Community Brag Posts

Big Kids Picnic Table

Built using Ana Whites plans for a Bigger Kids Picnic Table. Used pressure treated 2x4 for frame (legs and supports), 2x4 and 2x6 pine (fir) for table top and bench. Finished with Cabot's semi-transparent redwood stain and sealer.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50.00 plus screws and finish
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cabot's semi-transparent redwood stain and sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
Seasonal And Holiday

Master Bath Barn Door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 16:34

Created this door with pine wood tongue and groove lumber and pine wood planks. Purchase barn door hardware / track from Jet.com and door handles from Hobby Lobby. 

 

This replaced my Master bath door and I think came out pretty good. Thank you for the ideas!!!  Jeff M.   Brownstown, Mi

Estimated Cost
Wood 55.00
Handles 2 for 8.00
Stain ( left overs)
Barn door track 54.00

Total $117.00 and 10 % Military discount at lowes
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax. Mix of Kona and Driftwood Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Drop Leaf Mobile Kitchen Island

Submitted by jkjackson on Sun, 03/14/2021 - 11:19

This was born out of the need for more counter space in our galley kitchen. We don't have the space to add an island. Especially around the holidays, it would be great to have extra space for making cookies, serving big meals, etc. I used Ana's Small Kitchen Island Prep Cart plans for inspiration. I adapted the dimensions to fit at the end of our counters when not in use and added a drop leaf to give us almost 4 additional feet of butcher block counter top when we need it. I used scrap lumber that I had for the cabinet and had an extra drawer handle that matches our kitchen cabinets but bought the butcher block, locking casters, drawer slide and hardware for the legs. Also, the weight of the butcher block makes it want to tip when it's away from the cabinet with the drop leaf down so I added a lead counter weight inside the drawer.

Estimated Cost
$150-200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr paint for the cabinet, food grade mineral oil and cutting board wax for the butcher block
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

jkjackson

Sat, 07/24/2021 - 16:59

Sure! I used a 4 foot butcher block and cut it down. The horizontal part is 13 1/2" and the drop leaf part is 32 1/8" attached with a piano hinge. The legs need to be cut and hinged to fit when folded up. This one is made so that the drop leaf fits right under the overhang of the kitchen countertop that it is next to so it's snug against the cabinet and not an issue but, if you want it to be freestanding, the weight of the butcher block will pull it over if you don't weight the cabinet down with something as well. I got a 5 pound lead bar from Amazon in case we need to use it somewhere else. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Custom Rustic King Bed

Submitted by jhavinga on Wed, 01/14/2015 - 14:55

My wife is always annoyed with me. I make something for our home, and a few months later I decide I dont like it and want something better! I sold our 5th bed set months ago (Farmhouse Bed made through Ana White) and have been sleeping on the floor for the last few months.. Figured it was time to create something I wouldnt sell! Took some plan ideas from the Farmhouse King Bed Plans and came up with something a little more extravagent.

Hopefully I dont sell this one.

Estimated Cost
$350 With Reclaimed Wood, Im sure much cheaper with HD Wood.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the Pine. used my favourite combo; Weathered Oak and Special Walnut.
For the Fir and Cedar I just sanded.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jhavinga

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 05:06

Thanks thewoodbuilder, its super easy and you could probably figure it out just by looking at it. =)
I extended the legs 2" past top of footboard, and 4" past top of headboard with caps on top. And layed 1x4 vertically over top of the 1x6 planks, and horizontally across the top of both foot and head board.

Cheers!
Justin

tracygator

Wed, 01/21/2015 - 20:47

This bed is gorgeous!!!! If you don't mind I have a couple of questions... For your stain combo of Weathered Oak and Special Walnut do you layer the weathered oak, wipe it off then apply special walnut? Or do you mix the two stains? Your footboard looks taller than the plan calls for , did you make it higher , if so by how much? And what dimensions are your footboard posts? This seriously is an amazing build. Great job!

In reply to by tracygator

jhavinga

Fri, 01/23/2015 - 14:04

Thank you! I don't mind at all. =)
The stains I do seperataely. I start with weathered oak and let sit for 15min, wipe off. Than do special walnut right after for 15min than wipe off. I repeat this until I like my color. From the farmhouse plans I really only took the planking idea and how to attach planking section to legs. The foot board is higher by 11" while the headboard posts are higher by 10".

The posts are reclaimed fir 6x6's. Thank again very much tracygator! Its a super easy design! if you have any other questions just let me know. =)

Cheers,
Justin

awheat1

Sat, 05/23/2015 - 20:13

Do you have any other pictures of the side rails? I'm curious how you did them? Specifically, how did you mount them to the head and footboard?

Redwood 2x4 outdoor sofa (Cushions on order, due Monday)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/21/2021 - 15:31

I love Ana White's 2x4 sofa project. I chose a couple of upgrades: bought redwood 2x4's and a pocket-hole jig to reduce visibility of screw holes and, of course, installed the additional side and back rails. I finished with Tung oil and then read the directions on the can afterwards: 'This product is intended for interior projects only!' Oh well.

We ordered these cushions: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Arden-Selections-Plush-BlowFill-Sapphire-Blu…
which were rather expensive but I read too many negative reviews from customers who bought and used cheap cushions.

This was the perfect project for a retiree with too much time on his hands and some basic building skills.

Thank you for this!

Michael Smith

Estimated Cost
$500 with cushions?
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Tung oil...but I won't make that mistake again.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

"Cube" storage unit

Submitted by kds199 on Fri, 10/14/2022 - 09:49

My wife and I wanted a nice way to hide more of our son's toys in the living room that didn't look tacky. We actually bought the cubby bins before even deciding what to make. (From target of course.) I made the bookcase out of wood shelving that already looked kind of beat up when I bought it knowing that the wood stain wood bring some character to it.

I only changed the plans slightly by making the legs flush with the inside so I could trim the ends and customizing the size of the cubby openings to fit the bins. (Mine aren't actually cubes.)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of stain...minimal sanding to keep the surface looking rough
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Great Patio Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:02

I wanted sturdy seating for my patio. Ana White had the perfect plans for my L shaped seating and coffee table. It was simple to put together and we love it!

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Pergola Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 12:40

My first ever attempt at woodworking, after I built the pergola I used the 2x4 outdoor sectional plans and modified slightly to fit the space I had. So easy to follow and delighted with the result. The hardest part of the whole project was making the cushions, that's how easy the woodworking plans were to follow!

@louspoutsstuff tiktok - Lou brown

Built from Plan(s)

Small Cedar Shed

Here is our version of the small cedar shed. Had to raise the door up a bit to clear the rocks. All built from cedar fence boards and a few 2x4's

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None - age naturally
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Fri, 11/06/2020 - 08:18

Love that you used all cedar fence boards, do you have an estimated cost for this project? Thanks for sharing!

Pot holder

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 06:21

Working off your idea. Added another holder. There will be a bottom drawer for bigger stuff.

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Will be painted
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

2 Person Picnic Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 12:45

Made 2 of these for my coffee shop in Puerto Rico. Easy instructions. Thank you!

 

Javiel Cardona

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

My Laundry Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/06/2017 - 18:09

I love Ana's original design and it was a great inspiration. I needed to add more baskets so I adjusted it a little. I had some drawer slides sitting around so I added a pull out shelf to fold on as well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Storage Bed With Hidden Drawer

Submitted by Beekeeper on Wed, 12/10/2014 - 17:35

Ana, thanks for these plans! They inspired me to make my first bed build. I also want to thank all of you that added brag posts! They gave me ideas for some of the modifications that I made. I did this build by mixing your Queen Farmhouse and Queen Farmhouse Storage bed plans. I also added a number of modifications to suit my own preferences. The drawer boxes I changed by building a faceplate (I didn't want the plywood ends exposed), and by increasing in depth to maximize some additional storage. Since I increased the drawer sizes, I went with the euro roller bearing slides. I increased the foot-board height to be slightly higher than the mattress. I also designed the footboard to have a removable inner section with hidden latches on the inside. I did this because I wanted to make use of the "dead space" between the drawer boxes. I then used this space to house a hidden drawer, that is approx six feet deep (I couldn't help myself-I love hidden drawers wink). Because I added the hidden drawer, I changed the opptional center support to 4X4 blockes that were pocket screwed under the center of the boxes. I ended up using birch plywood and fir for this build. For my first bed build I'm fairly happy with how it came out. Thanks again!

Estimated Cost
I didn't keep exact track of the cost of this bed, but I think it was about $800.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I haven't got there yet, but I am planning on putting a mahogany stain and then a polyurethane. All
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 12/11/2014 - 07:41

This is your first build and you did all of those awesome modifications?! Really impressive and it looks perfect! Congrats and welcome to the community!

In reply to by spiceylg

Beekeeper

Sun, 12/14/2014 - 06:03

Thanks for the compliments! It was a fun learning experience. Making all the modifications definitely slowed down the build, but also made it more rewarding!

beckbg

Fri, 12/12/2014 - 13:18

I just started my bed (mostly out of Baltic Birch) and am wondering where you were able to find such nice 4x4s. Your bed is gorgeous! No luck here. I bought redwood, but really wanted fir for the sharper edges. It's my first project, too. I also bought same drawer slides, but the soft close. Didn't want the slam. I figure building it will be the easy part compared to procuring nice 4x4s! Hope you can help!

In reply to by beckbg

Beekeeper

Sun, 12/14/2014 - 06:01

Thanks! The 4x4s I found at a place called Better Living Building Supply. They had a pretty nice assortment of fir, including the 4x4s, so that is why I chose it for the build. Finding the 4x4s slowed down my start on the build. Our local Lowes only had them in treated pine.

athingvall

Sat, 09/05/2015 - 20:47

Thank you for the pictures, the bed turned out Awesome.  I was wondering about the latching system for the foot of the bed.  Do you think a piano hinge on the lower would work too?  Also on the center drawer did you use rollers or is it just friction?  Can't wait to start the build.

Thanks

Codding58

Mon, 02/15/2016 - 14:11

This is excellent!!!   I really like this, so much in fact that the wife is going to have to get used to it too. lol   But really, GREAT work!    Any chance you could post a pic and or comment about how you attached that removeable end?    i think this is the best part!    Cheers!

Kmaynard19

Tue, 12/10/2019 - 08:42

Beekeeper,  Awesome build!!!  Have you posted your altered plans anywhere?  I'm very interested in your build, I was wondering about some aspects of it and how you approached it.  Plans would clear it up instead of bothering you with all my questions.

NinjaPinky

Sat, 06/20/2020 - 09:06

I, like many others, have been wondering if you'd share your plans for this modification. It just looks so great!

tammis50401

Mon, 11/16/2020 - 15:42

Bed turned out awesome. I was wondering if you have the plans for the bed with a list of supplies it took to make this bed. I so want this bed it's just what we are needing

Great job

French County Wardrobe

This is probably one of my favorite pieces I have built.  Challenging but fun.  I built it as two separate sections, an upper and lower cabinet to make it easier to carry indoors.  I added a full-extension drawer below for storage. The two-toned paint combination did take a lot of extra time. Because I used an airless spraying to paint I had to tape and cover each section separately. 

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Venus teal and creme brulee by Behr. Dark walnut stain for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Wood Chuck

Fri, 03/06/2015 - 10:43

WOW it looks awesome the extra time spent on the painting was more than worth it looks spectacular. I bet you also could make a great profit selling this Wardrobe either on line or in a consignment shop, if I had the need for one and the money I would defiantly buy one!!

MrCoffee

Fri, 03/06/2015 - 13:54

I love the way the paint job came out on this and I really dig the having the molding on the top stained.

Calmly

Sun, 03/08/2015 - 07:36

This looks awesome! I love the the paint finish and it your profession work

TwoCuteKids

Mon, 03/09/2015 - 17:30

I agree this is your best so far...which is hard to say b/c all your projects are amazing! I love the style, the paint colors, the stained top, and the hardware!

whopua

Tue, 11/10/2015 - 11:13

Are there any available plans? I'd love to make this for my wife!

Anela

Sat, 03/19/2016 - 15:06

It looks really great! 

I have fallen in love with it the second I saw it and somehow I am now convinced that I need a new wardrobe ;) 

I guess you don't have plans for the wardrobe laying around - but would you mind doing a fast sketch (just a simple one on paper) with all the measurements noted? I would be thrilled to try building it myself in the summer. 

Greetings from Germany!

Anela

Sat, 03/19/2016 - 15:07

It looks really great! 

I have fallen in love with it the second I saw it and somehow I am now convinced that I need a new wardrobe ;) 

I guess you don't have plans for the wardrobe laying around - but would you mind doing a fast sketch (just a simple one on paper) with all the measurements noted? I would be thrilled to try building it myself in the summer. 

Greetings from Germany!

petemoore

Mon, 08/22/2016 - 07:32

its very nice but there are no plans

can you put up the plans or email me them please

many thanks

leftysgirl

Tue, 07/18/2017 - 05:43

Are there plans used for this beautiful piece? I do not see any links. Help please!! I absolutely need to make this armoire :) :) 

Outdoor Sofa

Submitted by dionneds on Sun, 04/10/2022 - 07:16

This was our first big project with our Kreg Jig. We adapted the plans to make the sofa 8' long. On Friday night, my husband did all the cuts and I pre-painted everything. With the help of our son, we had the whole sofa built in a few hours on Saturday morning. I puttied the visible holes, did a second coat of paint, and made custom cushions. The plans were very easy to follow. I followed the others' advice about pre-painting and assembling the back on a perfectly level surface. It came out better than I expected and it's super comfortable!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

kdykes08

Mon, 04/11/2022 - 07:44

I want the plans for this one! I like this style a lot better. I really like how the bottom cushions are at a slant. I suck at modifying plans.

Seasonal And Holiday

Compact Potting Bench

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 02/01/2023 - 12:43

I used Ana's Farmhouse Potting Bench plans and modified it to be more compact and left out the x detail. I built it for under $40 in material. 

Modifications for Shopping and Cut List - Construction and placement is same as Ana's original plan, so make sure you look that over.

Shopping List 

3 - 2x6x8

3 - 2x4x8

1 - 2x2x8

Cut List

FOR 2 Legs
4 2x6 @15.5"
2 2x4 @34.5"
2 2x4 @54"
(cut the 34.5 and 54 out of 1 board and repeat)

2x2 Cross Supports
3 2x2@28"

2x4 Cross Supports
2 2x4@28"

Center Tabletop Support
1 [email protected]"

Bottom Slats
4 [email protected]"

Tabletop Boards
3 2x6@36"

Top Cap Board
1 2x4@37" leaving 1/2" overhangs

VIDEO OF THE BUILD PROCESS

Built from Plan(s)

Most fun project ever! The first thing we ever built!!! thank you so much!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/25/2016 - 07:03

Thank you Ana!  the directions were right up my alley!  We have never built anything and now we cant wait to build our next piece!  we used your insturctions and made minor modications to accomodate our cushions.  We got brave and designed our own ottoman and put it on casters :-) We also added a few back support and legs.

 

We used one coat of deck over paint

Cushions were on sale at ballard http://www.ballarddesigns.com/ballard-basic-seat-and-back-cushion-set-w…

Quality of cushions is amazing!  they were the most expensive part.  We spent $600.00 on cushions.

Wood, putty, paint and screws about 350.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
deckover
cushions = ballard
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Wine oak barrel Adirondack chair

Submitted by Medickep on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 12:11

I got some oak barrels from a local vineyard and decided to try making some adirondack chairs. It was harder than I thought it would be, but well worth it!! The stain was a little darker than I thought it be, but it's rubbing off on me!

predrill, predrill, predrill, and learned a valuable lesson in predrilling, as solid wood under strain cracks easy when using 2 1/2" deck screws!

I need to whip out the nice camera and stop using my cell phone for finished products!

Estimated Cost
Around 100.00 dollars per chair (depends on cost of barrel!)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Cabot's Australian timber oil. Not the cheapest product out there, but they actually recommend one coat only and no sanding necessary for future coats. Once it stops beading water, just clean the chair and than reapply! It penetrates deep and forms a wax protective layer that repels water! This is why I chose not to varnish the item!!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 05:16

I never heard of using wine barrels in this way! I love it. It came out fabulous!

Medickep

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 05:34

Thanks you. People make a lot of stuff out of wine barrels. Chairs, stools, Tables, candle holders, and even serving platters!

Joni

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 06:57

This is awesome! Very cool design. It looks very comfortable! Thanks for the tip on the Australian timber oil; I never knew what would be the best finish for an outdoor piece.

Joni

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 07:03

This is awesome! Very cool design. It looks very comfortable! Thanks for the tip on the Australian timber oil; I never knew what would be the best finish for an outdoor piece.

Medickep

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 11:38

It is very comfortable, especially with a glass of wine. I chose the finisher I did because I live in Oregon with a lot of rain!!

Why does everyone's post, including my own show up as duplicate?

Medickep

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 11:38

It is very comfortable, especially with a glass of wine. I chose the finisher I did because I live in Oregon with a lot of rain!!

Why does everyone's post, including my own show up as duplicate?

acd4476

Sun, 07/21/2013 - 17:05

Awesome chairs! Beginning to think I need to make some as well. Did you have plans for this project or follow a generic adirondack chair plan?

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