Community Brag Posts

First Project

My 11 year old is a girlie girl and has been asking my wife and I for the American Girl Star Armoire cabinet for 2 years. I found a similar plan here on Ana-White's Plan page. I decide to use a little nice quality wood (Aspen) instead of just a clear pine wood. It turned out nicer than even I could have expected.

My daughter got this for her 11 Bday this past Sunday and has already filled the cabinet with all her special AG Dresses. I added my own twist by putting a 1/4" Chalkboard back on it so she can use it to play school with her AG Dolls.

I have a couple people interested in making one for them for Christmas. :)

My next project will be one of the bunk-beds featured on Ana's website.

Estimated Cost
$72.00 (Material & Hardware ONLY)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
My friend has a "cup gun" sprayer and the cabinet has 3 coats of white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bhammond

Fri, 11/15/2013 - 17:19

Beautiful cabinet, and what a treasure for your daughter! How did you make the star so flawlessly?

Nice work!

4x4 truss beam table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/31/2016 - 13:30

My wife's cousin builtthis table using your plans and we loved it. I wanted a lager table, so I made a few modification. The table top is 5 8 ft 2x10's. I love the finished product. More importantly, my wife loves it! Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
Approximately $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax classic grey and 2 coats of minwax semi gloss polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Doll Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by kne16415 on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 12:53

Farmhouse doll bed with adorable bedding made

Estimated Cost
10.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Retirement Gift Man Crate

Submitted by JoanneS on Sun, 11/17/2013 - 09:34

This man crate is a gift for a co worker who is retiring. We'll put all his keepsake gifts in here and he'll have to open it with a crowbar. :) The dimensions on this were adjusted to the size of 17" long, 12" wide, and 10 3/4" high (about the size of a case of copier paper). It is made with 1/2" birch plywood and poplar craft boards. I chose to use the hardwood plywood since I found out folks would be signing it, and it's much easier to write on this with a ballpoint pen than on regular plywood. Plus, less sanding for me to do ! ;)

To keep it from being so heavy when it's filled, I substituted 1/4" plywood for the top and bottom, and left the trim off of the ends. I arranged the pieces so the trim on the front & back covered the cut ends of the 1/2" plywood.

The lettering was traced on (it's "Stencil" font, in 105 pt size, printed from Powerpoint) using a ballpoint pen to dent the surface, then a black Sharpie pen to outline. Hubby thought it looked nice just with the letters in outline, and that's shown in the picture.

Also on this one, I made a little gift tag with some clip-art, and mod-podge'd it to the bottom.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 for hardwood plywood and poplar trim boards
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished - left it this way to make it easier for folks to sign the crate.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 11/19/2013 - 16:03

The man crate was a big hit at the retirement party! I think we're starting a tradition ;) We had his wife stash the crowbar, and when it was time for him to open it, we asked, "does anyone have a crowbar?" - and then his wife said, "Here you go!" and pulls one out of her shoulder bag! It was a hoot! :)

Classroom Central

As a teacher, I rarely sit at my desk. I usually end up just piling stuff on it! I have a podium I use for my laptop and resources as I teach. This unit replaces the secondhand bookcases I’d had as well as the storage for items like post-its, highlighters, pencils, etc. that were in my desk drawers. I have so much more space without the bulky teacher desk! Note: the doors are not on the original plan. I bought special project pine that was 16” wide, and cut them to 14 3/16” width.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I stained it with brewed tea, then finished it with Spar Urethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

A successful build!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 14:52

I decided to make beds for my kids after looking at ones to purchase that all had bad reviews about the sturdiness.
Thank you for providing such comprehensive plans here. I have never built anything from scratch before, and this project was a lot of fun. I'll be starting a second one this week.

Comments

Marlee's Kitchen "Just Like Grammie's"

Submitted by Laura Fama on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 06:05

I started this project months ago... hoping to give this to Marlee for her 3rd birthday... that was September. Here it is... 99.99% complete... 3.5 months past the deadline... Just in time for Christmas. I used the plans for Grace's Kitchen pieces with some modifications. I extended the cabinet for the sink... gave her a farmer's sink... and extra counter space. What kitchen doesn't need additional counter space??? I left it open storage for now... I wanted to add doors... but ran out of time... ha ha... The oven I added the drop down door below the oven compartment for additional storage. I painted the burners on her cooktop.. just like Grammie's... I couldn't find the handles I wanted in black... I had to buy the stainless ones and prime and spray them black... that was pricey ... The fridge has 5+ coats of magnetic primer under the stainless steel paint. I got a pic of an icemaker/water dispenser from the web and Mod Podged it to the freezer door. I had just as much fun shopping for her supplies as I did making the kitchen. Most of the food products are from Melissa & Doug... and mostly all made of wood!! Too bad she's only here a couple nights a month.... maybe I might have to have my own friends over to play when she's not here!!! Thank you Ana... once again I owe it all to you!!!!

Estimated Cost
$150-$200
Finish Used
Rustoleum Magnetic Primer
Rustoleum Stainless Steel Paint
Sherwin Williams Caviar paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

laurakc181

Mon, 01/02/2012 - 08:31

This is probably the best one I have seen! Honestly - the fridge is fantastic and that sink is insanely awesome! I am jealous now lol....I am sure she loves it and who says YOU aren't allowed to play with it while she is not there ;)

Laura Fama

Mon, 01/02/2012 - 19:12

Thank you. That's very nice of you to say, there are many beautiful sets on here. Yours is very nice too. I love the grill on your stove. That's a great addition.

Jaque (not verified)

Wed, 01/04/2012 - 21:06

THAT IS AMAZING I LOVE IT!! I may take some ideas for myself I have 2 little girls and I think the extra space would be perfect for them so they dont fight over a little space. I JUST LOVE THIS!!!

Laura Fama

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 18:31

I think the extra space is going to work out well. My granddaughter is already using it and if she didn't have it, I suspect she'd make my play sandwich on the floor!! I would like to make another piece, for additional storage and maybe a microwave, but I'm running out of space in her room!!!

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 19:08

Could you please tell me the dimensions of your sink & counter? Thanks,

Lotus (not verified)

Sun, 08/19/2012 - 10:30

Where did you find that cute sink? Id love to make this for my daughter, you did a great job.

Laura Fama

Sun, 08/19/2012 - 18:35

Thank you, I built the sink. Just made a box and painted it with stainless steel paint. I really winged it with the sink. The counter top is two boards that were scrap from the fridge joined with pocket holes. I splurged and bought the faucet.

DSalvagni

Fri, 08/23/2013 - 09:22

I love your kitchen set at first i thought it was the real deal. the stainless on black looks amazing what paint did you use to get the stainless color? also what did you use for the stove knobs they look real Great job.

Laura Fama

Thu, 01/08/2015 - 07:20

Sorry this reply is so late...I used Rustoleum stainless steel paint. It's awesome. The knobs are real. They're replacement knobs for a range, sold at Lowe's. I was able to work with them and they actually turn.

Lily's Library Cart

First project of yours that I built. Came out so much better than I expected.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Triple Pedestal Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/05/2016 - 18:33

Brazilian walnut flooring top from lumber store and pine everywhere else. 

Estimated Cost
About double because of the Brazilian walnut top. $300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Triple thick clear varnish 3 coats lightly sanded in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

modern bar stools & outdoor chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/18/2019 - 17:19

great plans, thanks! a girl can do. used scrap 2x4s from a concrete pour for the bar stools (ran them through table saw) and leftover 2x12 cutouts from pool deck framing so they are not as perfect as with new wood but it’s great to recycle

for the outdoor chairs I used scrap 2x4s as well but for the seat went with new 1x4

Estimated Cost
all scrap wood
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
stain. mixed 3 parts of “onyx” & 1 part of stonehenge to get to that grey (did not like the grey they had)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy Jewelry Box

Submitted by dland41961 on Fri, 05/05/2023 - 07:59

Fancy Jewelry Box it came out very nice. Made with white oak.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Squared2 Headboard

Submitted by amysparkie on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 16:24

I build Anna's version of this popular store's headboard. I love it! Cost includes wood and paint. I would have used poplar for the entire bed but my hardware store only had 2x2s and 2x4s in white wood.

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
The paint color is pond by eddie bauer color matched at benjamin moore. I used a HVLP paint sprayer to paint and a semi gloss paint thinned with a water based product (you can just use water and floetrol).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse table American Walnut for Friends

Submitted by ksmith311 on Thu, 11/21/2013 - 12:57

We built this table for some friends and the build went great!

She brought over a table leg so that we could try to compliment their existing stain colors. I used "American Walnut" when maybe I should have used "Special walnut". It turned out a little reddish and I'm worried that she wont like it. I think it's beautiful but I'm so nervous!

What do you think about the finish?

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
American Walnut and Minwax poly in satin (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 11/22/2013 - 09:54

Don't worry, it came out beautiful and the finish looks fine! They will be happy and thankful for your efforts. Besides, the style these days isn't to be so "matchy matchy" anyway. Great job!

Barnwood Narrow Cottage End Table

Submitted by kcragun on Sun, 02/07/2016 - 20:52

Inspired by the Narrow Cottage End Tables plans. Tapered the legs a bit at the bottoms. Added a bead to the top and bottom of the drawer front. I finally used a 100 year old board salvaged from a barn in Tennessee that suffered a fire - giving the white oak a great dark patina. There is a shop in Orange County, CA called True American Grain that sells reclaimed wood - I bought the board for $40 - it adds a lot of character to the finished project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted the base using Annie Sloan chalk paint in French Linen. I brushed on and wiped off a glaze from General Finishes in Van Dyke Brown. I used wax as a top coat on the base. For the top, I did a lot of sanding, but kept the old saw marks. I also used Tung Oil on the top, to protect the wood without a high gloss finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Jurassic Park Cabin Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/03/2019 - 07:36

My son is really into dinosaurs so I thought I'd make him a Jurassic Park themed cabin bed. This was a great plan and my only regret is that I didn't paint the pieces of the roof BEFORE assembly. I definitely spent the majority of time on finishing but it came out wonderfully and my son is totally in love with it!

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

Washer Dryer Pedestals Bases

This pedestal base for the washer and dryer really created the perfect opportunity to organize and declutter our tiny laundry room. Had to resize it a bit to fit the space but it turned out perfect! I added a super easy top for an even counter space and bought some stock laundry room cabinets to sit in the back for extra storage. Such an upgrade!

Playhouse with Steps and Slides

Submitted by Hafidz on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 14:06

It's my first woodwork project and I went ahead on building a slide with a playhouse underneath. Took some of the ideas from Ana's playhouse deck plan. It took me awhile to figure out how to build the slides and steps though. The project is intended to cater for my 1 year old daughter. As you can see, the playhouse is not "there" yet as there's no wall surrounding the structure beneath the slides (there will be some soon enough). As this playhouse will someday be put under direct sunlight and heavy rain, choice of wood takes into account the tropical weather that we have here in Malaysia (I might have to put some heavy coating on that Meranti though).

Dimension wise it's a 4'X4'X4' structure with 1.5' steps attached at the side. The railing are about 1.5' high.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
MYR 700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
No finish applied yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

King Size Farmhouse Storage bed from 2 Ana White PLans

This was my first build! I combined 2 of Ana White's plans, the King size Farmhouse bed with the Queen size storage bed, I didn't do drawers as the cubbies worked better. So this was a nice merge of two of the plans! LOVE LOVE LOVE our bed, and the 2 tone stain/paint combo.

Estimated Cost
$750
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I stained the headboard and footboard with Minwax Dark Walnut and then used a cottage white paint for the "white" portions. then finished with a satin polyurethane coat over everything.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

joshuaaslocum15

Mon, 11/25/2013 - 07:53

My wife asked me to find a bed idea for our little girls room. She said she wanted her to have a bed with storage. Well I think I found the bed I am going to build her. Now the fun part making it into a twin size! I like it so much I am going to build one for us in our bedroom. Again I love it great job!!!

KansasDad12

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 08:43

Was just curious if you actually spent $750 building this or if that was a typo? Would really like to build this same bed with the except of using drawers. Nice work!