Community Brag Posts

Yes, my husband and I share our bedroom with 6 dogs and an occasional cat (or 4). Our older dog (Petra) has slept on our bed for over 10 years, and she's getting too old to jump anymore. We didn't want her to feel like she was getting kicked off the bed, so I made Petra her very own bed at the end of ours so that she wouldn't feel left out. I was inspired by MurdaRae's dog bed (http://ana-white.com/2012/06/doggie-daybed), and thought it was genius to use a toddler/crib bed. So I went looking for plans on Ana-White, and came up with a mixture between a couple of twin bed plans. I love that the plans are easy enough to modify my sizes, and come up with exactly the custom solution that I need. This was my first big project using Bri-Wax. The last one was kind of a disaster when the wax changed the stain color to something not-so-great. With this project, I learned to wait at least 2 weeks before attempting to wax it. I was blown away with the results. It is a beautiful subtle satin finish that feels great to the touch. Plus, I can easily touch up all the dog fingernail scratches that will inevitably occur. When I re-assembled the bed in my bedroom, I actually nicked it in a few places. No problem -- slap on some more Bri-Wax! My Bri-Wax was 11 years old, and pure liquid. I tossed it in the fridge (per Bri-Wax's recommendation), and it was as good as new. The only real problem I had with this project was leaking sap from one of the 4x4s. I'm still fighting this today. In talking with Rustoleum/Zinsser reps, they said that no sap could penetrate their "Seal Coat" shellac product. After 5 coats, the sap is still penetrating, but only if I turn it on it's side or upside down. I'm still baffled. I made the mattress cover out of a dog blanket, and made the cushions from some remnant fabric (suitable for dogs and weekly washing), so this was a fairly inexpensive project. It was a success because Petra slept in her bed from the fist night and loved that she had all the room to herself, and no boston terrorists (I mean terriers) attempted to bother her.

Modified the design to allow me to roll lawnmower directly in the end. Fun project.

My husband and I loved the Squared2 Chair we saw on this site and we knew that we wanted to have this design for our dining chairs. As my building experience has increased, I thought it was time to try. This is my first chair: it is not perfectly executed, but I learned a few things along the way and I've decided to buy a few tools, too. I modified the square back pattern cut lengths explained briefly on my little blog.

There was some deviation from the original plans..  We made the storage boxes a bit taller and the headboard has several new features.

First off, the under-bed storage takes up the whole size of the bed.  So the drawers (six of them) are nice and deep.  One of the drawers is actually the dog's bed now.

The picture doesn't show it but behind the headboard there are cubbies for storing books, tablets, phones, glasses, etc.

On both sides of the headboard there are four electrical outlets plus two USB charging outlets for charging tablets, phones, etc.

There are two reading lamps on the headboard as well.

I did the construction portion while my talented wife did the amazing paint job.

Thank you so much Ana for providing such good plans! I use your Mom's Fancy Farmhouse Bed plans and added drawers underneath (a girl can never have too much storage!) using your Under Bench Trundle Drawers plans. I made it look a bit different than yours so it fits with the desk I already have in my room and used Mortise Bedlocks to assemble it, so it will be easier to take it apart when I move next time. This was my first project using your plans and my Kreg Jig and I'm hooked!

I had searched for a nice bed frame for the longest time. I wanted something that would last and the prices in furniture stores or antique shops were crazy. I found the plans for the platform bed/headboard and modified them a little. I used 2x12's for the frame and set my 2x6's down inside for my box spring. 2x6's for the headboard and trimmed it the same way as in the plans. I love it. Thanks for the plans Ana.

I finally completed the last piece to my customized simple two-toned outdoor collection...an outdoor kitchen sink!!! It still needs a couple of touch ups... but more on that later. This is by far my favorite and easiest project to date. We plan on using this as a grill caddie/garden station. This will eventually go onto a 24x12 deck up against our kitchen window (The indoor and outdoor sink will be against each others backs). I decided to go with the Sturdy Workbench plans for the base mainly because of the weight. We wanted something that's going to be difficult to move since it will be hooked up to outdoor plumbing. I used treated 2x4's for the base, cedar 1x4's for the top. I bought the bar sink for about $70. I also used a Kreg Jig to screw in the cedar slats from underneath so the screws won't be visible from the top. FYI - Wait a couple of weeks before you paint soaking wet treated wood. The green chemical from the 2x4 is starting to leak through my white paint. I'll have to go and prime/paint it again when it finally dries. Other than that, it came out 10 times better than I could ever imagine.

I modified this chair with 2x4's as the base and 2x2 for decoration on arms, this is prior to sanding and finishing

I decided to try and use the plans on Ana's site but with a twist. I wanted to limit myself to using only pallets. I think it turned out great! I can't upload all the photos because they exceed the maximum size limit. If I was able to you could see how each chair is slightly different and has a lot of character. I finished them with a waterproofing oil which I highly recommend over other finishes. 

We have a small rustic cabin that needed a clean, functional outhouse.  We followed Ana's plans, but with a few modifications to include a Solar gray polycarbonate roof to let in light.  We also decided on cedar board & batten for the siding.   We look forward to many years of use. 

Built for a bike shop. 90L x 20D x36H

This spring, my neighborhood started a community garden.  Five families came together to break ground, sow, tend, and give away our produce.  The local church close by allowed us to use their front lawn for the "Lakeside Community Garden," located in Duluth, MN.   Every Saturday during harvest season, we gave away our produce to the community.  I took on the project of building a farm stand.  One of our neighborhood families donated re-claimed lumber to the cause, and I started building.  I had research many farm stands on-line, and knew I needed two large boxes to hold the veggies, as well as a sign to indicate what produce we were giving away.