Community Brag Posts

Garden sectional and table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:00

Easy to do though some thought required for conversion into centimetres .

Comments

Full Size Storage Bed

With a new baby on the way, my husband, Steve and I had to move our 2yr old son out of the nursery and into his big boy bedroom. After casually looking at storage beds and falling over in shock at the prices, I came across Ana’s plans for the storage bed. Knowing that Steve is extremely handy but had not attempted to build furniture before, I started talking him into building this bed. He was sold the moment I told him that we would save close to $2400 by building it ourselves. This was a longer than anticipated project mainly due to Steve’s full time work schedule, my inablility to handle stain fumes, allowing a toddler to “help” build his bed and working around said toddler’s nap schedule. We modified Ana’s plans by adding some trim to the cubby hutch, omitting the doors on the small hutch and sizing everything to a full size bed. We also omitted the shelves on the storage headboard since we weren’t going to use them with the side towers. I am absolutely in LOVE with the final result and have a long list of other projects that we will be building in the near future.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint or Stain Color/Type: Minwax Polyshades in Pecan Gloss

Finishing Technique: Steve primed the wood first with Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner then, added two coats of Minwax Polyshades in Pecan Gloss.

Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

For Clyde

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/02/2017 - 16:51

Great plans!  I tweaked some dimensions to make it several inches longer, and I made the bars 12 inches instead of 6 to open it up more.  Clyde loved it immediately!!  It goes perfectly with our craftsman/mission themed design.  Thank you!

Estimated Cost
<$75
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Snow White Milk Paint (3 coats) with 4 coats of Clear Coat to hold up to doggie toenails. The painting and clear coats took longer than the actual fabricating.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Expanded Planter Box

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:30

I wanted to put a planter around our new mailbox. So, I took your single planter design and build it as if it were three separate boxes only leaving out the interior pieces. It required making a T section for the middle pieces, And I made sure I used plenty of glue to firm up the structure and provide stiffness.

Comments

Adirondack chair

Easy and fun. Don't worry yourself over the angle on the left side of the stringer. The 15 degree one matters, the other, not so much. Buy an extra 1x4 unless you want to spend a pile of time figuring out how to cut them to maximize the space!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

table

Submitted by gavriel on Wed, 04/01/2015 - 16:40

wife wanted restoration hardware table after looking at the price decided to make it myself cost was about 300-350 dollars -  spend a nice amount of free time on it ~ 10 feet long - solid pine wood

im not a such a skilled carpenter but think it can easily be done with the correct tools

Estimated Cost
300-350
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

gavriel

Fri, 04/03/2015 - 11:37

First I drew it out on a cardboard template then once chosen I traced the edges on the wood and cut it ,i made them using table saw, jig saw, miter saw, orbital sander.

Modern Outdoor Chair with a twist

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/05/2017 - 15:59

Taken from the Modern Outdoor chair project and added a back. Then decided that I love the andorak style chair arms and thus the Andrmodern chair was born.. 

Estimated Cost
$35.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Will use the Behr two in one
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Modern Adirondack chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 13:57

I’ve been enjoying making the modern Adirondack chairs, only with reclaimed wood seats and backs. Finally made a love seat version.

Comments

White Bunk beds with ladder instructions

I redid this whole room for less than $600! Make sure you take your time with cuts and fitting. I did this with my father in law (my daughter even got to help out!), and it's less than perfect due to some rushing! More details on my blog.

I also couldn't find any 4x4's. Instead of doubling up on 2x4's, I just used one. That allowed me to change the tops of the head/foot boards to only 48" instead of 50 1/2. You can get enough for a head and foot board out of one board this way.

After looking at a TON of bunk bed ladders online, I designed my own. Just some leftover 2x4's. The sides are 47 1/2 inches long, and the rungs are 13 1/2 inches long. It's screwed to the bunk bed from the back so you don't see the screws.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded the heck out of everything, then two coats of Behr primer, followed by 2-3 coats of Behr semi-gloss in New Day Dew (it's a Disney color)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Dining table with oxidized finish (first project)

Submitted by shelymrfy on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 13:15

This was my first building project. All in all I'd say it was pretty easy. My husband had to help me on some parts because sometimes you just need more than 2 hands! I love my table and can't wait to start my next project. This was pretty large scale so I think I'll tackle something smaller next time.

Estimated Cost
$100 for wood and screws
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Two coats of strong black tea on white woods (pine) and then steel wool and vinegar solution. I sealed it with Polycrilic and I have to say I wouldn't use this again for this finish. The finish before the Polycrilic had the perfect gray/aged wood tones I was going for and the Polycrilic gave the wood an orange tone that took away from the overall finish. I think next time I do this finish I will use clear wax as a sealer.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

gardengal

Sun, 01/25/2015 - 08:15

Glad to get some tips on natural staining and finishing. I hate having to use chemicals.

Family Tree- Group project

Submitted by slice79 on Sat, 04/04/2015 - 20:03

We wanted to a group painting class that seems to be really popular right now and offered all over the place. Instead of spending $30/person on a class we thought we would try doing something like this on our own! We had a great time and would do it again! Ours was smaller than the original in the tutorial because we wanted to make 4.  Each person found an image online that they liked to make it more individualized.

Now that I've had a taste of working with wood, I'm ready for more! Ana, you're an inspiration! Thanks for the great site!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15/person (because we had to buy everything since we don't usually work with wood)
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Sanded with a medium grain block.
stained with special walnut with an old t-shirt
Used ultra white paint that we had leftover from painting our interior doors.
Birds were a random 50cent jar in the mismatched pain section at home depot. :)
Used toothpicks for the small writing.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Sliding Door Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/14/2017 - 00:26

Built this one based on a few of the other brag posts. We are happy with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
paint: swiss coffee; Stain: english chestnut
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Headboard and barstools

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 14:49

I adapted the plans somewhat. The headboard is made from Pucte, a trpical hardwood with frame of Cedro, a Mahogany. The seats of the stools are also Cedro and legs of Caoba, another Mahogany. I live in Yucatan so these woods are available. The Pucte was repurposed old salvage free

Comments

Leaning Wall Media Center

Submitted by KatieLott on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 13:45

Recently I was a Crate and Barrel and I found the Sloane Leaning Desk and thought that it would be perfect for my media center. (See that wall heater under the desk, I needed that to be open and I was tired of my big wood box of a media center on the, now, couch wall.) So knowing that I had seen the Leaning Wall Shelf on this site I knew I could reconfigure it a bit to work out for my own needs.

First, I cut the dimensions down a bit. Instead of the 31 1/2" length on all of the shelves I cut them at 24". Then then all the back trim at 25 1/2". Then for the middle section, I cut the shelf and desk at 36" and the back trim to 37 1/2". The side trim for the desk is 14 1/4". The desk itself was 22x36" and the top shelf was cut from a 1x8x6. I did this because I could cut all the other shelves and the desk from one piece of 4x8' plywood. For added support I used a 2x4 as the brace under the desk and added 1x2 braces (cut at a 45 degree angle) for extra support on the front/ sides of the desk (see photo). I also left all the edges squared off for a more modern look, like the Sloane.

I hope this helps you and good luck with your project! FYI, this was my first build EVER, and with a little help from my dad cutting the wood and getting it level, I got it done pretty easily. Oh, and get yourself some large clamps or an extra set of hands to help hold things together while you're drilling.

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I built the main supports and shelves separately then sanded, primed and painted them before assembling them in my home. For the primer I used 1qt. Zinsser 1-2-3 (1 coat), then used 1qt. of Martha Stewart, Seal (2 coats with a smooth finish roller) in a satin finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Weatherly patio sectional seats 6

We made two Weatherly Sofas and referenced the Weatherly Loveseat instructions for making one side of one of the sectionals armless. We were able to return several pieces of wood from the original wood list, so save your receipts if you're building something similar. After we placed it on the deck, we used two 5/16" carriage bolts with disc washers and nuts through the aprons to connect the two pieces of the sectional. ***General Advice*** There are a LOT of repetitive cuts in this so make use of cutting jigs to speed up the cutting process. This will allow you to simply cut, slide the next piece into place, and cut again. On a project of this magnitude it will save you a couple of hours. Paint before assembling. You end up painting more sides than necessary, but it goes faster than painting after assembly and your finished product looks better, too. If you are using a soft wood, finish brads will work fine when constructing the x's (as opposed to the finish nails recommended in the plan). *** Price Breakdown *** Wood $162.95 Screws, Hardware, Feet $27.77 Paint $38.58 Wood filler $17.13 Seat cushions w/ matching back cushions purchased from Lowe's (allen + roth 46.5-in L x 25-in W Natural Chair Cushion) $360.31 Pillows purchased from Target and West Elm $119.24 *** Duration of Each Step *** Purchasing wood: 90 min Straight cuts: 90 min 30* cuts: 70 min Assembling Xs: 60 min Sanding: 3.5 hrs Painting: 6.5 hrs More Assembly: 3 hrs Wood Filler: 60 min Final Assembly: 6 hrs Touch-Up: 15 min

Estimated Cost
250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Premium Plus Ultra Exterior Semi-Gloss Enamel in "Evening Hush" (a charcoal grey one shade darker than the grey in my accent pillows)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Arialvetica

Sat, 05/18/2013 - 18:57

My cushions are 25 inches wide and they are wedged in there REALLY tight. 24-inch cushions would fit much better.

In one of my pictures, you can see "back rest" pillows that use the same material as the seat cushions. If you want big cushy cushions like this, you will probably want to modify the plan so the seat is deeper. The cushions look great, but I've decided to leave them off for actual use.

I have been sitting out on the patio for HOURS reading a Pride & Prejudice spin-off and it is sooo cozy. Highly recommend this project if you want a comfortable luxurious sectional for your patio without spending big bucks at Pottery Barn!

Our on the Dawsen Media Console

Submitted by nwcw2001 on Mon, 04/06/2015 - 22:03

We built our version of the Dawsen Media Console to replace our TV stand. We adjusted the size to fit our living room. The length is 59" and 20" deep. We went with the open areas and enclosed the front middle to "hide" the tv boxes.  We also used the screen in the doors to match the middle screen.

Estimated Cost
We had a lot of the wood on hand from other projects and scrap from area shops. So our out of pocket expenses were roughly $150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Two toned black latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Farm Table and Bench

Submitted by markyro on Wed, 07/19/2017 - 06:54

Farm Table I built for my Son. 2 two different sets of plans then modified to the size I needed.

For the Table Top I used Wood Planks (2) 2x8 (1) 2x10

For the Bread Boards I used (1) 2x8

For the Base I used (2) 2x4

For the Legs I used (2) 4x4

For The Bench I Used

Seat of Bench (1) 2x6 Left over from the table

Bread Boards (1) 2x5

Legs 4x4 left over from the table

Tools Used

Drill

Kreg Jig

2 1/2 and 1 1/4 Kreg Screws

Clamps

Sqaure

Glue

Mitre Saw

Tape Measure

 

Estimated Cost
$130.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Mini Wax - American Colonial Pine Stain 2 Coats
Mini Wax - Polyurethane - Semi Gloss 2 Coats
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Chicken Coop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 15:53

We made this Chicken Coop this summer , with lots of help. We doubled the coop and the chicken run is 8x8 . We used the base of a previous clubhouse!! Thanks so much for the plans

Comments

Pallet Shelf!

Submitted by tracysmith on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:30

Ok, so no one is going to get really jazzed about this but me, but hey.. I actually had to cut this, which I did on my own with no help from the hubs and nail in the bottom boards. That was a bit tricky cause I used other pallet wood so I didn't have to rob any of the nice stuff from my scrap pile. :-)

Estimated Cost
FREE
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
We ended up painting these for my Dad and step-Mom, but for my own that I have, we put nothing on them at all.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Storage hutch with cushion

Submitted by cathyz on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 19:35
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Annie Sloan paint, Poly finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 06:01

This came out great and I love that color!!! It's similar to the color I just painted my front door.

Sideboard

Submitted by JoeP on Wed, 04/08/2015 - 11:06

My wife has been asking for a sideboard since we moved into our new home.  I started it some time ago and finally finished it.

Estimated Cost
Can't remember
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner