Community Brag Posts

Our deck was lackluster to say the least.  It had been a while since we did anything with it and we didn't spend much time out there because of it.  I wanted to add something cozy to encourage us to hang out there more.  I searched the internet and came across this bench.  It was just the thing!  My son and I spent a couple of hours building it, and another day or two priming and painting.  Now it looks great!  We are out there all the time.  Thanks Ana!!

Very excited to have our bench, table & doll chair out on our porch. Thank you so much for your great web-site and all of the wonderful plans. I have already put together a very long "weekend projects" list for my husband to work on.

My husband and I made this for our daughters' calico critters, which they received for Christmas. We wanted a house with few walls, so that all 3 girls could play simultaneously. We used Ana's dream dollhouse plan, but scaled it down to half the size. We also modified it slightly to fit what we needed.

This is just the perfect size for smaller toys like Littlest Pet Shop or other 3 to 4" tall toys.

This was our first build together and so it took us a while to do. For someone with a bit more experience, who also has all their materials and tools ready, this could be finished in 1 day or a weekend.

This is a great playhouse for kids and sturdy enough for adults too.  The plans are so well written and easy to follow. The deck was made exactly to her plan, but I made the playhouse a bit wider.  I also framed it with 2x4's and roofed it with metal.  Metal roofing is light and relatively easy to install.  It took me about 1-1/2 months to finish the playhouse.  The windows are hinged and can be propped open.  I used 2x3's for the railing and attached it to the playhouse for stability.  On the inside, I put down colorful foam mats to make it comfortable.  My daughter really loves having her own playhouse!  Thank you for the great plans!

I came up with a simple design to build a nightstand for my daughter's room to go with the platform bed that I had just built. The only problem was that my daughter is 3 and she isn't very tall. So I figured a 2ft tall nightstand will do!

Built by What Once Was Old Furniture Design submitted by Kari Baker

We get lots of inspiration from you Ana! We started building the sliding barn door cabinets from your plans and since have built several of them. We have also altered them to fit our customers needs. They are very popular here in Texas. The sliding door cabinet in this picture was used as a credenza in a home office. We also added a sliding keyboard tray under the computer screen. The printer is on a sliding tray as well, so it can be pulled out when in use. Base of the cabinet and desk is new pine and we used a lot of pallet wood for doors and shelves. It would be a treat to be added to your brag board, you can see lots of our work, lots of which you should recognize at What Once Was Old Furniture Design . Thank you!!

I made the table and then added a box with a top to it for a sandbox sand table. 

Here is our take on the Ana White "Modern Craft Table". My wife wanted to use this as a sewing table. I used my Kreg Pocket Jig for most all connections, minus the moulding. The unit was built out of 3/4 MDF. The table top is from IKEA.

Mine is built a little different in that the shelves are continuous, not compartments. I also added in shelving on the back for more storage.

I also ran the router along all the edges.

My wife needed a writing desk. I had previously built a coffee table with cheap lumber and wanted to see if I could build something with nicer wood. My concern was that all I had was a small portable table saw. This is the result. Oak plywood for the top and side panels, pine for the frame and edges. No stain; I really wanted to let the difference in colors from the two different woods to speak for itself. Just a good sanding and 5 layers of water based polyurethane.

Hi Ana!  This project was pretty much inspired by ALL the great things you build on this site, as well as from watching a 'Fixer Upper' marathon (hence, the white color and shiplap).  Last Christmas, I promised my sister that I'd build her a hall tree since she's now up to 10 grandkids and needed more hooks for all those coats and hats.  Unfortunately, I also came down with a WICKED case of vertigo, so no power tools for yours truly. : (

Well...  The vertigo finally cleared up, so it was time to get out my trusty ol' Kreg Jig and fire up the tools.

This project started with 2 4x4s.  I cut 17 1/2" off each, then used the long pieces as the back and the sort pieces as the front legs.  Then I built a rectangle (shored up by some cross supports) out of 2x3s and used those to attach the back legs together with pocket holes.  I did the same thing with the 2 front legs, then attached the 2 sets of legs together with shorter pieces of 2x3s that framed up the side.

Next, I added a front to back support to the underside, and then attached the bottom of the seat on top of that.  I built the front, back, and side pieces of the bench section by cutting a couple of 8' x 8" x .5" planks to size, and attached 2 pieces to each side by gluing and nailing them to the frame.   Then, I rans some shiplap up the back (glued and nailed to the back frame) and topped it all off with a mantle.

For the seat, I used a 12" project board ($11 at Lowes for a 6 foot section) because I love all the knotty details and nail marks.  I framed it out with 1x1 and attached with pocket screws on the underside.  I finished that piece by staining it in Rustoleum Dark Walnut.

As for the rest, I just framed the shiplap section with leftover 1x1s, then sanded and stained the whole piece with the same Dark Walnut stain (so that something would show through after distressing).  Finally, I applied 2 coats of Rustoleum Linen White Chalk Paint (LOVE that stuff!), distressed it, and topped with one coat of Minwax 1 Coat Poly (ALSO love that stuff), and added some hardware and country do dads from Hobby Lobby (Rustic Hooks, 'Bless This Home' Sign, Decorative Doorknob, and "Mitten Clip" for wet mittens and gloves coming off little hands) .  What do you think?  ヅ