Community Brag Posts

A friend of mine was looking for extra counter space, and asked me to build a kitchen island, but with a few modifications. He wanted space on the end to slide two stools, so I used fewer slats. After I finished the build and the first coat of paint, he decided it was 3" too short. So, I got creative and used some stair spindles to create decorative feet! I'm actually really glad for the mix-up, because the feet give it so much character. I layered on the paint by starting with a coat of plum, then a coat of cherry, and followed it up with a glaze mix with oak stain. Then three coats of spray on poly and it was done.

This was my first building project, made possible by finding this wonderful website. The beds were made from the Classic Bunk Beds plan. Several months later I added a slide made out of melamine board and 2x3s - very sturdy and somewhat overbuilt to compensate for not using any plans for the slide).

I used Minwax polyshades for the finish - my first time finishing wood, and let's just charitably say that I learned a few lessons in doing so.

The steps are a repurposed solid pine Ikea Trofast unit - it worked very well for the kids (4 and 2 when the bed was built). However, it wasn't a great choice for getting my wife and I up to the top bunk - one of the top panels eventually broke... leading to a big bruise for my wife and strict instructions that I quickly build a new, more solid staircase option - to be shown in a future brag post.

All in all, I am very thankful for this website and its plentiful plans - more brag posts to come!

Modified plans for a king. 

Made of pine and cedar. 

Took about a week of evenings. 

I made this for my two great granddaughters (6 and 2) I used the plan for One Piece Play Kitchen. I added some depth to the refrigerator. Made the Farmhouse sink from wood left over from a bed I took apart.
purchased from Amazon:
decals: $22
Peel and stick granite $8.50
Polycarbonate Clear plastic : $10
Cabinet Handles: $17
Facit: $19.99
8 hinges $13.50
Cabinet paint: $29

Wood materials were left over from previous projects. So total cost was less than $150

This was our first project using the Kreg Jig K4 pocket system.  We wanted a simple and affordable project to learn how and practice using this tool.  I also wanted a narrow buffet table to fit in our formal dining area, which I could never find in stores, so making one seemed appropriate.

The only difference from the original plans is that the sides are 37 1/4" and the back is a 1x14 @ 58 1/2".

Thank you for this simple yet elegant console table plan!

Built this 6ft 2 pedestal table.  Moved the legs closer together on the benches so that they could slide under the table.

Cal king headboard
Christmas gift

After building the computer desk from Shanty@Chic's design. We decided to make a simple bench that matches. It is about 36" long (which is long), but we wanted both kids to be able to sit in front of the computer at the same time.
Cost was low except more Minwax stain and a 1"x3" for the trim on the bottom. Most was built from scraps desk material and we have a ton of extra wood we saved from the trim carpenter when we built our house last year.

I made half of the Rustic X Console table. It was an easy build until it was time to make the X's. They were only hard because I was using a circular saw and carpenters square and I couldn't get my lengths right. I ended up with a lot of short pieces and I was glad I ended up buying more than enough 2x2's. If I had a miter saw it would of been a lot easier (I have one now).

Clara table and 4 dollar stackable chairs. I used Minwax Early American on the table and a variety of paint colors on the chairs to keep it fun. I also used select pine on the chairs which increased the cost but cut down on sanding time. I also routered the top edge of the table to create a smoother edge.

After too long fiddling around with other things, I finally finished the hall tree for my wife. Used a sheet of bead board for the backing and it didn't turn out too bad. Thank you for the plan and the inspiration Ana, very much appreciated!

Steve

Taking the top of solar footlights & glued them to the top of a painted lamp cover then add the fishing line to hang & presto chango! You now have a hanging solar lantern for under $7!

This project was made for our four year old son, after viewing an article from a known magazine he came over charmingly stating "Daddy can you build me this in a dinosaur theme??" So of I went searching and found the plans online here (Thanks Ana!) @ a cost of approx $400 and about 40 hours of work it was built. He loves it and loves to show it off to friends and family, as it has also been a hit within our neighborhood. We built it using white board wood, sanding everything down, and using just semigloss polyurethane to seal and protect the wood. All materials where obtained from either Home Depot or Lowes.

I made this Farmhouse X Table from Ana's plans with the adjustment of adding a breadboard to each end (a perpendicular piece of wood). This table was my first woodworking project ever! Now I am hooked ;) I have made a bench to match. Both are stained with minwax English Chestnut and finished with minwax fast-drying polyurethane, semi-gloss. Now I just have to figure out the rest of my chairs! Thanks Ana!

I wanted both shelves to slant. Cutting the hand holes didn’t go well for me. I used 3” wheels to better maneuver on carpet. I originally tried two fixed casters and two swivel casters but that was too difficult to maneuver so now all four swivel.

My entry was filled with a huge armoir/bar, that made the entire house feel cramped...So, I moved it and replaced it with this beauty!

I wanted a shelf, so I used a 1x12 trimmed with 1x2's for this.
I modified and went with 5 drawers instead of 4...I have 5 boys, this way they each get a drawer for their stuff.
I also alternated finishes on the top boards to create a striped look.

Notice something missing? The hardware for the drawers! I cannot make up my mind on which ones to buy. ;) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I like the straight lines of this piece, so I want the pulls/knobs to be somewhat contemporary.

After looking at sofas in magazines and fliers, I decided I wanted to build one. For the quality (or lack of) at the price we could even dream of, it just didn't make sense to purchase one if I could build it. There are still a few little adjustments I may make as time goes on, but overall, I'm happy with the way it turned out! The pillows I made definitely added the finishing touch it needed!

It's a full 8 foot sofa designed with plenty of space underneath for storage! My plan was to build two wooden boxes on casters for the kids to use as toy boxes, but I think plastic totes will work just as well and much lighter and easier to clean! I drew up the dimensions and plans to fit what we wanted and went from there. The frame was the easiest part; took about a day. The cover and cushions on the other hand were quite a challenge. The sewing involved in this project was HUGE; took a little more than a week just for that. The pillows took an evening.

Thanks for checking out the project! Whatever you have in your heart, you can do!