Community Brag Posts

Modified Top on Console Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/25/2016 - 13:31

Used the Ana White plans for the console table but omitted the 1x12 and used 1x4 45' for the perimeter and ran anothe 1x4 up the middle.  We added cross supports under the top to attach the top to, eliminating the second layer on the top.

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

First Project

Submitted by amy2789 on Fri, 03/16/2012 - 13:48

When I saw the plans for this bench I knew I had to make it. I had been looking for something to put on my porch, but hadn't found anything I liked.
I, or should I say, my husband had all the tools just sitting in the garage.

It was a great starter project. I definitely felt the learning curve. Thank goodness for wood filler and paint!

Estimated Cost
$30
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cheap red spray paint from Wal-Mart. I had it on-hand from another project.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

First Build - "Platform" Bed and Hailey Headboard

Submitted by stsa84 on Tue, 01/07/2014 - 10:25

After finally getting fed up with having our mattress on one of those cheap metal "frames", and no headboard, I decided to try my hand at a platform bed and plank headboard.

I followed the headboard plans to a T, with the exception of using 1x4's for the front trim instead of molding (at HD/Lowe's, the cheapest option would have set me back $40), and making it higher and wider to fit my bed plans. Everything came together very easily.

For the bed, I drew up the plans myself. I wanted clean lines and a modern look, with short wide legs. Instead of having the mattress rest on slats, I elected to hide the box spring within the wood frame, with the mattress sunk down 4" below the lip of the frame.

Total cost for headboard: $100
Total cost for bed: $80

Do NOT waste your time going to Lowe's or HD to buy any of the 1x's. The only frustrating part of this project was finding un-warped wood, and the big box stores had me pulling my hair out. Find a local wood place in your area, give them a call, and ask if they sell to non-contractors. My local yard was actually cheaper than the big box stores, and their wood was straight as a board, as it should be.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain: Minwax Jacobean
Clear: Minwax Satin Polyurethane (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

amt47

Mon, 03/10/2014 - 04:29

This looks great! Can I ask, is it a solid board at the bottom, or two boards? What did you use for the nail heads that you can see connecting the bottom boards? I'm fairly new at this. Is that just decorative or are they the screws holding it together? How do you get that look?

Thanks! I am going to try to do something like this.

Kentwood Night Stands

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/28/2016 - 16:35

 Made these for my both my daughters and they love them. I think I may make some to sell as so many people seem to like them. I used a routered edge on my tops which deviates from plans a bit. I also used a biscuit jointer and glued in some biscuits to create my top made from 1x6 and 1x4 boards. Great plans and thanks for doing what you on this amazing website.

Estimated Cost
50$ with paint and hardware.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Min Wax Honey, white semi gloss gloss and primer from Rustoleum
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

lsieu

Fri, 10/21/2022 - 05:44

These are really beautiful. I love the white wainscot (?) in contrast with the natural wood top. I wonder if this design can be stretched upward and elongated into a cat little box cabinet enclosure? My mom could use one that's easy to open up to clean tall enough for a bit of enclosed storage, and a table top height for a place the cat can relax away from the dogs.

KIDS WORK BENCH

Submitted by kwildman on Thu, 11/21/2019 - 15:54

This is a kids work bench that I saw on pinterest.  I couldn't find plans anywhere so I just winged it.  If anyone knows who I should give credit to, I would be happy to do that.

This is made from pine studs.  The dimensions are 24" wide x 42.5" back height, 19.75 bench height, 19" deep.  The peg board is 24" x 18".

I used Early American stain with dark wax finish.   I painted the peg board with Rustoleum Navy spray paint.

I used a plan from Jen WoodHouse for the red tool box.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Minwax Early American Stain with Minwax Dark Wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

First project - Play Kitchen

Submitted by trotter on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 07:33

After my wife commented how much our son enjoyed playing with a pretend kitchen during play group, I began thinking about building one of our own. Searching online I found all of the amazing work that had been posted here and drew inspiration from all of the examples already shared.

Yesterday was the grand unveiling and I'm happy to report it was well received. Our son had to be dragged away from it for his bath and bed after hours of opening and closing all of the door and restacking his dishes. Thanks to all of you for the great ideas and the confidence to build on my own!

PS: The Kreg jig is the greatest DIY invention of all time.

Estimated Cost
$230
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Spar Polyurethane (spray can) followed by sanding with 400 grit sandpaper after drying for 24 hours
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

TIffonie

Fri, 08/31/2012 - 19:15

Im in love with this. It's perfect for a boy. Your alterations are very nice. What did you use to do the countertop and stainless steel appliances?

Tanner (not verified)

Sat, 09/01/2012 - 16:05

The countertop and appliances were both done with just plain old Contact Paper. I found both at Lowe's. Good luck!

Horse stable for 18" dolls

Submitted by petera on Thu, 01/09/2014 - 08:03

This was a neat project that made a great Christmas present, along with some horses, of course. What really finished it off was the shim shingled roof. I also liked the hinged doors which gives it a little action for the kids to play with.

Thanks for the plans.

Peter

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax golden oak on the roof.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mya's Dollhouse

Submitted by Kiwilisa on Thu, 03/31/2016 - 03:40

I eliminated the bottom floor and created a shorter storage area instead. To make the project more manageable for one person, I chose 1/2" birch plywood, however, I think 5/8" would have been a bit more sturdy for this project. I love the plans and found them very easy to customize to fit my project.

Estimated Cost
$150-$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Advance in Winter Grey (Exterior)
Benjamin Moore Advance in Decorator White (Interior and trim)
Minwax Dark Walnut wood stain (Floors)
Varathane interior polyurethane in Gloss to finish entire project.

I used the HomeRight HVLP sprayer to finish all the pieces (Except the stain) prior to assembly.
I also stained the floors prior to assembly simply using a wipe on stain. All the plywood edges were finished off with a white melamine iron on edge band.
The BM advance paints and Homeright sprayer are my absolute favorite combination for any furniture project.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Christmas tree alteration

Submitted by bbhughey on Mon, 11/25/2019 - 18:14

My wife and I loved the original plan, but we needed the shelves to be wider.

So, I adjusted the plan to taper like a tree.

I used plywood and my wife painted it up.

The dimensions changed to 9 inches between shelves. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Simple Outdoor Loveseat

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/01/2023 - 15:02

Modified the simple outdoor chair plans and made it into a loveseat.

Mike T.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Chalkboard Shelf

Submitted by saracrow on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 11:43

I wanted to make my girlfriend a gift for her birthday and came across this shelf. It turned out wonderful and I can't wait to make one for myself now!

Estimated Cost
$3 (for the chalk)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Chalkboard spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Pair of Kentwood Inspired Night Stands

Submitted by AndyH on Fri, 11/15/2019 - 11:08

Wanted to build matching nightstands based on the Kentwood design which I liked. I also wanted to make sure the doors were hung for the appropriate side of the bed for easy opening. Hopefully guests will love these in their room!

Estimated Cost
$105
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax pre stain. Minwax Jacobean stain. Minwax Satin Polyurethene. Only one cost of Jacobean stain was enough. Two coats of Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My project with coastal theme

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/02/2016 - 08:12

My Brandy Scrap bed with drawers, with a coastal theme. Made from scrap left over from an accent cedar wall. Originally stained with vinegar and steel wool and added some white wash and blue wash for color!

Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Vinegar and steel wool with white wash and blue wash
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse Console Table

Submitted by LatvianGal on Sun, 12/01/2019 - 18:31

This was my first furniture build, and my 20 year old daughter did it with me! We made some rookie mistakes, but we love it!  Super excited to make some matching end tables and or coffee table!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We whitewashed the bottom and stained the top with Minwax Red Mahogany.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Toy Storage

Submitted by camcginty on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 20:49

In our basement we have an 8 inch oak ledge on the outside walls. I love the oak finished ledge, but it makes it hard to place furniture up against it. The furniture is either shorter or taller than the ledge and looks awkward. So, I built several storage pieces to fit our area and ledge. I modified a couple of different plans to create our toy storage area. It's so useful and looks great.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
I used the paint and finishing ideas from the plan "Our new pantry". She used Valspar Cabin Red paint and Valspar Antiquing glaze. They no longer have Cabin Red, but I just used a similar color. I love the Antiquing glaze and have used it for numerous projects.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by AmieH on Sun, 01/12/2014 - 14:38

We used the farmhouse table plans from this website, and modified the length and width. The finished length is about 8 1/3' long (100") and 45" wide.

This was our first build and my husband and I learned a lot! We could not find untreated 4x4s ANYWHERE in our area. We searched for days and called probably 10-15 places. We were just going to build with 2x4s, but my husband's work ended up having some pallets that used 4x4s come in with a shipment. They were not in the best shape, but we wanted it to look rustic so we weren't too concerned. Also, our 2x6s were a little warped, so they bow down at the ends. We searched through piles and we didn't really notice until they were on (breadboards). We did buy a Kreg Jig Kit and are so glad we did! We have used it for other projects and can't wait to use it for more. Such a great purchase!

I learned to ALWAYS do a test piece of stain first. This was new to us. We stained it the first time, and then had it spray coated with polyurethane (my stepfather does cabinets). I hated the finish! So I ended up spending an entire day (from 8 in the morning until midnight) stripping the 3 coats of polyurethane and stain. We could not get it all out, but got most of it. We then re-stained it with a lighter color (custom stain left over from our kitchen) and finished it with Minwax Wipe-On Poly. I like the more natural finish much better. If I could talk my husband into it, I would build another one so I could get the stain right.

Overall, I'm pleased with how it came out! The plans were easy to follow, and not hard to modify using a little math.

Estimated Cost
$150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Custom stain from Sherwin Williams (close to an espresso with a little bit of a cherry color). Wiped on, waited a few minutes, wiped off. Finished with 4 coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

krsparks

Thu, 05/21/2015 - 08:00

I'm new to this. Did your apron cuts/measurements change when you increased the length and width of the table? By the way, your table looks beautiful!

Barn Door Entertainment Center

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/04/2016 - 19:27

I took the Grandy Sliding Door Console plans and added another middle section to make the entire plan fit the nook in my man cave. I manipulated the plans to have openings without shelves to fit a mini fridge and an area for blankets (currently in the wash). Total length is 12 ft and height is 37.5 inches high (36 inches + the top). I tried to stain it to match another table in the room and it worked out pretty well.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony for the face/base and Minwax Colonial Maple for the top.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate