Community Brag Posts

Our first build!

Submitted by helenc on Sun, 06/22/2014 - 04:05

This is our first build. Instructions were easy to follow but we didn't go much on the bottom center drawer runners!
I love the second layer of slide out drawers we use for the printer , paper and electronic gadgets!

Estimated Cost
not sure
Finish Used
birch plywood painted white and top stained walnut and all coated with poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Wed, 06/25/2014 - 05:37

Love this. What great mods and you even tackled drawers for a first build?! I'm too chicken and still haven't tried. Especially love how you used slide outs in the middle. Clever!

DIY Pantry Shelving

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/26/2024 - 13:56

We have a small pantry as well, so we used the shelving featured on your website to help!
I absolutely love it. They’re not as beautiful as yours but I’m happy with what I made :)

Alison

Built from Plan(s)

Coffe Table

Submitted by tmunds on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 22:16

After the high of finishing my first build (http://ana-white.com/2012/08/farmhouse-table-rustic-table), I was quick to find my next fix. My mom was so impressed with the table, she trusted me to build her another piece of furniture for our very empty new home. She liked the look of this coffee table, so I adjusted the dimensions to meet her needs and away I went. It was pretty fun and not too difficult. It was a little more time consuming that I had anticipated, but that was mostly due to the two different finishes on the legs/apron and the top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
For the legs and skirt/apron: Sanded 120 grit then 220, painted with Rust-Oleum heirloom white (spray paint, one coat), then sanded down on the edges to get the distressed look.

Table top: Minwax Dark Walnut (One Coat brushed on pretty heavy, then wiped off the excess after 15 minutes).

Finished with three coats of Minwax Water Based Clear Gloss Polyurethane (Brushed), sanding with 220 grip sandpaper between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Table

I cannot believe how easy and inexpensive it was to get the Pottery Barn look for SO MUCH less!

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain in Special Walnut and Minwax exterior finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Open Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 09/24/2016 - 17:08

We used Ana's plans for her Tiny House shelves and the only real difference was that we decided to use slightly thicker wood. We stained the wood espresso and painted the brackets Albaster by Sherwin Williams. 

 

The longest part of this process was the staining because the sealer took quite a bit of time to dry before being handled, but this was overall a very simple project with not a lot of effort. It just requires patience! 

 

We couldn't be happier and it was MUCH cheaper than the custom shelves we had quoted! 

 

Thanks Ana! 

Finish Used
Espresso Stain and Albaster by Sherwin Williams
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

2x4 Outdoor sectional

Submitted by GandyFarm on Sun, 07/05/2020 - 19:28

Loved this project. The third one I have completed from Ana’s projects. Took about 3.5 hours to complete both. I used 2x4 cedar. I did add an additional piece on the back of both sectionals as I found the cushions I bought would slip down the back.

Estimated Cost
$350 without cushions
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Outdoor Wooden Cooler

An Outdoor Wooden Cooler is the perfect way to accent any deck, patio, or garage. Can be made from Cedar, Pressure Treated, Cyprus, etc. Sizes can vary from small 28 qt coolers to Large 120 qt coolers capable of holding hundreds of drinks. These coolers can be themed for your favorite sports team, favorite hobby, or anything of your choice. Engraving or wood burning is available.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain, painted, distressed, etc.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

sgilly

Fri, 08/31/2012 - 09:52

Well, actually, two. My beer loving son-in-laws would love this, and Christmas is coming! Do you happen to have any "step-by-step" directions you'd be willing to share? I can figure out the dimensions but it would be really helpful to read - or see - the components and how you put it all together.
Thanks for sharing!

Adam_Scheetz

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 11:41

I had to make a new page because of some password issues. Thanks for comments. I have no plans yet, I've built so many it's sort of muscle memory now. Shoot me an email at [email protected] and perhaps I can help.

And no, the lid style I like is nothing more than some tongue~n~groove boards cut to length, attached with pocket holes and nailed to the lid frame. Tongue~N~groove is optional of course, you could just use regular boards.

sgilly

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 11:58

I really appreciate your response. And, I did indeed send you an email!
I have a bunch of cedar milled and planed by one of my son-in-laws. He'll be thrilled to see that I've made something he can use for his favorite beverage!

rustic x coffee table

Submitted by RyanK on Fri, 06/27/2014 - 14:14

I modified the rustic x coffee table plans. I did not need a coffee table, but I loved the looks of this plan. I actually needed a TV stand for our basement, so I made this instead. I kept all of the dimensions the same except I made it 4" taller. I also took out the side "x's".
I used regular pine boards from Lowes. I bought a Kreg Jig, Kreg clamp and screws to get started, so my initial cost was pretty high just gathering all my supplies, as this was my first build.I wanted a rustic, worn look, so I chipped the wood, made fake cracks, etc.
I used Minwax Walnut Gel stain, and then went along the edges, over the cracks and knots with an Ebony stain. 2 coats of satin poly.
Can't believe how well it turned out. Next project is going to be the matching end table. Don't laugh at the size of the tv, it is all we have for the basement. We will be planning on getting an 55" for it and the kids to enjoy.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax "Walnut" Get stain with Minwax Satin poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Upholstered Leather Headboard with Stacked Wood Frame

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/27/2016 - 09:40

What could be more luxurious than an upholstered leather headboard? The inspiration for the design of this headboard came from the super cool textured wallpaper I recently installed in our master bedroom. See the full tutorial on my blog, The Handyman's Daughter!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Stain + Poly in Kona
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Console Table

Submitted by boneill on Mon, 07/06/2020 - 20:31

Modified the size to 60” length , 12” depth , 36” height . Went with satin white frame , Minwax classic grey stained top with 3 coats of poly clear coat satin (quick dry).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax classic grey with poly 3 coats quick dry
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Reclaimed Wood Tidy Up end table

Submitted by baskelding on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 09:24

I was given old reclaimed wood from a house built in the 40's or 50's. Old rough cut pine 1x12's. I cut the wood to size to match the plans, however, I did have to modify the plans due to the actual true dimensions of the wood. After assembly, I appled 2 coats of shellac to the entire table. It may need a few more coats, but not wanting a glossy finish, I left it alone. Splinters were and are an issue, and the shellac did help to hold down the splinters.

Not having the 2x2 legs required glueing the 1x's together and glueing a veneer to the sides. If i had the legs the project would have taken less time.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Shellac - 2 coats
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

brookifer86

Sat, 09/08/2012 - 14:30

I love what you did with this, and that you used salvaged wood. The legs would totally fool me, I'd never know that they were pieced together!

Haley platform bed/reclaimed wood headboard/rustic x leg table

i made this king size head board using Ana's website and for the bed frame i used Shanty 2 Chic's website. i just had to convert the measurements to king size when cutting the boards. thats a rustic x leg end table next to the bed, i built using Ana's website also.

Estimated Cost
$100-$120
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
watco danish oil dark walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

TV Stand

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/03/2016 - 11:06

Shortened the plan to fit my space. Used Georgian Cherry stain. 

Estimated Cost
$65
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Georgian Cherry gel stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

X Coffee Table

This was the best piece I have made so far, I had some trouble getting the angles right with the x's but in the end it worked out great and everyone can't believe its just plain old wood! Keep up the great work!

Moving on to the end tables!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$55
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I had a great time "experimenting" with the distressed finish too. I recommend testing it on scrap boards first! I finished it with a coat of polyurethene and in the end the color looked fine but it did change it from what it was before the coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Chrisv1041

Thu, 07/02/2015 - 15:10

How did you stain it and distress it? Did you use the gray paint and water on top of the stain to give it that look?

X-Side Table

Submitted by wthalin on Thu, 07/03/2014 - 07:48

This was my first project from Ana's site and I have to say I was quite pleased how it turned out. This is a very sturdy/heavy duty end table that I am sure will last a very long time. I made mine essentially straight from the plans except changed the X's a little bit to compensate for my limited miter saw.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wool in vinegar as an oxidation stain finished with Vermont Natural Satin PolyWhey.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Farmhouse Bed with Trundle

This was the first Farmhouse bed I have ever built!  I am totally in love with it!  I found the plans very easy to understand and follow.  I used the Twin Farmhouse bed and adapted it for a double and also added some trim details in the head and foot boards.  I also changed the way I attached my bed frame as I wanted to be able to take apart easily if ever needed.  So I used 2 by 10s and attached them to my posts.  I also made a trundle for underneath it. Finally totally complete!!  Love the way it turned out.  

Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Triple Thick, Expresso. Rustoleum Triple thick Clear Coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

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