Community Brag Posts
Treehouse/Playhouse
Thank you! You've helped me look like a true carpenter who knows what he's doing! My whole family is impressed with my woodwork lately, and now I'm addicted. I've done your seesaw, bar table and stools plus the treehouse in 2 weeks. Thank you for sharing your plans!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Spar urethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
2x4 sectional outdoor sofa
My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
building materials for sofa $250. Custom Sunbrella Fabric cushiosn $2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Carrington Minwax and sealed with spray Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
L Shaped Patio Couch
One day project with hubby! Wanted a wood set, but couldn’t find a reasonable price. Bought tools, wood, supplies, and cushions for under the cost of one online!
Built from Plan(s)
Tall Wood Planters
Added some extra trim pieces to finish it out. turned out really nice!!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Mon, 05/18/2020 - 17:25
These look great! Did you…
These look great! Did you use the cedar tone water proofing?
Large Old English Style Farmhouse Dining Table
My wife and I were wanting a large outdoor farmhouse table that looked stylish, and like it could have been bought at Pottery Barn or another high-end furniture store. We found this plan that Ana white had made "Small Old English Style Farmhouse Dining Table". We often host groups from our church and will have 15-20 people on our patio or around our pool area, so we needed a bigger table... I just made some modifications to make it longer (7ft) in length to better fit our space and allow for more people to sit.
To make this plan longer, I simply adjusted the cut-list on the long 1x2s, 1x4s, and 1x6; and added a crossbar to prevent the longer tabletop from sagging. I also added the diagonal corner struts to make the table a little sturdier.
Adjusted Shopping List:
4 - 1x2 @ 8ft
5 - 1x4 @ 8 ft
6 - 1x6 @ 8ft
Waterproof 1 1/4" Kreg screws (for outdoor use)
Minwax Weathered Oak
Minwax Vintage Grey
Adjusted Cut-List
• 2 - 1x2 @ 26.5"
• 2 - 1x2 @ 76.5"
• 2 - 1x2 @ ~33.25"
• 2 - 1x4 @ 26.5"
• 2 - 1x4 @ 76.5"
• 4 - 1x4 @ 7.25" w/ 45º miter (diagonal corner supports)
• 1 - 1x4 @ ~28" (Crossbar - I forget the exact measurement)
• 6 - 1x6 @ 82"
For seating we just bought some inexpensive farmhouse weather resistant chairs from Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yaheetech-Metal-Dinning-Chairs-Stackable-Cof…
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$170
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American (base), Minwax Weathered Grey (2nd coat)
(See more on outdoor use of stains: https://ana-white.com/blog/2019/05/outdoor-wood-furniture-finishing-secrets)
(See more on outdoor use of stains: https://ana-white.com/blog/2019/05/outdoor-wood-furniture-finishing-secrets)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Tue, 03/02/2021 - 08:46
Beautiful!
Love the to see the increased length on this plan. thanks for sharing!
First Project
Well, I started with one chair and finished with a full set. Not bad for a first timer. Definitely room to improve. Little tip if you're going to make this amazing set... raise the backs as they are too low with thicker cushions. I built a casing to go on top after the fact. Pretty happy with how it all turned out. Thanks Ana for the plans... now onto the next project!
Comments
Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:41
2X4 & 2X6 starting set
Very nice workmanship. I'm curious as to how comfortable they are with the straight 90* backs? Let me know please at [email protected]. Again nice workmanship.
Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:41
2X4 & 2X6 starting set
Very nice workmanship. I'm curious as to how comfortable they are with the straight 90* backs? Let me know please at [email protected]. Again nice workmanship.
Potting bench
I used redwood lumber, 2x4s and 1x6s only. I wanted the bench to be a little taller so I used 2x4x10s for the legs to make work surface 38” high and total height 66”. To get the most out of the 8’ 1x6s I made the bench 48” wide. I also had to adjust the depth since I did not use 1x4s. And finally, I sanded the 1x6s because they were rough sawn.
Very fun project! Once I figured out the adjusted cut list the whole project came together in a matter of a few hours.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Light sanding, No finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Kids table and chairs
Great little project. Finished just in time for Thanksgiving.
Andy
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mirrowax, polyurethane semi gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Planter Porch Steps
Plan modified to be built on stringers due to hight.
Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Pending
Comments
Fri, 07/07/2023 - 15:22
Do you have an illustration…
Do you have an illustration or instructions on the exact modifications you used for this project?
Big Kids Picnic Table
My son and I made this table this weekend in just a couple of hours with no problems. The directions were clear and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Paper Roll Dispenser
This took me about 20 minutes! I love the look of it and that it can just be left out when the kids aren't doing art. A great little item to add to keep the kids busy and inspired. I made a couple of mods from the plan. I used glue and nails instead of pocket holes and I did that bottom board flat instead of on it's side. I also used a little bigger dowel, and bought two rolls of paper on Amazon for $14.I'm giving this to my daughter for her birthday with some fun art supplies, so I think it's a great gift idea for any occasion for those crafty people out there!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Tue, 04/02/2024 - 06:09
Sometimes, when working with…
Sometimes, when working with papers, you might need to convert file formats, right? So, I recently came across this website https://pdfflex.com/webp-to-png It's super handy for converting. It's been a real time-saver for me, especially when I need to tweak documents for printing or sharing. I'd desided to share in case it helps someone else out there too!
Outdoor Sectional
We built Ana’s outdoor sectional in a few hours and it’s made a huge impact on our deck! It saved us so much money but looks like a high end piece! Thank you for the simple and structured plans!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Comments
Fri, 06/07/2019 - 10:53
This is gorgeous! You…
This is gorgeous! You really have an eye for putting different colors, textures and patterns together! Thank you so much for sharing a brag post.
DIY Room Divider Closet
Garden bed with folding screens
I added folding screens to my garden bed to prevent my dog to go in it. It can also discourage hares, cats and other animals. The folding screens make it easy to work in your garden.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Shoe dresser
I didn't build this shoe dresser because I particularly needed one, but it looked so lovely that I couldn't resist.
- I modified the plans by building 3 bins instead of 2 so it could hold more shoes.
- I decided against the dowel stick and opted for hinges instead, which were surprisingly not too difficult to assemble. I found that I didn't even need the magnets after installing the hinges as the doors stay closed.
- I used 7" chains on both sides of each bin instead of a belt to make it extra sturdy.
- I added two back legs.
Et voila! This is the end result. I'm very pleased.
PS. Those flopping bins are a pain when you're trying to build!! An extra pair of hands is definitely recommended.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150 (with extra bin)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Walnut (can't remember the exact name of the stain, but it's the one Shanty 2 Chic always uses!)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Fri, 07/05/2013 - 22:49
Nice Job
Pretty :) Good Job. Now if I only had the space for one thats 10 rows high :P I like the stain color too. Shanty 2 Chic always uses Rust-o-leum. I think its called dark walnut. Dont quote me though. I love the stain and spray paint combo colors they use.
~Melody
In reply to Nice Job by SoCaliforniaMel
Sat, 07/06/2013 - 20:00
Thanks!
Rust-o-leum, that's the one!
Yes, if only every woman could own a 10-row cabinet for all her shoes! :)
Workbench
Built 2 of the workbenches for our garage. The plans made assembly very easy and quick. We had Home Depot cut the plywood to size.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Comments
Pantry Solutions and Storage
"Here are some pictures of a pantry organizer that my friend Belinda built."
-Bubba
Built from Plan(s)
Patio couch
I have been looking at your blog and always been interested in making my own furniture. However, I was scared to try. Your diagrams and measurements were awesome. Thank you! Gave me the encouragement to try!
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Reclaimed Wood Outdoor Sofa
We had a small deck with many rotted boards. The contractor who demoed it, knowing my interest in diy projects, sorted out any usable boards. I loved the idea of an outdoor sofa, so altered your beautiful pattern to accommodate decking boards - I literally only had to purchase 2 boards for the entire project! I’m so thrilled with how it turned out! Thank you!!
Camey Brown
Built from Plan(s)
2x4 outdoor sofa
I love my new outdoor sofa! Was a great quarantine project with my teenage children. Finished it off with a ton of cushions from Lowe’s.
Built from Plan(s)
Comments
Ana White Admin
Tue, 01/10/2023 - 09:21
Awesome!
Way to attack and conquer, it looks great! Thank you for sharing.