Community Brag Posts

Modified Farmhouse Bench

This was a very modified version of this plan. I mostly just dismantled two stools and built the top. The top is one solid plank of wood and two layers of 1x2's to create the frame. It goes perfectly with my Farmhouse table. I love the character of the wood top, its so unique. Enjoy!

Estimated Cost
$10 trim only. I used mostly scraps and furniture I already had
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Providence and Minwax Ebony mix 3 to 1.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Shaker style cabinet doors and drawers!

Submitted by ksmith311 on Sun, 02/16/2014 - 16:49

After some inspiration from Ana, my husband and I tackled refacing and rehabbing our original cabinets circa 1939. The drawers and shelves were in rough shape so we built our own using the kreg jig. We're extremely happy with how everything turned out. When the weather gets better we will be building new cabinets on the opposite side of the kitchen where unfortunately we don't have ANY storage.

Thanks for looking!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Farrow and Ball "Lime White" uppers and Benjamin Moore "Kendall Charcoal" lowers
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Childs Bench with Arbor

Submitted by Fitz3636 on Tue, 02/18/2020 - 08:28

This was one of my first Ana-White projects. I am a hack builder and found this to be fairly easy with the back of the seat to be intermediate (However, I slanted the back and found that to be challenging for me.) Loved this little arbor bench and how it turned out. A couple coats of polyurethrane has helped it last outdoors all year through the sun and rain in Florida. Kept costs down using extra wood in the garage. Kids love to sit on it but mostly climb...!

Estimated Cost
45
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Paint and polyurethrane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Full Wall Shelving Unit DIY

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/11/2023 - 10:54

Built this for a friend...I had to make some modifications to accommodate the door, but it turned out pretty well.

J Bye

4x4 Truss Beam Table with upholstered bench

Submitted by hubn8147 on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 14:35

I shortened the length of the table but kept the width. I have to re-figure the angles of the cross beams underneath. I also added decorative hardware to the raw post edges on the sides, on the edge of the breadboards, and underneath. I used Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain, and Rustoleum Satin Poly for the finish. I bought the 4 chairs before I stained it so I could match the table to the chairs. I then made the matching bench and upholstered it myself to match the chairs. All in all, it looks like a complete set and I'm so happy with it!
It is very heavy...

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

Comments

Joni

Wed, 02/19/2014 - 08:24

This looks fantastic. I LOVE the hardware on the edges. I know how hard it is to match stains and you did a great job. The upholstered bench looks professionally done.

Modern Craft Talbe

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/18/2016 - 13:26

The desk top measures 39" X 69". It extends 15" on one side, creating a counter overhang for a second crafter. The top is supported by a 1X3 frame fashioned after the desk design shared on Ana's brag post (pg. 7 as of this writing). The room has a tile floor, so adhesive-backed felt strips were placed on the bottom of the bookcase units, making it easier to pull the desk into the middle of the room should I need to access my work from both sides.

 

A lumber yard cut all the pieces. Next time I would use 1X12s for the two side pieces.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$220
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
MDF for table top. White wood for bookcases.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic Dresser and Bedroom Set

My son was too big for his toddler bed and had been spending his nights in the guest bed, instead. For his Christmas gift this year, his grandparents were going to get him bedroom furniture, but I insisted on building it instead! I love the rustic theme, saw the rustic dresser on wheels and thought it was perfect for him and perfect for us since we move so much with the military. Hello, a dresser on wheels? Like, no man labor trying to carry the thing out of the house? Just roll it? SOLD! I HATE the wheels that I put on it, but I really did not want to dish out $100 for the spoked wheels. I think I may change them one day and put the wheels on that will make it look ten times better, but for now, these will do. The wood for the dresser was pricey, but it was my first time buying plywood and I didn't realize that I could buy nicer plywood in smaller amounts that would have been a little cheaper since I didn't need to buy entire boards! Otherwise, it wouldn't have cost as much I am sure. I built a bed and a night table to match the dresser (as seen in the pictures), and frankly, I am very pleased with this set that I built! (CHECK OUT MY BED! http://ana-white.com/2014/02/rustic-twin-bed-upholstered-headboard-matc…) It was quite a difficult project for me, being the first time I had built drawers and because I didn't have more than a few hours in a week to get outside to work on it, but I finally finished :-) I also had a very small space to work in, since my husband consumes the garage with his man "stuff" and it was cold, so I needed the door closed with the space heater ;-). This project could definitely use some good amount of workspace!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100-$200??
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American , used a natural bristle brush, foam brush and cloth, set for a minute or two, wiped off.
Minwax Furniture Wax, rubbed on with cloth and let dry for a bit.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern outdoor bench

My last piece of my collection

Estimated Cost
$100
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

gtg673a

Tue, 03/09/2021 - 12:17

Hi Lila - I love this table and bench and have been searching everywhere for the plans. The link you connected to: "2x4 truss benches for Alaska lake cabin" doesn't look like your set at all :(
Maybe it's the wrong link?
Do you have the link for the plans you followed for this table and bench?
Thanks in advance!

Sideboard Build

Submitted by craw4dz on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:24

Before moving, I sold my older, MDF-containing, sagging china hutch that was given to me by a friend.  I had dreams of building my own and had printed out these plans... built it in my head, rebuilt it, scratched out notes, wrote new notes, and so on until my husband finally said "just build it already" haha.  It took me 2 months to finish it and fill it with all of my china and I'm into it for about $330.  I love her and affectionately refer to her as Gert... she's a big girl.  I added adjustable shelving inside and horseshoes to the front to match everything else in my house and I think it turned out great.  It's sturdy enough I think we could have dances on top of it!

Thank you for the simple and easy-to-follow plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$330
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Kona with a satin poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Superman Stool

This stool is a gift for my nephew's 4th birthday!! The hardest thing about this stool is trying to get all the legs put together without having enough room to get the drill at the right angle. This time, we used an extender piece on the drill bit (duh!) and it was MUCH easier than the other stools we have built.

I used a projector to put the trace the Superman symbol, then painted it.

I hope he likes it!!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Blue is spray paint, the yellow is some pre-mixed paint I used for my picnic table, and the red is acrylic paint. All the finishes are different, so that's probably not good. I sprayed a clear coat on at the end.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Farmhouse End Tables

Submitted by pde00311 on Mon, 02/24/2014 - 22:49

Of course, with our new king farmhouse bed, we needed matching his and her bedside tables. It was a pretty straightforward build. However, if I were to build it again, I would install slide hardware for the drawers. For whatever reason, our drawers, which use the wood on wood slides in the plans, are difficult to open/close. When I get a chance, I am going to sand everything down to try to prevent the drawers from sticking so much.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Behr off white #1873 paint distressed with Minwax special walnut stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ehays216

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 05:44

I love the stain you used on the tables and bed, thanks for giving the details! They all look great!

Double farmhouse bed

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/25/2016 - 20:05

My husband built the full size farmhouse bed for our 2 year old son. It turned out beautiful but very high off the ground. In hindsight he would've cut off about 4" from the end posts so it would be lower to the ground. Overall we are very happy with it!

Built from Plan(s)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kids Storage Table & Stools

I built a storage table and stools for my son's school class project and my wife wanted a set for her mom to give to her on Mother's Day.

Estimated Cost
$130
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Kona Stain, Poly satin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:25

Beautiful build. Is that the 36" round project panel? I don't the 32" size she refers to in any store.

Modified Kitchen Island from the Handbuilt Home Island Plans

Today I’m sharing this unexpected addition to our kitchen! Everything about the construction of this furniture-style kitchen island seemed to be charmed. There is usually a lot of trial and error that goes on behind the scenes during our projects- but everything seemed to just kind of fall in to place. We enjoyed it while it lasted, since we know it won’t be that easy again! ;) Without a real plan for the island, we found the beautiful marble slab on Craigslist for a steal. While the slab was having it’s edges finished, I began comparing island legs. The ones I decided on came from Osbourne Wood, they are called The Grand Harvest Island Posts. I liked the chunky style in order to support the heavy marble. We are so so happy with the quality of the legs that we plan on using this company for all future furniture building projects. For the specifics on how to build the island, we were a bit stumped. We were just kind of going to wing it. Then, when I was daydreaming about a completely unrelated project, I stumbled across the kitchen island plans in Ana‘s book The Handbuilt Home. The dimensions were almost perfect for the slab! We modified the plans slightly- we didn’t need casters, and our island needed to be a bit narrower than the plan in the book, and we swapped out the 2×4′s for 2×6′s in some places- but the length was perfect, so we were still able to use most of the materials list (a huge time & money saver!) to maximize yields. We ordered a Kreg Jig, like Ana recommended, and I have to say- I love it! This island was so much fun to build and finish- and it makes a huge statement in our DIY renovated kitchen!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Aged Driftwood Finish: I started out by giving the island a coat of Minwax pre-stain conditioner, since I was planning to use a water-based stain. Next, I did a coat of Minwax Waterbased Wood Stain White Base tinted Slate at the paint counter at Lowes. My next step was the whitewashing. I very lightly dry brushed the entire island with white satin paint. After it dried, we sanded it all smooth, removing some of the white paint. Some stayed behind in the detail. Then, we stood back and looked at our results… and we decided that it was too white with the rest of the kitchen, so we went over the paint with Rustoleum Driftwood. Weird, I know- but it worked perfectly! It changed some of the white paint into a more natural looking gray color, and toned down some of the blonde wood peeking through. The overall effect made it appear aged, and we were so happy with it!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

suschen

Fri, 02/28/2014 - 05:22

This looks amazing! I was wondering how you attached the marble slab to the posts?

gkubrynski

Mon, 03/03/2014 - 17:24

Unbelievable! Great accent to the kitchen. You mentioned you used both pine and maple... can you specify which parts were pine v. maple? Beginner here... Thanks

Vegetable Storage Bin

Submitted by Loaded918 on Sun, 03/15/2020 - 16:56

I had some scraps leftover from a previous project and decided to see what I could make. My wife wanted this vegetable bin, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I used my table saw to create my own 1x boards for this build. The back board is two 2x4’s with trimmed edges, glued together. The rest was a 2x10 I cut to size for the different pieces I needed. All in all, it turned out great!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~0
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Back