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A Lovely Pair of Planters with Finials

Submitted by Shelly2215 on Fri, 10/25/2013 - 05:46

I wanted a fairly simple project to get started with, something I could make use of around my home and to help me get familiar with my new power tools - well, this project did the job nicely!
I'm extremely happy with the way the planters turned out and have already had other people asking me about them as they would like some too.
These planters worked out fairly expensive for me as the materials were extremely good quality and very heavy duty in size, I think I could get away with using slightly less robust materials to bring the costs down next time.
I had difficulty finding finials for the planters so I used some wooden turned eggs that I already had from my collection of pyrography blanks.
I can't wait for my next project now which will be a little more ambitious. I absolutely love Ana's website and can't wait to see what else I can make.

Built from Plan(s)
Square Planters with Finials
Estimated Cost
£80 a pair (UK)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black Ash exterior wood paint from Culprinol.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

4x4 truss beam table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/07/2016 - 22:01

Great instructions, easy weekend build. 

Built from Plan(s)
4x4 Truss Beam Table
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain finish with hand rubbed wax sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy Jewelry Box built by my daughter and me

Submitted by wowmom_cs on Tue, 05/07/2019 - 09:25

My 10 year old daughter is always creating. She recently decided that she wanted to do a woodworking project with me. We started by searching online for a design that looked doable and came up with the Fancy Jewelry Box from the Ana White website.

We decided that using the full thickness of 1x stock gave the piece a bit more of a clunky look than we were after. And since I have a thickness plainer, we milled our stock down to just under 1/2”. But that meant that we had to rework many of the measurements on the plan. This also made the drawers deeper and wider. Which is nice. A happy mistake happened when, while rough cutting the individual pieces before milling them down, I inadvertently cut the pieces between the drawers too narrow. We ended up turning them 90 degrees which allowed them to fit. This is why you see the end grain on those pieces. But we like it.

We also altered the plan a bit so that the edges of the plywood on the faces of the drawers and doors do not show. We added a nice border to the top of the box with a curved router bit. We lined the drawers with felt and then added some dividers here and there using some scraps of oak which we sawed thin with a bandsaw.

The original plan was to paint the box, as opposed to staining it. It wasn't until after I had nailed on the top and the drawer fronts that my daughter decided she wanted to stain it. That's why you can see those nail holes!

We had such fun making this Jewelry box. 

Built from Plan(s)
Fancy Jewelry Box
Estimated Cost
I don't remember. Not much.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stain and water based polyurethane. We used 2 coats of poly "sanding" it between coats with fine steel wool.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bunk Beds

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 13:34

Built these bunk beds from Ana’s plans as my first build. I had to modify a bit but my 8 years old love it! We have a boy girl twin so very fitting they can modify their area as much as they want.
These are beds from Pottery Barn style. Cost us about $700 per bed to build, minus the mattress. These are very sturdy and they have been sleeping in them for about a year and a half, no issues.

Comments

Bella's bed

Submitted by EmuJane on Sun, 11/13/2011 - 15:25

Since my daughter loves to climb and was starting to get a gleam in her eye when it was time to get up from her naps, the time had come to give her a big girl bed. I'm not ready for her to be in the twin bed that we have because it's so high off the ground, so the toddler farmhouse bed is perfect for her. We did have to edit the plans for our crib mattress

Built from Plan(s)
Toddler Farmhouse Bed
Estimated Cost
$70.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax water-based stain in Vermont Maple, 2 coats Minwax Polycrylic, final coat of paste wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ana White

Thu, 11/17/2011 - 01:02

So sorry for the tech problems. I can't wait to see your toddler farmhouse bed! If you send me images I will upload to the post. Thank you so much for taking your time to submit a brag post. Ana

Knockoffwood(at)gmail.com

Angie Overton

Sun, 04/14/2013 - 12:19

I've been looking to make a toddler bed for a friend and this is the perfect one. I like the headboard without the arch and I too need to be able to fit a crib mattress in it. Would you happen to have the dimensions that are needed for it to fit a crib mattress?

X-Large Dog Crate

Submitted by Sanna on Sat, 10/26/2013 - 21:19

Found these plans for the dog crate and decided to build one for my large Rottweiler. It's large and tall enough for him to stand in (29"W x 41"L x 32.5"H). It didn't take long to cut and put all the pieces together, the longest part was staining the top and putting the urethane coating on it. The cost was really reasonable, I purchased the wood, used paint and stain I already had from previous projects. I plan on building more projects soon.

Built from Plan(s)
Large Wood Pet Kennel End Table
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black spray paint on body and Maroon latex paint for accent panels. Stained the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

AllegraYazz

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 03:22

I would like to build the X large kennel for my dog.
is it possible to have the measurements for the X large version.
the large version is not big enough for my sweetie.

thank you so much

AllegraYazz

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 03:22

I would like to build the X large kennel for my dog.
is it possible to have the measurements for the X large version.
the large version is not big enough for my sweetie.

thank you so much

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by rjgold on Fri, 05/10/2019 - 11:17

While mine is not as good as some of these projects I am pretty proud of it.   

I came some 12"x1"x18' (Actual size) redwood planks that were removed from the roof of a building here in town, built in 1876.  Essentially these were milled over 125 years ago.   You can still see the the blade marks.   I did not want to shorten the planks too much so I built this table, just made two frames.  I used rough redwood 2x4 and 2x6  for the frame.  I made it a little taller.

Its the highlight of the back yard, we have dinners out there regularly now

Built from Plan(s)
Fancy X Farmhouse Table
Estimated Cost
$40 (I did not have to buy the top planks)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
thompsons wood sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Boot Room Before and After

Got bored, built a boot room! Thank you Ana White for the plans!

Blog Link
Peter Abson
Built from Plan(s)
Built in Mudroom Bench with Open Bottom - Build in Any Size
Mudroom Locker Hutches - How to Build in Any Size

Comments

Simple Play Kitchen

Submitted by kpcrash on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 15:36

This is based on the simple play kitchen plan from Ana. The burners are 'upcycled' from an old oven and the handles/'pan rack' are simply 3/4" dowel drilled out using a forstner bit and glued. The one thing I did do is use shellac as the finish. This is for my 2-year old who will of course still pick up a snack from wherever he left it and keep going. Shellac is non-toxic when dry (it's used on jelly beans after all), and polishes nicely. Was able to save quite a bit on this project (even though the plywood used was cabinet grade) by getting all of the hinges from the local ReStore - $1 a pound for hinges.

Built from Plan(s)
Simple Play Kitchen Narrow Fridge
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polished Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Margaret Kubiszyn (not verified)

Mon, 11/28/2011 - 13:57

Great job - love that you recycled the old stove elements!

claydowling

Mon, 11/28/2011 - 14:51

Like the kitchen, and glad to see a fellow lover of amber shellac on here. Just a bit of advice, you don't want shellac as your top coat for a child's item. It tends to pick up dirt, and it's damaged by water.

Either an oil based or water borne polyurethane would be an ideal sealer coat. The water borne has the advantage of drying very quickly, especially if you wipe it on. Both finishes are non-toxic once dry (as are nearly all finishes). I recently had excellent luck with Varathane's products, which are available at Home Depot. It's sold as a floor finish (at which it excels), but it's generally useful. The floor finish has Aluminum Oxide added in, which is the grit on sand paper. Tough stuff, and it will stand up to whatever your kids do.

kpcrash

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 14:22

I typically do finishes for guitars and have had great success with waterborne lacquers such as KTM-9 or EM Coatings products, and highly considered using one of those on here.

Fireplace Insert

Submitted by SaraLodise on Mon, 10/28/2013 - 14:41

I almost jumped for joy when I ran across this pin on Ana's Pinterest board. Our fireplace is stained black and smells awful during low pressure weather. This project was actually one of my October Scrap Projects, but I felt it deserved it's own post. I had the left over wood and peg board, so all I had to buy was the foam insulation and bumpers.

We are still deciding if it needs stained or not, so let me know if any of you have an opinion. The darker pieces are 2x4 studs we salvaged when we took down our kitchen wall so they have a nice 40 year age to them.

Here is the link to the instructions: http://www.prettyhandygirl.com/2013/10/build-fireplace-insert-draft-sto…

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Val Manchuk

Mon, 10/28/2013 - 22:54

Hi Brittany,

Nice work! I think a rich stain color similar to the darker bricks would really tie everything together so that the insert and the white shelf don't compete with one another.

Val
artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by ghozt21 on Mon, 05/27/2019 - 16:54

I followed the plans as written,  It took me about 6 hours and that includes sanding and staining. Very simple yet offers a very wow finish.  I think in total we spent about $300 for all supplies including cushions which was the most expensive part. I just finished it off with Teak Oil and an Americana theme for our covered patio.  We love it.  

Built from Plan(s)
2x4 Outdoor Sofa
One Arm 2x4 Outdoor Sofa - Sectional Piece
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Teak oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Barn Door Pantry Build

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/18/2023 - 14:54

Using the Barn Door Pantry plan, I partially built this in my shop then took it apart and transported it to my son's house where we reconstructed it. This is a massive project and I recommend that you have enough room (and help) to build it and move it. The door is built with 1/2 inch plywood, framed with 1 by 4's with bead board inserts.

Built from Plan(s)
Barn Door Cabinet or Pantry

Comments

$10 Book Tower

When looking for floating shelf book storage, I couldn't quite find what I was looking for. So, I built a simple box out of 2x6's, and drilled them straight into studs. I used a 10" width to take advantage of the perfect little unused space in my laundry room. Each cube holds roughly 10 hardback books, and with 3 4" screws into studs I don't think they're going anywhere!

Blog Link
$10 Book Tower
Built from Plan(s)
Easy to Build Floating Shelves
Estimated Cost
$10 for 4 shelves
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of gloss black paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Junior Loft Bed

Submitted by donerlinev on Fri, 11/01/2013 - 09:50

Built for our 10 year old son...Hard to get him to come down from his bed!

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-o-leum Ultra coat in Semi-gloss Jet Black
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bench

Submitted by cheech on Thu, 06/06/2019 - 18:13

Lot of fun just purchased a pocket jig and first project can't wait to make another. Thanks for the plans 

Built from Plan(s)
Woven Back Bench
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Large Cubby

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 17:04

My son moved into his first very small apartment and wanted a cubby array rather than a dresser. I made this following your plans and it came out great! It’s 4x4 cubbies as you can see. I used 1/2” plywood to keep the weight down. It was a little flimsy, so I put 1/8” tempered sheet on the back, which made it completely stable. He loves it! Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Cubby Bookshelf - Large

Comments

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by jont on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 18:34

Ive been wanting to make this table for at least a year, but our dining room was just too small for the full size table. I love customizing things and am overly confident sometimes so I decided to try and customize this. It turned out great, but required a bit more work. I really liked the Restoration Hardware table and the one posted by tsibiga (Farmhouse Table : Restoration Hardware Replica link below) so I followed those plans somewhat.

Built from Plan(s)
Farmhouse Table : Restoration Hardware Replica
Estimated Cost
$150 (including a new cheap skill saw)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
English Chestnut Minwax Stain and Minwax Semi-gloss polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 17:36

After seeing your pics and the plans that you used I really want to build this table. Just wondering about the setup of the frame to support the table top. Why have you put 2 lots of 2x4 and why are the pieces on the inside shorter?

jont

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 17:26

If I understand your question correctly the 2x4s (2 on each end) are notched out so that you can slide 2 2x2s in each end (not shown in pictures). These 2x2s are attached to leafs that are used to extend the tabletop. It is how the original restoration hardware table is extended. I have not made the leafs that slide into each end that is why it is not pictured. If you look here http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productI…
you will see what I am talking about.
The pieces on the inside (the 2x2s attached to the 2x4s) are shorter so that they do not block the 2x2s on the leaf from sliding in. I added these 2x2s so that I could attach the 2x12s (main table boards) from underneath. I did not have drill bits or screws long enough to go through the 2x4s and into the 2x12s.
I hope that made sense.
Here is another builder and his pictures, he has the same design: http://web.me.com/tomsibiga/Site/Home/Entries/2011/8/4_Farmhouse_Table_…
Please let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with the project!
Jon

Karl (not verified)

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 07:14

Wow! Your table is amazing! We are about to start this and I really like the 4x4's for the legs. Where did you find yours? I found 4x4 Fir at Lowe's, but it says "green" which I think means fairly freshly cut so still has a higher moisture content. I'm worried this will be a problem (splitting, warping, etc) Any suggestions there? Thanks!

jont

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 22:12

Yes I noticed that the 4x4s were not as dry as the rest of the wood, but it would be very difficult and very expensive to find dried 4x4s. I got mine at lowes also. I am actually more worried about the shrinking and swelling of the table top its self and what cracks and voids will occur there. I have not heard anyone's experience here with this and am curious in the coming months and years what will occur. Come what may, I only paid $100 or so for the table and am pleased with it for now.
Good luck on your build, you will be very happy with the results.

Karl (not verified)

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 09:14

Yay! Thank you! I think we will go ahead with them. I talked to a few guys at Lumber Yards and they said although there is no guarantee there will be no warping, it most likely will be fine. And you are right - for only $100 it's worth a shot!

claydowling

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 11:04

If you get Douglas Fir (sometimes called Doug Fir), your 4x4s should not have any significant problems. It's an amazingly stable wood. With pine, especially if the center of the tree is included, you should expect warping.

jont

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 15:27

I agree that there will probably not be any significant problems. Especially with what we are all doing here. The majority of us are all novice wood workers (if you could even call us that) that arent expecting perfection with these "reclaimed" and "farmhouse" style tables/furniture. Many people will even go so far to add extra dents and scratches to try and make it look 100 years old. The best part about it is the description from restoration hardware for this $2000 table; "unsealed salvaged wood planks may be somewhat uneven, and may cup or bow slightly over time, further enhancing their rustic one-of-a-kind character; cracks may be present."
So yes, go with the 4x4s Karl and enjoy the imperfection!
Also, good luck notching out the top of those 4x4s!

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 08:04

This is an odd question but where did you get the chairs to go with the table... My husband is going to me this table for us (can't wait) but the thought of paying $100 a chair at a furniture store makes the project (making it to save money) seem like a waste.

jont

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 09:30

Yes the chair problem does plague a few people. Fortunately for me I was able to use the existing chairs from our old table that matched pretty well. Here is a link to our old table we got I think from target: http://www.target.com/p/Dolce-5-pc-Dining-Set/-/A-522699#?lnk=sc_qi_det…
Like you said though this would obviously defeat the purpose of saving money by building your own table. There are a couple of chairs on Ana's site, but I am not particularly fond of them. You could try what claydowling suggests below and either buy a lathe or build your own to make some very nice custom chairs, but the store bought lathes will run you $500 on up. The build-your-own lathes (while pretty cool) will require more work/time/space than I think you or your husband is looking for. You will find that the majority of people here that are building these tables do one of two things: use their existing chairs, or build benches to use. Some people like me will do a combination of these and build a bench and use their old chairs. Here is a link to the bench I built: http://ana-white.com/2011/12/rustic-x-bench These are actually very simple and look quite good with the tables because you can stain and finish them together.
There are a few different styles of these benches to choose from on the site, but after building a table you may have the ability to design your own and make it look how you want - dont be afraid to modify plans!
Good luck with the build and let me know if you have any other questions.
Jon

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 12:29

Thanks for the ideas. Yeah, my husband is already grumbling about the table so lathing chairs is NOT something i think i could get him to do (*grin*). I wish i could find a local "Bare Wood" store. When we were stationed in Hawaii they had one and i bought a dresser from them for $65 -- just had to stain and finish it myself... as it saved me $300 from ones i would have purchased from furniture stores it was a steal.

Thanks again for the ideas!

claydowling

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 12:32

The first time you or your husband tried turning on a lathe, the grumbling would end and you'd be trying to cram another chair in there. Turning is easily the most addictive of woodworking activities.

Guest (not verified)

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 06:40

can someone explain how to get to the "how to section" so i can see how to notch out the 2x4's?

Jmorelock (not verified)

Thu, 05/10/2012 - 19:46

In the first of the build pictures I see the base of your table and it looks like you are using 4x4s rather than 2 2/4 screwed together. How did you create the hole to rest the 2x4 side boards? Did you use a router or a chisel or something else?

Handmade pedestal farmhouse table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/20/2016 - 09:42

Modified slightly to include just two legs and excluded the decorative pieces for a more streamined look.

Built from Plan(s)
Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table
Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
English chestnut stain with a flat poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner