Community Brag Posts

Pub Table

Submitted by Flip0427 on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 08:43

My daughter-in-law requested a pub table for my son’s birthday. Having never done this before I searched the web and found Ana White’s site (great by the way).  Table was built using the image of old_man’s table on Ana White’s site as inspiration (size 42” x 44” x 42” high).  I used 2x8s for the top, jointed and trimmed down to 6” wide and then glued together.  Since I could only clamp up to 25” wide, I made the top into two sections gluing one board at a time to minimize wet boards.  I then had two halves that I glued together using a wedge setup so as to avoid purchasing additional expensive clamps.  Once the top was complete, I sized out my base and opted to place the apron boards between the 4x4 leg instead of placing them outside the legs.  They were attached by drilling pocket holes in the apron and then attached with glue and screws.  The top was then attached to the legs and apron from using 1 1/2” right angle brackets.  As old_man stated and I concur, this table is HEAVY....  Thanks to both Ana White and old_man for the inspiration.

Estimated Cost
$109.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Used Minwax Ebony stain and Minwax Spar Polyurethane that I had on hand. Initially 2 coats of polyurethane over the entire table, sanding with 220 grit between coats and completed the top with 3 more coats with the final sanding of 600 grit on the top before the last coat of polyurethane was applied
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Planters

This was my first project! I did get better the more I made. Even mitred corners on the top! Thank you for the easy to follow plans.

Comments

farmhouse table

Submitted by wolfmawr on Sat, 04/16/2011 - 00:44

All natural table for six. We changed it a little using 4 x 4 for the legs and 2 x 4 for the sides. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
under $100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Raw dark tung oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Husky Farmhouse Table

This is one of my favorite pieces on Ana's site. I knew the minute I laid eyes on it I had to build it. I hope you guys enjoy it half as much as I do.You can read the full details of the build at my blog here:

http://copycatcarpenter.blogspot.com

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Espresso stain, Helsman Spar Urethane, Light Cream Milk Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Thu, 06/20/2013 - 16:00

Love this! You did a wonderful job, and the finishes are awesome! Also I read your blog post, what a great idea to give a new life to those bedposts and use them for your table legs.

Copycat Carpenter

Fri, 06/21/2013 - 05:14

I'm glad you like it! I've been showing this picture on my phone to everyone recently, like a proud parent, lol! Check back soon, I should have the full blog finished shortly.

spiceylg

Fri, 06/21/2013 - 07:58

Great job. Love the chunky legs and the story behind them! Way to repurpose!

Assembly/ Out feed table

This week's project was an outfeed/assembly table. A project that iv'e been needing for a while now. It's mostly constructed with 2x4's and plywood and mdf for the tops. I added caster the the legs to keep it mobile in my shop in case of having to move it around. I'm extremely happy with it and I love the extra space it provides underneath.

Blog article: http://www.lanebroswoodshop.com/2015/05/assemblyoutfeed-table.html

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hap5Dv60qHw

Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Doll house for 18" Dolls

Both my princesses absolutely LOVE their dollhouse. It was my first diy project and it's wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. 

Estimated Cost
I spent roughly $46 on the wood. We had a bunch of extra paint lying around the house and left over carpet pieces we decided to use.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adirondack Chairs!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 12:32

Ana’s Adirondack Chairs are the best!! The plans are so easy to follow and the chairs last for years! I made a pair for myself years ago and still constantly get compliments on them. I now make them (when I can) for gifts for friends for all occasions... Christmas, Weddings, you name it! Thank you Ana for sharing your talents with all of us. Blessing for a great 2022!

Comments

Lego Table with matching end tables

Submitted by hblackburn on Tue, 04/19/2011 - 18:13

This is the lego table my husband & I made. It was a fun project to build & we liked it so much we had to make some end tables to match. We used the same design just scaled everything down for the end tables. Making them was no problem but painting them was a different story. We started out with a latex primer & paint,  & found out that was a mistake. The latex paint is just too soft for furniture. So we went out & got some oil base paint and sprayed them. With lots of sanding & repainting we finally got them done.

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Oil base paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My first DIY project

Submitted by sara1 on Sun, 06/23/2013 - 07:08

I was inspired to try this after reading all the comments and being discouraged by the high price and poor quality of commercial sandboxes. We followed the instructions and it was super easy! I'm a complete novice, so if I can do it, anybody can.

After cutting the wood and sanding it, it only took about three hours to assemble the sand box. I then primed and painted it the next day taking about 3-4 hours. We also attached a landscaping barrier to the bottom with a staple gun to prevent weeds from growing through the sand. We used 10 bags (50 lbs) of play sand, but you could get by with less.

So far, it's been a big hit with my three-year-old son.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar primer and pure white, satin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Dining Room Pedestal Table

I've been wanting to build a pedestal dining table for a while, and loved these plans!

Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a variety of stains but ultimately went with Briarsmoke by Varathane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Puzzle table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 13:35

This is a table that will fit a large 1000 piece puzzle. The drawers can hold the pieces you believe would fit in that particular corner of the puzzle. When you need the room on your table this puzzle table is easily picked up and moved without disturbing the puzzle

Comments

Full Storage Bed

I built Ana's Full Storage Bed.  This was fairly easy to build and it is a perfect bed for a child's room.  I LOVE the added storage!  You can see the plans for the crates I built to fit at our blog http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/03/crates-for-storage-bed.html 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut Stain and Minwax Polycrylic Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Notre Dame Kids Picnic Table

Submitted by Shaila on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 18:54

I wanted to make a gift for my friend's kids. I also didn't want to make something they didn't have room for and couldn't really use. The request was a picnic bench for their 3 and 5 year old. I offered to paint it to match the house and they said no, they wanted Notre Dame colors. One of the big box stores has official NCAA colors so it was a perfect match! The wood cost $25 (only 5 2x4 were needed) and the paint, screws, etc. brought the project up to $90. The instructions made it super easy to build and I really took my time making sure everything was square. Also just to build the table is a few hours, maybe not that much. The prep and painting took me a while.

The kids were happy with their table and their Dad, a Notre Dame alum, was thrilled with the design.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 without paint, $90 with paint
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Exterior Paint/Primer - H.D. They made samples of the NCAA official colors, dried them, then color matched them for the exterior paint. I painted the yellow top and benches (2 coats first) then did the ND with special no-leak tape, then the legs. Two coats for the blue as well.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MichelleC

Mon, 06/24/2013 - 19:57

I showed this to my husband and he LOOOOOOOVES it. He is about the biggest Notre Dame Football fan there is! Only problem...we are a house divided, with me being a BYU fan, hahaha!

Modified Dawsen

Submitted by watkinsjc on Sun, 06/07/2015 - 09:08

Dimensions reduced to 60"x31"

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Early American stain, Flat Carbon black paint, heavy distressing
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Table

Finally got the time to do the farmhouse table. Changed up just a few things. Flipped the ends around to add more leg room and put a 2x10 as breadboards. Chairs fit in about 8 inches under now and plenty of leg room and I'm 6'3. Only real adjustment is shorten the stretcher board by 3 inches total but just do stretcher board last and measure it to fit exactly.

Also wanted a different style bench so went with the bench that matched the Big Ur Farm Table and Bench and customized the benches to fit. Also instead of 2x4 all across top of bench I place a 2s8 in center. Adds just a 1/4 inch in total depth and looks great and one less board to do pocket holes on.

Estimated Cost
Approximately $300. Wood was close to $200 for table and two benches. Rest was stains, wood conditioner, poly, pocket screws etc.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Red Oak stain. Just used a rag and wiped in the stain. Definitely use wood conditioner first. Drastically helps if using pine or other soft woods. Then just a few coats of poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Office Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 15:13

Used these plans to make this office desk for my daughter!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Dresser with Open Bottom Shelf for Changing Table

Submitted by karahart on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 13:46

My husband and I built this dresser to use as a changing table in our daughters nursery. I explain the build process (with photos) in this blog post : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/03/nursery-room-biggest-build-yet.html and the finishing process in this blog post : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/04/nursery-room-finished-dresser.html . I'm so thankful to Ana...I love that almost every element of her nursery is home made!

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint with a whitewash over top and glazing on the edges. To see more details on how to replicate this finish, check out my blog post here : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/04/nursery-room-finished-dresser.html .
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Hubby's First Build

After searching and searching for a decently priced bed for our two year old and failing to find anything that I liked under $400, I decided to do a google search and came across the directions for the Emme twin bed. I loved the design and the color of the stain in the instructions but had to go with white as everything in our toddlers room is white. My husband said the instructions were simple to follow. I think he did a wonderful job for his first time ever building anything. Not to mention my little girl loves the bed. Thank you Ana!

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dutch Boy Dura Clean Paint in Moonlit Snow
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

vpihoney

Tue, 03/11/2014 - 07:49

Hello - Your bed looks great! How did you attach your rails? I'm at this point in the build and trying to figure out the best option as my bed brackets aren't fitting.

Child's Rainbow Rocker toy

Submitted by jennibee on Wed, 06/10/2015 - 17:18

I originally found this on a Pinterest link. The DIY'er kindly blogged instructions as well as a template file for the side pieces. This is a child's rocker toy that uses non toxic food dye for the colored parts of the wood. A template is provided for the end pieces through a link provided or you can just eyeball your own. Overall, it is a fairly easy project but a bit time consuming.

When cutting out the template for the sides, it is best to cut the smaller holes first and the do the larger outer lines.

I used a Kreg's jig, Mitre saw, Jig saw, and a palm sander.

Estimated Cost
Estimated cost was around 50 dollars for the birch plywood end pieces and the inner poplar wood. Included in this cost was the two boxes of non toxic food dye and a box of Kreg's screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I use non toxic food dye/rubbing alcohol for the inner slats and MinWax polyacrylic for the end birch pieces.

A note about the food dyed wood: I used about 20 drops of food dye per 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol and applied with a foam applicator. You have to be careful of what you lean your wood up against or it will create a line as the dye leeches out onto the other object. If I had to do it over again, I would have painted one side, let completely dry and then do the other side.

Since it is a child's toy, consider that you will need to sand, sand, and sand the side pieces very smooth to make sure little hands do not get splintered.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pam the Goatherd

Fri, 06/12/2015 - 10:56

I've had this pinned on my board for a while now. Glad to see someone else has made it. I'm not in a hurry since my kids are all grown but no grandchildren yet. Someday I'll have a need to make it.

jennibee

Mon, 11/23/2015 - 07:17

Hi there. Thank you for the comment. My children are still using this. One thing I endede up learning is that the food dye needs to be sealed. I plan on using beeswax or something more natural to do it. If you don't, the color rubs off on the kids when they use it. :)

jennibee

Thu, 12/24/2020 - 12:45

Lianna, Hi there. Just saw this. For some reason, the link to the template I had on here is gone. So I did a google search and found this one:
https://www.scribd.com/document/370653463/Rainbow-Rocker-Template

Or you can go here: https://pin.it/5awfA92

You will have to have it enlarged. I got mine done at a local office supply store that could make larger engineer sized prints. I prefer to enlarge the entire print instead of printing off multiple sheets and taping it together.

End table- modified smaller plans!

Submitted by crgates89 on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 07:32

I wanted to build my wife a matching set of bedside tables for her birthday and loved these plans! However when I measured the space on either side of the bed found that these plans were too large. Some quick calculations later I modified the plans to create some smaller tables and it worked out perfectly! I removed two 2x4s from the top and the bottom shelf and took 7 inches off each of the aprons and voila, smaller tables!

 

i used minwax wood conditioner, “honey” stain and two coats of polyurethane. Very pleased with how they turned out and the wife was so surprised and happy! Thank you!

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax honey stain with wood conditioner and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Grazing board

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 17:27

Used your idea of a grazing board or charcuterie Board to build one for my daughter for Christmas. I have made some cutting boards for her in the past but now she has a charcuterie board for the specific purpose.

Comments