Community Brag Posts

2x4 Outdoor Couches!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/04/2017 - 07:39

Outdoor Couches made from the plans on the website.  Added 2 2x4's on back top to add support when leaning back.  Also added vertical supports on the back to help with added weight.

 

Stained and Sealed with Natural Cedar Stain and Sealer

Estimated Cost
$110 for the wood for both couches
$400 for both sets of cushions and accent pillows
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural Cedar Stain and Sealant by Timeless
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Wall Mounted Charging Station

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/13/2025 - 22:04

I got tired of hunting around in totes for chargers and bags hunting for sanding disc so I put together a charging station and sanding disc organizer. I used scrap wood and hardboard handi-panel for the complete project. Now, I can find everything I need in one area. - Wanda Echols

Millicent's castle!

Submitted by mindy_mae on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 14:53

I found the plans for this bed on this site and was sooooo happy. i was looking for a unique bed for my daughter. I had searched beds for girls and cam across castle beds. I found some pretty extravagant beds costing $20,000 by personal designers and then I found beds from $1,000 to $5,000 buy it and put it together and THEN I found this plan. People asked me if I had experience in building anything. The answer was no BUT I CAN do it!. Plus the plans were very easy to read and understand! My daughter is beyond excited! She can hardly contain herself! THANK YOU!

Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JoanneS

Wed, 03/27/2013 - 16:48

You did an amazing job on the castle! Truly outstanding. Absolutely love the painted details on the castle. And the mural! Wow! Its so great your daughter got to participate too. She'll remember this when she's all grown up. Congrats on a fabulous project! :)

dananryan

Wed, 03/27/2013 - 18:46

What a great bed. And what a great memory you can cherish with your daughter. It is absolutely stunning! Great job.

spiceylg

Thu, 03/28/2013 - 06:03

This came out fantastic. All of the beautiful painting makes, it, too. What precious photos of your daughter helping out. So cute!

fsmumford

Sat, 03/30/2013 - 15:36

You did a fantastic job! I love the detail you added! I'm so glad the plans were easy to understand :)

4x4 Truss Beam Table and bench

Love this plan and the table and bench turned out exactly as I hoped.  I did it by myself except for a little heavy lifting from my sweetheart. I researched the finish online and I am so happy with the results.

Estimated Cost
With finishing products and screws this was approximately $200
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Minwax Pre stain conditioner, Minwax English Chestnut *( 2 coats), Varethane Poly *( 3 coats) then #0000 steel wool to smooth the bumps then Minwax Paste wax hand rubbed until the finish was perfect.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

wjc129

Tue, 02/10/2015 - 08:19

We have been shopping for tables and cannot find anything we like for a good price. I keep going back to building one myself. Your table top looks great .. nice and flat. Did you follow the plans to a T, did you use a kreg jig?

roadtripmom

Tue, 02/10/2015 - 22:13

I did change the dimensions of the top a little. I wanted a wider surface. I did use a kreg jig, it made it a breeze to build. I spent a lot of time on the finish, sanding, using steel wool, and several coats of polyurethane. Thank you for the compliment !

Rekourt Dining Table for Mom

I adjusted the size to be a total lenght of 71 inches by 40 inches wide. 

I put all the boards through the table saw to create the flat edges whcih allowed for the flush table top.  Had difficulties with the X cuts, but turned out nicely.

Used a mix of 2 stains to reach the grey, almost barnwood look. Love the way it looks.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$150
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Cedar Tiered Flower Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/04/2021 - 14:30

We made this tiered planter for a Mother's Day gift for my wife. It was a simple build and the plans are very easy to follow. I couldn't get any cedar fence pickets so I used standard 1x6x8 cedar boards that were available at the local big box store; that's why the cost is a little high. The planters were made 24" wide for more room instead of 16'" wide as per the plans. We personalized it by adding the quotes to the boards and burning them into the wood with a pyrography pen.

Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Varathane Classic Penetrating Wood Stain - Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Large DIY Dollhouse with Lots of Rooms!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/16/2025 - 13:05

Our granddaughter is turning 2 at the end of June and I decided to build her a dollhouse. I wanted it to be special with lots of rooms for her to play in. I built it to 1/12th scale out of 1x3 pine for the framing and 1/4" plywood for the floors and back. - Kaare

Recycling Center

Well...this was pretty much all done by me.

I am really not liking how many bad boards there are at the store. It takes forever to find a decent board. I had some of my x12s measuring closer to 11 (yes I know they aren't 12 inches).

The door is a little wonky but if it bothers me too much I will just replace it with a curtain on a tension rod.

I love the yellow and I am very proud of myself :)

I didn't have a Kreg jig (too expensive for us right now) but it would definitely have been helpful...

Estimated Cost
100
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I can't remember the exact color...yellow in Valspar satin.

Handpainted with brush
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

tommirhea

Sun, 03/31/2013 - 07:44

I run into that problem as well!!! And with two kiddos at my hip it gets more annoying to sift thru 5 boards before a good one comes up. But it's all worth it. I made this as well and and the magnetic closure made all the difference. This is really nice by the way. The color is fab!

Rustic Pot Rack

My kitchen needed a rustic pot rack to hang all my pots and pans. Instead of paying way too much money, I decided to get exactly what I wanted by making it myself. $20 worth of 2x6's and spray painted hardware purchased at The Home Depot in an oil bronzed was all that was needed to create this rack. I attached the hardware with metal screws to give it an even more rustic feel.

Estimated Cost
$20 for lumber
Approximately $60 for hardware
$10 oil rubbed rust oleum spray paint
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Special Walnut
Minwax paste finishing wax
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

Truss beam table and benches

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/11/2017 - 10:39

We added Ana's truss beam base to an already-existing table top that we had DIY'd years ago (our very first project!). We made the benches per her plans as well and now we all just love it! The whole thing is big, sturdy and beautiful. The only thing we didn't do were those two pretty beams that come down in the center - my hubby liked how simple it looked without it :) Loved this project! (And love how my three kids crawl all over it! Memories!)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain and then a weather proofing varnish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

(Vintage X) Back Step Stool End Table

Submitted by diegaeb on Thu, 05/13/2021 - 23:38

I was looking for a plant table and fell in love with the vintage x plan. And it was perfect to get rid of some of my waste wood from other projects.

I love to work with Ana's plans :-)

Estimated Cost
just waste pieces from other projects
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Mylands Duke's House No. 44 Wood & Metall Eggshell

Comments

Fence Picket Console Cabinet

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/17/2025 - 14:32

Made my 2nd TV console. Both customers wanted cedar pickets. Wasn't able to use them for "structure" so it is "cedar clad".

Made by Ana White's 6' Barndoor plans! Just modified for cedar. - Craig Blasi Facebook Community

Built from Plan(s)

SIMPLE MODERN BAR

Submitted by 13aestudio on Mon, 04/01/2013 - 20:01

SIMPLE MODERN BAR

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Console

Made from pine boards and plywood.  Golden Oak stain

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

Comments

Fancy Farmhouse Headboard with Modified Trim

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2017 - 17:02

Fancy Farmhouse Headboard with Modified Trim. There was a lot of trial and error as this was my first ever project, but now I'm hooked! We only needed a headboard to attach to our King platform frame. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Made chalk paint using Extra White by Sherman Williams.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic X console (modified)

Submitted by wenikio on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:58

This was my first Ana White project! I didn't do the x's on the ends, obviously, and it's both taller and wider than the plans in order to fill up the giant space along our back wall. I notice the glue blobs that didn't stain, and the decorative hardware was trickier than I expected, but it was fun to build... and totally functional :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$120
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Early American
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Clothesline Peg Display Frame

Submitted by AndyH on Tue, 02/17/2015 - 16:41

Initially made this to display Christmas cards in.

Made from 1 by 4 No. 2 Whitewood.  Was stained with Rustoleum Driftwood and then painted with some left over paint I found in garage.  I then sanded it back a bit to show the grain and stain through.

The nails are 1 inch Clavos nails from a website called www.Directfrommexico.com

Measures about 30 by 25 inches on outsides.

 

Estimated Cost
Wood $4.50 as only needed one piece and used one left over piece. The large hammered nails were most expensive part at about $8. Line and pegs around $5.00 Stain and paint were leftovers. Total about $17.00. Have specified an hour or two but the down time between stain and paint drying obviously adds time.
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoloeum Driftwood as base and some left over paint. Painted on the stain without conditioner. Let dry overnight. Painted the next day and left another day to fully dry. Sanded by hand to show some grain through.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Tailgate Bench

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/17/2017 - 18:02

I used the plans for the outdoor sofa and just changed the measurements to fit the tailgate back. 

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Miniwax Espresso
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Picture Ledges

Submitted by sraper2 on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 20:08

I have made many of these ledges and I just love them so much! I love that I can build them to any length or depth I want. I like to use them for more then just pictures. I feel like there will be many more of these in my future!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Keg Tap Handles

A buddy of mine brews his own beer (great beer btw) and mentioned that he was looking for some tap handles that he could write on to identify what brews he had on tap.   I decided to help him out...

For more details and photos, check out my DIY blog:

http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/blog/keg-tap-handle-diy

Cheers,

Ian

Estimated Cost
$25 for 3 handles
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

My pretty turquois bench

Submitted by ltjjones on Mon, 05/22/2017 - 17:01

Made this for a fund raiser auction.  Highest bid of the event.   :)

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray painted
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner