Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Storage Bench/ Coffee Table

I love this storage bench!  I modified the cut sizes to make it a coffee table also.  I made it shorter and thinner.  Now I can put my feet up on it, put a drink on it, and store some toys or garden tools in it!  You can check out modifications by clicking here.  Thank you Ana for the great plans!

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray paint and spar urethane spray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Storage beds (twin) with Corner unit

Submitted by Dinabu on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 08:48

We made these beds for my daughters, who were ready to pass on the bunkbeds to their little sisters. We have 4 girls in one room, so use of space is crucial! I originally wanted the hutch as well, but as you can see in the picture, we had to work around a wall cut out, so we modified the corner unit to have a larger shelf area to fit the space. We also left the sides open to be able to slide containers in to store out of season clothes and blankets, though the ends have a backing.

Estimated Cost
$250-$300.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Gloss white paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse dining table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 23:11

This was our first build together and first furniture piece from woodworking. The kreg jig really helped out and we didn’t have any major issues while building except for some board being warped but we fixed it with a planer.

Finished building the entire table in one day and staining and coats of poly took 2 extra days. It was a very easy build. When we move to a new area that has better access to lumber I’d like to remake this using oak/maple.

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Child's Fire Station Loft Bed

Submitted by docfin02 on Sat, 12/07/2013 - 14:14

I used the plans for the fire station loft bed (http://ana-white.com/2011/11/fire-station-loft-bed), but added the stairs from the camp loft bed (http://ana-white.com/2012/07/plans/camp-loft-bed-stair-junior-height) since my son is young. I was afraid of him climbing down the ladder at night if he wakes up. The stairs are not attached and can be removed when he is older. They were designed so he can climb through the space where the lower rungs of the ladder were and use underneath the stairs as a fort, etc. The project took quite a bit of time and cost about $500 (not including the Kreg Jig or mattress).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dog Food Storage Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/29/2024 - 12:00

I've been searching for a pet food bin for a while now, and started looking for something cuter than an ugly plastic bin. I found a few things on Etsy but none were big enough and also cost a lot of $$$. I took the Modern Cedar Outdoor Storage Bench plans, and modified the size to fit large bags of dog and cat food from Costco, or pet food bins. I'm 55 years old and have fixed things around the house, but this was my first time building something.
I am so happy with how this turned out! I found the dog bone handle online and my daughter painted the paw prints. Way cuter than what I found online and I built it using reclaimed wood I had laying around - my only cost was the handle. Thanks Ana!

Heather Durand https://www.facebook.com/pinkprincesshc

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

8 foot picnic table

Submitted by Abby721 on Sat, 07/18/2020 - 08:40

This picnic table was a quick build and turned out amazing. I modified the center base support by adding an extra table top support and seat support board to the opposite side of the center legs to give the table symmetry to accommodate an umbrella hole. I also shortened both cross supports by an inch to make sure the base wouldn’t be longer than the top boards. The space between the center table support boards and seat support boards is the perfect size to fit a standard umbrella. I used a 1 3/4” hole saw to make the umbrella hole. The build and stain/paint took me about 5 hours but additional time is needed to properly seal the table. I used untreated pine. Treated pine may give the table longevity but it would also add a lot of weight to an already heavy table. This was a relatively easy and quick build and is a great size to fit my whole family plus a couple guests! I’m happy with how it turned out and would recommend this build to anyone looking for a budget friendly and simple patio table.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Briarsmoke for the top and Rustoleum Canyon Black Satin for the base. Sealed with 2 coats of Varathane Helmsman Spar Urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Simple Rustic Wood Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/27/2024 - 14:51

My husband and I built this very large dining table that seats 10 using the “Simple Rustic Table” plan. We think it turned out great and it was perfect for us as beginners. It looks awesome in our dining room, now we just need more chairs! Thank you so much for the great plans Ana!

Nikki at titusmom.com

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Welcome Post

Submitted by TamarasJoy on Thu, 02/02/2017 - 18:05

Full Instructions HERE

What you will need to build this DIY Welcome Post:

  1. 4 x4 Fence Post Cut: 30 inches long 1×6 down to make 2 5 1/2″x5 1/2″ squares and 2 4 1/2″x 4 1/2″ square.
  2. Different Widths of wood cut into squares. For the three tear welcome post I have 3 different sized squares. They measure: SMALL: 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches MEDIUM: 7 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches LARGE: 9 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches.
  3. Single Hook
  4. Long wood screws & Drill
  5. Stain
  6. Rust-Oleum Varathane Outdoor Classic Clear Water Based Spray, Gloss Finish
  7. Wood Glue
  8. Orbital Sander or some muscle & some sand paper
  9. Wood filler (not required)

Full instructions on how I put this together on my blog.

Estimated Cost
This is a project that I built from all scraps and left overs.

If I had to guess it shouldn't be more then $25 if you can do some scrounging :)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark Stain & three coats of the spray can polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Custom Industrial Style Closet

Submitted by slug on Tue, 12/09/2014 - 09:03

We remodeled our house and now had a new 9x6 master closet to fill. During construction I saw this design on ana-white.com and liked the style, but wanted to customize the layout. I found an online closet designer and played around until I found something my wife and I liked. We ended up with a 9 foot long his/hers double hanging on the ends and a long hanging section in the middle. And on the other side 8 feet of shelving (leaving about a foot for other storage).

I bought the pipe as a 10 foot pipe to be cut and threaded (for free by the store). I did have to change the design a little because the store cannot thread pipe less than 14 inches. So I ended up replacing the short pipes and T's with 2x4s. That made it a little cheaper and I still like the end result.

We stained all the wood using Minwax "Early American". This probably accounts for most of the build time.

Then I put together the supports and brought them into the closet to add all the pipes and slats. I started with the wall for hanging. And later did the shelving.

 

Here's another forum with more pictures of this project:

http://woodworking.formeremortals.net/me-mo-community/#/discussion/866/…

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
<$400 for whole closet.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax "Early American"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

The Best Floating Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 09:15

These floating shelves were so simple and are so strong! I decided to not attach the tops because you can’t see up there anyways. So will make a good hidden storage spot for small items.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Pine was stained with minwax Early American and layered with Mineax weathered oak.

Modified Wide Cabin Dresser

Submitted by dbwalk on Mon, 01/12/2015 - 20:02

This build was for my daughters.  They needed a new dresser and I figured I could pull this one off.  

 

I used regular boards from the Big Blue Box store.  I went a step up for the birch playwood because it would take paint better.  The drawer pulls are stainless steel.  

 

I modified the given plans so that I could add two more large drawers.  I made a few modifications to pull it off and give the dresser more support.  For example I added some supports under the top plywood board and in between each row of the drawers.  You can see that I added a middle support under the bottom set of drawers as well to keep the weight of the drawers from saggin in the middle.  I also had never installed drawer slides before.  This was way harder (and frustrating) than I was expecting.  My drawers don't have slides but they still work well.

 

All in all this was a moderately challenging build for me.  However, the paint and finish ended up being super nice.  My girls love it and I think it is going to last for a long time.  I am now working on modifying these plans to build a matching side table with drawers.  I hope to have pics of that soon as well!  

Estimated Cost
$275. The wood cost around $200. The handles and paint cost about $75.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Teal colored paint and primer in one. Before and after each painting I sanded the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

DIY Folding Workbench

Submitted by suzeet305 on Mon, 10/18/2021 - 18:32

I'm a beginner DIYer and I knew one day I was going to have to make a workbench. I made mine 24x48 so I wanted a little more support to hold up the drop down leaf. I searched your site and found another plan with these gatelegs and knew this is what I wanted. I love the way it came out. What do you think?

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Fancy Jewelry Box

Submitted by JoanneS on Thu, 06/04/2015 - 14:35

One of my friends at work is going to a new job, and this build is her going away gift. It is a variation of the Fancy Jewelry Box, with the following modifications:

Made from select pine, no plywood is visible on the outside on this build.
Slightly smaller, the box is made from 1x6, the back is a ½” x 5 ½” craft board, and the door outsides are 3/8” x 5 ½” craft boards.
The drawer boxes are ¼” thick craft board and the doors and overlay drawer faces are 3/8” thick craft board.
Overall dimensions are 13” wide, 5 ½” deep, and 14 ¼” tall.
The select pine worked very well for the luxe stained finish I was trying to achieve.
Used fancy knobs instead of wood knobs (also swapped out the included screws for shorter ones).

I really took my time on this to get everything just so. The project took about 15 hours in total, including the build, finishing, and decorations - - a bit at a time, spread out over the last couple of weeks.

I'm very happy to say the gift was a big hit!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Finish: 2 coats of Varathane Stain + Poly in Early American, with a top coat of Minwax Polycrylic in Gloss. The drawers and doors are lined with embossed felt, and the box bottom and drawer bottoms are covered with sticky-back felt. The ring holder is a scrap of high density foam covered with sticky-back felt. The knobs are acrylic crystal and the back has flat hinges in antique brass (swapped out the included screws for shorter ones on the hinges and knobs). The hooks are ¾” brass shoulder hooks.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Paper towel rack

Yea, I know these were posted way back in 2013, but I only recently found them. Was looking at some kitchen organization ideas and I knew I wanted to make a paper towel rack. I liked this idea and went with it. My variance from original was to use a dowel rod for the paper towel holder and I cut 45 degree angles in place of the radius.

Comments

Farmhouse Queen Bed & Kentwood Night Stand

I built this Farmhouse Queen Bed & Kentwood Night Stand for my Granddaughter. She loves it !

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax water based stain in "Coffee", and then used Minwax white washed pickling to finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Floating Bunk Beds and Desk

This little girls room needed a little happy birthday!  I planked the wall with birch veneer, made simple box frames for the beds and desk, and attached them to walls with heavy duty cable.  Then my friend added her designer touch, and made it cozy and  girl CHIC!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Built in dresser

Submitted by dmather82 on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 09:04

This is my favorite build so far! My two younger daughters share a room with an inevitable shortage of floor space. What they do have is a fairly large closet for 1 and 3 year old. I removed the crumby sliding doors and filled the bottom third of the space with the dresser, leaving plenty of room for kids clothes to hang above. I combined two separate plans and adjusted the measurements to fit the space. What I ended up with is a monstrous 6 drawer dresser that I would never have room for in the bedroom otherwise. The drawers are enormous (a must for a house with three little girls. They have more clothes than their mother and father combined).

I took the frame concept from the Shanty2Chic rustic rolling dresser and the drawer concept from the Madison dresser from Old Paint Design. (Thanks Ladies!) It took me some significant math adjustments (I'm not a math guy) in order to alter the drawers for wood slides, alter the frame to fit that, and alter both to fit the 70 3/4" x 24" space.

The finish took the most time with a bizarre mixing of Rustoleum Dark Walnut and Rustoleum Classic Cherry. I love the color now. Clearly I have not fixed the wall paint yet :)

The wood is big box pine as I am still working up the confidence to work with more expensive wood. The top is 1x12's and 1x2's. The sides (hidden) are 3/4" plywood. The hardware is from Lowes.

My daughters were nice enough to decorate the dresser during the build with crayon requiring a 40 grit sanding Grrrr.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut
Rustoleum Classic Cherry
Rustoleum Ultimate Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

JW

Sun, 09/22/2013 - 12:40

Built-in closet dresser - genius! I am already thinking about how I can make this work for my daughter's room. Looks great, too. Good job!

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