Community Brag Posts

Classic Bunk Beds

Submitted by dwm22 on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 17:16

Construction phase of the bunk beds was about a day and a half project...Cutting, assembling, screwing, bolting. Nothing complicated about it at all. Just followed the instructions step by step. I didn't use metal brackets to reinforce the mattress rails (that the slats lay on). I'm a good 250lbs and I laid on them without a problem. Also, similar to the posted Comments, the original materials list is short a little lumber. I followed the advice of some of the Comments that indicate how much additional wood you'll need. I didn't have to make any additional trips for wood.

The finish took me another 2-3 days (incl. drying wait-time between stain and polyurethane coats). The sanding (electric hand sander) takes a number of hours to sand all the surface area and all the edges (300 grit). I then I applied 1 coat of pre-stain wood conditioner and then immediately 1 coat of Natural color stain (basically clear oil stain but it brings out the wood grain just a bit), and then 2 coats of semi-gloss polyurethane for a shine / protection. Each of those coats took me 2+ hours as I applied them using a paint brush (vs. spray gun).

Since I only need to take apart the bunk beds into 4 pieces to carry upstairs(front, back, 2 sides), I simply bolted them together using 3" bolts (with washers / nuts). 4 bolts in each of the 4 corner posts.

The only real modification I made was moving the ladder to the left-hand side (vs. right-hand side per the instructions). All other measurements were basically the same.

Really happy with the mini Kreg Jig! Simple to use and provides solid joints for the rails of the 2 shorter sides (without showing screw-heads from the exterior).

My toddlers have been sleeping on them for a week now and no squeaking or shaking. They are sturdy. And neadless to say, my boys LOVE having bunk beds.

Sure I could just buy some inexpensive bunk beds for $200-300 but where's the fun in that!?

Let me know if you have questions, happy to help out! Thanks again to Ana and her site.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300 ($220 for pine wood plus 16 bolts, screws, sandpaper, wood conditioner, stain, polyurethane)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, Minwax Oil-Based Natural Wood Interior Finish Stain, Minwax Polyurethane Clear Semi-Gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

NimbleShopper

Wed, 03/27/2013 - 09:58

The bunks look really nice. Professional even.

What size bolts did you use?
Where did you purchase them?
And, finally, how much did they cost? Guestimation is fine if you can't remember exactly. :)

dwm22

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 09:55

The bolts I used are 3/8" x 5". I used 16 total bolts to assemble. Each bolt (+2 washers & nut) is maybe $2-$3 at Home Depot. So in total, around $35-$40 for the bolts and hardware.

Green Adirondack Chairs

These are great chairs! Easy to build, comfy to sit in. Check out my blog post for more info.

Estimated Cost
$32 per chair for lumber, plus finishing and hardware
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior latex paint + primer in one, color matched to Sherwin Williams Dill
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

WorkShopWendy

Thu, 06/27/2013 - 20:23

Hi Hillary, Great job. These are great chairs aren't they, and sturdy. I work at Home Depot and I hosted the Do it Herself work shop for them. Very easy to build and inexpensive. I really like the color you chose, very cheery.

keribeth

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 15:58

I'll be making four of these this week in turquoise to match the little ones I made for the kids. Yours is an inspiration!

Seasonal And Holiday

Toddler Bunk Beds

Submitted by wubchileno on Sun, 05/22/2011 - 20:34

I used the classic bunk bed plans and resized them to fit a toddler mattress and to keep the height about four inches shorter. My kids love them and we are very happy with the result. I'm glad to share the measurements with anyone who is interested. This was a first project for me, but I had a much more experienced friend helping. If you're interested in plans you can find my explanation here https://warburtonshome.blogspot.com/2017/10/toddler-bunk-beds-diy.html

 

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a pre-stain and a natural color stain with polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Murphy Bed Cabinet

Submitted by Aventusman on Mon, 11/30/2015 - 14:07

I made this cabinet to house my murphy bed.  I used the Toy or TV Armoire plans as a start and adjusted the measurements as needed.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted White
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Coffee Bar with Built-In Beer Fridge and Wine Storage

Submitted by Chuck1979 on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 10:39

We made a beverage station for the corner of the kitchen!

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Semi-gloss white paint and Dark Walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

gunnare57

Fri, 07/31/2020 - 09:43

Hello! Was looking to see if this is something you would be interested in building for us? We are in love with this project but don't have the tools or means to do it ourself..

Can talk about pricing / size etc.
Thanks!

Outdoor 2x4 Sofa

Submitted by BGBuild on Tue, 07/16/2019 - 07:06

Last summer I rented a home in Cali Colombia that had a roof deck but no furniture. I had a lot of free time so I decided to use the 2x4 sofa plans to build this. It came out great, especially considering i had very few tools to work with.

Estimated Cost
Including buying the tools I needed for the job and the cushions, it cost about $500 in all. But I had all the cushions custom made. They were the most expensive part.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Modified Modern Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/18/2019 - 15:12

This project was actually my first build (besides a small blanket ladder). I used the Ana White plans every step of the way! Since this build I have created coffee tables, side tables, console tables, head boards and a bed frame. This table gave me the confidence to try an original project of my own. Although this table was fairly simple, it was the project that started it all. That is why I chose for this piece to be my brag post.

beginner farm table plans

Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Watco Danish Oil in Medium Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Bathroom Vanity

Submitted by Decross on Thu, 08/15/2019 - 11:49

This is a heavily modified version of the rustic x kitchen island that I tweaked to make for 2 sinks. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sandishmily

Thu, 01/18/2018 - 05:30

Hi i actually have a question about the tv stand you made. I love it and I'm wondering what paint you used?  Sorry i wasn't sure that you would see my comment on the tv stand link because it was under guest.

2x4 modern Adirondack Chair (modified)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 07/02/2020 - 17:45

I was so excited to find the plans for these awesome chairs, I’ve built 7 this season already—the modification happened as an accident, but I loved the result !

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax Aged Oak and Black paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Pallet wood potting bench.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/04/2020 - 19:34

Thank you Ana for the great plans! We adapted the project for wood we had on hand. It is only 40 inches wide instead of 42”. Our widest pallet board was only 40”.
Thank you for continuing to inspire us! We made two couches a couple of months ago. Great plans!

Estimated Cost
Box of screws!
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Potting bench.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Floating shelves for books + Vinyl storage

Submitted by careaud on Wed, 03/24/2021 - 14:50

I love Ana Whites's site. I go to it all the time when I have project ideas. The Video tutorials, combined with plans, is just amazing. Plus, the brag pages of people that have done projects from what they found here. Thank you Ana.

The floating shelves part was from Ana's site. The other part was done using my own plans (I used SketchUp to draw them)

My wife added the books, plants, and decorations, and I finally opened the dusty boxes that contained my insane LP collection. The experience has nothing to do with steaming music, it is far more complete.

I used plant-lantern brackets to prevent books from falling from the sides of the shelves. All done, this is great.

I would like to change the main picture, but I get strange messages from the site when I do this.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
This part is hard, as wood cost has never been this expensive. Also, the plant hocks were rather expensive. In fact, I don't want to know the total I've spent on this, but glad I did it myself, otherwise, cost would have doubled, if not more.
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Hard wood floor stain (2 coats on the sides, 3 on the main surfaces).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Wood Tote Rack

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/09/2025 - 12:35

I recently built a Sliding Tote Storage Rack for a friend, and it turned out great! The tote rack calculator was incredibly useful and simplified the process a lot. It took around 4 hours to cut the wood and put everything together, but it was worth it to see how happy they were with it. - Carl Garrett

Kentucky Fried Hilton Chicken Coop

Submitted by redtrek on Tue, 05/18/2021 - 23:12

I took the idea of the "small cedar shed" and decided to upsize it for a new chicken coop. Our old one was small enough that we had to let our six hens out to roam the yard. Chickens. Poop. Everywhere. I wanted one big enough to have them live in it. The nesting box is about 24 sf. The whole coop is 18' long, about 6-1/2' at the back with a 15° slope to the roof, and about 4' deep. I built the ladder up to their nesting box and made a mitre-cut panel under the nesting box for cleaning out, feeding, and watering. Total materials cost was about $1000, but a couple of local homebuilders helped by letting me scavenge the lumber for the nesting box from around houses that they were finished framing.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$1000-1200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Thompson's Clear Water Seal
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Barn Greenhouse

Submitted by Tristankb on Sun, 04/14/2013 - 23:44

So a few notes... We added a base of 2x4 pressure treated wood footing around the entirety of the greenhouse which should help keep it from rotting? Blocks are an alternative here. Our lumber store didn't carry the right size of tin sheets so we added a 2x10 at the bottom which seems to work and still look okay. We picked up a 30" metal screen door there which should assist in keeping out the critters and allows us to lock out our small kiddos who might wreck the plants :) This is a great plan!!! Thank you so much! Oh - materials ran about $700 including screen door? We went through about 4 1-pound boxes of sheet metal screws and at least a large box of 3" screws?? and 2 small boxes 1.25"?? If you cut you pieces right you may end up with an extra 8' clear sheet of corrugated plastic? We spent about 20 hours building just the greenhouse but we had hauled a lot of stuff to the site by hand... We are new to carpentry and pulled this off so anyone can do this!! Dremel tool works for cutting plastic, but not as good as the tin!! Good luck and cheers!

Estimated Cost
$700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None yet planning to waterseal
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

romanweel

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 16:02

This looks amazing! Are you planning to raise your beds in there? Is there a floor, or is that just mulching over the grass? This looks like Exactly what I'd like in my own back yard!

Wide Short Pine 1x12 Bookshelf

Submitted by ariela on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 03:15

This was my first project ever, and while there are a few things I could have done better (don't judge the imperfections!) the shelves still came out beautifully. I followed Ana's plan exactly, painting the backboard a charcoal grey before attaching, and the shelves themselves white with light lemon yellow on the inside-sides. If I were to make these again, I would want to sand the shelves down more and use a higher gloss paint or sealer. The matte finish is more difficult to clean when it gets dusty, which happens pretty quickly!

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Adirondack Chairs and End Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 15:15

Hubby’s first Ana White project! Love these! Just need to stain.

Comments

Lean-To Shed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/24/2023 - 13:17

I’m a first year teacher of construction class at Waterloo High School in Illinois. We recently used your Small Cedar shed instructions with some modifications for a class project. It’s a bear getting cedar right now, so we used T1-11 for the outside and 2x4 for the frame.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Island Organizer Cart

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 08/21/2023 - 09:42

Hello, Ana.

This is my first share and I plan to share more eventually. First, please know how much I appreciate your willingness to share with and motivate your followers. Thank you.

As for the cart I am sharing, I do not have any plans other than the ones that were in my head so the cart would fit under the stainless steel top. My wife wanted more surface and storage space next to the electric stove in our camp here in Maine. We purchased a used stainless steel table from a restaurant supplier, removed the legs, and prepared the underside of it so it would attach to the cart. In case it is not clear from the two photos, one end is for her cookbooks, the opposite end has a place for the garbage can and a drawer for various kitchen necessities. One long side has drawers where she puts pots and pans. The other side has a place for her to hang her heavy iron fry pans.

I learned a lot from making this and I'm happy to share it with you.

Frank

Comments

Corner Garage Shelves - by Jared Starkey

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/15/2024 - 09:34

My son and I build these shelving units as a side hustle. We’ve built dozens over the past few years, this was a solo build this AM as he was working at his day job.

Tip: use clamps to hold the pieces of wood together before which put in the vertical supports.

Nice little corner unit.

Seasonal And Holiday
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