Community Brag Posts

Modified Rustic X Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/07/2016 - 21:55

I started the project on a day off and finished it over a few long nights in the garage after work. It turned out pretty nice. I ommitted the middle legs, shortened it from the original plan to 65" long, and made it 31.5" tall. I also added breadboard style ends to the top to show less end grain. It is shown with a 55" TV on top of it for perspective. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$70-90 including lumber, sand paper, stain and poly
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood conditioner, Minwax Dark Walnut, and Minwax Satin Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/08/2019 - 14:58

Really like this project and am anxious to do another :) if you have any for porch swings I want to make one of those too:) thank you for sharing!!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Comments

Chippendale Chest of Drawers

This is a Chippendale Chest of Drawers in Cherry. I did it a couple of years ago and it is still holding up very well. It was my first experience with ogee bracket feet and I was very happy with the way the feet turned out. It is a lot easier than it looks. There is no secondary wood, it is wholly out of American Black Cherry (prunus seritina). It took about four months to build and it has exposed dovetails on the top as the carcass is dovetailed together. Brasses are from bail pull type brasses.

Estimated Cost
$400.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Antique Oil Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

MINI FARMHOUSE BEDSIDE TABLE

Submitted by blacorc on Mon, 11/25/2013 - 05:44

I made the mini farmhouse bedside table as my first attempt at wood-working! It was really fun, and turned out pretty good for my first shot. I need to learn how to cut more consistently and get better at making things square. Thanks for the plan!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
White enamel spray paint and Rust-Oleum stain (Kona color) plus polyurethane coat over the stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Guest/All Purpose Room Closet Makeover

Submitted by JessMN on Wed, 02/10/2016 - 13:31

We are slowly remodeling our 1972 townhouse and it was time to do the guest bedroom closet so that we could get a bit more storage in the house. I contemplated getting a pre-made organizer but decided to make my own after perusing Ana's site. Its my first "from scratch" furiture-type of project and I chose the cheapest quality plywood, which was a mistake and cost me extra hours in trying to "pretty" up the wood. but overall I'm happy with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
enamel paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Full Size Modern Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by lmelendi on Sun, 09/22/2019 - 11:39

We made the full size bed. We added 4 inches of height on the bed so there was room to slide a twin mattress underneath.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used Weathered Gray Varathane stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Front porch table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/22/2023 - 07:30

My father in law was a very good woodworker. He had a great shop with all the power tools anyone could want. He passed away 2 years ago and one day I went in his shop and remember thinking this woodworking could be sort of fun.
I searched the internet and came across the Ana White instructional site. Your site and instructional videos have helped me so much. The photos attached are my first attempt at furniture making. I used and modified one of your plans for this piece of furniture. It was SO helpful. Thank you for making these videos and plans available for those that are leaning this craft.

Built from Plan(s)

farmhouse night stand

Submitted by CoreyS on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 20:51

I just Built two of these for my wife and I. the plan was great and easy to follow for the most part i would really suggest spending as much time on the drawers as possible it makes such a big difference getting them to slide easily. now hopefully with anyluck ana will find time in her busy life to post a farmhouse tallboy dresser plan or something close to it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 coat of mixwax pre stain wood conditioner then two coats of chocolate coloured stain then two coats of semi gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Variation of Planked Sideboard

Worked on this piece on and off for about 4 months! Was hard, but worth every penny. Spent about $300 on materials. Has seeded glass inset cabinet doors with soft close hinges. 80" long x 34" high x ~ 20" deep (I think). Bought black cherry through a specialty lumber supply (I highly recommend cherry!!). Used a cherry dye on it, and Waterlox original to seal it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Water based cherry dye (1 coat) followed with top coat of waterlox sealer (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Linda7

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 18:59

This is probably the most professional appearing project I have ever seen on this site--both in building and in finishing! I love cherry finish, and this one gorgeous! Kudos!

joeyrego

Sat, 11/30/2013 - 12:22

Hey johnhawkfan56,

It looks awesome man. Great job! Got some questions. Would you mind telling me a bit more about the top? I'm assuming you used 3-4 boards glued together? Would you mind sharing some details about making and gluing up the panels? Did you use pocket holes or maybe biscuit joints to keep them even? Did you use a jointer or a thickness planer for the boards? Lastly the finish is incredible. Any pointers or tips on applying the dye or Waterlox?
Thanks
Joey

jayhawkfan56

Sun, 12/01/2013 - 13:08

Joey-
Used a biscuit joiner to put top boards together, it was 3 boards of differing widths. A lot of times with the different woods (cherry, walnut, etc) the boards aren't as uniform. Don't have a planer or jointer, so just got lucky/used some heavy sanding with orbital to smooth things out. The finishing was really easy. Go to a specialty wood shop and ask for cherry dye that penetrates the wood well. Only one coat is needed. Keep in mind, some folks don't recommend dyeing or staining cherry because sunlight naturally darkens the wood to that color. For waterlox, make sure it's in a well ventilated area. I sanded to 240 and did not sand between coats. 3 coats would be enough. Waterlox on cherry alone looks fantastic as well, but it's not that red right away.

Slatted Sofa Table

Submitted by raybwright on Sat, 02/13/2016 - 09:36

I based this design of the simple Sofa Table by Jenna Sue. Instead of a 2x8 across the top, I opted to use 1x4s side by side. This slatted look matched some of the other items in the house and to allowed me to create two hinged sections. These sections allow for easy access to wall plugs and include small notch for the cables to come through.

Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Wodd Finish Dark Walnut Stain with Minwax Clear Satin Polyeurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Narrow Console Table

This past weekend I build Ana's Narrow Console table. I went Saturday evening to pick up the boards and cut them. I completed the whole project late Sunday afternoon. I don't have a nailer so in-between the project I switched to self-tapping screws and it became even quicker because using the ol' fashioned hammer and nails was difficult and time consuming.  Cutting the angles was a first for me, and it is not bad at all! I was very intimidated first but so glad I took that first step! Also, I just watched her video countless times to ensure I was doing it correctly, and that helped the most ;).  It is very lightweight and I did not need any assistance in carrying the table. I truly, truly believe anyone can do this!

Estimated Cost
$40 with the paint
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
After sanding I used one coat of Glidden Flat + Primer "Crushed Silk"
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/27/2023 - 09:15

Sectional painted with Glidden semigloss exterior paint in Phantom Mist. Cushions from Overstock and pillows from Homegoods.

Comments

Another great Loft bed

Submitted by mijohnst on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 08:30

This is another one if your popular loft bed houses. Thanks very much for the plans! I changed a few things, but not as dramatic as others have done. Was a fun project and my daughter actually helped. One spur of the moment idea was to allow her to paint a mural on the backside so that in few years when she out grows it we'll be able to look back and remember how we built it together.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White and blue paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cindy from Indiana (not verified)

Sat, 01/14/2012 - 10:34

You guys did a great job - very cute! I also love the idea of a hidden mural that you get to revisit in the future. So cool!

Worktable +Peg Board and Light

Submitted by jphysc on Sun, 12/01/2013 - 18:31

This workbench was really easy to make and is, in fact, very sturdy. I modified it slightly, taking inspiration from (I think) the first brag picture on this and added a pegboard, work light and top shelf, which in my opinion drastically improves the overall functionality. The plans call for 9 2x4s but in order to get the result as-is, you only need six. PS- I'm not sure why the pictures are coming out sideways, but I don't see a rotate button!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
64 dollars
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Farmhouse Printers Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/16/2016 - 11:29

I've been seeing these gorgeous printer cabinet everywhere. I mean everywhere. I had wanted one for a long time but they looked complicated. I mean, they do, look complicated. 

Finally we bit the bullet and got to working on this. We started at 3:30 on saturday, worked until 6:30 and then worked on it 9 am - 12 pm on sunday. 6 hours and we made this. 

I know it might take some a lot longer, but we build furniture for a living so we might be a bit faster in the building department. 

Husband built, I sanded, stained & varnished.

It is stained in our custom beachwood mix. Head on over to our blog to read the full story.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
374.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
We used our custom beachwood stain & matte Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Barn door console

Submitted by mattquealy on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 03:30

Great project for the family. My wife and 2 daughter helped build and paint the barn door console. I used Red Oak for the top and put 4 coats of the stain to get the darker look. The plans had a get cut list and easy step by step instructions. I modified the plans slightly to fit the room in my house.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane - Provincial
Dun Edwards paint - Glen Falls
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Ten Dollar Ledges (which were free - sort of)

Submitted by lcf on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 22:18

Thanks for a great plan! I've been procrastinating in posting, since I have plans to start blogging and wanted to link. Unfortunately, my blog remains a pipe dream as I still can't come up with a name.

The two long ledges were the ones I made (smaller ones are ancient.) These have helped me a great deal in my efforts to pull together/put my own stamp on the most awkwardly laid out and chopped up house imaginable! The 'in your face effect' created by my piling nearly every photo I own on them should be temporary - wall space will open up as other rooms get done. I do think they soften up the gigantic television (Ok, stop laughing. It was worse before.).

While the Ten Dollar Ledges were the inspiration for these, I didn't follow the instructions, since I have lots of leftover plywood and buying lumber when you live in the country and drive a VW Bug is not much fun. I'm very pleased with both the shelves and the garage space their creation opened up. There was a tradeoff, though, as it took me far longer than the hour or two each would have took had I used dimensional lumber. Four inch rip cuts are a pain! (especially since I was a bit too perfectionistic.) But I'm very happy with the results. Thanks again!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
very little (always have screws on hand and used paint I had)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Black semigloss spray paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

patricia klein (not verified)

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 16:20

Hi - I am SO EXCITED - just made a $10 ledge! I have been wanting a photo/art ledge for a long time and actually purchased one from Pottery Barn which I returned. I hated the finish on it an found it very difficult to hang, not to mention that it was expensive! I had some idea how I might make one but wasn't sure, so went on line looking for instructions. So glad I found yours - it was really easy and looks great. The best part is that you can make it whatever size and finish that you want. Now i have to get busy making art to fill it! Thank you so much for your great ideas - i see quite alot of others on your site that I just might try.

Cedar Fence

Submitted by jvos on Wed, 12/04/2013 - 06:04

I've needed a new fence for years but was intimidated by setting posts. I decided this year to hire someone to set the posts and then build the fence myself. Then I saw a brag post on here where the person used Oz-Posts. After researching it, I decided this was the way to go. It was simple and fast! We obviously need to cut the tops off the posts yet!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$900 - 70 feet of fence
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate