Community Brag Posts

We badly needed a new kitchen table since ours has been completely destroyed over the years. Not a bad table, but too "smooth and perfect" for our lifestyle. I wanted something darker a lot more rustic that would not HIGHLIGHT nicks and scratches so badly.

I fell in love with a table at World Market, but it was the wrong size. It's called the Napa Gathering Collection.  It comes in either a counter-height 3' x 3' table or a standard height 3' x 5' table.  Shorter table is too long for the kitchen and the counter-height one was too small.  *sigh*  Here's a photo of the set.  LOVE this!!!!  So upset it's so small.  World Market photo below makes it appear a lot more red than it is.

Anyway, it's made out of Acacia wood, so it was massively heavy and strong. I loved it so much that I bought the four gathering chairs and spent over a month trying to get Acacia wood without spending a fortune. No luck. So I decided the most similar table here on Ana's site was the Tryde coffee table.

I researched different hardwoods, but was so nervous to spend that much  money that I decided my first kitchen table would be a rough draft with super cheap wood.  LOL  If I love it then I didn't spend a lot.  If I don't love it, I will learn from it and can build it again someday with more expensive hardwood like maple. 

I used the 2x8 hemlock for the tabletop, hemlock 4x4 legs and finished hemlock 1x4's everywhere else.  I used cheap 2x2 studs for the support structure underneath.  This table was almost exclusively built using Kreg joins, with only a few exceptions where necessary.  No visible screw holes to fill ANYWHERE!  Yay!  LOVE my Kreg Jig!

Lots of sanding, Benite wood conditioner, red-ish dye, dark chestnut stain and three coats of poly later... and I moved it into my kitchen this morning!  So excited!!!  I love how it turned out! 

I am so happy about how this headboard turned out. It is exactly what I have always wanted. I am so excited that it is sooooo much cheaper than buying the one from Pottery Barn. I would never have been able to afford that one. This one only cost me about $50 for the wood, and then I was able to make an end table and a picture frame from the leftover scraps!

Built this in an afternoon with scraps left from other projects! Using it at at work on my desk. Added 1/4" plywood to base to close up drawer space. Felt strips on bottom of drawer makes the drawer slide out very nicely. 

We added a nail head trim after

I had a empty space that needed something and this was an expensive fun way to fill it.

Farmhouse style doll bed, modified width one less slat

Doll crib

Seeing your planked wood sideboard clicked for us and the cabinet we'd been looking for. We wanted rustic and I chose to make it around a plywood casing instead of using the plans due to the poor strength of the pallet wood. Most of the time was used in deconstructing and cleaning the 40+ year old pallets. Also our space called for a smaller unit. It's used as our coffee cabinet. Since I had a basic structure already in the plywood I was able to be creative in how I used the scraps of pallet wood.

Here is a pretty simple shelf I built for my closet. Left it backless b/c I wear a 12 1/2 and needed my shoes to be able to hang out back a bit. The top 2 I am using for folded tshirts I don't hang, like undershirts and tank tops.

Material List:
1- 1x10x10 -$13.00 (2 side boards)
2- 1x10x6 - $8.00x2=16 (6 shelves)
24 1 1/4 pocket screws. Had these on hand, could sub for 1 1/2 wood screws if you do not have pocket scew jig set.

Tools:
Tape measure
Quick Square
Miter saw ( which I used) or a Circular saw
Drill

Cut list
*2-59.9+- side boards

*The 1x10x10 was exactly 10ft long, so I marked off 5 feet with a line. Then I just cut on the line with the miter saw. This left me with 2 equal boards. Lets say 59.9 give or take a MM or so. Doesnt matter as long as they are even. If you mess the cut up, stack them on top of each other and recut to equal.

*6-23.9+- Shelves

*Again the 1x10x6 was exactly 6ft, so I made 2 lines, one at 2ft, the next at 4ft. Split them when cutting, and had 3 equal boards. Size can be smaller if you like, this is how I did it.

Now the fun part, and probably second longest time consuming part, behind drilling pocket holes.

I took the 2 side boards and clamped them so they would be flush and even side by side. (both face down side to side so you have one clamped board of 1x20x59.5 so to speak) I used my quick square to mark off .75(thickness of shelf boards). Start at the bottom or top, draw line. then,start next at 11 inches, step and repeat.In the end should have 5 shelves exactly 11 inches apart.

I next predrilled my 6 shelf boards with 2 pocket screw holes on each side, about 3 1/2 inches from each edge. This was most time consuming, you could use 1 1/2in screws and go from side boards into shelf boards and save time, also if you don't have pocket hole jig.

Assembling, I started at bottom, attached side boards to both side of bottom shelf, and worked my way up.The lines you pre-drew act as marker for next shelf,and help a ton when trying to keep everything square. The last one,top part, should be snug to put in. I find its best to do this way as everything keeps square as long as you have straight lumber.

Cost overall-$30.00 since I had screws, total time was around 2 hours to complete, and this was me having to explain everything to the little one lol

I'm loving the finish on this, and it's a useful little project.

Table was fun to build and put our own spin on it. Great project for my wife and I. Took a few days to complete and begin using. Table dimensions we builst are 7' by 3.5' exactly as we needed for or dining room.

I made two different versions and reversed side the ladders were on. I learned from the mistakes I made on the first bed and the second one came together a little easier.

I left them natural and the girls will pick a paint color in the spring.

Although I can sew, my wife made both sets of mattresses along with a bunch of doll clothes.

I guess I never got around to sharing my finished chair! I'm almost ashamed to...1) because it was so long ago when I made it and 2) because everyone else's looks so great!