Community Brag Posts

Two Sizes from One Set of Plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/10/2022 - 19:45

We followed Ana's plans for the large project bench. We altered the plans to make a bench for our compound miter saw with the saw platform level with the project bench.

Built from Plan(s)

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Patio couches

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/27/2023 - 19:14

This project was fun to build with hubby said the shopping list and the cut list was perfect! Love all your designs! King bed is next!

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Seasonal And Holiday

Wall Shelves Ledges for Children's Books

Using Ana's Ten Dollar Ledges project, we created these shelves for our children's rooms. They were so easy to make and paint and hang. We absolutely love them and so do the kids! Our shelves were 32" long to fit in a particular spot. The shelves also cost a little more than the price listed in the plans. Perhaps my husband bought a higher grade of wood. I'm not sure, but it was worth it regardless. You can see more of our kids' rooms and our old house renovations at our blog Lovely Chaos.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$80
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar Fence Board Planter Box

Submitted by iowachap on Sat, 03/15/2014 - 19:40

Using Ana's 10 dollar raised garden planter box idea, I made my own using the cedar fence boards and then used 2 x 3 x 8 studs for the L corner supports and mid center support along with top rail. This photo is the first 3, I will have a total of 6 boxes. Will post more as I progress.

Estimated Cost
20 to 25 dollars per box
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
I used 6 fence boards, 2 for each side of the 6' long runs, and 1 for each short 3' section cut in half.

I got the 6' x 5 1/2 " x 5/8 " cedar fence boards at the orange box

I used 2 x 3 x 8 boards for the corners the middle support and the top rail. I got these at the blue box

I used 2 " and 2 1/2" exterior star bit screws.

NOTE: I pre drilled holes in the fence boards and screwed all the boards to the L corner sections from the inside out, so the screws are on the inside of the box, they did not poke through the 2 x 3 boards.

Instead of trying to measure how far off the side of the board I needed to go to match the vertical 2 x 3 boards, I just cut 10 11 inch long 2 x3 sections, and then used the 2 1/2" screws and made 4 L corner pieces the shorter side I screwed the short 3 foot length fence boards too, once I had both my short sections screwed to the L corner sections, I then stood one up and screwed 2 of the 6' length boards to the L corner section. Then the other side.

Once all 4 walls were done, I would then measure 3' in the middle of the 6' long side runs, and put in an additional 2 x 3 x 11" again screwed from the inside of the box out.

Now that all the 2 x 3 x 11" L corners and side support sections were connected to the fence boards I then cut 76 1/4" 2 x3 boards one for each length run, and then 2 26" 2 x 3 sections that were all cut on 45 degree angle to complete the top rail.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Playhouse

We built this playhouse for our daughter's 6th birthday. She absolutely loves it! We were looking at purchasing one, but they were way out of our budget. Ana saved the day with these plans :).

Estimated Cost
$320.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We painted the house with white Pittsburg Ultra Exterior Latex paint. The mailbox, door and shutters were all painted with Pink Viburnum Sherwin Williams Satin Exterior paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Playhouse big build

I went a little out of control on the week of the 4th of July - I set out to build a picnic table, 4 sling chairs, a deck and a playhouse - and I did!!!! I owe Ana a great debt of gratitude for these amazing plans and empowering me to do it! I built the picnic table and the sling chairs as I was waiting for primer and paint to dry on the frame, inside and outside of the house. For the shutters - I scrounged around the garage and found some leftover wainscoting, and put a leftover 1x2 on them. The door frame wasn't straight - so I added a piece of leftover trim from my daughters bed I built. My only next step is curtains for the windows. I even moved the full kitchen set I built the kids a few christmas's ago into their. They have only been playing with it for 2 days and I can't drag them out of it!!!

Estimated Cost
$500-$550
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Primer and paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Modern Adirondack Chair Set

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/10/2020 - 17:25

I used 5 5/8 fence pickets I had in the scrap box to give the chairs a wider arm rest. I wanted something wide enough to safely hold a paper plate and drinks.
I planned them, routered the edges and put a coat of oil based polyurethane on them.
The table is just something I put together and the top is a 1.5 inch thick 16x16 concrete paver.
If you like the wide arms, use wood glue and clamps, not nails or screws. Saves you from having to fill them and it looks better too.
Enjoy
And thank you Anna for a great build!

Estimated Cost
$60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Exterior paint and oil based polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Farmhouse Bench in 1 day

Submitted by vickitee on Wed, 06/25/2014 - 08:27

This was my first build from your site! Farmhouse bench.
I was a little confused with the miter saw instructions "bevel cut at a 10 degree angle off center". I had to google to figure out what you meant. In the end the bench looks awsome and I feel very empowered with my tools.
(still need to stain the finished project, bought all the wood and built in 1 day)
Thank you Ana for sharing your plans!! I love your site and I love my Kreg Jig!
Vicki
(Canada)

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
going to use walnut stain.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Narrow Sewing Table

Submitted by WeezyWorks on Tue, 09/11/2012 - 18:06

Ive been looking for a sewing table to fit my space. but found none for less than $500 and they were quite small. I found a post at quiltedcupcake.com that linked me to another blog, linking me here. I modified the plan to be about 2 feet wide and cut a hole to fit my sewing machine. There is a support in the bottom to hold my machine level with the tabletop. When I make this in the future, I will splurge on a fine hardwood. This plan was easy to build and looks great! Just what I was looking for :D

Estimated Cost
$125
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Dark stain and satin polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

tommirhea

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 09:45

I'm jealous of your organization! I've had a folding table for my sewing table since I started sewing :(

tommirhea

Sun, 09/16/2012 - 10:11

Now, I've just got to make it! I love to free motion quilt and that would make it easier. With each baby I've had my quilting space has diminished (of course it's worth it) but now I think I will reclaim some space ;)

Nesting Office Station

Submitted by Sb1212 on Tue, 07/14/2020 - 18:38

So loving this nesting office station❤️! We will have a sofa sleeper in the office as well. So we needed a desk that could be moved to the wall when the sofa sleeper is being used by guest. I saw a post from Ana for her Nesting Grill Station and I came up with the idea to make this nesting office station. The cabinet includes a file folder drawer (which is from Ana's mail boss plans), a regular drawer, cabinet doors with shelves. One of the shelves is a pull out shelf for the printer. I think it came together great! Design for nesting desk inspired by these plans: https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/nesting-grill-station https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/mail-boss

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Golden Pecan
Valspar Signature Ultra White in satin
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sb1212

Sat, 10/03/2020 - 08:35

Hi, Thank you! Actually I didn't add wheels to the design since this will be in an office with thick carpeting. I added adjustable metal foot pads to the bottom of the desk.

Shoe Dresser

I had this space in my mudroom that was a perfect spot to make a custom shoe dresser. I adjusted the plans I found on this website to custom make storage for shoes. Now this weird little space is functional.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
80
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Rustoleum chalk paint Serenity Blue, classic grey and special walnut Minwax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

2x4 (and 2x6) Modern Adirondack Chair

Submitted by HR Dad on Mon, 12/28/2020 - 15:43

Been wanting to make some Adirondack chairs for years; have about 10 different plans saved that one day I could get to. These 2x4 modern plans made getting them done quickly possible due to simplicity of the cut list and cheap cost of materials. The only real change I made was to use 2x6 for the arms; I cut a taper along outside edge and increased the length of the arms by about an inch and a half to overhang the front legs a bit. Since I just used basic framing lumber, I milled all of the boards first with table saw and planer to make square consistent edges. And, I chose to use pocket screws in as many joints as I could so I wouldn't have screw holes on any visible faces. Add in a lucky find at the big box store paint return; scored this blue exterior paint for $2.00 a quart, and my weekend project turned out pretty good. Now I've got two neighbors that want 'em.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
1 qrt Glidden Exterior Semi-Gloss; got it so cheap, I used the whole quart. Multiple coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Board and Batten Fireplace Surround

There was brick above my fireplace. I decided that I needed to lighten it up, but didn't want to necessarily paint the brick. Instead, I decided to panel above the fireplace using a board and batten style. I am so happy with the results! It is lighter and brighter in the room and goes with the style in the rest of the room (walls have board and batten as well).

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Painted white ("Linen White")
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Kids Nightstand

Submitted by Medickep on Thu, 02/26/2015 - 19:48

Made this from the Owens nightstand plans.  Very simple to build, as long as you have built drawers before!  I painted it to match my sons bed I made for him recantly.  

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50$
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used Behr Marquee paint, which advertises one coat on any surface. It didn't even require a primer!!
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Double Pedestal Farmhouse Table (8 feet)

Built from the Triple Pedestal Farmhouse Table plans. Had to size down the plans a little bit to fit into my dining room. Created three pedestal legs but only ended up using two on the final table. Took about 16 hours from start to finish. All of the wood is pine except for the top, which is Poplar. Made a couple of mistakes along the way but am very happy with the way everything turned out. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them. Happy Building!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$175
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
English Chestnut. Stained once and waited 7 minutes to wipe off. Two coats of Clear Satin Polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Full size loft

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/01/2019 - 18:46

Built a full size loft bed for my kids but wanted something safer than having them climb up and down a ladder so used the Camp Loft Bed plans to add the platform and stairs. It is much easier for the kids. Going to finish by covering the platform and stairs with carpet.

Estimated Cost
180
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)

Comments

Sandbox with Cover

The cover is a tonneau cover for a pickup truck. It's for a 6.5' truck bed so if you notice, I had to ad a 2x4 and one more picket on top to accommodate the extra length. 

The cover would add a ridiculous amount of money to the project but it was repurposed.  I found it on a truck that was in an accident and going to the scrap yard. I think it it came out great and my grandson loves it.

John

Built from Plan(s)

4x4 Truss and Beam Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 09:53

4x4 farmhouse beam table using pressure treated lumber, made a little longer to accomodate 6' church pews, so pleased with the build, best part, it took me 3 hrs to complete!

Corrina Kelly

Built from Plan(s)

Entryway Drop Zone

I used the Mudroom Bench with Easy Drawers plans and adapted the bench to fit the area I had. Previously, the walls had chair rail moulding and some hideous wainscoting. The whole thing, including painting the bench and walls, took me about 3 weeks. Some days I worked an hour, some days 7 or 8 hours. The build was the easiest part of the project and I was finished with the unpainted bench in a weekend. I had an issue with one of the drawers not closing flush and wasted a lot of time trying to fix it but ended up building a whole new drawer. The finish work took the longest. I spent about $300 on materials and another $300 on tools I needed/wanted (Kreg jig, paint sprayer, etc.) for this and future projects. 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
High-gloss white paint
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ladder shelf

Submitted by lazyLiz on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 13:43

Since I used hardwood (red oak) I have to modify the plan and eliminate the sides of the shelves. Modifications and measurement is on the additional photo. Thanks again Ana, you're the best!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$30-$50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax red oak and poly
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Super Easy, Super Awesome! Thank you Ana & Ashley

Submitted by jhavinga on Tue, 03/18/2014 - 09:24

Loved this Coffee Table and wanted to suprise the wife for christmas, so being my first project I got started! had no idea what I was doing but they were great instructions, and the KREG JIG is AMAZING. altered the plans a bit to make it a rectangular coffee table (added 12 inches) instead of square to fit our living room better. Now to tackle the next project!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Used 2 different stains to get a brown/gray finish. just one coat of each!
Minwax Weathered Oak & Minwax Special Oak.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

MichelleC

Wed, 03/19/2014 - 07:39

I absolutely LOVE the finish on this, thank for sharing!!! For the estimated cost you put $100, is that without including the cost of the turned legs? Did you get the legs through Osborne? I think I NEED to make this coffee table and use that finish!

jhavinga

Wed, 03/19/2014 - 09:02

Now that you brought it to my attention you are absolutely right, I completely forgot about the cost of the legs. including the cost of those, it does come to $200 dollars, ill change that. I also did get the legs from Osbourne. As for the finish yes do it! I am really happy with how it turned out :) thanks again and let me know when your coffee table is done so i can check it out!

Cheers,
Justin

Mandybeck

Wed, 08/27/2014 - 21:35

This is absolutely beautiful!!!! Quick question... You said you used weathered oak and special oak for the stain. Did you mean special walnut? I can't seem to find special oak! Thanks!!!

usmcjeff7489

Fri, 07/17/2015 - 12:59

Being as yours is much lighter (and i like it more than the darker). Did you use the wood conditioner and how long did you leave the stain on for? it almost looks like once it was on you were wiping it off. Love it well done :)

Also, do any of you guys use the paste wax when finished? I was thinking about following the stain with some poly to seal it. any suggestions?

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