Community Brag Posts

Stick on organizers for dresser drawer

Submitted by Ana White on Thu, 04/27/2023 - 12:58

I used the stick on drawer organizer tutorial to divide a giant dresser drawer

With the divider, the drawer can hold more and is so much neater and easier to use

i love there is ZERO planning or sourcing of dividers with this method  just have the basic materials on hand, open up a drawer and get it done  

 

 

 

Doll Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by kne16415 on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 12:53

Farmhouse doll bed with adorable bedding made

Estimated Cost
10.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Retirement Gift Man Crate

Submitted by JoanneS on Sun, 11/17/2013 - 09:34

This man crate is a gift for a co worker who is retiring. We'll put all his keepsake gifts in here and he'll have to open it with a crowbar. :) The dimensions on this were adjusted to the size of 17" long, 12" wide, and 10 3/4" high (about the size of a case of copier paper). It is made with 1/2" birch plywood and poplar craft boards. I chose to use the hardwood plywood since I found out folks would be signing it, and it's much easier to write on this with a ballpoint pen than on regular plywood. Plus, less sanding for me to do ! ;)

To keep it from being so heavy when it's filled, I substituted 1/4" plywood for the top and bottom, and left the trim off of the ends. I arranged the pieces so the trim on the front & back covered the cut ends of the 1/2" plywood.

The lettering was traced on (it's "Stencil" font, in 105 pt size, printed from Powerpoint) using a ballpoint pen to dent the surface, then a black Sharpie pen to outline. Hubby thought it looked nice just with the letters in outline, and that's shown in the picture.

Also on this one, I made a little gift tag with some clip-art, and mod-podge'd it to the bottom.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 for hardwood plywood and poplar trim boards
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished - left it this way to make it easier for folks to sign the crate.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

JoanneS

Tue, 11/19/2013 - 16:03

The man crate was a big hit at the retirement party! I think we're starting a tradition ;) We had his wife stash the crowbar, and when it was time for him to open it, we asked, "does anyone have a crowbar?" - and then his wife said, "Here you go!" and pulls one out of her shoulder bag! It was a hoot! :)

My simple Outhouse

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Wed, 07/31/2019 - 17:14

<p>I worked on this for about 2 weeks in my free time. I modified the original plans from this site to accommodate my needs. I just wanted a “#1” only place near my pool so I didn’t have to dry off and walk all the way up to the house. The trash can is for the TP and I will just toss it when I need to. I used a traffic cone as a pee funnel and attached&nbsp;tubing to the end of the funnel&nbsp;that I buried down along the slope of my yard against the fence line.&nbsp;I ended up adding an area for boys since I didn’t want the inside all gross. I added solar deck lights to the outside and a light inside too.&nbsp; It turned out amazing!!!</p>

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane Premium fast dry oil based stain in the color “Ipswich Pine” and Varathane Ultimate Spar Urethane oil based in clear satin. One coat of each.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Lily's Library Cart

First project of yours that I built. Came out so much better than I expected.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Valspar White Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Triple Pedestal Table

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Fri, 02/05/2016 - 18:33

Brazilian walnut flooring top from lumber store and pine everywhere else. 

Estimated Cost
About double because of the Brazilian walnut top. $300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Triple thick clear varnish 3 coats lightly sanded in between coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Bookcase

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Wed, 08/21/2019 - 05:07

Bougth some furniture but no bookcase . So I started to make it myself; first time ever I worked with wood.
I used the plans of Channing bookcase but modified them a bit.
It fits completely with the other furniture: same color and structure , but most important, 5 times cheaper.
Thanks Ana White

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
70 €
Finish Used
old white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Vertical Shoe Rack

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Sat, 05/06/2023 - 14:12

I needed a shoe rack that would work for our limited space and the Laundry Tower that was on the brag post caught my eye. It was modified from the Open Frame Laundry Basket Organizer. This shoe rack is working great for our family now! Thanks for this community!

Comments

Squared2 Headboard

Submitted by amysparkie on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 16:24

I build Anna's version of this popular store's headboard. I love it! Cost includes wood and paint. I would have used poplar for the entire bed but my hardware store only had 2x2s and 2x4s in white wood.

Estimated Cost
$75
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
The paint color is pond by eddie bauer color matched at benjamin moore. I used a HVLP paint sprayer to paint and a semi gloss paint thinned with a water based product (you can just use water and floetrol).
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse table American Walnut for Friends

Submitted by ksmith311 on Thu, 11/21/2013 - 12:57

We built this table for some friends and the build went great!

She brought over a table leg so that we could try to compliment their existing stain colors. I used "American Walnut" when maybe I should have used "Special walnut". It turned out a little reddish and I'm worried that she wont like it. I think it's beautiful but I'm so nervous!

What do you think about the finish?

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
American Walnut and Minwax poly in satin (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

spiceylg

Fri, 11/22/2013 - 09:54

Don't worry, it came out beautiful and the finish looks fine! They will be happy and thankful for your efforts. Besides, the style these days isn't to be so "matchy matchy" anyway. Great job!

Barnwood Narrow Cottage End Table

Submitted by kcragun on Sun, 02/07/2016 - 20:52

Inspired by the Narrow Cottage End Tables plans. Tapered the legs a bit at the bottoms. Added a bead to the top and bottom of the drawer front. I finally used a 100 year old board salvaged from a barn in Tennessee that suffered a fire - giving the white oak a great dark patina. There is a shop in Orange County, CA called True American Grain that sells reclaimed wood - I bought the board for $40 - it adds a lot of character to the finished project.

Estimated Cost
$50.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted the base using Annie Sloan chalk paint in French Linen. I brushed on and wiped off a glaze from General Finishes in Van Dyke Brown. I used wax as a top coat on the base. For the top, I did a lot of sanding, but kept the old saw marks. I also used Tung Oil on the top, to protect the wood without a high gloss finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Fancy X Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Sun, 09/08/2019 - 11:35

Fancy X Farmhouse table for the wife. Modified to 8ft table with 2x 4Ft benches and 1x 8ft bench. Used bolt screws to diagonal slats for looks and pipe horizontal support vice the 2x4. Top is Dark walnut stain and an egg shell Chalk paint with outdoor clear coat. Kids had a blast distressing the table and benches for an older look. Not a bad weekend project.

Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

$15 Cedar Lemonade Stand!

My kid-o's love to sell lemonade. So, we made a trip to the local hardware store. Because I am terrified to use my husbands electric saw, any wood we purchased would have to be cut with a hack saw and a miter box. And since the stand is to be stored in the backyard, we opted to build it from cedar. We ended up purchasing 8 fence pickets for about $15 total. This was also to be a great way for my kids to apply the some of the knowledge they have picked up this year, our first year of homeschooling. My children, ages 7 and 9, measured all of the boards that needed to be cut. It turned out GREAT! We already had some extra boards, spray paint and screws on hand; so, the grand total was $15.00 for the entire project!

Built from Plan(s)

Playhouse with Steps and Slides

Submitted by Hafidz on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 14:06

It's my first woodwork project and I went ahead on building a slide with a playhouse underneath. Took some of the ideas from Ana's playhouse deck plan. It took me awhile to figure out how to build the slides and steps though. The project is intended to cater for my 1 year old daughter. As you can see, the playhouse is not "there" yet as there's no wall surrounding the structure beneath the slides (there will be some soon enough). As this playhouse will someday be put under direct sunlight and heavy rain, choice of wood takes into account the tropical weather that we have here in Malaysia (I might have to put some heavy coating on that Meranti though).

Dimension wise it's a 4'X4'X4' structure with 1.5' steps attached at the side. The railing are about 1.5' high.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
MYR 700
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
No finish applied yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

A princess castle bed

My first ever woodwork project! Thank you Ana white! 

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

Comments

Modern Outdoor Chair from 2x4s and 2x6s

After a whole year I finally made a second chair! The first one was made a year ago and now my wife can sit outside with me too 😊. Next for the couch!

Comments

Ella's Loft Bed

Submitted by natehu on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 20:46

My daughter loves her new bed, thanks Ana!

The plans were well thought out and very easy to follow. I did make a few changes/modifications that others might want to consider.

I used select pine boards to cut down on the amount of sanding necessary prior to paining, however that boards have a fairly sharp edges. Because this is a kids bed and play area underneath I rounded off all the edges with a 1/4" round over bit in my router. I love how it turned out!

I also added two 1x3 supports to the long 1x2 top back rail. I did this for two reasons, first was the 1x2 seems a bit saggy and didn't seem like it would hold up too well to my 6 year old up there. Secondly, it match the front rail nicely. Speaking of the front rail, I also changed the vertical supports from 1x4s to 1x3s. The 1x3s match the 1x3 posts and look much better IMHO.

When I built the ladder I was struggling with the gaps left by the 1x3 stair treads when I placed them in the 1x3 sides. Finally I decided to use 1x4 treads, again rounded over with a 1/4" bit. These larger treads overhang the 1x3 sides by about 1/2-inch and look very nice.

Finally, instead of screwing the ladder to t 1x8 bed frame, I bent 5" corner brackets into a "J" shape and attached them upside down to the top of the ladder. The upside down "J's" hook over the top of the 1x8 bed rail and allows the ladder to be easily removable yet is still securely attached to the bed for use.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I finished it with a coat of latex primer followed by a couple coats of an off-white latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DanKaren

Mon, 01/23/2012 - 14:12

Wow!!!! Saw a similar bed at a kid's furniture store for about $2,500 in NYC. Thank God I came across this site before plunking down that amount of cash.

Well Done!

Mary - Scentsy… (not verified)

Sun, 02/26/2012 - 21:47

Is this bed as tall as the original design specified? For some reason it seems shorter to me. We have a ceiling fan in my childrens' rooms and average height ceilings. I am concerned with making something too tall.
Thanks.

natehu

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 07:59

Mary - No, I had to shorten the bed by about 3 or 4 inches because our ceilings are lower than 8' in the basement. The only real challenge with changing the height of the loft is re-working the step spacing on the ladder.

Media Console from The Handbuilt Home

Submitted by Shorty on Wed, 11/27/2013 - 08:38

We built this media console because our old TV stand was pretty much a safety hazard for our soon-to-be mobile baby. We found a good plan in The Handbuilt Home and modified it to our dimensions with the help of Sketch Up. We couldn't be happier with the final product!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Primer & Behr's Swiss Coffee in Satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Antique hardwood flooring Husky Farmhouse Table

Submitted by Reader Submission (not verified) on Fri, 02/12/2016 - 17:52

Found 120 year old mahogany hardwood flooring at The Old House Society that provided the table top. Built the subframe and legs per the standard plan. Then attached a 3/4" ODF plywood deck. Strip hardwood was nailed to the top with 1" finishing nails thru the flooring tongues. Cleaned the hardwood, applied 2 coats of shellac and 3 coats of satin polyurethane. The modification to use the strip flooring was the most tedious to get a tight fit. The antique, aged and stressed flooring gives the table a real antique look. Build time was @ 8 hours. Applying the finishes took several days of drying/curing before use. My wife loves it and I am proud of the final project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Legs from Osburn Wood Products @ $55.00 each plus shipping. Mahogany subframe parts @ $50.00. 4 x8 ODF 3/4" plywood @ $ 65.00. Re-cycled strip flooring @ $250.00. Finishing materials @ $30.00. Total @ $550.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of shellac. 3 coats of satin polyurethane. Used Golden Mahogany stain to cover cut edges and scars. Amy Howard linen paint on legs and subframe. 1 coat of light antique wax first. 1 coat of dark antique wax final coat on legs and subframe.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate