Community Brag Posts

Bench with soft-close drawers for Front Entry

Submitted by drickstan on Tue, 08/11/2020 - 10:43

We needed a bench to fill the space in our front entry and provide some storage for seasonal gear. We couldn't find anything to buy that would work for us, so when my wife found these plans, I had to try it! Couldn't be happier with the results. We widened the bench by a foot to 84" to fill the space. Basically, it just made each drawer 4" wider. Everything else was built to plan. The most expensive thing was the soft-close 24" drawer slides (~$100). As soon as you go above that 24" depth, they get pricier! It was also tricky to get the drawers to catch properly on the soft-close mechanisms, but I made sure to take the time to get it right before closing it all in. Now I just open and close the drawers for the pure satisfaction of it! I used premium pine plywood for the top and I find it still doesn't give that smooth finish I like, even after sanding. I think I'll create a new top out of joined knotty pine planks later and just attach it to the top.

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

lawn and garden shed

Submitted by brittanyj on Wed, 08/19/2015 - 13:17

Needed a shed to store bikes and mowers, etc, so I'd have more room in the woodshop : )  I made a lot of modifications to the plan to fit my space and make it much larger.  The completed size is 7 foot tall at the peak, 6 feet deep and 5.5 feet wide.  I made it as a 3 sided shed, using the wall as the 4th to save on cost, increase air flow, and make the exterior house wall accessible.  I also made an egress in the back of the shed in order to get behind the shed if needed. 

Instead of roofing shingles, I opted for ribbed metal sheets and one clear sheet in the middle to make a skylight, so there would be light in the shed.  This is my favorite part of the project.  It was a huge pain to attach the roofing from a ladder with very limited access, but it looks great and I love the light coming in.  We have very little rain in CA, so I'll have to wait until winter/rainy season in order to test out its waterproofing. 

Since the shed sits between the house and the neighbors block wall fence, and I wanted to use as much of the space as I could, I decided to design the shed to have the side wall against the house rather than the back wall, as shown in the plan.  This took a large amount of modifications, but with careful planning and measuring, it can be done.  This also meant blocking off access to behind the shed, so I cut an egress in the back wall and added hinges so you can lift the back cut out panel, and rest it on a stop block attached to the fence behind it in order to have access.  That's what woodworking is about- problem solving.  Love it. 

As you can see by the full shed picture, it fits a large amount of stuff- 2 adult bikes, mower, edger, trimmer, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, garden tools, shovels, etc, with plenty of room for more.  I now have a free corner in my garage that I've already filled with a DIY rolling workbench and more pegboard space for tool hanging.  Woodshop increased space= happy Brittany. 

I should also mention that building the frame and adding the pickets was quite a quick and easy job.  The hardest and most time consuming part was the roof (I didn't have metal cutting tools), rolling each very heavy wall to the site (I was alone) and the previous 2 weeks in which I built the paver patio the shed sits on.  Hard work, but worth it.  I love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$280
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

brittanyj

Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:15

It has been incredibly useful for storing! One thing about the skylight- Over time the sun has warped it and there is now a hole and crack there. So I wouldn't plan on the clear roofing being a long term solution- I will be replacing it with either thicker clear roofing or 2 layers.

Outdoor rolling bar top

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/08/2020 - 19:43

We had some leftover granite from an outdoor kitchen build and wanted to maximize the use of it. We loved the look of a rustic table from Pottery Barn and set out to find something that was asking the same aesthetic. I came across the Jilly and Mia workbench console and thought it would work great with some minor modifications. I shortened the overall length and height, went with some heavy duty casters to support the weight of the granite, and reinforced the cross beams that would support the 3/4" plywood sheet and granite. I went with cedar for this build since it was outdoors and I'll finish it with a clear sealant.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Cedar Planter for Pole Beans

Submitted by swhitead on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 10:41

Increased width of box to 46" by using 8 fence boards instead of 3. put base at 12" down, lined box with landscaping fabric to hold dirt. Created trellis with 1x2 boards with 10" long corner braces, spaced screws 6" apart around edges and weaved cotton thread to create the trellis. Used 12" scraps of 2x2 to create a "slot" inside the center of the planter to support the trellis. Added container mix and green pole beans started in egg cartons earlier in the spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

DIY Wood Framed Console Table

Submitted by schup21 on Mon, 09/09/2024 - 09:35

I was looking for a console table and saw your website while searching various stores online and decided to go ahead and build one myself. Followed your plans for the waterfall console table and I think it turned out great and for a fraction of the cost! Thank you and you definitely gained a new follower!

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

Shanty Sideboard

My wife and I are very happy with this piece. It was challenging but not too difficult. The plans were very easy to follow.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

10 foot long Provence Table with 4x4's

My mom was looking for a new outdoor table, and asked me to come up with something. I found the link for these plans (http://www.thedesignconfidential.com/2011/04/free-diy-furniture-plans-t…) to knock off Restoration Hardware's $4000 Provence Beam outdoor table. Overall I liked the plan, with the chunkier look of the 4x4's. But there were a lot of errors in the diagrams, and the finished height is 34" which is ridiculously tall for a table. So we took it apart and cut the legs back down to change the finished height to 30". We chose rough-cut cedar for it's look and outdoor properties, not wanting to use treated lumber for a dining table. We couldn't find 2x10's like the plan, so we substituted seven 2x6's just like Ana's plan, but left a 1/2" gap in between so water can drain and not pool on top and rot the wood. Also, since we were working with 4x4's for the legs, we chose heavy duty lag bolts instead of screws to join them together. I love the finished look they give. Overall it's a sturdy, yet lightweight table that my mom loves and has already used for entertaining!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$230
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
outdoor sealer
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

brookifer86

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 10:02

Thanks Brook! It was so much fun to build. I put my dad and husband to work while I was the "project manager" ;)

Adirondack Chairs with Table

Submitted by stevez8420 on Sat, 08/08/2015 - 13:24

I was inspired by DIY Pete's Double bench seat but wanted more of the traditional adirondack look, so I kind of combined 3 plans together to get this! For my first attempt at these chairs with a few of my own tweaks I think it turned out pretty darn well. Changing the legs to extend out the back and curve out the front posed small challenge and then mounting the chair backs at a comfortable angle. There are some imperfections that probably only I would notice but I can correct it for next time. This photo was taken just after staining when I noticed that I missed sanding some wood filler on the front of the seat. Building these chairs only took about 6.5 hours before the finishing process but the next time would go faster. I am currently in the process of adding a protective varnish to give it a semi-gloss finish. All together it cost me under $100 CDN or $80 USD.

Estimated Cost
$70-80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax - Gunstock with a semi gloss varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Outdoor sectional

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/02/2019 - 04:17

Made the outdoor sectional. The coffee table was made out of left over pieces!

Estimated Cost
$260
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We used a semi transparent stain applied with brush. We would recommend a hand sprayer instead.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Mud room Bench

I mimicked one of the brag post on this webpage. I used 1x4s and luan for my back. The seat is 2x4s with a project panel stained and polyurethaned. I am grateful for people sharing their wonderful projects on this site for inspiration.

Estimated Cost
140
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

rustic baby crib

Submitted by KL728MX on Tue, 01/05/2016 - 12:32

my wife and I had our first son, Mason, over the summer and I was in love with the idea of building his crib. It was a lot more work than I had anticipated but it was well worth the hard work. it came out beautifully. I made a 2X4 spacer that we can remove as he gets older to lower the mattress height. i used all pine lumber for the crib.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
rustoleum American walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

modern outdoor lounge chair

Just finished this beauty, entirely made with 2x4, plans were modify to match our outdoor sofa and coffee table. I think our best looking project so far ;) Thank you for inspiring me to build !!!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:56

Love your version so much. Would you have happened to have the modified dimensions?

Seasonal And Holiday

Do-It-All Mobile Workbench

Submitted by JL Hurst on Wed, 11/28/2012 - 11:02

The need for a proper workbench in my garage/shop is a must, but. So is space! I already have a fold down workbench I’ve made with ¾ inch pipe & a door, but. I just need something that can handle all my tools. So, I stumbled upon these plans from the Family Handyman & couldn’t find a reason why this wouldn’t work in my shop. It has room for storage, can easily accommodate my tools & most importantly fold up to store. Easy to build too! Make sure you read all the plans first as some of the materials could be pricey, but well worth it. Technically it’s taken 2 months to build this bench, as I operate on a firefighter/teacher’s budget & during the holiday season no doubt. I ordered all the shelf standards & brackets through Amazon, $210.00 for those alone, but they hold so much weight to support your tools I figure it’s worth it. The rest materials (wood, screws) were purchased at Home Depot for around $150.00. The plans called for ¾ inch ply & it was $45.00 per sheet. However they did have a smaller thickness for $22.00 per sheet & was only a 1/32 inch thinner. I plan on topping all my surfaces with some ¼ inch tempered hardboard later on so I knew it would work. That also left me adjusting my screw size to mount my brackets. Due to the reduction in thickness of the plywood all my #8-1 inch screws needed to be adjusted to ¾ inch so to not screw through the ply. I also hit the molding isle to nab some pieces to use as furring strips to use under the shelves before attaching the brackets. This way I can sand each strip to match before mounting to make sure it lined up flat with the center top. One more thing; where it says “drill 1/8 inch hole in brackets make sure you use 1/8 inch pop rivets. I barrowed a pop rivet gun & was handed some rivets as well. Popped two & they had to be trashed because the rivet size turned out to be 5/32. So I stepped up in drill bit size & it all worked out. As I said, I’ll be topping it with some ¼ inch hardboard. I also plan to run it’s own electrical with an outlet on each post. I hope you all enjoy & this can help!

Estimated Cost
$350.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rusty Cottage

Thu, 11/29/2012 - 07:03

This is by far the best workbench I have ever seen!!! Thanks for sharing. And excellent choice of table saw and miter saw.

JL Hurst

Thu, 11/29/2012 - 14:59

If I had it to do over I'd had gotten the contractor grade portable saw from Dewalt. The smaller version I have is the same 10" saw, but. It's maximum rip capasity is only 16. The other will at least rip a sheet of ply in 1/2.

Thanks for the kind words on the bench! I hope everyone that may find this valuable will. The plans came out of a 2005 issue & were hard to find on the internet.

uniquetrio2000

Thu, 07/04/2013 - 18:28

I love this work bench and would love to build it but i cant find them. Could you post them or email them to me please. uniquetrio2000 [at] gmail [dot] com

phantom1

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 05:39

I built this bench 3 years ago and I couldn't be happier. The portability, space savings and functionality make it wonderful!

StepFar

Mon, 01/08/2018 - 14:44

Am I missing the actual plans for this. I downloaded the pdf but it doesn't have the build plans apart of it.

Modern Patio Chairs/Love Sear

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 09/25/2022 - 15:57

Super easy and fun project! We altered the original plans to build a loveseat and had zero issues. We did add some extra support below.
I did not find 25”x25” cushions within our price range so I settled for 25”x22.5” and they work but ultimately 25x25 works best.

Loft bed with bookcase and desk

Submitted by abc1234 on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 08:01

I built this for my daughter and more or less followed the plan without changes. I wasn't able to get hold of 1x3 so had to rip 1x4s which was a little time consuming. In hindsight I would probably increase the depth of the desk as it's a little shallow but not a huge problem.
I primed with two coats of BIN Primer as there were a lot if knots in the wood and I heard this is the best to cover then. It was a lot more expensive but hopefully worth it. Finished with latex semigloss.

Comments