Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by KristenP on Thu, 06/06/2019 - 18:00

We built Ana’s outdoor sectional in a few hours and it’s made a huge impact on our deck! It saved us so much money but looks like a high end piece! Thank you for the simple and structured plans!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Farmhouse Doll Beds

For these beds I modified the original farmhouse doll bed plans to accommodate a few more dolls. In the process, I discovered that, while doll furniture turns out SUPER cute, it takes me about the same amount of time to build a little piece as it does to build a big piece, especially when you consider the time it takes to sew the bedding.

I put these together mostly with nails and glue, but used my kreg jig to join the rails to the headboards and footboards.

Estimated Cost
$20 or less per bed.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey to seal. Lots of sanding before and in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 06:00

I love the mods you did on these. For the farmhouse w/trundle, I know you had to raise up the bottom and it looks like you did the headboard sized boards for the footboard and made the headboard w/even longer boards? Then for the bunkbeds, are those all headboard lengths for the head and footboards and then just very long 2x2s for the posts? I am never brave enough to mod anything just yet! I also absolutely love that bedding on the top pic! So bright and cheery!

In reply to by spiceylg

hillarylouise

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 06:51

Isn't that bedding beautiful? I love it. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby. They have so many cute calicos.

Yes, you got the mods right. If I were to do the trundle again, I'd make the headboard longer so that it goes almost to the ground like the footboard, otherwise you can see the trundle.

The bunk was easy -- much easier than the other bunk plans all out of 1x2s. I've made them both now and the farmhouse one just comes together a lot faster (once you figure out the measurements).

spiceylg

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 09:57

I love Hobby Lobby but never think to check out their fabric! Silly me, I'll have to do just that! Okay, thank you for the info. I just noted the additional detail of the feet, how nice! If you don't mind, I'd love the measurement of the 2x2 for the bunks, simply because I'm lazy like that, lol!

In reply to by spiceylg

hillarylouise

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 10:27

The 2x2s are 22 3/4" and the slats in the headboard are 7". I think the bottom of the bottom headboard is around 2 3/4" or 3" from the bottom of the 2x2s. All the width measurements are the same as in the original plan. Also, I used lath strips for the mattress to rest on instead of a rectangle of 1/4" ply -- it seemed easier and I think it was cheaper, too.

Tsu Dho Nimh

Fri, 12/16/2011 - 08:00

You are so right about the time it takes.

I made a stuffed doll and her clothing for a niece, and I could have made myself two complete outfits in the time it took to sew one dinky doll dress.

lmhaney (not verified)

Tue, 02/28/2012 - 07:40

Hillary how did you do the trundle for the farmhouse single bed. I read where you said you would do the headboard longer,but this is going to be my first build and I need a little more instruction to make the trundle and how long would you do the headboard. Thanks!!!

In reply to by lmhaney (not verified)

hillarylouise

Tue, 02/28/2012 - 09:05

Hey. I made the trundle using 1x3 boards just slightly shorter than the size of the overall bed (so it would fit underneath). I used two 18 1/2" 1x3s and two 14 1/2" 1x3s. I built it using pocket holes on the 14 1/2" 1x3s, screwing into the 18 1/2" 1x3s. Then I attached two 1x2 cleats to the bottom insides of the 18.5" boards so that I'd have a place to set support pieces for the mattress. I attached the cleats with glue and nails, I think, but pocket screws would work fine, too. I used pine lath for the support, attached with glue and staples.

For the headboard, I cut my panel pieces at 7", I think, but I should have cut them at 9 3/4" so that the headboard panel would extend closer to the ground like the footboard panel does. Here is an abbreviated cut list:
footboard panel -- 5 1x3s @ 6"
footboard legs -- 2 2x2s @ 7 1/4"
headboard panel -- 5 1x3s @ 9 3/4"
headboard legs -- 2 2x2s @ 11"

All of the horizontal cuts are the same as the original plan as long as you are using #1 pine. If you are using #2 pine or furring strips, your horizontal cuts will need to be slightly smaller b/c your panel board will be slightly narrower than the plans expect.

Just be sure to screw the side rails of the bed in high enough to get the trundle underneath.

Hopefully that all makes sense! Good luck! Can't wait to see photos!

In reply to by Aida (not verified)

claydowling

Sun, 08/05/2012 - 06:29

They -might- cut it for you. But based on the experience of a lot of people here, and the advice of some Home Depot employees also on here, it's a mistake to have them do that.

You can do the cuts on your own though. If you can't afford a circular saw, or you're uncomfortable with them, you can buy a hand saw for about $25. It's no good for cutting plywood or MDF, but for solid wood it's hard to beat.

Hillary (not verified)

Mon, 08/06/2012 - 19:26

Nope, I don't think they will. And if they did you won't be happy with the outcome. Too many cuts and there's no way they'll get every cut right. You'd be better off finding a friend with a miter saw you could borrow for an hour to get all the pieces cut. Good luck!

Aida (not verified)

Sun, 08/12/2012 - 08:27

Thank you........ I may have to stop been afraid of using this tools and just use it lol............love this bed and my daughter want me to make it for her........ I will post pictures

blair28

Tue, 10/29/2013 - 08:53

Just curious if you have ever thought of making these and selling them?? I have been looking for a doll bunk bed for my daughter for Christmas and love this bunk bed with trundle. So thought I would ask if you would consider making one and selling it!!

emmakayte

Sun, 12/08/2013 - 18:07

I absolutely love what you did with the trundle and the bunk bed. You are so talented! Thank you so much for sharing the measurements that you used to make the bunk bed and sharing tips. I am going to attempt to make one for my daughter. This will be my first woodworking project. I am crossing my fingers it goes well. Thank you! :)

Raised Planter Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 13:02

Created the stand for the raised planter using 2X2 assembled using dowels. Painted the stand mixing black with a bit of white to simulate metal. The actually plastic window box fits within a wood open box with mitered corners fir clean log. Bottom of the stand provides a shelf using (9) 2X2s with a dado placed on either end to fit on the runners of the stand.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

DVD hutch

Submitted by angiemicn on Sun, 02/05/2012 - 03:01

Living in a small house, 1100 sq feet, really needed an area devoted to DVD storage, then I thought, why not build my own Entertainment center? This is 1 of 6 pieces.

Estimated Cost
35.00 combined with logan base total 75.00 including paint!!! such a great price!
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained a lot, 2 coats of White KILZ waterbased latex primer, with 220 grit sanding in between each coat. Think this is VERY important, as it gives you a wonderful canvas to work with.
2 coats of Behr Premium Ultra White High Gloss, again light sanding between each coat.
Modifications: 32 inches wide, 12 inches deep, 5 shelves, each 8.5 inches high, customized to fit dvd's, puck light inserted on top shelf, beadboard to the backing, 1x3 used as trim across top, put together with Kreg
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Easy to Build Workbench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/17/2023 - 13:40

Easy to build workbench. I added an extra 2 1/2 inches (width) to the top plywood cut. This gave me a 1 1/4" lip to the front and back sides. I wanted to be able to clamp on all sides of the bench. Also added casters since I wanted to use this as an outdoor table for entertaining if needed and to simply have mobility with the bench. So far I love it!

Book Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/22/2016 - 11:08

I built this book rack using scrap wood and modified plans from the Full Length Plate Rack. It was a really straightforward build, and functions very well as vertical storage that takes up little space. I predrilled, screwed and glued all of the joints, vs. stapling.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of "Simplicity" country chic chalk paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Sandbox with built in seats/lid

6'x6' with 12'' Treated Sides, 1x4 and 1x6 SPF tops/seats and 2x4 Brace under Seats to accommodate the 6 foot span. Sanded and Painted.

Completed in 2 days, couple hours each day, sanded/painted all boards before assembly.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior Grade Paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

King bed

King bed made with Kona stain check us  on Facebook marney Marie 

Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Rustic Modern 2x6 Platform Bed

I recently moved to Boulder, CO and finally have a garage where I can actually work on projects. Since I moved here with practivally nothing, I decided I should build my own bed. This is probably one of the most ambitious wood working projects I've attempted. I also tend to be slightly anal, so I've probably spent way more time on this project than most people have or will.

After reading the plans and other Brag Posts, I felt I was ready to start. I ordered the Kreg Screws, and a few other supplies I would need for the Project on Amazon and was off to the races. Several trips to Home depot to get various pieces of wood, (since I wasn't going to fit it all in my Subaru in one go), I finally had most of the lumber for the bed frame. Let me tell you, it's not easy getting straight pieces of lumber (as mentioned before, I'm a little anal). I decided to go with oversized lumber, since I would have more usable leftover pieces for other projects.

I spent several hours after work during the week, and several more on the weekend, sanding down all the lumber with 60 Grit, then applied the first coat of Stain, to raise the grain. I was out of town for the weekend, and let the stained wood sit in my garage while gone. When I got back, I noticed a lot of marks which I didn't notice before staining. Some of these were from the belt sander I used to knock down really rough parts of some of the lumber. But most of the marks were because I put too much pressure on my random orbital sander.

Lesson learnt: Sanding takes time, and patience! DO NOT press down hard on the sander, if you don't want marks on your wood. These marks will be significantly more prominant after staining.

I decided to sand everything again, 60 grit, then 100, then 150. I gotta say, the wood feels so much nicer to touch and I'm glad I decided to re-sand. I spent a few hours after work to get most of the head board pieces done, but noticed that the 2x4 had warped beyond repair... I'm going to get the upper and lower 2x6 pieces ready to assemble with my kreg jig this weekend, and then decide if I want to add a 2x4 in the middle like the plans call for.

I decided to go with just 2x6s for the headboard, I used the Kreg Jig to put it all together, I also attached 4 supports made of some scrap Plywood I got from my neighbor for the headboard.

I stained it all with a Staining pad twice, then applied 3 coats of Poly with a brush. I didn't sand between coats since I was applying very thing coats and I had already sanded everything down with 150 grit. 

Estimated Cost
$100-150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stain: Minwax Oil based Dark Walnut - 2 coats with a staining pad
Varnish: Satin Water based Indor Polyurethane by Varathane - 3 coats with a brush.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Minwax-1-qt-Wood-Finish-Dark-Walnut-Oil-Based-Interior-Stain-70012/100376185

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Clear-Satin-Water-Based-Indoor-Polyurethane-200241H/100169146
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

username.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 19:17

Sick job dude! What stain is that? I like the color of it and might use it for mine. Did you notice a stain odor at all after applying the stain and covering it with the poly? 

Rabbit Cage

Submitted by blouden on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 23:30

I have a pet ferret that has little room to run around. So I seen this rabbit/ferret cage at the pet store. It was about $150 or so. So I took a pic of it on my phone, and found the Google Sketch app, and watched some videos, and now I have plans for the cage. Some 2x2's, 1x8's, plywood, chicken wire, and some locks and hinges for the ramp an lid.... Still tweaking it, but hopefully it will work out.

Estimated Cost
$50-60
Finish Used
Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

OutDoor dining table

My wife and I were looking for a larger table for our deck and after searching and seeing that everything out there was 300 dollars and up for something decent I decided I would try building something. This table was perfect for our needs and looked easy enough for me to put together. The most time consuming part was staining all of the boards as I went but it was totally worth it in the end. I also deviated from using screws and used my nail gun along with some glue to put the top frame together and the slats on but I did use some 2inch deckmate screws to attach the legs. One problem I did run into was I was about half a board short on the slats which wasn't a big deal just ripped one on the table saw, not sure if I miss measured or what but either way. We love our table and will entertain around it for years to come.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around 80 Dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a Behr deck stain that was solid the color is called Russett and I did with a 3inch brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Chick Brooding Cabinet for Quail

My family has started raising quail recently and I built their first home while they were still in the incubator. I have never done any wood work before, so this turned out much nicer than I expected! I followed the suggestion of having the brooder part on the top instead of the bottom and omitted the extra shelf. Two 5-gallon buckets fit nicely below the chicks. Since the quail are so small when they hatch, I used 1/4 inch hardware cloth for the "floor" but it wasn't long before that was too small so we had to change it to 1/2 inch. I am going to make a tray with each size of hardware cloth on it to make it easier to change out for next time, because they really do need both sizes.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

West Elm Knock Off TV Stand

Submitted by Mike F on Sun, 09/18/2016 - 06:50

I did not have any plans for this.  I had the dimensions from the West Elm Website so I did my best to match that.  My sister asked me if I could build this for her and I saw it as an awesome challange.  I used euro style hinges for the doors and the left side shelf is sitting on wood strips nailed in the sides.  There is also a shelf inside the cabinet.  I built the stand and she stained it.  

This was my second time welding.  I used a Mig Welder that my buddy had.  It was a little intimidating at the very beginning but Mig welding is super easy.  You can grind the welds down fairly easy too.  I sray painted it all with a flat black spray paint.  I think it turned out really well.  I had a steel shop her in town cut all the steel to the sizes I needed.  All I had to do was weld and paint.

Estimated Cost
$150-$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
She used a mixture of a few stains.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Garden Tool Storage

Submitted by meisterx on Sun, 08/30/2020 - 12:20

Super easy and useful project. I made mine 8 ft. long because my studs are on 24 in. centers and I had a lot of tools to hang. It was fun building it and even more fun getting all those tools and things off the floor.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$13.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Potting bench 2.0

Submitted by Claudiagay on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 14:38

Made it a bit wider, added a shelf and wheels.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint over stain for distressed look.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

West Elm Knockoff Chevron Queen Bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/13/2017 - 21:07

This was my first build and I am so happy with how it turned out! The plans from Jen Woodhouse were extremely easy to follow and I would definitely recommend this project to others!

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

fire pit bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/26/2017 - 18:34

fire pit bench

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

60 year old Barnwood Table

The wood came from a 60-70 year old barn that was torn down out on a friends property. The wood was fee and materials cost around $175. Took a couple weekends to build. 

Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Gmiller1966

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 19:56

My wife wanted a large table to entertain. She mostly wanted to be able to decorate the center and not have to move it during dinner. The table measures 10' x 4'8" and is 29" high.

Laundry Basket Organizer

Submitted by mseely02 on Thu, 01/10/2013 - 09:02

We have a laundry problem in our house. It piles up in un-organized piles and takes days to sort through and actually get in the washer. Honestly, we could do laundry every single day of the week and still fall behind. I guess that comes with the territory when you have 3 small boys in the house.

This organinzer is going to be great. We currently use it for whites, colors and "grown-up clothes". This keeps us from accidentally washing some of Mommy's more delicate items in the general colors wash which saves me money when we don't ruin her clothes.

The plans call for the 1 x 16's, but I had extra 2 x 4's laying around so I just built a frame using my kreg jig. The most expensive part was the beadboard for the sides and I used some S4S 1 x 4's for the top. Overall the project tooks me months, but that was more a product of my "shop" time coming after 8 pm and general apathy.

I definitely have the bug and have already starting a new project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi Gloss Interior White, Minwax Dark Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments