This was constructed out of solid black walnut from a tree that grew in our homeowner's association area. A neighbor and I had the tree sawn into planks, which we air-dried for a year, and then divided up the wood. So this really is an "all natural" project.
Finally finished my first build! This was initially meant to just be a file cabinet but by the time I got a little over half way through we got rid of our huge office desk to make a guest room and decided that I should a top to the file cabinet to make a small desk to go in our living room. It's a perfect fit! This definitely took me longer than I had expected thanks to a lot of cold or wet days, a busy schedule and a lack of a garage. If it wasn't light out and dry I couldn't work. In addition, since this was my first build, I had to learn a lot of skills, buy a lot of new tools (Christmas helped) and fix a lot of mistakes (not to mention the untold number of trips to the hardware store). However I am so excited about how well this turned out I am already halfway through building a set of night stands and my "to-do" list is very, very long!
Mon, 04/30/2012 - 11:37
What type of plywood did you use for the top? I am looking to buy the materials and I have no clue what to get.
Mon, 04/30/2012 - 16:56
Nadine,
If you're determined to stain the top, there are a couple of different things I'd try.
The first is looking for a panel instead of plywood. Most home stores and lumber yards sell glued up wood table and counter tops. At Menards I've seen maple, oak and pine. Lowes and Home Depot usually at least have pine. It costs slightly more, but it gives a really nice desktop.
If you want plywood, if you're going to stain it buy an A1 plywood. In an ideal world, it would have a rotary cut core, but that isn't essential. Home centers tend to make it a bit harder to by plywood by the surface grade, so I really recommend you go to a lumber yard for your plywood. That said, I've seen the stacks of Purebond at Home Depot that Ana recommends, and it looks like very nice material. I haven't used it, but I think it would be worth trying.
The bed was a great project to start with. Very easy to follow instructions. I was a little worried that the bed was going to be too big, but once my husband and I got it together it was perfect. I used the metal frame that the bed already sat on, so I didn't need supports. I added a special touch for my husband since it was almost our anniversay. It's barely noticable but I carved our initials into the footboard. He loved it! After I completed the bed I moved on to the table. I forgot to take progress pictures. My next project I will be sure to do so. This was a joy to build. I still can't believe I made these beautiful peices! One more bedside table to build and my room will have all new furniture. Thank you Ana for the plans!! It's going to be tough to figure out what to build next. so many plans to choose from! :)
Built from solid walnut milled from a tree that grew nearby. Had tree cut into slabs, air dried the wood for a year, then planed into boards for use in the project. Rabbitted the supports rather than depending only on screws. Finished with tung oil and clear polyurathane.
I received you French Cleat Hanging Closet idea this last week and although a rookie wood worker, figured I’d give it a try.
The instructional video was excellent and very easy to follow. Think it came out just fine if I do say so myself.
We followed the plans exactly. I I got 4 separate square cushions at Hobby Lobby, got the fabric there also. My friend sewed the cushions for me (so sweet!) because she knows I can't sew=)
I found the little side table at a garage sale for $3 and painted it white to match. I love this piece on my patio...it's great for reading, or to sit and sip coffee or a glass of wine!
loved the challenge first project ever, my suggestion to anyone buy the kreg jig best thing since sliced bread
Wed, 10/09/2013 - 19:49
Very nice!
Is this the full size table or a coffee table? I'm curious about your dimensions.
Fri, 10/11/2013 - 08:10
Full size outdoor table I used the plan located on this website outdoor beer table I believe
mY first wood project turned out pretty awesome, thanks to Ana!!
This was a project I built about a year ago. It's a 7ft trestle leg table with a matching bench. The top is stained dark walnut and the bottom is white and distressed. Matching X back chairs were finished the same.
My fiancée wanted to spice up our living room and we got this great idea from Ana, whose video made me realize I could do this! I was a little reluctant because a lot of these you see don’t have a lot of electronics and the TV is pretty high. I feel like we we able to balance this out by adding the shelf’s to the side for electronics!
Tue, 01/31/2023 - 05:45
On the bottom right corner I added a removable board to help keep access to wires going to electronics on shelf’s.
To finish off my bathroom remodel I built the Martina wall shelf. I reused the metal hook that was previously on my wall before the board and batten treatment. It fit perfectly in the space under the shelf meant for hooks. I wish I had measured out my towels and storage needs. I could have actually stored more if I had adjusted the plans to make the shelf a little deeper and a couple inches wider. Overall, I'm very pleased! The Kreg Jig is a fun little tool, too!
Fri, 11/04/2011 - 07:24
How did you attach the shelf to the wall?? Thanks!
First project! Cut the tops at the wrong angle. Stained with Miniwax Dark Walnut. Had some kreg jig troubles but all-in-all very happy with the results.
Easy project and fun to do!
This was my first BIG project. I worked on it for a few hours every day for a few weeks. The most tedious part was sanding, but that is because I wanted to go the cheap way and got my wood from HD. I also did this (mostly) by myself, but having a partner definitely would have made the process go faster (especially for attaching the side rails to the headboard/footboard). I used bed rail brackets to make things easy when I move. I also made the bed a little higher than Ana's plan because I wanted a lot of under-bed storage.
Have questions!? Just ask! This was such a rewarding project :)
I got the idea to build this chest of drawers after watching your mudroom bench tutorial. They turned out great! It’s very sturdy and holds a lot of clothes. Thanks again for the great videos and plans👍.
Leslie
Fri, 02/03/2023 - 18:09
Way to think outside the box! Thank you for sharing, it looks great!
I made this chair for my two-year old niece so she can sit at the table like a big girl. We call it the "Share Chair" because she has to share it with her two sisters. It was fairly easy to make; I think I spent more time painting it.
While staging my sister & brother-in-laws home so they could list it for sale, I ended up with an "empty wall" in their living room and nothing to fill it with, but knew a small bookshelf would work perfectly! I loved the look of the Kentwood bookshelf plan. I'm not the fastest builder, but after a couple hours, I had everything cut, all pocket holes drilled and everything fully assembled. I only applied one coat of stain and a single coat of poly and skipped adding a back...for now. I may go back and add a back later, but for now I'm thrilled with it (and so was my sister!)
Edit: I finally added a back to the shelf - just in time to sell it to a friend. ;)
This is my first attempt at a rustic coffee table build based on Ana's designs. I used redwood (mostly) and pine for the bottom shelf. The solution was created using white vinegar and 00 grade steel wool. The solution was not diluted (should have done 50/50 with water) and sat for about 15 days (only needed 5-7 to dissolve all wool).
Hope you enjoy!
Used the frame portion of the plans and the window/door layout, skinned in plywood, then skinned in insulating foam board, carved and sculpted to look like stone. Then painted with a combo of 5 different colors. My daughter loves it.
