Community Brag Posts

Corner TV Stand

Submitted by Jeffmp29 on Mon, 10/12/2015 - 07:27

We've searched for a corner TV stand but couldnt find anything we liked. I finally decided to build one. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
General finishes java, 2 coats. several coats of satin for top coat (GF as well)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Patrick's Beach Cottage Media Center

Submitted by bcarter_1 on Tue, 10/30/2018 - 04:36

Modified the plans to have sides like the wide cabin dresser, and took out top two drawers for media center

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

Comments

Red Coat Tree

Submitted by StacieM on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 19:35

So I finally painted my coat tree this weekend (in the 105+ degree heat). I love it. It's far from perfect but it was only my second project and was a great learning project and serves great for towels, coats, hats, dog leashes, etc. Sorry about the poor photo.

Overall the project took much longer than it should have since I was cutting everything with a crooked cutting circular saw so getting the angles right took a long time. (I have learned that a power miter saw is worth every penny!)

I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the great plans Ana!

Estimated Cost
$10
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
One coat of spray primer, two coats of Krylon Pimento spray paint (Satin finish).
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Modified Loft bunk

My boys have to share a room so I needed to have some storage and increased usability. I added a 10" deep headboard to the top bunk and extended the desk to 10" deeper. I couldn't put the ladder in the middle of the room so i had to put it beside the bookcase and in turn had to turn the drawers to the inside so they wouldn't be under the ladder. I then needed a gap between the bookcase and the bottom bunk to access the shelves the the drawers on the side of the bottom bunk, so now there is a large shelf above the desk which is also the underside of the headboard. I also modified the desk to accommodate a computer tower when they get a bit older. There will also be a slide out keyboard tray and a small drawer. (haven't built them yet.) I managed to build this without adding much materials at all. the headboard was all scraps from the rest of it. The desk and bookcase are also 3" taller than the plans(seemed too short, in hindsight, now its too close to the ceiling... oops. )

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Donated bed

Submitted by Medickep on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 08:42

I made another one of these bunk beds for a family near my community.  This time I made all cuts from longer boards 16' + The boards had less nknots, which required less sanding and came out better!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
220.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Watco Medium walnut (2 coats)>
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Blanket Ladder

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/05/2022 - 05:12

My husband was an amazing woodworker and when he passed away he left me a wood shop full of tools. No skills but with amazing directions, I was able to make a blanket ladder to hold the quilts that I so dearly loved. I think my husband would be very pleased!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Playhouse loft bed

Submitted by redbic on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 16:24

This is my very first project! I had so much fun building this for my son. His room wouldn't fit the stairs so I modified the ladder so that it was inclined to make it a bit easier to climb and less scary for him. This was such a fun project to take on. Thanks Ana for the plans!

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

Comments

Connie

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 03:13

Love it! My granddaughter wants one for Christmas and I can only hope it turns out half as well as yours! Great job!

jlbbrandt (not verified)

Sun, 12/11/2011 - 12:35

Hi. my husband is just about finished building this bed, and now it's time for me to paint it. Just wondering how you painted it for a nice finish. Did you use rollers or brushes? And tips on technique?
Thanks!

Rustic X End Table

Submitted by Lis West on Sun, 09/01/2013 - 10:42

I modified the original plans to fit the height and length of my sofa as well as to show off the chevron planks. I was offered some pallets...so, I greedily accepted them, to which my husband rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, "Great, more wood!" I tried to make all of the table from the pallets but I ended up using pine for the table edging and the "X."
I laid out the table top in a chevron style on 1/2in plywood, glued and screwed them in from the bottom with wood screws. I attached edging with pocket holes. For the bottom part of the table, I attached larger pallet boards using glue and pocket holes instead of attaching to plywood. I actually attached the edging first to the bottom boards and then attached to the table rather than attach the bottom edging and then try to make the boards fit. I sanded the top and bottom tables with 40, then 80, then 120, and then 240 grit sand paper until smooth. I also sanded the legs the same way. To say that total time sanding for the entire project was 20 hours maybe an understatement. If you look at the underside picture, you can see the roughness of the wood...and I had already lightly sanded them! I ripped my own 1x2's for the edging and "X" from 2x4's with my table saw because I could not find anyone who sold unwarped wood...so frustrating!! The wood was so much straighter when I ripped them. I will rip my own wood as much as possible for now on!!
The "X's" were a challenge and I ended up cutting the ends at a 47.5 degree angles. I do not know why I had such a problem. I had right angles, but the wood is imperfect in many ways and not perfectly straight. I attached the "X's" together and to the table with glue and pocket holes. The legs had ink stamping, so I tried to keep that and not sand the ink completely off.
I added the metal "bling." I dulled the metal, primed and painted with metal paint. The paint chips off easily. So I think will end up replacing these pieces later on. The bolts were originally black, so they will stay.
Total time...several weeks because of all the sanding. I cannot devote whole days to woodworking because of family and work and I can only sand one hour at a time before my hands start to go numb. Also, the Waterlox requires at least 24 hours between each application. Cost: approximately $15...for the pocket holes screws (fine Kreg screws), hardware, other wood screws and 1 8ft 2x4. Everything else I already had (I already had the Waterlox, bolts, screws) or was given to me (pallets).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15 +
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Waterlox. I have a friend who does beautiful woodworking and he considers staining (and polyurethane) a sin. Because pallet wood has unique coloring, grains and textures, I nervously leaned towards his "no stain" stance and did not stain. I used Waterlox sealer, 3 coats original and 1 coat gloss, for protection. The Waterlox brought out a lot of color in the pallet wood, but since the pine has less color to bring out, the pine looks a little lighter than the pallet wood, which may look odd in the pictures but is really cool looking.
Waterlox is expensive, but I like it much better than polyurethane. Waterlox is easier to work with in that I do not get ANY bubbles or brush marks. Polyurethane seems to dry before I am finished, making it so difficult to work with and to get nice look. The Waterlox may take 24 hours to dry between applications, but I can apply it and keep "working" it until I like the way it looks and then it dries evenly without drips and without dull or uneven looking patches. Also, in the future, if I want to add more coats, I can without stripping. When the Waterlox is dry, it does not have a plastic look to it and it does not yellow, so my pine will keeps it color.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Tryde End Table with a Colorado Logo

Submitted by ajbehrens on Thu, 10/22/2015 - 21:45

Skipped the 2x4 top and shelf and replaced with a 1x4 board. Got lucky with some scraps. The Colorado logo was distressed with a rotary sander. 

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark stain and spray shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Kitchen Cabinets with Countertops

Submitted by cmanmgm007 on Sun, 11/25/2018 - 08:17

I would like to thank www.stonecoatcountertops.com for the ideas on the countertops, 

first off I used 3/4 MDF for this project, Ana White's momplex cabinet plans and just extended the plans to the size i needed, i created the doors out of MDF cut to size and used a router to create the design on the edge and the countertops are made with MDF, expoxy,spray paint, and metallic powder in 91% alcohol. this plan was so eazy, and my kids had a blast doing it, Thanks Ana for the cabinet plans

Estimated Cost
MDF $26 per Sheet- 2 sheets
Epoxy $95gal
spray paint
metallic powder $30

Finish Used
Leftover paints i mixed together together the color.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Park Bench Plan

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/14/2022 - 11:53

I love the plans for this bench! Very well thought out plans, easy to cut the wood and easy to put together. Thank you for all the hard work in coming up with all of these great plans!
Reanna Tovar

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Pretty Pony Shelves

Submitted by angiemicn on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 23:45

My daughter had all of her collection of Pretty Pony's in boxes, and like mother, like daughter, she likes working with her hands. She restrings their hair, paints new designs on their bottoms, etc. She loved the look of the 25 cubbies, just wanted them bigger across to accomadate her ponies.
These shelves are customized just for her toys, I used 1x4 instead of 1x6 because I don't want her bumping her head, when she gets out of bed....I didn't need that much width.
My daughter drew the Scalloped edge on freehand, and I cut it out.
Love this project.

Estimated Cost
10, most of my wood was from scrap
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
3 coats of China Red (minwax) sanded, vacced, and 2 coats of Satin Polyacrylic (minwax) all waterbased.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

dress up bin

Submitted by clantate on Tue, 09/03/2013 - 06:23

My husband made this for my daughter's 4th birthday. she loves it! We did decided not to add the wheels and it seems to be fine without them. We chose to do her name in letters as well. I did the lines and dots with a sharpe marker.

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

The Media Hutch Entertainment Center

Submitted by MikeP112 on Mon, 10/26/2015 - 09:28

I built this for my oldest brother.  I only used 2x2's for the legs.  I built the carcuses out of plywood and used 1x2 select pine for the face frames.  I built the top shelfs to be 5 feet tall.  So the whole thing is 7 feet high by 8 feet wide.  

Estimated Cost
$600-$700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Primed with Killz, and painted with Sherwin Williams Analytical Grey. After it was painted I used a finishing wax for a topcoat
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Fire Place and TV Surround

We needed a surround for the TV and really wanted to have a fireplace underneath. I took the Shanty Hutch/Sideboard plans and made some modifications. Took about 2 weeks to complete.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
We bought the fireplace for the project, so with all included about $600
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used Varathane American Walnut on the interior surfaces. I used a paint/stain blend for the exterior. It is a color match tint for my house.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Simple Bed Modified

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/27/2022 - 14:34

My daughter needed to get out of her Toddler Bed so I built this quickly. Used 2 2x6 for each rail, and cut down the height of the headboard and footboard. Also as always I use Rocklers 5" Surface Mounted Brackets for all beds. I have the rails also sitting on 3 inch blocks to support the extra jumping this bed will endure by a 4 yr old.

Comments

Shaker Peg Board

Submitted by rhilborn on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 12:15

This was a fun easy & free project! I had a number of 1x4's left over from building the Classic Bunkbed and we paired that with some old knobs I saved. These 3 peg boards have made a great addition to the foyer of our house. We use them to keep purses, bags, dog leashes, and hats handy and still organized. I am tempted to put up a few more peg boards in our hall now!

This probably took 30 minutes total from inception to installation.

Estimated Cost
Free!
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Wipe on Polyuerthane and minimal sanding. I basically sanded off any thing that could give someone a splinter and polyurethaned just enough to protect the wood.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Chevron Cassidy Queen bed

Submitted by blpetrie on Wed, 09/04/2013 - 20:42

We took the general plan of the Cassidy wood shim bed but added some features of our own. Since my husband is in the military we knew we would be moving more than the average builder so we made the bed to be more durable for frequent disassemblies. Instead of screwing the frame to the head and foot board we used carriage bolts to secure the pieces.

We also wanted to add a reclaimed aspect to our bedroom. We bought some reclaim cedar siding from a local estate investor and decided to do a chevron pattern. After staining the whole frame, we applied the siding to both the head and the foot board since we bought basic plywood and wanted to cover both ends. Plus, we liked the look with both ends done better. We cut the siding at 45 degree angles and then custom cut each piece to fit. This was a time consuming area since, with reclaimed wood especially, each piece is unique. We then just used liquid nails to secure the pieces.

To finish we assembled the bed and applied a paste wax.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200 (with cost of reclaimed wood)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
We applied one coat of Rust-Oleum Kona with foam brushes then let it set for about one minute before wiping excess with a rag. We really wanted the wood grain to pop and this did the trick. We applied a coat of paste wax after stain was dry.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Matthew Martin

Wed, 09/04/2013 - 21:12

This bed sure looks amazing. I made a bed from the same design just a little more like the main shim bed with a tad bit of modifying. like you guys i was military and made the bed for easy take apart with 7in lag bolts vs nailing. Good luck with future builds.

jmorken

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 08:44

You guys did a fantastic job! My wife and i were looking to create a bed with a chevron or herring bone pattern, and this provides the perfect visual. Question about the foot board: It looks like there are varying thicknesses or some type of beading on the boards. Is there?
Thank you!
j

jmorken

Tue, 05/13/2014 - 08:44

You guys did a fantastic job! My wife and i were looking to create a bed with a chevron or herring bone pattern, and this provides the perfect visual. Question about the foot board: It looks like there are varying thicknesses or some type of beading on the boards. Is there?
Thank you!
j

simmersjm

Sun, 11/06/2016 - 15:53

How did you place and secure the carraige bolts to the frame? I move around a bit too and would love to know how to do this. If there is anyway to upload a picture of what it looks like, that'd be great.

Toy storage bin

Submitted by JimDel on Thu, 10/29/2015 - 12:46

This was my first Ana White project and the first time using my new Kreg jig that my wife bought for me as a birthday gift.  I modified the plans to build this as one complete unit and not as separate bins to be stacked.  I used my Kreg jig on the dividers and ends to attach each section to the next.  This saved on material and made it a bit lighter since I was building it 4 units high.  I added small 2x3 feet to the bottom to clear an outlet behind the toy bin.  Two L brackets were used to anchor the unit to the wall. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Cost was about $80 for materials. The stain was a mix from what I already had.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax polyshades. This was a mix of a couple stains I had left over.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

His & hers studio closet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 22:55

Instead of using galvanized pipes, to save money we opted for ready made closer rod & hardware from Lowe’s and added additional 2x4 pieces perpendicular to the shelf supports and screwed the closet rods into those. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
>$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Weathered oak stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner