Community Brag Posts

Craft table from Michaela Island

I needed a new island for my craft room, so we used the Michaela's Kitchen Island plan and modified it to be 30 1/2" deep. First time with drawers...they were a booger!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Top stained in Dark Walnut. Painted with Behr Mermaid Treasure and distressed and glazed with stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Small dog crate

Submitted by Annklem on Fri, 04/25/2014 - 08:36

This plan was modified for a small dog. The measurements are 18w x 19h x 24L. I added pocket holes to all the boards around the top of the base so I could easily attach the wood top. It took me 2 days but only about 6-7 hours total.

Estimated Cost
$70
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Vintage Market & Design Chalk Furniture Paint for the base & Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain on the top. Black hinges and latch.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

House Number Planter from Cedar Fence Picket

Submitted by Juvlyne on Mon, 05/18/2020 - 07:30

Used Ana’s plans for this just made one modification, which was adding wire to the bottom so the plant can drain out. I also stained the fence picket before putting it together. The numbers were the most expensive part of this project they were ~$18. https://ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/house-numbers-vertical-plant…

Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Oil based wood stain grey & Krylon Matte clear coat spray
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rolling Book Cart

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/18/2024 - 09:51

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.

HC in TX

Built from Plan(s)

TV stand

My husband loves this piece. I built it just for him ;) It had nothing to do with the fact that I had a great dislike for the glass/metal unit that he had when we merged our things together...wink wink!

I modified this plan in order to have shelves for the dish console and the dvd player. I also left the bottom shelf open for display, instead of placing the wine rack there.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut by Minwax
2 coats of semi-gloss poly
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tool Storage Sideboard

My family and I are constantly looking for ways to save space and still enjoy the look of our 1500 sq/f apartment. Due to all of our different intrests and hobbies, along with a lack of storage solutions, i do a lot of building on the patio.

Tools for all of these projects always seem to scatter throughout the place, so my lovely wife decided it was time for a little storage project. So that's just what I set to work on.

The Planked Wood Sideboard was perfect for this!

There is one major deviation from the plan on the site. Rather than hinge two doors for the center area, I made one big panel with trim and plywood, held in with two cabinet magnets, that removes completely.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I Tea Stained the sideboard to get at the distressed wood look. Easy stuff and basically no cost. Dont forget to sand and clean all dust from surface.

Make a jar of sun tea (a couple of tea bags in a jar of water out on the patio for the day).

Put a steel wool pad in a 3/4 full jar of vinegar and let sit for at least 10 hours. The longer it sits the darker your project can look.

Brush or wipe on a coat of tea and let dry completely.

Brush on vinegar mixture and let dry. Different woods have different results!
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Outdoor Sectional

Submitted by spiceylg on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 18:41

We chose to use 2x4 construction because we simply needed a sturdier build. Enough said. :) I wanted to use cedar, but when we went to the lumberyard, they didn't carry 2x4s in cedar, just 1x4 and said it was hard to find. Being that I had wanted this built by Labor Day and it was already July, we bought the pressure treated wood. I know, I know, chemicals galore. We worked on it a little at a time. We modified it for a higher back, but now I wonder if that was needed, because although the cushions are deep they do go down some when you sit on them. Ah well, we are still happy with it. Because of the higher back, we opted to just use the armless section on the end, however we might build a modified arm later on. We'll see how it goes.

Estimated Cost
$358 = $148 wood, $210 cushions (Costco)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Not sure what brand or color. It's from Menards.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Debbie Gregory (not verified)

Sat, 07/14/2012 - 08:04

So proud of my talented sister. Love to see more. My cat Keko is still loving his bed

Full Size Farmhouse Bed, all recycled wood!!!!!

Submitted by leenmarie on Wed, 04/30/2014 - 22:31

I live in a very old house with very little storage space (only 2 tiny closets!) so i made the bed higher and am going to build the trundle drawers on casters for under the bed. I also liked the version i saw with the higher footboard panel. Though i kept the original height measurements for the headboard posts (because it actually ends up to be the same height as the fireplace mantle, which adds a nice design harmony to the room) the headboard panel is shorter to make up for a bigger space under the bed.
The panels are made from weathered fencing and the 4x4s are discards from a sign company that i pass by on a regular basis. So my only monetary investment was for the long screws and a new drill bit. ! I have not decided on a finish yet, i'm going to sleep on it a while. (grin)
i started out with everything just a little bit bigger because i knew that discrepancies in old wood are better off being trimmed to square rather than assuming everything will fit.
I love how the raised grain of the weathered wood creates such dramatic abstract organic designs; i went over it ever so lightly with a sander. This is the second bed i have built, but the first one that cost me virtually nothing.
There's still plenty of fencing left and i am planning a dresser and a desk. :)
Thanks so much for your inspiration and influence on the world!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20.00
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
none yet. going to do some samples with clear laquer or poly, milk paint, and stains before i decide.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

DIY Shitty on purpose coffee table I made for my tough little man.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/02/2016 - 09:09

My son needed a coffee table to help him with his physical therapy. I didn't want to buy some plastic piece of shit from the store so I made him one. He loves toy cars, and in addition to the custom stain work I added a feature that will hopefully encourage him to stand and play. It can be removed when he grows up and he'll have something hand built to remember my love for him.

 

I did a step by step and posted to Reddit. Here's the link =)

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/4vhbyl/diy_shitty_on_purpose_coff…

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax ebony and grey 50/50 mix
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Coffee Table

Submitted by Johno1826 on Sat, 05/23/2020 - 11:34

Great plan. I could not get the X right (terrible carpenter). A neighbor suggested I trim where they join for a flush fit. One turned out great, the other I cut a little too much. This was for my Daughter, she liked the natural color, I finished with Tung Oil so it took a while for the finish to dry completely.

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Tung Oil
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Adirondack Chairs

Submitted by Beoncia on Mon, 05/05/2014 - 06:15

"Beginner" doesn't begin to describe me! I didn't know the difference between a skill saw & a miter saw before starting this project, but thankfully, my husband is a Mechanical Engineer & knows his way around a few tools. We're very happy with the end result, but they're not perfect. We learned a lot & I'm confident that the next project will be better. A couple of things I learned along the way--no need to buy exactly double the wood for two chairs. Probably obvious for those that are experienced, but I bought exactly double & could've saved a little $$ if I knew what I was doing. Not counting the investment of the saws & other equipment (that will now last my lifetime!), the chairs were less than $50 each for the wood, paint, screws, etc. We used the cheapest wood (whitewood, per the recommendation) available & now that I'm a bit more knowledgeable, I'll upgrade for my next project. The paint is regular Glidden Exterior, & the Home Depot reps were kind enough to mix samples of the two lighter colors so that I didn't have to buy a quart for such a small amount. Colors are Peach Crayon, True Peach, & Tropical Coral. It should be noted that samples aren't available in exterior, but the chairs will be used mostly on a screened porch--out of the direct sun and rain--so I didn't worry too much about it.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
<$50 each
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Glidden Exterior
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Stackable Kids' Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/04/2016 - 16:30

Super proud of these! Made them on my own while 7 months pregnant! Wonderful plan! Thank you!!!  

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

Hall entry bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/24/2020 - 21:28

First piece of furniture using your plans for inspiration. Keep those plans coming I am learning as I go along.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Mahogany to go along with our floors. It was a stain and poly in one. Did 2 coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Freestanding Mudroom

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/06/2024 - 09:05

Built from recycled yellow pine bleacher seats my school I worked at wanted me to toss. No plans just made it up as I went along.

Tim O’Kon

Camp loft bed with stairs

Submitted by themombot on Fri, 05/09/2014 - 13:27

I had my dad and father-in-law come help with this project. We are all pretty much beginners, but have done some building in the past.

Because I'm not experienced, I didn't find the plans to be in depth enough. Some parts weren't not fully explained and took some guesswork.

I also didn't know what a Kreg Jig was or how expensive it was! This upped my cost by $100. It was well worth buying however, and will be used again in future projects.

We added a railing to the platform since the bed is up against a window with a screen. If the kids were to fall off the platform and hit the screen, they could fall 2 stories. The railing is just screwed into the side of the platform and can be removed at any time.

Overall, I love how it turned out and so do my kids! It fits the toddler-sized DIY bed that my husband and I built right underneath so my 4 year old and 2 year old can now share a room.

More details and pictures are on my blog: http://themombot.com/crafting/2014/05/09/details-our-diy-bunk-bed

Estimated Cost
$150-$250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax wood stain in Jacobean, with pre-stain conditioner and 2 coats of polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

rustic X End table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/10/2016 - 05:28

Very straightforward build. Lowes didn't have many 2x4's that didn't have some sort of warp or bend in them so the bottom shelf had to be trimmed slightly to fit. 

 

There is a sweet spot with the vinegar/steel wool that takes some mixing and testing to find. To strong a solution and the wood turns nice and brown to weak and it's a hardly noticeable light grey. My advice is get a strong 3-4 day old solution and mix 50/50 with vinegar and test on scrap, wait and hour or so to dry and adjust the mix from there until you love it. 

 

I finished with minwax polishing wax.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic coffee table (simple version)

Corner accents are on order, but I'm happy with the thing as is. Went with colonial maple instead of golden oak and wow the thing pops. Put together was pretty easy for a beginner. I do recommend predrilling some of the edge/angle holes - the pressure treated wood can be unforgiving.

Great plan! Great table! Thanks!!

Lumber was $37. Screwes, glue, stain, etc cost extra, but those add up in your garage overtime - so, sunk costs. All in all, I spent about $60 and finished the project in less than 4 hours.

Estimated Cost
37
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Colonial-Maple-Premium-Fast-Dry-Interior-Wood-Stain-266261/203332270
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Mom's Day side table

Submitted by CSaintD on Sun, 05/11/2014 - 08:52

I made this for my Mom for Mother's Day. She has been wanting a little table to put next to her recliner (where she knits, reads and watches TV). For the top and drawer, I used Douglas Fir from Lowes. The rest is whitewood and redwood (legs). Overall the wood cost me about $50. I painted the body with high-gloss white paint and the stain on the wood is a mixture of min-wax Golden Pecan and English Chestnut. The finishing took the longest, but the build went very quickly.
I did notice that the cut list is a little off. You need 4 of the 1x2 pieces for the sides, not just two.

I may put a layer of varnish on it, but as of now it is not varnished.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White high-gloss paint on legs and body. Golden pecan stain overlapped with English Chestnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Go Devils!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/13/2016 - 13:41

Made a set in Kansas, moved em to Texas with us and couldn't move them to Kentucky, so I had to build another set! I know, such a shame right! Lol. These ones turned out better than the first! The first set was just stained, I got a little more crafty with these!!

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner
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