Community Brag Posts

Easy Upholstered bench

Wonderful project! Very fun. Built a bench from scrap 2x4s (left in the garage by our home's previous owner, so they were free!) and a piece of MDF shelving. Perfect for our entryway. The bench itself was incredibly easy to build. The hard part, in my opinion, was finishing it. So many pretty things to choose from! I used a piece of 2-inch foam plus a double layer of batting for the top, some striped upholstery fabric, and 160 nailheads to finish it off. Love it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax stain in cognac, and then two coats of minwax poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Guest (not verified)

Sun, 02/19/2012 - 12:54

Love it! Wondering if I could build it and have some type of slipcover on it. (house with three kids under 5 years old does not go well with permanent upholstery! haha)

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 03/09/2012 - 09:06

If you check out Ana's original plans for the Easiest Upholstered Bench, you'll see that she DID use slipcovers! You could make different ones for each season, or for holidays like Christmas or birthdays...

ehahn1

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 08:36

Hi Katie, I am having a difficult time finding fabric (hard to believe)! did you get yours online? How wide are the stripes? most fabric I am finding is not wide enough to cover the top and sides. Thanks for the help! Great build!

Mason Jar Centerpieces

Submitted by bludevil35 on Tue, 12/24/2013 - 05:55

We decided this year to make gifts for our family's Secret Santa!

Thanks again for the plans!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$4 for the handles
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Closet remodel Shelves

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/13/2019 - 13:15

My master closet was a mess when I moved in and something needed to be done. I moved the doorway to create more space in my bedroom and closet. I found this lan and modified it try needs. It works great!!

Note: It is much cheaper to purchase the long pipes and have Home Depot cut them down to the right length.

Estimated Cost
150
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Water based poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mimi’s Entryway Storage Bench&NarrowHall Tree Hutch

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/04/2023 - 20:37

This was a two week project. The width was modified smaller than the plans. The panels on the bench were fitted into dado joints rather than inserting an entire panel on the inside. Also used pocket hole joints where some nails were suggested.
This was my first attempt at a project like this and turned out amazing. My wife loves it too.

Hudson Dresser

Submitted by ktrinity on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 15:04

Took us about three weeks mostly working on weekends. We could only work when our child was sleeping. A worth while project if you have the time, space and tools needed. It weighs a ton when done. Our higher cost is due to using a higher wood quality and $125 for the eight ball bearing drawer slides. All the plywood is birch, the top is an Aspen panel and the rest is select pine.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Latex Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

KyleV (not verified)

Thu, 10/25/2012 - 11:44

I'm about to start building this and I was wondering how you installed the drawer slides.

Thanks!

Walnut Truss Beam Dining Table

Eight foot Truss Beam Table built out of pine, for about $250 for all of the lumber, pocket screws, stain and poly.

This was my second project, and I found it easier than the Benchright Coffee Table, except for the lifting of the wood. It was so heavy that I needed my husband's help to move the table top after it was pocket screwed together, and we waited until we brought the table inside to attach the base and the table top, due to weight and size.

More photos of the build process: http://thehandcraftedlife.blogspot.com/2013/11/dining-room-progress-diy…

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Dark Walnut (one coat, left on for 5 minutes before removing) + Rust-Oleum Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin (2 coats). Looks nice with a little Old English every once in a while.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rebecca.Marie

Sun, 01/25/2015 - 16:26

Gorgeous table, and it's now on my to-do list for this summer, but I also love the light fixture! Was this a DIY project as well? I've seen plenty of similar projects using mason jars but I much prefer the variety and shape of the glass covers used in this piece, are they upcycled? Any details I can get would be appreciated!

Workbench

Submitted by cjlaw on Mon, 03/07/2016 - 06:44

I built this to accommodate my miter saw but I also wanted a place for my band saw. I added drawers to make the table level with the miter saw and they add some extra storage space.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

West elm knock off coffee table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 00:36

This is the first piece of furniture I have built that I want to put in our house. I used a lot of our tools for the first time. It was really fun and definitely took me a long time but learned a lot in the process. I used all scrap wood from old fencing & old projects. And I had to make an opening for storage on one side! What do you think? :)

Estimated Cost
$50-60
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Wood stain with a mix of royal blue unicorn spit and polyurethane top coat. I had to use a wood hardener as well because the old wood I used had some dry rot. It worked well but it changed how the stain took to it a bit
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Storage Desk

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/07/2023 - 11:19

I used these plans as inspiration and made some changes per my son's request. I made the base out of maple and changed the board dimensions to 1x2" I also used half lap joints instead of pocket hole screws (personal preference). The top is MDF and I edged plywood and MDF in Maple. Fun Project

Zen

Plane Shelf

Submitted by sidman on Fri, 02/24/2012 - 18:25

Had to build this when I saw it. My coworker just had their first newborn baby boy and wanted hanging shelf's so I built one out of some scrap wood.

Estimated Cost
0
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Red and black Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Bedside Table

Submitted by AndyH on Sun, 12/29/2013 - 07:34

First of your plans I followed and already have two more projects on the go for different tables. Great plans and ideas!!!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Ebony Stain and Satin Poly and then two coats of Minwax Wax to finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

New Kitchen Cabinet

Had a blast building this project. from printing the plan to first coatings of stain was roughly 10 -14 hours including 2 trips to HomeDepot. I opted to use the PineShop Laminated Pine Shelving / Project Wood It has a really great look when done, and as Im in Canada some prices where a little higher than i had hoped. when purchasing the laminated pine panels, i got 3 panels at 48 inch long by 16 wide (for the top bottom and shelf and 2 panels at 36 inch long by 16 inch wide for the sides. these are actually 16 inch wide so if you need to make them narrower run them through your table saw or have the home depot team trim them to the width you prefer or buy the narrower 12 inch panel . Again it was a blast to build, between the kreg screws needed and the panels and lumber and 1/4 plywood back panel and 3 centre mount drawer slides this project came in at $245 Canadian the Stain i used i have plenty of on hand, but if you don't have any on hand add $10 or $20 to your price

Estimated Cost
$200 - $300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain on hand
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bunk bed shelf

Submitted by dkkachik on Tue, 10/22/2019 - 09:31

My daughter asked me for a shelf near her bunk bed to put books, glasses, pen, etc. on.  I found this plan and made it that day.  Self cost less than $15!!  She loves it.  It was super simple to do!  

Estimated Cost
$15
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Gloss spray paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Outdoor TV Lift with Electric Fireplace

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/08/2023 - 10:27

I built a TV lift with an electric fireplace cabinet. It’s 5x2 with casters for easy mobility. It goes perfect out in my bar area. I used siding all around in and the top is pinewood with a lacquer coating for long lasting.

Toy Storage

Submitted by bridge318 on Mon, 12/30/2013 - 14:17

Half of the spare bedroom in our basement is our toy room and I wanted to be able to host visitors without them being overwhelmed by our toys. The units on top are three separate units. We didn't divide the middle unit so we could use as book shelves. The open units on the bottom are tall enough for car elevators, etc. I like the half units on top for the plastic storage boxes where I have craft/art supplies (I don't want my kids getting that when I'm not in the room!). We used white paneling on the back of the shelving. We used a piece of trim on the bottom to cover up the legs, but I wanted to show you that the entire unit does not sit on the carpet. The totes are Martha Stewart brand from Home Depot. (I apologize for the blurriness of the last photo.)

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Kilz Primer (1 coat) and High-Gloss White paint (2 coats)
We waited to paint until it was all put together, but if I could do it over again, I would paint the boards before assembling and touch up what was needed. I sanded in between each coat.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Loved this plan! made ours 6x9

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/14/2016 - 19:00

this project turned out better than I hoped

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
minwax english chestnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

A Toy Chest for my Daughter!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 13:02

I used these plans to build a toy chest for my daughter: https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/simple-modern-toy-box-lid

I skipped the lid and a few of the extra details, but I think it turned out alright! It was probably my second project ever, and my first at this size. Being so new to woodwork, I was unsure of a lot of my cuts, or even if I could find the proper pieces of wood at the store, but your plans helped me through a lot of it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Basic ebony stain
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Twin farmhouse with trundle

Twin farmhouse bed with trundle. Slightly modified to make foot board a bit taller.

Estimated Cost
$350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Red Mahogany stain, with Minwax fast-drying polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

staci (not verified)

Thu, 09/06/2012 - 19:19

I would love to get blue prints if u still have them please

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