Community Brag Posts

Basically I took Ana's plan and tweaked it to create a diy sofa, a love seat, and a corner piece to make a sectional. All 3 pieces have the same basic design and function (they all have a storage compartment), although the corner piece, because of its placement and the thickness of the seating cushions, doesn't open unless the couch is opened first. We purchased custom cut, 6" thick foam cushions for the seats (we bought the XL-38 foam from https://www.buyfoam.com/, but if we had to do it again, we'd go with the XL-28 as the 38 is VERY firm). We also used upholstery fabric instead of a paint drop-cloth to cover the couches. The foam and upholstery fabric upped the overall cost significantly. Other changes from Ana's plan, I used 15/32" OSB because the 1/4" plywood just felt too flimsy (I'm a large guy). I also added I bolts to the underside of the seat before the foam and upholstery so I could add a stress relief rope to prevent the kids from opening the top and dropping it and ripping out the hinges. I used piano hinges as they seemed to me to provide the most support. Finally, I ended up using 1x2s for the base trim since I couldn't find any 2x2s that were straight and finish-ready, then I added router detailing to provide some visual interest. I used 3" pieces of 4x6 for the feet and added matching router detail. Additionally, I used T-Nuts and bolts to make the feet and base trim completely removable.

This was such and easy project. It went together in a few hours. The hardest (and most time consuming) part was finishing it. I detailed the build process on my blog if you'd like more info.

Sofa table

Wanted some easy storage shelving that didn't break the bank.  These were perfect!  $79 is what it cost for ours (which includes the $20 Kreg Jig).  Lumber was only $58.68 and I bought and extra 8 foot 2x4, so it could have been slightly cheaper!  

Play Deck and Swing

So I bought this print, sized 16" x 20", from an independent photographer. My husband said I could get it only if I built the frame, so I was on the hook.
I used pine boards and glued and clamped the outside part since I don't have a nail gun. I sanded the really rought parts, but probably could've sanded more. Finished with Valspar's black spray paint and used mirror clips and 1" wood screws. Blue had glass pieces in 16" x 20" for less than $6. Hung with D rings and picture hanging wire.
Time estimate includes time for paint to dry and rigging up all the hanging hardware.

Built this vegetable bin for my sister in law. Just needs knobs, which I'm letting her pick out. Easy build finished in an afternoon. Stained and painted the next day. Could use this for other storage as well. 

I built a breakfast bar into an existing wall shared between our kitchen and living room. I built it on the taller side of average since I wanted to have room to install new electrical outlets above the counter on the kitchen side. After the project was done we went to buy bar stools to use with the new bar and found that even the "tall" stools were too short to work. Research into extra tall stools showed that what we needed was going to $400-600 each! Luckily my wife found these stools on your site and we were able to make three of them for around $115. Also, they are much sturdier than anything we looked at to buy.

I decided to try and use the plans on Ana's site but with a twist. I wanted to limit myself to using only pallets. I think it turned out great! I can't upload all the photos because they exceed the maximum size limit. If I was able to you could see how each chair is slightly different and has a lot of character. I finished them with a waterproofing oil which I highly recommend over other finishes. 

Husband wanted a shoe shelf for the back door entry, and I needed a quickie weekend project, so this fit the bill.  Adapted from fix this build that's plan, but modified for a smaller space and less shoe storage.  Easy project, and looks great.

I made the original plan higher and wider, and added an extra shelf. Very pleased with the outcome!

I really enjoyed this project!  It was very easy and inexpensive.  I used Weathered Oak stain to make the pine look aged.  I also countersunk all of the screws and used oak button dowels to give it a finished look.  I learned how to create the wording and images through YouTube.  Search: how to transfer an inkjet photo to wood.  Cool trick.

I built this outhouse to go with a dry cabin I'm working on, and also as an emergency backup for my house. I used treated lumber on the base/deck and splurged on T-111 for the siding. I wanted to use greenhouse polycarbonate for the roof, but found a piece of metal roofing in my shed that was exactly the right size so I used that instead. I thought about doing a fancy cutout on the door but ended up going with a half moon because it was easy. I'm thinking about cutting out stars of different sizes all over the rest of the door to let in more light. I'll trim and stain it next summer.

This was an easy project that should help provide us with fresh, pesticide-free produce for many years to come. Thanks, Ana! xo