Community Brag Posts

Instead of having the plywood top sit on top of the frame, I sunk it into the frame instead with 2x4 supports underneath.

Love the desk! A few issues I had though are that the top panel will not go into the space of the top angle pieces are in place. I had to remove them to get it in. Additionally, the pocket holes seemed insufficient for the top 2x2s because of the angle they are at, so I went back and drilled countersink holes directly into the adjacent support board and added wool glue. Lastly, for then 2x2s that are supporting the bottom panel, I was worried about just having the pocket holes there as well because I could see my 5 year old climbing on it to reach the pegboard so I added L brackets to the bottom of the 2x2s under the bottom panel. I also added a light to the underside of the top panel and supports at the bottom near the floor. Turned out great 

I wanted to make a gift for my friend's kids. I also didn't want to make something they didn't have room for and couldn't really use. The request was a picnic bench for their 3 and 5 year old. I offered to paint it to match the house and they said no, they wanted Notre Dame colors. One of the big box stores has official NCAA colors so it was a perfect match! The wood cost $25 (only 5 2x4 were needed) and the paint, screws, etc. brought the project up to $90. The instructions made it super easy to build and I really took my time making sure everything was square. Also just to build the table is a few hours, maybe not that much. The prep and painting took me a while.

The kids were happy with their table and their Dad, a Notre Dame alum, was thrilled with the design.

Dimensions reduced to 60"x31"

My husband and I built this dresser to use as a changing table in our daughters nursery. I explain the build process (with photos) in this blog post : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/03/nursery-room-biggest-build-yet.html and the finishing process in this blog post : http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/04/nursery-room-finished-dresser.html . I'm so thankful to Ana...I love that almost every element of her nursery is home made!

After searching and searching for a decently priced bed for our two year old and failing to find anything that I liked under $400, I decided to do a google search and came across the directions for the Emme twin bed. I loved the design and the color of the stain in the instructions but had to go with white as everything in our toddlers room is white. My husband said the instructions were simple to follow. I think he did a wonderful job for his first time ever building anything. Not to mention my little girl loves the bed. Thank you Ana!

I originally found this on a Pinterest link. The DIY'er kindly blogged instructions as well as a template file for the side pieces. This is a child's rocker toy that uses non toxic food dye for the colored parts of the wood. A template is provided for the end pieces through a link provided or you can just eyeball your own. Overall, it is a fairly easy project but a bit time consuming.

When cutting out the template for the sides, it is best to cut the smaller holes first and the do the larger outer lines.

I used a Kreg's jig, Mitre saw, Jig saw, and a palm sander.

Substituted 1 x 4s for the shelves instead of the slats. Used red oak for the top and treated it with butcher block oils and wax so that it can be used for chopping.

I built this to house some free lettuce seeds. Please see the full story on my blog!

Bristol chairs with an attached side table. I added a planter box under one of the boards to fill with ice and beverages.

Used repurposed lumber for most of the project. Only thing I bought was the cedar pickets. This project cost less than $9

I also chose to cut the tops off and add mitered boards on top.

Love the way this turned out!

It is a friend's birthday on 5/6 and I noticed she didn't have a nightstand so instead of buying a present, I decided to make her a nightstand. I really liked how the person who built "Lee and Beth's Simple Nightstands" used bead-board on the sides, and I have a lot of bead-board left over from our master bathroom renovation, so I decided to use it, too, and that way I wouldn't have to buy the wood for there, because I didn't have any extra plywood to use there. I also used the bead-board on the back and as the bottom of the drawer.

It looks more modern-cottage than it does modern, like I wanted, but it still looks good.

Pictures are of what it looked like pre-sanding and wood-filling, with 1 coat of the stain on it, and then finished with white paint.

With the combination of scrap wood and new wood, I only spent $20 on new wood for the project, and $5 on the drawer pull!

For the top, instead of a 1x12 and 1x3, I used a 1x12 and and then flanked it with 2 1x2s - for a more balanced look. I also cut the 1x12 at like 19 1/2 inches instead of 18 1/2.

Ana thank you for the wonderful plans. It was my first major project, and it will not be the last. I purchased your book this weekend and love it!!! Thank you for all you post to your site.