Community Brag Posts

Rustic X End Table

Submitted by B.W.Martin on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 20:35

I used the rustic X end table plan to make a set, went a different route on the color and stain. I also used plywood on the bottom instead of 1" by 12".

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Eggshell antique white was used for the paint. I used minwax pre-stain, one cost of minwax honey stain, and two coats of minwax polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Dog Walking Hall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/18/2023 - 12:24

I made this for some friends who are fellow dog lovers. I used the Mimi’s hall tee and storage bench plans. They were very happy with it. This is the second time I’ve used these plans. It’s a very fun project to build.

M. Wold

Comments

Modified Hailey Platform Bed

Submitted by Jake on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 16:15

I took the Hailey Platform Bed plan and cut to a twin bed size. I used some old wood I found in the garage for the head and foot boards and the legs. Notice the legs are 4x4s. The grandkids had some old bed springs under their mattresses so I incorporated the spring into the build. That required that I lower the cleat a couple of inches and it meant I had a very complicated leg geometry in order to get it deep enough to support the bed. I built the frame with Kreg Jig pocket joints and they made the work very easy with such large and heavy timbers. Notice I attached the legs to the frame with 5/16" lag screws which allows easy removal of the legs if you need to make it easier to move. Came out very good but I think I will build the second bed without the springs and go for the slat method as shown in the plans.The result is beautiful. My neighbor commented that it looked very Pottery Barnish!

The second bed I finished yesterday is made with slats. A very smart move. The legs are so much easier to attach to the frame. Both beds are beautiful and sturdy. One grandkid told me that when the hurricane comes he is going to get under his bed because it is so strong. He may be right but I will be in Laredo or San Antonio.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70 for two beds and I also got free wood from the garage.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Oak stain on the legs and head and foot boards. The rest was primed then given two coats of a good satin paint called Benjamin Moore Impervo. It is expensive but I used it on repainting the kitchen cabinets and it was worth the cost. Best advice is good primer, sand with 150 grit, then two coats of final paint but light sanding with 320 grit between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Sissy's Toddler Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by Wifey on Sun, 03/16/2014 - 15:16

I'm so excited, this is my first furniture project. My husband was a little hesitant initially but is happy with the completed bed. This bed is so sturdy, I can easily sit on the edge and even lay down with my daughter. She loves her new bed and her brothers are a bit jealous. I told them to go through Ana's site and find something they like! Thank you so much for the projects you offer on here.

I altered the plans for a 28" wide crib mattress. Instead of a 1 x 3 on the ends of the head and footboard, I used 1 x 4s all the way across.

I also altered it to be 3" taller because I need a little extra storage space under my daughter's bed.

I did not use a nailer, just a hammer and nails. I found that it helped to use legs and shims on the bed rails frame and get to perfect level and then nail the footboard to the frame. Next, I screwed the frame into the footboard. This might be unnecessary info, but as a beginner, this part gave me a bit of trouble.

I used Behr Premium in Ultra Pure White with an Eggshell finish.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr Interior Premium Eggshell finish in Ultra Pure White.

Used a small roller on larger areas and a brush in all others.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Counter Height Chunky X Table Long and Skinny

This is an adapted plan from the:

Chunky X Base Table

http://www.ana-white.com/2016/02/free_plans/chunky-x-base-table-featuri…

 

I made it counter height, made it skinnier at 27" depth and really long at 72" long.

Estimated Cost
$100-$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Red Mahogany Oil Based Interior Stain. First using wood conditioner, stain than a semi-gloss polyeurathane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Workbench

This morning my dad decided to help my build the workbench I've been wanting since we moved to our new house. I would usually do it myself but being 37 weeks pregnant I wasn't wanting to get out there on my own and lift a bunch of 10 ft boards. So we got a bunch of 2x4s and some 2x6s and threw one together... it ended up being 10 ft long and around 28 inches wide and a good 36 inches tall. Now I have a nice place to put my new saw I got for Mother's Day

Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Carolina Craft Table Modified

http://ana-white.com/2010/09/pb-kids-caroline-craft-table

 *** apologies for the missing baseboard in the photo- we are in the midst of a remodel ***

We wanted a high quality table so we researched the Parker Play Table ($1200) and the Carolina Craft Table- ($600). 

In the research i found the plans for the Carolina table on this site- and modified them a bit (we wanted the removable storage top). 

We painted the top with White board on one side and Chalkboard on the other. 

The table has 22" legs and they can be changed out with a second set of legs when our daughter gets taller.

There is plenty of storage for all the art supplies in the unit and a art paper dispenser on the end. 

The unit is made of poplar on the inside and the legs and facia are all red oak- a very dense and beautiful wood. 

All exterior screws are counter sunk and hidden under face grain wood plugs that are surface sanded.  i chose to do no finish as the wood grain is beautiful- although i may do a timber oil or tung oil at some point - 

the project took about 2 days total time- $150 in supplies (including paint) and the piece feels substantial..... like it will be used for my daughters children. 

you will want to have access to a table saw and some clamps, wood plugs and a countersink bit for your drill

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
none- light hand sand with 180 grit sandpaper
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Just a beginner! Second Project

Submitted by Rifka on Tue, 06/21/2016 - 18:35

Great first project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan chalk paint with clear wax.
Works great for outside too.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Console Table w/Drawer & Raised Dog Bowls

Submitted by Booooozle on Tue, 06/05/2012 - 18:00

I actually designed & built this table on my own but it is very similar to Ana’s Simple, Cheap, & Easy Console Table. When we moved from an apartment to a house our lil neurotic jack Russell terrier decided he wasn’t going to eat unless we were both in the same room as him. So his food was put in a spot where he could see both of us even if we were in separate rooms, it just turned out that where that spot was, is the exact spot I wanted a console table. Well I couldn’t find a console table with a raised dog bowl shelf in it so I built my own. Now the dog bowls are up off the floor at a comfortable level for our fur babies & I keep all their vet paperwork, sweaters & toy stash in the drawer, all puppies things in one place.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Flat Black Indoor/Outdoor Enamel
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Planked Wood Sideboard

Submitted by emilykay on Tue, 04/01/2014 - 18:42

This was my first build from this site! It took me about a month working on-and-off during my toddler's nap time. I thought this project was very accessible for a beginner--or, in my case, a distracted mom who is six months pregnant. I scaled down the plans to fit my dining nook, but I forgot to account for a half width of face framing when I subtracted so my third door hole came out a little narrow. I decided to just put open shelves in odd-sized middle opening. I used euro cabinet hinges instead of the butt hinge style because they are more adjustable for not-so-perfect openings/doors. I bought a 1 3/8" Forstner bit to drill the hinge mortises. I was intimidated by the hinges & drawer glides but that part went surprisingly well! I used a plastic template to locate the cup handles on the drawer faces--that purchase was definitely worth a couple of bucks! I wish I had borrowed a router to make a rabbet for the door panels, but I got impatient & just tacked them on. I also wished I had replaced or sharpened the blade on my circular saw because it chewed up the plywood making long cuts. (There's a lot of wood filler on those plywood edges. I ended up painting the shelves with leftover interior latex because they looked like a dog attacked them.) There are also a few shims under the drawer glides to correct the width, but oh well, you can't see them :) Before my next project, I am going to get a couple right angle clamps and make sure I buy the BIG box of pocket hole screws!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner, Early American Stain (distressed after dry with 220 grit) & Paste Finishing Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Leaning wall desk/bookshelf

Using only scraps from all my other projects, I modified Ana's plans to create this workspace in the house we just moved into. I changed the dimensions of the shelves to take advantage of the materials I had on hand. Additionally, though I have a lot of different things on the shelves in this picture, I'll be using the shelves more for books and reference materials, so I needed standard shelf sizes. Though this is a simple design, cutting some of the angles and installing the shelves was a bit tricky, therefore I think this is more of an intermedite project. I also added 2x4 legs to support my Mac. Can't have that tumbling to the ground!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
I used all scraps and left over lumber from other projects to make this. My actual cost was $25.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used an all-in-one Verathane stain+finish (ebony). I put on 3 coats, sanded with a fine grit sponge and put on one additional coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Simple Small Trestle Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/20/2020 - 19:57

This project was my first woodworking attempt ever! I had some assistance when it came to technique and how to use tools from my awesome uncle. I did shorten the length by 3 inches due to the space I had in my home, nothing else was changed. Overall I was able to complete the whole thing mostly on my own, I am so excited and love the way it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Clark + Kensington Paint
29B-2 Clouds Arising in eggshell finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

10 Dollar Ledges in Espresso

Submitted by Kimiemich on Thu, 06/07/2012 - 15:17

I made these ledges with pine and white wood, 4' long. I wish I had used pocket hole screws to connect them, but instead I just counter-sank the screw holes and butt jointed the boards with wood screws. I filled the screw holes with 5/16" wood plugs and sanded them down flat. Then I sanded, stained, varnished, and sanded again.

Please see my process below on my blog.

Thanks, Ana!

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
A mix of "ebony" and "walnut" oil-based stains, then 2 coats of varnish and a light sanding with 600 grit paper.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Ken's Salsa Console

First Project...Used pine for the base and oak for the top to match home counter top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Side Street goes Shabby Chic

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/27/2016 - 21:14

We sanded, stained, painted, and distressed the wood before building. That was truly the most time consuming part. The plans were great and everything went together smoothly! We decided to take off the top 2 planks from the footboard, and used those as the side rail. We created the ladder from what we had on hand. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain- dark walnut
Paint- Paint left from our kitchen ceiling

Distressed with electric hand sander
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Pergola Swing

Submitted by grarob1956 on Thu, 04/23/2020 - 17:59

I saw this project on YouTube under Arbor Pergola Swing. It did not mention any specific detailed plans or cut list but it was enough to get me started. I began with (2) 10' 6" x 6" post. buried each 24" and cemented. I cut the post tops at 83" from ground line. The rafter consist of (2) 10' 2"x 6". I used the leftovers of the 6" x 6" post tops in the middle of my rafters to hang the swing from with 1/2 " eye bolt. Then I used (9) 2" x 2 " x 8' and cut each at 36" to finish off the top and (2) 2x6x8 for the 4 rafter supports. I drew out the designs of the rafters and top ends free hand and at made a template for the cuts with s jigsaw.

The entire cost including hardware minus the swing was $170. My wife had purchased the swing last Fall at a clearance for $40 brand new.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$170.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Valspar Duramax Special Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
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