Community Brag Posts

Outdoor Sofa and Chair with Slanted Back

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 10:22

OK, I think this build may be my biggest project yet! It is definitely the heaviest. With the strong winds we can get here in Florida we needed substantial outdoor furniture.
I did make some modifications along the way measurement-wise so the sofa would fit my front porch better. All in all, this took 2 full days. I built the sofa first, stained it the next day and then decided (due to trying to get stain in all the nooks and crannies) to stain the chair pieces first before putting it together.
I am so happy with the results and so far, almost a year later, this furniture looks great and hasn't moved an inch in any of the thunderstorms we've had! Thank you Ana!!

DIY Sauna

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:17

Outside sauna.

Charles

Screen door with built in dog door

Our old screen door wasn't cutting it anymore, so I built a new one, and to kill two birds with one stone, I included a built-in dog door. Now I just need to find the motivation to close off the old dog door.

I have the plans to build this screen door with a built-in dog door posted via the blog link below for anyone interested.

Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
white exterior paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

White Washed Queen Headboard

Submitted by sawdust on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 11:39

This is my first piece of furniture I've ever made from a plan. I would recommend this for someone who is new to the craft. I also sanded each board before I put it together. I just find this easier to do than sanding it afterwards. Plus, it gives me the chance to look at the grain and see where I might want it. Both the stain and clear coat I used can be washed out of your brush with soap and water.

Estimated Cost
$90.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax white wash pickling stain - one application with a foam brush.
A very forgiving stain and easy to use.
Minxax Polycrylic clear satin - one coat with a paint brush.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 02/13/2013 - 05:18

Really like the white wash look, great job! Also, love the bedding and the tray. Did you make that tray, too?

My First Project

Submitted by loniwolfe on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:23

Summer 2010 My first building project!
I did not intentionally leave the bottom shelf off. When I bought the lumber, I didn't realise you could buy 6' boards. So I ran a little short. Woops, lol. But I think I like it better this way.

I selected beginner project because it was my first project and it turned out great! the only thing I ran into was that I bought the wrong length of boards so I didn't have enough to finish the shelf. lol.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
After Cutting all the wood but before putting it together I used a white outdoor stain/sealer first and then painted it white. I don't remember what kind of paint I used though.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modern Patio Chairs/Love Sear

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/25/2022 - 15:57

Super easy and fun project! We altered the original plans to build a loveseat and had zero issues. We did add some extra support below.
I did not find 25”x25” cushions within our price range so I settled for 25”x22.5” and they work but ultimately 25x25 works best.

Large 6 X 8 Sandbox

We wanted to make a large sandbox for lots of kids. We love that it has an easy cover and two large benches to sit.

Supplies and Steps are shared at http://myhomedonemyway.blogspot.com/2013/07/building-6-x-8-sandbox.html

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

US Flag gun case

I threw some plans together for this.  Going to make another one and tweak it a little but overall I'm happy with the way it turned out. I used dark walnut stain and 4 coats of poly.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark walnut and polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

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

Great Patio Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:02

I wanted sturdy seating for my patio. Ana White had the perfect plans for my L shaped seating and coffee table. It was simple to put together and we love it!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Outdoor Sofa and Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:22

I haven't really done anything like this, came out quite well. I modified the back for what I think is better comfort, added side supports to hold throw pillows in place and added 2 extra 2x4's to seating surfaces. The sofa I built in an afternoon with an extra pair of hands to line things up and hold them in place. The sectional took a little longer to complete as my helper was off building his own couch (after he saw how simple it was to do). I also didn't use a pocket jig (couldn't find one in rural hardware store) but a countersink drill bit for all screw holes. 

Estimated Cost
in Canadian, for the sofa and sectional about 220 with stain.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
latex semi transparent stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Spa-Slatted Double Vanity

We redid our master bathroom - we ripped out a soffit, a closet, the old vanity, and we ripped off the HORRID old wallpaper, put up 5' tall beadboard, designed our own trim, designed and built some heavy-duty floating shelves (see pic below) and decided we wanted an open-concept vanity, too. I fell in love with these rectangle porcelain white sinks and with all the white beadboard, and soon-to-be dark walnut stain hardwood floors in there, I thought the vanity should be dark brown stain too.

I used the farmhouse vanity plans to build the frame of the vanity, but i had to design the shelves on my own - I chose to do spa-style slatted shelves - they whole thing keeps the bathroom very open looking and not heavy and closed off. we LOVE it! :)

Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
General Finishes water based stain dye in MEDIUM BROWN - 3 coats. then 3 coats of water based polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

First Project- reclaimed wood look Queen headboard!

Submitted by jamie_C on Tue, 03/22/2011 - 12:02

 

Pin For Later! 

First Project- reclaimed wood look Queen headboard!

Estimated Cost
around $75
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Used only one coat of Minwax Dark Walnut (really liked the rustic look), and finished with Minwax polyueruthane.

This was a quick build- did all of the cutting, & got it mostly assembled while my toddler was napping! One thing to note- we had to add some wood braces on the back in order to straighten our boards out. They looked ok at the store, but we got them home & realized they were quite warped! Sanding, staining and polyurethaning took additional time that was spread out over a few days (didn't include that in total time). This was great for a first project. I've got lots more on my to-do list now!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Modified Simple Outdoor Dining Table

Submitted by ewood on Tue, 05/31/2011 - 08:04

Wanted a Patio table and when I saw the plans on this site I really liked it; I just changed the plan a bit. Everything was screwed from the underside of the table, also I attached the legs with 2" lag screws.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/10/2022 - 12:26

Great for a small flock of 5 or less.  

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Storage cabinets

We needed extra storage in the living room and I didn’t want to pay mega bucks for our cabinet guy to make something I thought I could do. 
Its four ft tall, 3 ft long and 16 inches deep. I added 1x3’s to the sides and 1x4’s to the bottom.
I bought the Kreg shelf pin jig and it was super easy to use. Plan to use it again on a bigger project. 
Next is a fireplace and TV surround. 

Thanks Ana for the easy to follow plans!
 

Estimated Cost
$250-300. for both cabinets
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar cabinet paint in cream delight, applied with a sponge roller, 3 coats and sanded in between each coat. Knobs from Hobby Lobby and hinges from Hardware Source.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

John's Washer/Dryer Pedestal

Submitted by coveyjt on Sun, 06/12/2016 - 10:59

The wife has a hard time bending down so she wanted pedestals for the washer and dryer.  The metal ones with a drawer were too tall.  I showed her Sausha's and she really loved that design.  I basically used the same construction plans idea from Sausha's project and some tips from Ryan's brag post.  But, I wanted to beef it up some.  I didn't like the L-bracket to attach the top and 4X4 legs.  It didn't seem sturdy enough for me.  I used my table saw to square the edges on the 4X4 posts and the 2X6 rails.  Then I used my Kreg jig and glued and screwed everything together.  I liked Ryan's trim ideas, so I used baseboard trim for the bottom and flipped it for the top trim.  I made a 1/2" lip so if it were to vibrate, the washer/dryer would not fall.  I put the trim on the bottom of the legs and was considering putting on the top but I put some different trim all the way around the bottom of the 2X6 rails.  The wife liked that.  I also added some carpet on the top to cut down on vibration and to help keep the units in place. I also put some 4X4 pieces of carpet on the bottom to keep the noise down and to help in moving it. I primed and used an gravity sprayer to paint it.  Then I put 3 coats of polyacrylic to help in cleaning and to cut down on scratches from the laundry baskets. 

laundry pedestals diy

Estimated Cost
150.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

zoolander

Wed, 06/29/2016 - 14:31

I think you could probably drive a truck on top of yours.  :)  I was a bit concerned about the strength of the construction when I first decided to build it, but I decided that since it would be stationary once I have it in place and the only force would be straight down, it would be fine.  Once I got it put together, it was actually sturdier than I thought it was going to be...from a horizontal force perspective.  Virtically, that thing could hold 100 washer/dryer pairs...the plywould would give out before the 2x4s and 4x4s would even budge.

Anyway, nice work!  I love the Kreg Jig...I need one of those. 

How to Build a Laundry Pedestal

I was tired of stooping to do laundry with my front-loading washer. I used the plans for Sausha's washer/dryer pedestals and tweaked them a bit.

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Platform: semi-gloss latex paint + primer; legs and side: chalky finish paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Small Cedar Shed

Here is our version of the small cedar shed. Had to raise the door up a bit to clear the rocks. All built from cedar fence boards and a few 2x4's

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None - age naturally
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Fri, 11/06/2020 - 08:18

Love that you used all cedar fence boards, do you have an estimated cost for this project? Thanks for sharing!

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