Community Brag Posts

This was my third "solo" build - my husband has built several of Ana's plans, and I built a book caddy and a stepstool earlier in the month. I have always enjoyed sewing and fixing up our new-to-us house, but until 2014 I was afraid to try building so I left it up to my husband. No more! I brought both kids to the hardware store, selected my lumber, and got to work. We bought a mitre saw which has been AWESOME, so I've been using that and a jigsaw to make cuts. I would love to figure out the circular saw someday soon.

I had some issues with this plan here and there, but I can't be sure if it was an issue with the cut list or with my assembly. It wasn't anything I couldn't work around, though, and I'm really happy with the end result. I wasn't sure how to use the Kreg Jig on angled cuts, but once I figured that out the sides were very easy to assemble! Love that Kreg Jig.

Sweet pea bunk beds

Built two jumbo sized dressers 72 by 36 3/4 by 24 3/4. Painting is still pending. One can see playlist here

Rasik

Unfortunately, I just finished building this console table two weeks before Ana and Jim's plans went up on the web site! What I wouldn't have given for the plans! Without the plans, my dad helped me modify the Tryde Console Table to look more like Pottery Barn's Benchwright Console Table, but it was definitely a labor of love (and took me three months to complete, primarily due to lack of motivation and bad weather in Chicago). But I am so pleased with the final result! Because my console table is based off the Tryde project plan, I used 4x4s for the legs, and 2x2s/2x4s for the top. Some of the wood came from other projects, including the loft bed my dad built for me nearly 15 years ago! The bottom shelf is a 1x12 that has been cut with a jigsaw to "perfectly" fit around the posts. I say "perfectly" because I definitely had to use some wood filler around three of the posts! The drawers were the hardest part, and where I really could have used a plan! They are much smaller than they appear from the outside - I used 1x2s for the sides, then attached a 1x6 face to match the sides and back of the console table. Both drawers are firmly held in place by metal drawer slides, which means I don't have to worry about the drawer falling out because it's been overloaded with glassware (as you can see, the console was a late holiday present for my partner, who is using it as his bar). I should have used a thicker piece of plywood on the bottom, because as you can see, the screws attached to the drawer slides protrude. It's nothing we can't live with though! We really wanted the piece to look older than it is (hence why we purposely chose knotty boards), and with some many reclaimed boards, I knew the stain would have to be dark. We chose a Red Oak Minwax stain and applied it once to the legs (pine) and twice to everything else (mostly whitewood). Two coats of Deft later, and we love the result. It looks exactly the way we hoped it would and we love the mix of dark and light shades.

This was my very first building project. I needed a place for my kids to store their things as they went in and out of the house. I happened to have a perfect place to add built ins just inside my front door. Our house is pretty small and there wasn't much room anywhere else. It took me quite awhile, but I was able to learn from reading several Ana White plans and then I designed this myself. I learned how to use Google sketch-up in order to design it. I hope you enjoy checking it out!

Each grandchild gets a bed made by Grandpa. Our granddaughter wanted a "cow bed." It has a fence to keep her tucked in, a happy cow staring at her, a cow jumping over the moon, drawers that are three feet deep, and more black spots than I could have imagined when I started painting. By the end I was so delirious that one of the spots on the back side is the USS Enterprise!

Used the table and cutout logo's and put back into the table using luan scraps. ;0)

This is the first furniture project I have built from a plan found on-line - at Ana's Website. The plan was very easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed building this piece of furniture. I made some alterations to the upper cabinet as per shelving. I used an antique finish to match my bed. The match and design is perfect!

DIY Porch Swing by corey_makes on Instagram

I built my daughter a coat tree from Ana's plans and it looks basically just like Ana's-even the same color. My daughter-in-law saw it and wanted one for my granddaughter's room to hold her dressup clothes but she wanted a natural look, instead of painted and her room is basically natural wood, red and white so this is what I came up with. I would never have even known I could build a coat tree if I hadn't tried Ana's first!! This one was super easy and cheap, made mostly with scraps and some varnish I already had. I had to buy the balls, dowel and letter S.

I would encourage anyone to build one of these if they have need of a coat tree. You could even make it adult size if you combined Ana's plans with these plans and screwed in some hooks.

Had left over 2x3's so I used those. The kids love them!! Easy to make. Cost $10 due to stickers and paint.

We needed a sturdy table but didn't want to spend a fortune buying one so decided to take a stab at building one.  Our space isn't too large but also wanted the ability to expand the table with leaves if we have a large crowd.  I built leaves by cutting notches in the horizontal leg 4x4 and then sliding in/out with 2x2's attached (see pic).

I will say it makes life a whole lot easier learning how to use Sketchup or some other design software.  That way you can visualize what it will look like, cuts you need to make especially if you will be deviating from the original post design and don't want to do math in your head (like me).

we love ana's plans, and we love the way this one was executed by the bumper crop. check out more pics of our girl version and how we did it at http://www.iwantbdphotography.com/archives/2661