Community Brag Posts

Square Picnic Table Project

This was a great summer project. The table looks great and it was any easy build. Doesn’t get any better than this. I added a hole in the center of the table for my umbrella and used the longer screws for more frame stability.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used semi transparent cedar tone stain. Lightly sanded edges and surfaces. Applied stain with a brush before assembly.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Simple Outhouse

I built this outhouse to go with a dry cabin I'm working on, and also as an emergency backup for my house. I used treated lumber on the base/deck and splurged on T-111 for the siding. I wanted to use greenhouse polycarbonate for the roof, but found a piece of metal roofing in my shed that was exactly the right size so I used that instead. I thought about doing a fancy cutout on the door but ended up going with a half moon because it was easy. I'm thinking about cutting out stars of different sizes all over the rest of the door to let in more light. I'll trim and stain it next summer.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$450 - I used T-111 which is $40/sheet here in Alaska. I also used treated lumber where recommended and stainless steel screws.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

CH

Mon, 01/13/2020 - 15:25

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 'STUFF' THAT YOU DEPOSIT IN THE TOILET?  I DIDN'T READ ANYTHING ABOUT DIGGING A PIT/TREATMENTS, ETC.  PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  THANK YOU!  CH.

Swing set

Submitted by lazyLiz on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 10:21

I've finished my swing but my porch don't have enough clearance so I built A frame stand for it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
mahogany latex based exterior primer and paint in one
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ashley Doucakis

Fri, 04/19/2013 - 15:37

I love the idea of adding the A-frame considering that where i live there are no real trees to hang it on and building a porch where one doesn't already exist is a pain in the butt! Lol. How wide do you think we could go before it starts compromising the frames integrity? And how much weight can it hold?

My Simple Outdoor Lounge Chair with 2x4 modification

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

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15-$20 dollars, depending on local lumber prices and finishing options.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

RandyW

Sat, 06/13/2020 - 16:33

I always take my sander to the sharp edges and round them off

Outdoor Grill Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/05/2023 - 09:21

 

This rolling bar was inspired by Ana White's plan.  It is used as a bar and conceals an electric smoker and a grill.  I added handles for moving and some hooks on the sides.  I stained the salvaged 2 X 6 's and brushed on clear oil based poly on the new Cedar fence boards.

Billie

Modern Sectional Sofa

Submitted by reinkense on Fri, 05/30/2014 - 17:22

I looked all around my town for a sofa that meet my needs. I wanted something with tall legs, modern lines and fit my living room. I did not have $3,000 to buy one online so I said to myself why not???

 

Estimated Cost
$400
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

reinkense

Sat, 05/31/2014 - 15:58

Thank you! I am really proud of it. I was thinking of putting together some plans.

Samigdal

Fri, 12/25/2015 - 17:48

Are there step-by-step instructions for building this posted anywhere?

walthoca

Fri, 01/06/2017 - 11:06

I am so impressed. We recently spent a small fortune on a sectional, but yours looks equally beautiful. You are incredibly talented! 

Clubhouse based on Ana's Plan

Submitted by MattSl on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 09:18

I used Ana's plan as a base.

I changed it from 8x8 to 8x12, made the 4x4x8's to 4x4x10' for a higher main platform and swing platform, and added a 12' long monkey bar set to the other side. Also, an 8' climbing wall and a plank walkway to accompany the two slides.

For the clubhouse, I used Hardiplank 4x8 sheets for the siding and an EZ-Framer kit for the structure itself.

The slides I purchased from Lowes, monkey bars from Amazon, and the swing frame braces from Amazon as well. The swing kits I got from ebay.

Estimated Cost
1500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

sandbox with benches

Submitted by nananana on Fri, 07/10/2015 - 13:18

This sandbox has been around for some time BUT it is still a great project to build The plans were simple to follow and would be an excellent project for beginners. We built this for our grandson and future grandbaby. Was easy to complete in one day, including painting

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Estimated cost was $75.00 including the wood, hinges and paint.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a flat exterior paint. paint color was Cool Bamboo. We put on two coats to preserve the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Batmobile full Bed

Submitted by bbcarey on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 10:12

My son had a 'lightning Mcqueen' toddler bed- but we needed to get him into a little bigger bed.  We had a spare full bed, and Batman is his current favorite... Since there aren't Batman full race car beds- time to start planning and building from sketchup!  Took me about 2 weeks of evenings (after the kids go to bed) and about $110 in materials.  The model is available in the sketchup warehouse at:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u6b750a53-37a4-4d52-9d31…

 

For the wheel covers I ordered online at Amazon for $25 for a set of 4.

For the Wheels both HD and Menards make a 18" wood table top for ~$7 that I just cut the middle out  with my router to fit the wheel covers.

The slats to hold the bed (made to fit both box spring and mattress) were just 1x4 pine boards from menards.

The body was made from 3/4 MDF, though you could of course use plywood. 

I used a projector to project the image from sketchup onto the board to get it transferred- else it would have been 50+ pages if printing..

For the logos I just used a minila folder as my stencil and cut out the logo.  Needed to touch up the 'tabs' to hold the logo in the circle after pulling off the stencil.

Estimated Cost
$115
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High gloss Latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

In reply to by Ana White Admin

bbcarey

Fri, 01/29/2016 - 21:18

I give you credit when people ask how I got started in woodworking because until I found your site and my first project (library cart) then 2 helper stands for my kids and other friends kids and it just went on from there. The skils taken from this site and learning Sketchup have brought a lot of nice furniture to our home as well as a sense of confidence to me!! Thank you!

MoxieMan13

Sat, 09/12/2015 - 19:10

My son really wants this and I promised him that I would make it.  Do you have a PDF or anything of the outline of the batmobile?  Thanks! 

Woodlandfox

Sun, 02/21/2016 - 14:29

Thank you so much for the greatest idea ever!  We stumbled on this and believe it will be the perfect next bed for our son, however, we cannot download any of the files.  Do you have a PDF of the measurements or any other form you can upload so we can make this bed?  Thanks in advance!  Great work!

SDonahue9807

Tue, 12/06/2016 - 07:23

I apologize if I am just missing this, but... do you have step by step instructions on building this bed? I see the pictures of each part and its corresponding dimensions, but I cannot located instructions on assembling the bed. 

 

Thanks!

Coffee Bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/28/2022 - 18:35

My wife wanted a coffee bar and I wanted a fridge for wine and beer. So we compromised on this.

Comments

Rustic X Desk

Submitted by bozarthm1 on Sun, 04/19/2020 - 07:57

I built this L shape desk based on Ana White's rustic X desk plan. I would not have attempted this without her guidance. Love how this turned out, probably the nicest project I've ever done. Thanks Ana!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Tops are Watco Dark Walnut with wax finish, prime and paint the legs
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

mfromo

Tue, 05/26/2020 - 09:34

This is awesome! My son and I are looking to build an L shaped desk for him and this looks to be the one. Any thoughts on how I would mount a computer tray beneath? Think there is enough clearance below the 2x4 without hitting knees?
Thanks!

Workbench with pegboard

Submitted by bredbu on Wed, 07/01/2020 - 18:37

I made a workbench for my garage it was pretty easy. I also made an instructional youtube video if you want to learn how to make it. #diy #workbench #bench

Estimated Cost
125
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Eric's Cedar Shed!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 21:35

Thank you for the plans, shed turned out great! My association required me to match the siding color, roof color, and anchor to a concrete slab. So I poured 25 bags of 80lbs concrete to make a 9x5 slab. Redid the plans for an 8x4 shed, built the frame with 2x4s and not 2x2's, installed flashing, ice/water shield + felt + matching shingles since I'm near Chicago, and used a flexio finishing sprayer to paint the shed. Saved some $ by using 2 Redwood Grain Fiber siding panels for $22 each at HD.

All in all very happy with my shed and all my dangerous yard tools and woodworking tools can be put away from my toddler.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
400
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Plus exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Murphy Bed

Submitted by Newfey on Fri, 07/19/2013 - 14:59

This is a Murphy Bed that I made for my daughter Alicia for their getaway home at Canadian Lakes, MI. Due to limited space i had to make it horizontal instead of the normal way of being vertical. It really comes in handy and takes up very little space.

Finish Used
Red paint mixed with Baking Soda
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JoanneS

Fri, 07/19/2013 - 15:17

Looks great! Love the color and the trims you used. Where did you find your hinge hardware? PS- How did you like the baking soda paint? I've tried ASCP which was good but very pricey, and last time made my own with some plaster of paris. Your finish is lovely.

Newfey

Sat, 07/20/2013 - 18:47

I bought the spring hardware on line. I can't take the credit for the paint as my daughter did that part. She loves the way that the baking soda and paint covers everything and it is a whole lot less expensive than buying the commercial stuff.

L-Shaped Triple Bunk

Submitted by mommy to 3 on Sat, 09/01/2018 - 20:21

We recently had our 6th child and needed to rearrange our kids' rooms.  We decided to put our 3 oldest girls together and wanted a triple bunk.  We used the classic bunk plans, but increased the height to allow for a middle bunk.  We wanted L-shaped to give each child some headroom.  We used pine wood, common board and select pine.  We finished it off with two coats of Behr interior latex paint/primer in one, satin finish.  Finished dimensions--height from floor to base of bottom bunk, 10 in.  from floor to top of top rail, 79.5 in.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$350 for wood/screws
$40 for paint
~$500 for tools--this was only our second build and our last build only required a drill.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr interior latex paint/primer in one, satin finish. Color is "classic silver"
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bcheese06

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 20:41

This is exactly what my boys need in their room. I'm having a hard time grasping how you did the middle bunk. Is it just the top bunk chopped right before the horizontal slats of the bottom bunk? tia

Garage / Basement Shelving + Bonus Wine/Liquor Under Stairs Storage

Submitted by MJC2DIY on Wed, 10/12/2022 - 21:35

Using the guidelines for the “BEST DIY Garage Shelves (Attached to Walls), I added this to our unfinished basement area for additional storage. I plan to replicate it in our actual garage as well and build the freestanding shelves also!

As a bonus, I used this plan as inspiration and built directly beside it, which is an unused space under stairs, a wine/liquor storage shelving replacing the plywood with cut 2x4s for added weight capacity/stability.

Couldn’t have been easier!

Comments

MJC2DIY

Wed, 10/19/2022 - 09:14

Thank you!! I am so thankful for Ana White and team! These projects are helping me build a lot of confidence to continue endeavoring more challenging projects each step of the way :-)

Doggie Daybed

Submitted by MurdaRae on Wed, 06/06/2012 - 10:16

I've thought for a while about building a bed for our dogs, but wasn't sure where to start. We had an extra crib mattress so I set out to find a toddler bed that would work. I decided the Lydia Toddler Bed plan would work best. It doesn't look anything like it, but it was a great starting point.

First, I got rid of the canopy and the decorative side pannels. I also raised the bed 12 inches. (The hope is to add a rug on the floor underneath as sort of a "bottom bunk") The lumber store didn't have 2x2s so I used 2x3s for the legs. I also only used two 1x6s at the head and foot of the bed. They are seperated by 1" because when I got home, I realized they were actually 1x5 (RUDE).

All in all, it turned out exactly as I had hoped and the dogs love it! GOODBYE stinky dogbeds!

**Photo 1: Just finished building--the slats weren't screwed down yet.
**Photo 2: Deacon is testing out his new digs! See the stinky dogbed underneath?YUK!
**Photo 3: Dog Bed Completed! Mac & Deacon love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$38
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

6' Square Sandbox

I've been wanting to buy or make a sandbox for my son for a couple of years now. Since seeing this on Ana White I knew I had to make it. My son is 4 yo and I didn't think the 4' square sandbox would be big enough for him, so I made it bigger. Ours is 6' square.

Materials:
4@1x8x6'
12@1x6x6'
2x4 - used leftovers from another project
8 hinges
4 handles
decking screws

Cut lengths:
2@1x8 cut to 71.5 (long sides of the box)
2@1x8 cut to 70.5 (short sides of the box)
did not cut the 1x6 boards (top planks) - actually designed the other boards to fit their length to prevent cutting (saving time) (note that original plan uses 1x4 planks - I used 1x6s so I could use the same number of planks but cover a larger area)
4@2x4 cut to 11.5 (arm rests)
4@2x4 cut to 18.5 (back supports)

followed instructions for assembly otherwise. At my husbands suggestion we put the handles on the sides and can easily open from either side - prevents having to lean over to the middle to open (back saver)

I finished the project in 4 hours including clean up and a couple of small breaks. This is my first Ana White project. It was a lot of fun to build and I hope my son will enjoy it for years to come!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$190
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Sand and stain with sealer included
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mrs. Chellebelle

Sat, 09/01/2012 - 20:59

Wow, this is just what I need! I've been wanting to make a sandbox for under the playhouse but the other plan was too small. This would be great for the little guys. Thanks!

Ana White Farmhouse Potters Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 07/27/2020 - 09:51

My hubby made it for me after seeing yours!! I LOVE IT THANK YOU SO MUCH!
The buy list is correct the cut list is wrong the bottom 2*4's listed should both be 2*6's

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$56
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden Oak
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Camp Loft Bed With Stairs Bunk Style

Used the Camp Loft Bed with Stairs Plans but double the bed rails. I just loved that the stairs and platform make it a little safer getting in and out.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Just Ultra White.

Comments

Workbench

Submitted by jaimej on Sun, 04/28/2013 - 18:38

This is our 2nd project - we liked building the bookshelf so much, we decided we're gonna keep going and need a good workbench. Got these plans from the Family Handyman Website (http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Woodworking/Workbenches/how-…). They claim the cost to be $50, but it was closer to $80 for us - still a GREAT project and easy to put together with the nail gun.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments