Community Brag Posts

Rustic Entryway Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/28/2023 - 13:58

Enteranceway Bench. Can be used indoors or out. 2 x 4 for legs. 1x10x 6 for top. Stained Expresso. Sealed for outdoor use.

@Superior_Chalk on FB and IG.

My Big Ur Farm Table

Submitted by Jake on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 16:12

I built the table to use in my garage but it came out so beautiful that I now find myself wondering who to give it to. I followed the plans except I used 1x3s instead of 2x6s or 2x2s for the trim between the legs. I built the top first using pocket holes and then added the legs. I then added the side trim before adding the joists. That process had every board fitting perfectly. No attachments are visible from the outside. I attached the legs using pocket holes and three inch screws and glue , of course.

I will build two benches which should be a snap.

I had no luck finding a 10 foot 4x4 so I bought two 8 foot. Got a good deal at HD with each less than $8 each

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$61 which includes screws and glue but not stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I use Minwax Golden Oak for the pine components and Minwax Red Oak for the fir legs. I like the contrast.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Barnwood Picture Frames

Submitted by Lady Goats on Mon, 04/14/2014 - 11:58

Built these as a birthday present for my friend, based on an image she'd pinned a year ago. Read more about it here.

Estimated Cost
$5-10, including stain/poly, burlap
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes Gel Stain in Brown Mahogany, followed by General Finishes Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Bedside Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/11/2016 - 22:17

Needed new bedside tables to go with the new bed frame. Loved the outcome. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Aqua and Weathered Grey Stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cake table for wedding.

Submitted by sherrik on Wed, 05/06/2020 - 21:23

I had seen this and contemplated making it several times. When my daughter got engaged and we planned an on farm wedding, I knew this would be the perfect cake table. My niece helped me with the build. The stain and milk paint finish on the legs worked perfectly and crackled and chipped as desired. Only thing I didn’t like was the the silicone to fill the cracks didn’t last well. Boards were picked out of the pile at Menards. It still looks great two years later and my daughter bought a bigger house so she now has room for it in her dining area.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Table base was gel stain with 2 coats milk paint over the top of stain

Tabletop was liquid stain followed by three coats poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Providence Benches

After making the Providence Table, I whipped up these benches to match! They were super easy to make in one day. I love the sturdiness of these (and the look too). 

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Arborcoat Teak stain and low VOC clear coat
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hifi - Living room Console

We started from the benchmark media console plan, but then adapted it to our room and needs.
It's entirely made of plain wood (no plywood, except for the drawers bottom) which probably adds to the cost a little, but gives a very nice finish! All the boards (for table top, shelves and sides) are made from 1x4, assembled with wood glue and pocket holes.

The doors are made of glass cut to fit, and glued with silicone.

Only trouble was with the door hinges.. Since we wanted them to be concealed inside but I hate Euro-Style hinges, so we ended up finding Soss "invisible hinges" that conceal in the thickness of the door, and used a dremel as a router to install them... This proved a bit more challenging than anticipated, but all in all it worked out pretty well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~ $350
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Two tone oil based stain from: http://ana-white.com/2012/12/minwax-two-tone-oil-based-stain-pine#comments

Sand carefully the pine with fine grain (~200) before staining, otherwise the dark stain will turn the wood almost black!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Great Garage Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/15/2016 - 10:55

My husband and I built these shelves in our garage this past weekend.  This is one of our first diy projects and we are very happy with how it turned out.  The shelves are 30" deep, around 8 feet tall and 12 feet long.  This was also our first time using the Kreg jig, which we loved!

Estimated Cost
~$150 dollars. We added extra cleats and used thicker plywood (5/8" thick) because our shelves were deeper than original plans.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Poolside Hightop Deck Chair

I have used so many of Ana's plans, I decided to design my own chair! I wanted a high top patio style chair that the back was angled and had a footrest. This is perfect for my outdoor patio. I think I need to update the plan already to include a cup holder! Appreciate any feedback or comments.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wood planter with trellis

Submitted by jwright on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 11:07

This is a quick and easy cheap build. I priced planters this size at the store and they were about $75 with a trellis. I built this one for under $20. Thanks Ana!

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with some leftover stain I had in the garage
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Wood Work Table (based on iCoffee Table)

Submitted by zduchene on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 13:11

We have some large open spaces at our office and are converting them into workspace areas. We needed some large tables that would accommodate four people but we did not want to spend thousands of dollars on furniture. We needed something that would be useful and inexpensive to build. I started poking around on the web and found the iCoffee Table from the “A Touch of Arkansas” blog. I loved the design and I thought with a little bit of tweaking I could make it work for us…and it did!

Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Grandy Console/Couch Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 05:15

Thank you for the plans!

I used the following for the wheels,  they are AMAZING and dont require you to tear apart any pulleys. These wheels have bearings in them too,  which make them slide super quiet and smooth!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Barton-Kramer-1-1-2-in-Precision-Bearing-Stainless-Steel-Wheel-2-Pack-43/205649620

 

Tony S.

 

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Early American
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Codding58

Tue, 07/19/2016 - 12:49

Wow, you did a great job on this project!   I really like the finishes that you used, they contrast very well!   I have been eyeballing this build for some time now, I think I'll give it a shot!

Our garden enclosure!

We decided that we wanted a raised garden and found the plans here on Ana's site that we really liked. The plans were really easy to follow and it only took about a day and half for our kids and myself to build for my wife. Only issue I had was the door... that is getting it square but I figured it our later after looking at it long enough. The two 2 x 4's the door sits in between were not level. So I have got to adjust them and the door in the coming days to correct it. Other than that we absolutely love it! Thank you for providing the plans to all these projects. This is the second thing that I have made from this site. I will be making another post later on regarding the other project! I might add I have never done anything like this ever and honestly I think it turned out great :-)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Craftsman Style/Farmhouse Table Hybrid

A few months ago we decided to build ourselves a new table based on the Farmhouse Table plans. We knew we wanted to make the table out of some red oak that I had gotten for free, so we would deviate from the plans a bit. Long story short, I deviated from the plans _quite_ a bit. We had planned to make the table essentially with free materials, but that changed when I spent several days squaring up the rough stock I had been given. I also joined a crowned plank in the center of the table-top...big mistake. After glueing, screwing, and sanding, I realized there would be no way to get the crown out of the top. So...the first table-top became the bench cover and the other half is going to be used for a computer desk in another room. After a trip to the local lumber yard, I had about $220 worth of red oak: 4 1x4x14ft planks for the legs and 7 1x6x6ft planks for the table top.

I began by cutting the 14 ft. 1x4's to length and then joining them with lots of glue and clamps to form the legs. Next I set up the table saw to notch out the tops of the legs to receive the box. I prefer this method over using a circular saw or jig-saw. Picked up my wood-chisel to clean things up and then sanded, scraped using a card scraper (I would highly recommend a scraper for the smooth finish and handcrafted feel the tool provides), applied two coats of stain, and finished with two coats of wipe on poly.

I followed Ana's plans to construct the 2x4 base, modifying it to fit the size of my table and the specific overhang I sought. I also simply used 2x4 scraps to span the width of the box, and then Kreg jigged them to the box and table-top for support.

I joined the table-top planks using a Kreg Jig and glue. Lots of sanding and scraping again, and then I flipped the top, attached the box, and attached the legs. I used more of the 1x4's for the skirts to hide the 2x4 box.

We decided that we wanted to build a built-in bench for storage instead of a free standing one to accompany the table. I followed the plan at the following site, modifying it as necessary to match the length of our table. I also only built the bench and not the wall unit (http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20301255,00.html). My mistake with the first table-top ended up being a blessing of sorts when we were looking for a sturdy bench-top.

All in all, we love it! It took a good deal of time to finish the table—in part because I'm a horrible perfectionist. The bench, on the other hand, was finished in a day's work.

The table is constructed entirely out of red oak. The bench-top is also red oak. The bench is birch plywood and pine.

Total cost for table: $220 for wood; we already had all other supplies
Bench: $25; again, we already had most of the materials needed.

Estimated Cost
220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean 2750; Minwax Wipe on Poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Arts and Crafts

Fri, 07/06/2012 - 17:04

The table was a very rewarding project. We've only been using it for two days now, but it already feels like it's been there for years. The straight, clean lines of the Craftsman style are by far most appealing to me among furniture and architectural style.

Good luck on your table!

laundry room organizer

Submitted by erinnist05 on Mon, 04/21/2014 - 12:00

We revised the design a bit to make it fit in our space. We also made room for our dog food bin at the bottom

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

IGBuilders Challenge Bailey Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/22/2016 - 06:31

My entry into the IG Builders Challenge. Modified the Ana White Bailey Console a few ways. Instead of 2 large drawers, I installed 2 doors on each end, with 2 drawers in the middle. Century old barn wood used throughout. The legs are reclaimed oak floor joists, front stretchers are oak, rear stretchers are poplar. Heart pine planks users as door and drawers fronts. Heart pine front the same barn used as the top as well. Barnwood skins used on each end and the middle of the backside. Reclaimed shutters were used on the door compartment bottoms, and the rear.  I may eventually add a lower shelf with some of the leftover poplar and barnwood skins at a later date. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Fancy Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by aennali on Sat, 07/07/2012 - 00:08

This bed has been a true labour of love over the last few months!

I made all cuts with a hand saw, and mainly used a kreg jig to assemble the bed.

The 'insert' in the headboard is made from macrocarpa window trim and tongue-and-groove panelling, which was leftover from when my parents built their house. The rest I bought from a local supplier as rough sawn timber, which I got dressed by a woodworking guy who lives nearby. Had I bought all the timber I used, the cost would have been closer to $400.

I didn't add the moulding that is included in the plan - it's just my preference.

It took a bit of work to convert Ana's plans into metric measurements, but I got there in the end! I love my bed

Estimated Cost
NZD$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I started with 2 coats of Danish Oil. After deciding I wanted a deeper colour, I applied one coat of Briwax furniture wax, in Rimu, with super-fine steel wool.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Debi_G (not verified)

Sat, 07/07/2012 - 05:36

Your bed is fantastic! Love everything from the clean style to the finish. Congrats!

From Scrap to Sweet!

Submitted by Jake on Wed, 04/23/2014 - 11:12

A friend wanted a small box for her cosmetics. She gave me the dimensions of her present container but my mind and my saws envisioned a different end. My only promise was that she would get three drawers. To keep cost low I used only scrap lumber I found around the garage. I added oak dowels for strength and decoration.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finished only with a lot of sanding, two coats of Danish oil, and two coats of poly. Also once it was completely dry a coating of Johnson's paste wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

booksnotbombs

Tue, 08/12/2014 - 11:51

I happened across your profile this morning, and I've spent a good part of the afternoon looking through your projects, as you've posted more brag posts than most people I've seen on Ana's website. I loved seeing all your projects and experimentation! Your sense of humor doesn't hurt, either. :) Keep it up, and I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.

Jake

Tue, 08/12/2014 - 14:32

Over the past four years I have learned a lot. The most important lessons are experiment and don't let the frequent screw ups get you down. Lately I have been concentrating on learning to weave seats (reed and rush), build small boxes, and turning wood. Today was terrible. Nice bowl blank I cut from a Hackberry log turned out to have cracks and a really nice scoop built up of poplar and walnut broke into two flying pieces when my gouge caught at 1200 RPM. Only thing to do is start over and hope you learned something.

If you are new to woodworking check for square at every opportunity and be safe. Accidents happen in milliseconds.

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