Community Brag Posts

Miter Saw Cart

Submitted by Nermell on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 16:51

As a complete beginner in wood working (unless you count a year of woodshop over a decade ago), I decided that building a cart for the miter saw I just bought would be a great first project. So what did I do with that brand new miter saw? I left it in the box and made all of the cuts with a circular saw. Not sure what I was thinking there...

I mostly followed the excellent plan provided here but used wooden arms to prop up the wings in order to save on cost. I got the idea from the folding sling chair plan. It took quite a few screw ups and adjustments of the lower support bar before getting one of the wings level but I got it eventually.

Update 8/20/13: The miter saw has been a joy to use with the cart and the big flip up wings provide a ton of really convenient work space in addition to stabilizing 8 ft boards for cutting. I added a sliding drawer and some utility hooks for additional storage.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70-80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

davidmauer15

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 08:10

I originally just had a 2x2 and two blocks to hold up the wings on the cart. They kept falling out, so I replaced them with hinged arms, which were a pain to fit and install, but they work well. Your approach has the same advantage of hinging the support arms: the wood can't fall out and it looks way simpler to install than my system.

One hint if you try Nermell's approach: Flip the cart upside down when you fit and install the support arms. I did all kinds of complex sketches and measurements, then realized it was just faster to lean the support bracket at roughly 45 degrees, then I installed the two block (one on the side, one on the wing) to hold the bracket in place. Flip the cart over, and your wing will sit at a perfect 90 degrees to the sides of the miter saw cart.

Necklace and Earring Shelf

Submitted by vendo on Fri, 11/11/2022 - 13:15

I built this super easy shelf for my earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I love that I can see what I have, before they were stored away in a drawer and not easily accessible for daily wear. I also enjoy that this was super inexpensive and easy to build! Planning to build another one for my daughters.

My wife built a bed.

Submitted by AKMan279 on Sun, 06/02/2019 - 20:45

We looked for a simple plan for a bed and found this one on Ana’s site.  Easy to build in a weekend.

Estimated Cost
$140 with all lumber and stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Poly stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

COVERED SANDBOX WITH BUILT IN SEATS

Once we hade the frame of it built, we stapled landscaping fabric and chicken wire to the bottom to keep weeds and moles/gophers from coming up through the bottom.

Other than that... We followed the plans as given.

The kids LOVE it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Barn Style Greenhouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/02/2024 - 10:05

Started the project last fall and finally finished it this Feb. Check out the cool weather station!

Built from Plan(s)

Daughters blue Playhouse

Submitted by rysos81 on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 08:55

I used the basic framing plan for the project, but extended roof overhangs, added engineered siding / trim and cedar shake roofing. I put 2x4 bracing on for the platform.

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

Drop down murphy bar

Submitted by nick_h on Tue, 12/06/2016 - 10:54

My attempt at the murphy bar featured on this site. Still have to add the sash locks. Added pallet crossmembers at the back, an x in the leg, and a french cleat to mount to the wall. 

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut Minwax on the bar top and shelves, crisp linen matte latex and dry brushed casual gray for accents/aging. 2 coats of polycrylic for protection. If built again would pre stain and base coat all the wood before build time, then assemble, add accent brushing and spray the polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

zannej

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 11:49

This looks awesome! I want to help my friend build this for his kitchen. I've looked at the plans in the link & I'm wondering what modifications you made for the X pattern-- how much did it alter the material & cut list?

Would you please share your material & cut list for this?

Flip Top Piano Bench

Submitted by amycourts on Mon, 12/17/2012 - 17:54

This was my first DIY build. Having been inspired by my good friend, the brilliant Jen Woodhouse of The House of Wood, I decided surely I could do this too. So I picked something that looked like a challenge, but that we also needed. We have an old piano we bought from Craigslist that has heretofore been benchless. So I used the Flip Top Storage Bench plans, headed to Home Depot, collected the wood (and let them cut it - but made a few of my own cuts, too), and got to work.

I had a little trouble at first, simply because, after assembling the sides and aprons, the unit did NOT square up. I took a few pieces apart and realized it wasn't user error (what?), but warped wood. That's right: one of my 1x3s was warped and bendy. So I rebuilt that side with some of my leftovers, and made sure to square up after each step, and lo and behold it came together!

It's not perfect - one of my legs is a bit off, so it wobbles when no one's sitting on it, but there's no issue when it bears weight - but for my first build, I'm quite pleased! And now that I know I can do this...well, this is just the beginning!

Total time it took me was probably around 15 hours, which includes practicing using my circular saw and kreg jig (both of which were straight out of the box when I started), along with my rebuilding the side.

I used Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner after sanding, followed by two coats of Rustoleum spray stain in Kona. I sanded with 400 grit sand paper after each coat of stain, and finished with one coat of semi-gloss polyurethane. I considered a few more coats of stain, but so fell in love with the weathered look that evolved from the staining and sanding that I just left it!

I also spray painted the hinges - that was a bit of an accident (I didn't know how NOT to cover them in stain...), but turned out to my liking!

My estimated cost is about $100, which covers the wood (including the extra 1x3s and an extra 1x2 I needed for a screw-up), nails, screws, three cans of spray stain, polyurethane, wood conditioner, paint brushes, two packs of sandpaper, and my hand sander. All but the wood will be used in my next few projects too, so that cost covers QUITE a bit!

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Two coats "Kona" spray stain, Minwex wood conditioner, one coat polyurethane, for a weathered look.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Angela J.

Wed, 01/30/2013 - 00:25

I am going to be building this bench this weekend. What is a kreg jig? I am so confused. I am going to HD tomorrow to buy supplies.

Great looking bench! I will certainly look out for warped wood :)

In reply to by Angela J.

amycourts

Wed, 01/30/2013 - 08:19

Hey Angela,

The Kreg Jig is a tool that creates pocket hole joints on all your boards - whether you're joining vertical to horizontal pieces, or two horizontal or two vertical, etc.... - and made this build, as my first, INFINITELY easier. You don't *need* the Kreg Jig to build this bench, but Ana recommended it, my good friend Jen Woodhouse, who contributes a lot of plans and builds to this website recommended it, and I highly, highly recommend it. It's about $100, and worth every penny.

Here's the video I used as a tutorial on how to do it. And seriously - it made this job SO much faster than it would have been without the Jig! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIFHMEPkXs

Tablet or iPad Holder Retro TV Style

Submitted by boughtasaw on Fri, 01/20/2017 - 06:55

I loved the idea of this as soon as I saw it and decided to make it as as my daughter loves to watch cartoons on my ipad while sitting in her high chair eating her breakfast etc, 

I added a cap that can cover the end when it is not in use, a back and also painted it a very dark grey with gold accents on the feet, controls and also the little plaque I made.

My daugher cristened it "My TV" and loves it.

I am no longer allowed to play cartoons for her without "My TV".

Another great plan !

Onto the next one.

Estimated Cost
$0. I had pieces of wood leftover from other projects.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Love our new greenhouse!

With the help of friends and family, we managed to build this greenhouse rather easily. We had to start with the foundation since the spot we chose was not an even grade. We did this by filling sono tubes with cement and leveling each off so the greenhouse would have a solid place to sit. We then built out a frame around the outside of the cement tubes with some reclaimed 6x6's. After that, we filled the space with 5 tons of river rock and then got to work! After the foundation was ready putting the rest of the house together was a piece of cake. The frame was so easy to put together. We had a few minor kinks to work out here and there, I won't say this house came out 100% perfectly, BUT I am so happy with the end results. We chose to paint it a deep green color as a final touch. So far we just moved a few potted plants from our deck to the greenhouse for the winter. It has been working very well to keep the plants cozy during the colder days we've had. Eventually, I plan to build a potting station, shelving, and most likely a garden bed for winter harvests.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 09:52

The foundation looks great the greenhouse looks amazing! I'm sure fun was had building it too:) Thanks for sharing.

Seasonal And Holiday

Christmas Tree

Submitted by AndyH on Wed, 12/10/2014 - 08:31

Simple Christmas Tree made from 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch square dowels, a bit of scrap 2 by 2 and some scrap 2 by 6.

The dowels were drilled and a metal rod inserted through them all.  Two nuts at top and bottom tightened once the dowels were arranged in place.

Each dowel was cut 0.5 inches shorter than the previous one so it was 1/4 inch sorted on each end.

Each dowel was placed 45 degrees from the one below it.

 

Pin For Later! 

Christmas Tree

 

Estimated Cost
$15 for dowels. Base was from scraps left and paint was left over from another project.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

DIY Board Game Cabinet

We tweaked the Ana White Barn Door bookcase plan for a bathroom linen closet, made it a hair too wide (it was soooo close), and decided to use this for board games instead. It's PERFECT for storing long games like Monopoly, as well as puzzles, cards, and more. I decorated it with vinyl cut with my Cricut to give it that "game night" feel.

The project ended up being fairly time consuming because painting the shelf took a lot of time... if I did it again, I'd probably use a paint sprayer. I just don't have a great space for spraying furniture builds.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)

Comments

Hugertown

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Vegetable Bin

Hand-made vegetable cupboard. Fun and easy project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Provincial
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Bookshelf with bench for kid's room

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/27/2017 - 15:12

I was looking for something for my son's room that would last him until college, so I adapted your plans and added hooks and a bench and stained it.  Bookends are all we are missing to make it perfect. He loves it, and I don't think he will be able to break it.  I could use a suggestion for anchoring it to the wall, though. Thank you for the great, easy-to-follow plan!

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Natural stain and polycrylic
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

DIYMomof4

Tue, 06/27/2017 - 18:30

Your bookshelf and bench look really nice and sturdy!  I'm sure it will hold up for many years.  As far as anchoring it to a wall, I have had luck with anti-tip furniture straps.  I would use several and anchor them right to the studs.  I also use long, self tapping construction screws instead of the screws that come in the package.  

Modern Rustic Outdoor Sofa Inspired by RH Merida

Submitted by susanshamp on Sun, 04/01/2018 - 14:19

I was in love with the RH Merida set because of its clean lines and modern style. Also, the plan seemed simple enough that I could re-create it without a pattern. The only thing that I did not like about it is the lack of arms. I really like to have a place to put my arm or my beverage :) - so I added arms to the design.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bogle

Wed, 05/20/2020 - 10:45

This is Awesome. I'm halfway in the middle as i thought I could complete without plans. Do you have any plans could share. Please....

My daughter's beautiful dress up wardrobe

Submitted by Motsy on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 12:31

This project was very much needed in my house! My daughter loves playing dress up and is obsessed with all things pink and princess-y. It has been driving me crazy that she doesn't play dress up as much as she wants to, though, and the reason why is because we didn't have a good way to store/display her things. Up until we built this it all stayed in this storage bin, but since you had to pull it out in order to even see it, she never played with it. So once I saw this plan I knew it had to be ours. I'm so glad we did it! It turned out beautifully!

My husband built it (his second woodworking project), and, like his last project, he did a great job. No complaints or issues at all. I primed (although I doubt that was necessary) and painted it. I actually did all of the painting other than the letters before he built it, and that turned out nicely. My only complaint was the letters. I bought some stencils from Hobby Lobbby and used a smaller brush to paint them on. For one thing I wish I had of been more careful and paid more attention to how straight the letters were. For another, although you can't tell unless you're up close, there are spots where the paint pooled up under the stencil. My husband sanded it down as much as he could without messing it up, but it's still there a little. I'm no painting expert so I'm not sure how to go about doing this without having that happen. Even with those things, though, I'm so happy with it, and my daughter has been happily playing dress up all week!

Estimated Cost
$30 for lumber
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Toy Box finished today!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/23/2016 - 15:27

Thanks for the step by step! That Kreg jig was amazing I didn't even know that existed. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White Gildens Premium
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Beginner Farm House Table w/ pocket holes

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/02/2020 - 19:28

Love this! The farm house table and bench (1st photo) were my first 2 wood project ever. They came out great so I decided to make a coffee table using modified dimensions (2nd photo) and used poplar for the table top instead of pine. Poplar took to the stain I used really well. The farm table is Danish Oil, Light Walnut and the coffee table is in Danish Oil Dark walnut. I used wipe on Poly to finish both tables and I used matte black wood screws for an accent on the base of the coffee table. Everything else was assembled with a compact circular saw and pocket holes w/ a Kreg Jig. Thanks for the plans!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
-Danish Oil Light Walnut - 2 coats (dining table)
-Danish Oil Dark Walnut - 1 coat (coffee table)
-Wipe on Poly, Gloss - 2 coats (both)
-Sanded all wood w/ orbital sander prior to assembling (I find it easier to get all the splinters, scratches, and stamp marks out if I do it before assembling)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

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