an outside dining area for all grades K-12. It was a great experience for the kids and I have received many positive comments about these tables.

Thanks again…

 

Dewayne Knight of Meridian, Mississippi

Comments

Perfect Cubby Bench - My Take on it.

We saw this cubby bench and thought it could work for us... but there's 5 of us.

So we redrew the plans to add two more cubbies.

I also like the idea of being able to hide everything, so we put doors on.

The issue I had was cutting 1x12 material with the chop saw. Cutting with the circular saw (even with a guide) can sometimes leave you with an "almost" square edge. Even with a 12" saw you can not make the cuts on a 1x12. You need a sliding saw for that.

One option is to cut the boards over sized by 1/4 in and then use the table saw to get a square edge with the miter gauge or rip fence.

I only worried about this due to putting doors on the cubbies. It's your using baskets you don't have to be so exact.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax water based stain and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Little e's Garden Bench

Submitted by jaime19861 on Mon, 03/17/2014 - 09:28

I made this garden bench for my niece's 3rd Birthday. She loved it!

I was able to use wood that had been leftover from past projects. I only had to buy a few boards. The paint was largest expense.

The most difficult part was the arch. I did that by bending my ruler along some finishing nails.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used DutchBoy MaxBond semi-gloss exterior paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack chairs

Submitted by bz_g on Sun, 06/19/2016 - 11:13

These chairs were really fun to build. This was my first project and they turned out great. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Cost
~$35 per chair
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Thompson's Water Seal Deck & House Oil Stain Semi-Transparent in Sierra Brown
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic x coffee table

I love it. Originally wanted to build the lift top coffee table but by the time it was ready to do it we realized the sides weren’t wide enough to for a hideaway storage. Wish it was a little bit smaller but for the first project of many it was great

Estimated Cost
120
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Map gas and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Console

Submitted by kamijb on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 16:46

I did it! My hubby cut all the wood for me because the saw still scares me, but I assembled it!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint/Dark Walnut stain/Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Janelle Jones (not verified)

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 11:52

hi i love this table do you mine sharing with me the wood sizes and assembly intructions THANKS!

My Rustic X-Side Kitchen Island

Submitted by cassiet717 on Sat, 03/22/2014 - 05:53

I’ve been hoarding my scraps for the past six months or so hoping to build this as soon as possible. I paid roughly $34 for it!
Everything but the 1”x8” drawer face and the project panel top came from my scrap pile. My aunt and uncle’s renovation dumpster provided the missing 2”x4”s. There are nail holes, dings, and some general bruising, but who says that’s a bad thing?
I omitted the piece of trim beneath the drawer to allow more room for storage on my shelf. I absolutely love my island, and as usual Ana's plans were flawless!
You can see details on how I built and finished on my blog here: http://lovelyweeds.blogspot.com/2014/02/island-paradise.htmlit
Thanks for taking a look!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Olympia latex paint, Minwax Special Walnut stain, Minwax Finish Wax (body), Polyurethane (project panel top)
You can see tips for recreating my finish here: http://www.lovelyweeds.com/2014/03/island-paradise-part-2.html
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Larger Farmhouse Table w/ Removable Legs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/22/2016 - 11:41

Used Ana White's Husky Farmhouse Table plans/instructions and then made some of my own modifications to make the legs removable and expand the dimensions a bit. Turned out pretty good! This was my first project :)

Estimated Cost
~600 dollars. Had to buy some tools.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Dark Walnut Min Wax Stain, water based
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

First Project With My Kids

Submitted by jigawatt77 on Mon, 04/20/2020 - 06:55

This started out as an idea for a hall tree, which none of expected to turn out great. But being in "lockdown" we needed something to do. After accidentally painting our interior entryway baby blue we decided to go with a nautical theme. As you can see, we used anchor style hooks and beadboard, which brought it all together nicely. The further along in the project planning. the more interested my children became. I'm not the most patient teacher and could have had this knocked out in a day. But it brought me so much joy and pride to see my children make something this beautiful. It really completes our entryway. The bench is more than sturdy enough for my very large self to sit on and the cats will probably claim it soon. We are just so happy with the end result. I can see this being the beginning of a lot of future projects and time spent together. My 10 year old daughter seemed particularly inspired by watching a very "girly" mom (Ana) building this. This project was meaningful. Thank you Ana White for sharing the info and know-how to get started on this journey!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
65.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
BEHR Cabinet and Trim Paint Semi Gloss Pre Mixed Bright White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Upholstery Bench

This is my second build and i really like it. I used pine and Waverly Cross Section Green to cover the foam. The plan is realy easy to follow and i used killer B method for the upholstery part. http://ana-white.com/2011/03/upholstered-bench. With two kiddos, it took me a couple of weeks to finish it but its a day project if your have more time than me! The only problem i had was to find high density foam. I finally find it at an upholstery shop but it cost me more for the foam then for the rest of the project. I used varathan oil base stain in light wallnut. I will finish it with a coat of vanish soon. Sorry for my bad english, my first language is french! Genevieve alias MadameG

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
120$ (85$ for foam only!)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 09:32

Genevieve, I always enjoy your posts. Your English is good - better than some people who grew up speaking it here in the US!
I have a daughter named Genevieve. Her father thought Genevieve Bujold was beautiful and wanted to name his little girl for her.

Changing table

Submitted by Aerohawk on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 20:25

This was my first project so I stuck mostly to the original plan. The only change I made was to make the width 16 1/2 instead of 15 1/2 to fit the pad. I was going for a driftwood finish to match the crib we got.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Very light gray minwax stain followed by two coats of satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Stackable fruit and veggie crates

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/25/2016 - 23:31

 Love all of the projects on this website. I am just getting in to woodworking but am loving learning all of things that I can do with these wonderful plans. I used all 1x2s for my fruit and veggie crates since they didn't have what I was looking for here at my lowes. Kind of limited on lumber around these parts unless I drive an hour away. A good sanding and these crates came out great. Smooth and stylish!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
No stain, just a good sanding.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

DIY Wine Caddy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2023 - 09:04

One of my first projects…thank you Ana White for building my confidence in wood working! ❤️

Midge Newth

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Caitlyn's Reading retreat

This was not built using one of Ana's plans. I have a book of 2X4 projects that my daughter gave me and actually got me started woodworking. This beauty was one of the projects. It was easy to build and easy to put together but not easy to paint. The lattice was the cheapest she could buy and was "furry". I tried sanding which took forever but it was still a mess to paint. I am including the link to the plans: http://woodtools.nov.ru/projects2/WoodPlan/lattice-bower.pdf
If you build this be sure and sand and paint before putting together-it's so much easier.

It looks amazing in her backyard and she is loving it.

Estimated Cost
$150-$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used 2X4s and lattice. If you can afford the better lattice-do it! We just painted it with an exterior flat paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

fancy x barn house table and benches

Well this is a project I made from plans from this site and we love it ! Is my first peace of furniture I've ever made and I think it was Farley easy my wife saw the pictures and ask me if I would make it & I was like I'll try and it turned out beautiful everyone who's seen it love it very sturdy actually it was completed right on time for thanksgiving day. I want to thank Anna and whoever posted those plans we love our big table and matching benches : )

Estimated Cost
about $200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax pre-stain conditioner and minwax wood finish dark walnut 2716
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Ledges for two Kids

This was my first project after buying a miter saw. I used 2 inch screws to secure the back to the ledge, then nails (I think 2 inch?) to secure the front lip to the ledge. I then covered the nail holes with wood filler, painted with a white glossy paint that I had on hand for my house's trim, and secured into the wall with anchors and screws. 

 

It was a fairly easy project and I used the cheapest wood found at home depot (each ledge literally cost less than a dollar for the wood). It did take me several hours but considering it was my first project, it was pretty fast. I'm sure someone with more experience could knock these out in 1-2 hours! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to build something else. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Off the shelf white interior glossy paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/25/2020 - 18:07

I can't believe I did it!! It came out so good!! Thank you so much for the instructions ...I got a Kreg jig and I love it!!! I used it to connect all my wood except when putting the furring strips on the wall....I also added a support for the shelves that were only connected on two sides...this was my first wood project!😀

Estimated Cost
$120.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Kitchen Island with Storage

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/11/2023 - 09:17

I started with your basic plan but i slightly modified it with out the overhang too much and added a set of doors and covered where the seating would be. But it still has room for two seats .. I made mine rustic :-)

backyarddiybuilder.ca

Built from Plan(s)

Chloe's Purple Playhouse Bed

Saw this plan and knew I had to make it. This is her first BIG GIRL bed. Her reaction made it all worth it, "Daddy I am going to sleep in this bed FOREVER!" We stuck with the hinged storage under the first two steps but turned the space under the top step into a little closet for her dress up stuff. We also strung rope lights in the playhouse section for added fun lighting.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Olympic Interior Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

AnneP (not verified)

Fri, 11/23/2012 - 22:19

I'm going to build this for my granddaughter. She will absolutely love it. I'm having trouble figuring out the exact steps - which I need before I venture on this project. Trying to find accurate step by step plans for the stairs on the right side -- and all the walls too.
THANKS

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