Community Brag Posts

This was the hubby's second project off this site. Our dining room has been empty for the past 6 months that we moved in to our first home, so it was only appropriate for him to build something for this very empty space.

We did end up modifying the plans a bit... making it smaller (instead of 8 ft, it's 6ft) since we didn't need a huge table with just the 2 of us and the pups living in our home.

First I built the 3 weatherly style sectional, then I added the two-seat bench with table in between to square off a seating area in our yard... Family and friends loved them for 4th of July and I really appreciate the plans!!! Thx Ana White ;)

Connected Adirondack Chairs from Spring of 2015

A simple Tidy Up end table. It was super easy to make, and fit between my desk and the day bed perfectly.

11 year old son made most of it. 4 year old daughter helped paint it. Such an easy project! Thank You!

I built this closet system based on the plans here.  So easy and so basic, just putting them all together to make a very nice looking closet setup.  I used 12 sheets of birch plywood, and premium select 1x2 pine.  All stained in Minwax Jacobean and satin clear througout with semi-gloss clear on the drawer fronts.

For the rods, I used chainlink top bars, which cost $6 for a 10' piece, and used #0000 steel wool to buff them out and then polished them.  For the 45 degree corners, I used 1" electrical conduit, and placed two 45 degree bend in each piece, and again steel wool and polished them as well. 

For the drawers, I used soft-close slides.  When using these, I highly recommend installing the rear brackets as well, as they make installation so much easier.  16 pairs of soft-close drawer slides with brackets cost $120 for all of them on Amazon.

This project started off as a way for me to get some much needed "me" time and create a sense of accomplishment. However, after purchasing the wood & cutting it into lengths, my "Lego Maniac" 17 year old son decided he wanted to take over! He begged me to let him assemble the units. Since he single-handedly assembled our IKEA kitchen remodel, I decided to let him have his way.

We spent one day painting the cut pieces. I think it looks nicer having them painted first and patching up holes, rather than deal with drips and such with the numerous spaces and sections. We had a wonderful time chatting the whole day and painting. O.K., this is just as good for the soul as "me" time.

That evening, after the paint had dried, we couldn't help ourselves...we NEEDED to assemble one section. So we started with the corner unit. And after one major "re-do", we had it figured out. My son, Jacob, ran with it from there and he and his cousin finished it, wood patched, sanded, and re-painted.

All told, it took him (us) about 3 days to complete. We found the cushions at Lowe's and the entire project cost us about $500.00! HUGE savings and some serious mother-son time!

Sense of accomplishment doubled!

I built these beds for my son and daughter. They picked out their paint color and fabric for the curtains. I apologize for the picture being side ways. It uploaded up that way for some reason. 

We built two of these wood chaise lounge chairs from Ana's plans. We wanted to make sure they could endure the Texas weather so we sanded, primed and painted them. We used wood we had left over from other projects so our costs were limited to screws and chair pads....about $125 (chair pads are expensive).

I've been a long time creeper, pinner, favoriter of this site. I finally got a garage sufficient to build. Of course, the first project had to be an actual work bench for the many projects to come.

33" was a bit short for my tastes so I adjusted the leg height to 40". Also half way through my project I realized that my 2x4's were not true 2x4's. This became problematic with the four support beams for the top board. I was able to cut some proper length boards from some backup/emergency lumber. I still plan on figuring out what I want to do with the stain but that was all time allotted for!

These plans are easy to build. Built it in about a day. It was around $100 plus paint. 

My first ever building project! I learned a few important lessons: it's really hard to make a straight cut with a jig saw, and you have to use large hinges (the tiny hinges I put on there first ripped right out). It was a great learning experience, the fences really were easy to build, and my two-year-old LOVES them! Now I'm ready for my next project. :)

I needed a step stool for my son to be able to reach the bathroom sink to brush teeth and wash hands. This plan was exactly what I was looking for. As I do with all first time projects, I built this out of inexpensive pine. It is very sturdy, and holds me without a problem. I routed the edges of the treads, and used 1x3 material for the braces as opposed to the 1x2 called for in the plan. The plan was easy to follow and the cutting list worked perfectly. The most challenging part was creating the curves with the jig saw, but truly wasn't bad at all.

I finished these night stands this past spring. I followed the Kentwood night stand plan from Ana-White, but made a few design changes. I decided to arc the doors to give the tables a little more character. The material I chose was 3/4" pine. The table bases are finished off with 3 coats of Sherwin Williams paint, and the tops are walnut stained with 3 coats of poly. The contrast between the base and the top came out great, the stands look beautiful in our bedroom and offer lots of storage.  

I was inspired by Ana's 4 Hole Cubby Bookshelf and a bookshelf I saw on line one night. So I incorporated the two somewhat. I took stair parts for the corner legs and connected them to form a frame with 1x3 on the bottom and 1x2 around the top. Then installed the inside side walls such that the ends are inset. I added a top with an inch or so of overhang on the sides and front. I also made the two shelves adjustable with my new Kreg Shelf Pin jig. It was so easy and accurate. Dimensions are about the same as the 4 Hole Cubby but I admit I winged it at times. Came out very nice and now the wife wants to add another shelf and I think there is plenty of room.

I used Ana's Gaby Kitchen Island plans and shortened the island to fit our small kitchen. I did not have reclaimed wood, so I used a vinegar and steel wool solution to transform the fir and pine into a completely unexpected look. For the top, I trimmed the edges of the 2 x 6s with my table saw to get a smoother top surface, then routered the edges with a 1/2 inch round over bit (thanks Steve Ramsey). I used white pine down the middle to make up for the edges I removed which looks like a cool custom stripe. (I also used the white pine for the side supports so hopefully there's some cohesion.)

Thank you Ana for the inspiration and great project! Can't wait for the next one :)