Community Brag Posts

Liv's Playhouse Kitchen

Built this play kitchen to go in Liv's new Playhouse, also courtesy of Ana's plans. It's about 1" too wide to sit on the floor so we raised it up on a plank so it rests on the studs. A co-worker told me I can get replacement knobs for the stove at Sears and plan to make a trip there on my next break. The faucet is a real one my mother found in her basement from their bathroom redo. She loves it! We "bake" cupcakes from the sandbox in her new house everytime we're outdoors. She did, however, request a microwave after we'd finished the whole thing! This spring I hope to make one. I see that Pottery Barn Kids sells them for over $50!! You know that's crazy if you've come across Ana's website :)

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ACM

Wed, 02/13/2013 - 16:49

This is so adorable! Love the colors. We were thinking of making one for our granddaughter to keep at our house. You've inspired me.

REALLY Chunky Table

Submitted by Slowtwitch on Fri, 12/19/2014 - 23:34

Looking for rustic outdoor table ideas, I came across Ana's website and the Providence Table and benches. When I saw it, I knew this was what we were after. After some more browsing I came across the 4x4 truss beam table and decided to rather go with the chunkier table. Although I’ve done a few woodwork projects, this was the most ambitious to date, especially considering that I only have a few hand held tools.

We live in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa - we work in metric, so all dimensions needed to be converted. Also, our locally available wood sizes are different to timber sizing in the States, i.e. we don't have 4x4 (100mm x 100mm) or 2x4 (50mm x 100mm) available, so it was a bit of a challenge to decide what to go for. In the end I decided to use 75mm x 50mm rough cut treated construction pine. It was cheaper, and I could end up with a REALLY Chunky table if I glued 4 pieces together! In order to do this, I need to amend the plans as if it was made from 6x4 beams.

So I started the process of cutting the 75mm x 50mm timber to rough sizes, gluing the pieces together, sanding the joints, filling the gaps with glue/ sawdust mixture and re- sanding for each member of the table! I took my time with this and did a bit each day after work. It was interesting watching YouTube vids on this build - the guy starts with perfect 4x4 timber pieces, cut them and assemble. For me just to get to the starting point took quite some effort, but I knew I would be very happy with the more chunky look.

Other challenges I did not fully appreciate when deciding on the REALLY Chunky size, was the cutting of these thick pieces of timber using hand held tools and how to join them!! You don’t get very long small drill bits for pilot holes, so ended up using self-drilling screws. Unfortunately the longest length I could find was 120mm (8.66inch) - so I had to counter sink them really deep into the timber - this was quite tricky!

Other things I did were to lower the original design table height as recommended by other builders on this site so I made the table height 750mm (29.5inch). It worked out very well for small children as well for adults (I'm 6ft2). Table length I made 2.4m (approx 8ft). For the table top I used 220mm x 50mm (8.66 x 2 inch) timber, once again due to the restrictions of locally available sizes. I also change the spacing between the legs in order to fit the benches under the table (1600mm opening to fit the 1550mm benches).

For the benches, I once again had to decide what timber sizing to use. I wasn't keen to go through the process of forming 6x4's for each bench member for 2 benches and also felt that it would look just too chunky for the short bench legs. So the design ended up being a hybrid between the providence bench- and the chunkier 4x4 bench design, using 2 pieces of 75mm x 50mm to create 100mm x 75mm (4 x 3.5inch) legs.

Other changes made to the bench design was to make the bench height 450mm (17.7inch), amend the overhangs of the seat, and change the overall length to be able to slide the bench in under the table.

The altered height of the table and benches really worked out well and we sit very comfortably at that table.

We used chalk paint for the finish, but as you can see, we're still deciding on colour choices and final look of the top.

Estimated Cost
$200 - 250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Grandy console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/21/2017 - 06:13

I took a different direction on the doors instead of using the barn doors I used old wooden windows in place of them. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Adirondack chair

Submitted by Moser on Wed, 01/20/2021 - 19:10

This was my first”big” project beyond doing your blanket ladder and a noodle board. This build was a lot of fun and I have people interested in having me make these chairs for them. Thank you so much for the plans and all that you do. Best wishes for a great New Year

Farmhouse table

Submitted by Miaya39047 on Sat, 02/16/2013 - 21:15

The table took us about 6 hours to cut and put together. The cost was about 65.00. I used the walnut min wood station and did 2 coats. Lots of coats of polycyrlic. Love this table.

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Hall Tree

Submitted by Texjan on Tue, 12/23/2014 - 12:28

I built this for a friend as a surprise for his wife.  I used hardwoods and took my time.  I recommend using pre-stain conditioner.  The stain used  is Minwax Red Oak.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$320
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Children's Farmhouse Table and storage chairs

I built the children's farmhouse table and 4 storage chairs for my 2-year-old twins.  I followed the plans exactly, except the addition of some minor details using my router:  I gave the table top a nice edge using my Roman Ogee bit, rounded the front and side edges of the seats for comfort using a 1.5" roundover bit, and rounded the inner corners of the back on both sides and the top and bottom of the back rests with a 1/2" roundover bit.  I bought a roll of drawing paper from Ikea in the children's section, and it will be attached underneath using a removable dowel so we can pull a sheet of paper out from under the table for coloring or to use as an easy-cleanup paper cloth if they eat at this table with their cousins!

Finish Used
The table and seats were stained using Varathane "Weathered Grey", and the chairs painted using Rustoleum satin paint in "white". I also used 2x coats of Varathane Triple Thick polyurethane on the table top & seats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Modern Craft Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/23/2021 - 19:30

My husband just used Ana’s plans to create my Dream craft table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Counter Height Pub Table

Submitted by adecesare4 on Mon, 02/18/2013 - 10:59

After searching for a table i liked in stores the ridiculous prices for real quality tables made me just resolve it by building one myself. I have three boys under 10 so i knew I also wanted it to be sturdy and resistant to as much wear and tear as possible. Therefore I chose to use oak for this project...although more expensive it is so much harder and will hopefully last longer :)

ok, so I used some examples that Ana posted and some customer projects and combined them to create this table. I also made stools to match and so thankful I did (another brag post) because they are very sturdy with no tipping factor like regular store bought stools.

I probably spend a total of $600 on the table and 6 stools, but it was swell worth it and you cant buy a table like this in the stores for less than $1200 and that is with crap laminate wood that chips and then its ruined. So I feel this was a smart investment (plus I get the enjoyment and fulfillment of making it )

I did not finish painting the leg portion yet, but love the way it is turning out...I did by the Kreg jig finally as well and it is well worth the investment! so much easy, and secure joints.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Traditional Cherry
Minwax Polyacrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Loft Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/26/2017 - 19:28

First "big" woodworking project.  A lot of fun and my daughter couldn't be happier 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

New King Size Bed

Submitted by Wildwood on Thu, 01/28/2021 - 08:06

Hi Y'all
I start using the king size bed plan from Ana.
It turns out great. I change a couple things on the build.
1. Our mattress are 12" high. The mattress frame support from the plan are made for less thinner mattress.
2. I made a nicer insert frame for the Head- and footboard.
3. We stained in a two color tone.
4. Every comer is routed out. See the top board on the Head- and Footboard.
I had a grate time to build it.

Keep building
Volker

Estimated Cost
550
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Stain color
Honey and Black
Minwax Polyurethane Semi
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Washer/dryer stand

Submitted by Hoff84 on Wed, 02/20/2013 - 09:58

Built this from the plans on this site. I beefed up the top frame with 2 extra 2x4's

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Lots of sanding
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Play Kitchen

Submitted by Wildlife26 on Mon, 12/29/2014 - 08:18

Built out of love for my 3 year old and 1 year old daughters. Christmas morning was awesome! We also bought play kitchen pots and pans from IKEA and a couple of play food sets off of Amazon. Had an old push button led light for closets that is inside the oven. It is on a timer set for 30 seconds so the batteries will not drain too fast.

Great plan & project for the kids.

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

Comments

Grandy Style TV Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 11:13

Have always liked sliding door style furniture and once I saw this, I was inspired.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300 bucks including the hardware.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Flat black latex covered with Green Silk eggshell latex. One coat of 3X Varathane Semi Gloss poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

The littlest tower helper

Submitted by Eric.WWKS on Thu, 02/04/2021 - 16:49

My variation of the "Littlest tower help" plans I found here on Ana white. I loved the design of the original but wanted it to be able to easily store away when not in use. Thanks for looking, Eric

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Shanty Farmhouse Table brag

Submitted by malinoj on Sat, 02/23/2013 - 10:37

We were in need of a dining room table--we were hosting Thanksgiving and finally wanted a "grown-up" table! We are huge fans of Restoration Hardware, but not their prices. The Shanty plan was exactly what we were looking for! We love the table, the size is great for our dining room--we left the top at 8 ft. The finish is also what we were looking for; it is something like a weathered barnwood look, though now that the dining room is painted it comes across more steely blue-gray. Still, it is exactly what we were looking for.

We also made an accompanying bench, which you can see peeking out from behind. That has not made its way to the staining process yet, but we are now in the process of building the sideboard and hutch, so we'll just stain everything at once.

It was our 3nd project using Ana's plans and we love it!

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat Minwax Jacobean, followed by 2 coats Minwax Classic Gray. Polyurethane (2 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Industrial Bookshelf

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/29/2017 - 16:20

I took down a gate for my parents that had been up for over 20 years. I couldn't bear to get rid of the wood. I found these plans http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/rustic-industrial-narrow-bookshelf/, and modified them. I wanted wider shelves with more space in between shelves, and I wanted a steel bar in the back. It took a lot of planing and sanding to get the wood ready and there are challenges to working with wood that has been outside for over 20 years, but nothing beats the look of truly vintage wood. I love the color variations caused by weathering and the rusted screw holes throughout the wood. I got steel bars at home depot, sprayed painted them with rustoleum bronze spray paint, and drilled holes in them with a cobalt drill bit. I used steel wool dissolved in vinegar for the stain and finished off with three coats of polyurethane.

Estimated Cost
$25
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Steel wool dissolved in vinegar and three coats of polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by heidy1971 on Fri, 02/12/2021 - 14:23

Super fun project for a beginner. I almost want to do it over now that I have a pocket hole jig. Love Ana White plans, easy to follow.

Comments

Shop Cart with inserts

Submitted by adecesare4 on Mon, 02/25/2013 - 08:05

After browsing through forums I came up with this idea...a versatile shop cart that I can insert my kreg jig and miter saw into...a stable base at a great working height.

I created this design in sketchup as well and will work on posting it as a plan if people are interested.

basically, the top is inset 3/4" to make room for the inserts. I created a work table insert (well two I split in half, so the kreg insert can take up the front half if I wanted to insert that.

Then I made the kreg jig insert

and the Miter saw insert

let me tell you...this came in handy right away as each of those inserts I made can be used without the cart as well and both inserts work tremendously!

I am really really happy with this and it is so useful. Started making the loft bed playhouse last night and the miter say and kreg jig were extremely useful at a good working height.

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

Comments

adecesare4

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 08:07

My intention for the top shelf is to hold small tools that I am working with while using the cart and the bottom is to store the cut pieces of lumber I am using for the project

davidmauer14

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 10:33

Please post the plans. This thing would make a great shop cart or miter saw stand.
I have one other suggestion: you could also use it as a small assembly table. You have a 3/4" inset. Stick a piece of plywood inside the exactly fits inside. Then screw a larger piece of plywood to that one. (DON"T screw it into the top of the cart.) The larger sheet of plywood would overhand the shop cart edges by maybe a foot on each size, so you'd have a "small" mobile assembly table that might 3x4 feet or 3x5 feet across at the top.

rosenzzzz

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 11:20

I would also like to see the plans for this cart. It looks nice and compact and versatile.

adecesare4

Mon, 02/25/2013 - 12:10

@ david...I did make a workbench type top for it as well, just didn't post a pic of that.

I will get the plans together for this then and post it for everyone...I enjoy sharing with everyone so we all can learn and make quality things. I'll start working on that tonight.