Community Brag Posts

2x4 sectional outdoor sofa

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 08:10

My first Ana White project. My friend Shelley and I are RN's, and she got me hooked on woodworking. I started with cushions from Lowes ( in the sizes that you recommended)to see if I loved the sectional for a few years. I loved it so much I decided to have custom Sunbrella fabric ones made. Even though the custom ones were more expensive, it has been worth it. They go perfect with my California Mission style home. Now I want to add the armless one and make it a U-shape. I did add a piece at the bottom back of each sofa to hold the cushions in. The seat cushions would slide out the back when sitting on the sofa. I made the coffee table to match. Our family loves it!

Estimated Cost
building materials for sofa $250. Custom Sunbrella Fabric cushiosn $2000
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stained with Carrington Minwax and sealed with spray Shellac
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

DIY Greenhouse Project -Added elevated raised beds & temp/humidity control

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/05/2020 - 09:09

We loved this greenhouse plan from AnaWhite and wanted to be able to grow in 3 seasons so we modified the design to include humidity & temperature control & 18" deep elevated cedar beds inside with 4x4 posts for support and trellis option. We added electricity in order to have a lighted workspace and the ability to put in a circulating fan to control mold and fungus. We added 2 work tables (2x2') on the inside of the door left and right side door in order to do seed trays & store supplies. This was a wonderful project for my husband and my plants inside are doing incredibly well compared to my outside garden beds here in zone 5. Products used:

Foundation
We had a landscape company come and scape/dig a platform and then fill/compact with crushed rock
My husband then used rebar driven into a 4x4 frame in order to secure the frame to the ground and create a base upon which to build the greenhouse

Active ventilation
AC Infinity Cloudline T8 Inline duct fan
Air king range hood wall cap 8" on the bottom outside of the greenhouse wall for air intake + flex 8" duct to the fan itself
Shelter logic autovent automatic shelter vent kits (1 on each side of the front wall) in order to allow air intake from the bottom back of the greenhouse under the elevated beds to flow to the front of the greenhouse and out
Circulating fan- Hurricane wall mount fan 16" - this fan has 3 speeds with tilt function and small mounting bracket

Soil - sourced 3 yards of 50/50 loam/compost from local landscaping supply
60% loam
30% organic compost
10% organic topsoil + perlite

Soil beds
-cedar frame 2 feet wide along sides, 3 feet wide on the back wall
-galvanized metal roofing with holes drilled into it for drainage
-landscape cloth lined

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$2000
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

bushy99

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 13:09

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how to vent this project, as Green houses need the ventilation. Good to know dollar amount also. Great photos.

King Modern Farmhouse Bed

Made this bed from Ana's plans. Modified it with rail so I can add my box spring. Cost was approximately $160 for lumber, screws and stain. Absolutely loved the plans and easy to follow or modify if needed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
160.00
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood conditioner, Minwax Special Walnut Stain
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Tall Rustic X Bookshelves

I followed the Rustic X Tall Bookshelf plan to make a set of bookshelves for my husband for Christmas! It was my second ever woodworking project. The plan was really easy to follow and so fun to make! I ended up using an additional shelf piece on the very top for a more modern spin on it. I also bought a pocket hole jig to use on this project. I'm happy with how it turned out!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$75 per shelf
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
MinWax English Chesnut Wood Finish and Paste Wax
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Front porch planters

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/07/2021 - 20:21

Followed your plan but added extra 1 x 2 trim to the sides, feet made from 1 × 3 and 1x 3 trim around the top

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 per planter
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar Naturaltone Behr Waterproofing Wood Finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Sliding "barn" door from reclaimed pallet wood

I saw many different sliding door projects online, so I did my own spin on one. I was able to get several old pallets for free (pine and oak). I went to Lowes and bought a few 2x3s which I used as the frame, and the track hardware which was only $13! Most doors I see are mounted from the wall, but since I have 7' ceilings downstairs I mounted mine from the ceiling. This project only took about 4 hours total and cost about $40 when you figure in costs for screws, stain, etc. The most difficult part was taking apart the pallets. Using a reciprocating saw with a 12'' demolition blade is the best way to take them apart. Thanks for the idea Ana.

Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

BREATHESMILEBE

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:00

Hi!!
This looks so awesome! I came across this and was hoping to repeat it. You mention that you found the door hanging hardware at Lowes for $13. I can't seem to find it. Do you happen to remember the name of it? I'm entering "hanging door hardware" into Lowes and Home Depot and can't seem to find any hanging door hardware at all. I'd appreciate the help. Thanks!
Tina

Mudroom Closet Makeover

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 01/21/2021 - 07:10

The concept of hidden boot storage at the back is genius!!! I knew as soon as I saw your plan that I needed that in this space! Thank you so much for what you do!

Finish Used
Bench seat was wood conditioner, minwax early American, minwax weathered oak. Then finished with shellac. The coat hooks are from Amazon. The ring pull is from Lee Valley.

Comments

Porch Swing Glider

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/19/2017 - 09:25

Built the porch swing and was inspired to build the glider frame by another "Brag Post" Looks great and fits perfectly in my back yard!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Transparent deck sealant for frame, white exterior paint for seat panels
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Rachael Brown

Fri, 02/18/2022 - 08:20

Are there any dimensions for the glider part? I have first year agriculture students building this, but we are unsure of the cut list for this. I am sure I can figure it out as the teacher, but with 20 students in the class, it would be better to be able to give them instructions to follow on paper. Thank you!!!

Wife's Kindergarten Classroom

Been a while since I had time to actually build anything worth posting about! My wife wanted some items for her Kindergarten classroom this year, so built several items, most inspired by the Farmhouse family.

Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sido17

Thu, 07/18/2019 - 15:27

I would love the dimensions or plans for this. Would love to make it for my classroom.

dlee69

Tue, 07/30/2019 - 12:07

Hello

Can I please get the plans to the u shape table?

Thanks

Linguine

Mon, 08/19/2019 - 12:09

I am guessing the corner posts are 2 x 4s, the top is 2 x 10s.  It looks like the width is 6’ (looking at the floor carpet tiles being 24” square). So 2 - 2 x 10s side by side for the main part of the desk top and 2 - 2 x10s perpendicular on each side of the chair.  I guess the height is subject to choice and the length of each side would also be subject to choice or to the length of the 2 x 10s to be economical.

 

an educated guess would be 4 - 8’  2x10s for the top and 6 - 6’ 2 x 4s for the legs?  

 

Anyone else have any input here?  Open to suggestions.....

Barn Door Console with Drawers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:27

Being a newby to woodworking, I wasn't sure if I could tackle this build. I saw pictures on your website and decided to give it a try. However, my wife wanted drawers so I made the doors a little shorter in order to add the 4 drawers but keep the height at 36". Thanks for your inspiration. I'm getting more comfortable everyday.
 

Louis Villarrubia

 

Modified Octagon Picnic Table

I built the octagon picnic table, and modified in a couple of ways.

1) Due to project deadline (Christmas) (and cost) I opted for composite decking for a finished top and bench, and pressure-treated 2x framing stock. Builder beware! Composite decking can be 5 1/4" wide, which impacts the spacing between the pieces, which means re-calculating most of the table-top pieces. Also, I added lateral structure underneath the benches (more weight!)

2) I really wanted that hole in the center, and hope that my solution (which slightly weakens the overall structural integrity) withstands the test of time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
350
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Custom Retail Counter/Bar

Submitted by ksmith311 on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 18:02

This is our first original design! We had a request for a custom bar/retail counter for my mother in law's children's re-sale store and this is what we came up with! After we found a ridiculously awesome deal on 3/4 inch hardwood plywood (the only down side was that it was already cut into 2ft by 4ft pieces) we quickly got to work. Using our trusty Kreg Jig we turned 4 pieces of plywood into one large piece to create the front of the bar. From there we attached 1x3s and 1x2s to cover any seams that were caused by the different plywood pieces.

The finish was kind of a struggle but I love how it turned out in the end. It looks like the piece was made 100 years ago and definitely has a lot of soul. I started with Early American but it made the wood too red. So from there, I layered on Kona stain, lime wax, and dark wax and this is how it turned out! Which was not exactly what I was going for, but I LOVE it!

We are so happy with how it turned out. It is being picked up by its new owner tonight and I'm soooo sorry to see it go. We're happy that the piece will be functioning beautifully in the store with TONS of storage in the back. We're very proud of this one.

oh and it cost us about $130 for all lumber and finish materials.

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Early American then Kona then lime wax and then Dark wax.
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Rustic X Hall Tree

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/27/2020 - 14:22

I built this scaled down version of Ana's Hall Tree to fit into a 3 foot wide space in my daughter's living room.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$55
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Whitewash
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Simple 2x4 Bench

Submitted by jennibee on Sun, 09/14/2014 - 17:03

I made this in an afternoon. Loved this project. It is made with 2x4's using a Kregs Jig and mitre saw (plus additional tools like a drill and square).  This was my frist time using the Kregs Jig and I am sold!!

The free plans were taken from another website. They are very detailed and there is even a video (I recommend it as he gives a great tip for making sure the back stays equal/level to each other before putting the back on). Even though you can build this by yourself, I did have help for the heavier sides once they were assembled.  I plan to build the additional side table soon and finish them both with sanding and staining when the weather seems less iffy for rain.

If you are looking for a good beginner project that doesn't take forever or have complicated steps, this is your project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Around $50
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Essential Adirondack chair

Submitted by str1523 on Mon, 05/25/2020 - 10:23

Like this chair! Changed the 3 1x10's on the back to 4 1x8's ripped down to 6 ¹⁵/¹⁶

Estimated Cost
40
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)

Comments

Weatherly Pergola with Hammocks

Submitted by jacquiejn on Mon, 04/27/2020 - 08:22

I've wanted a place to hang our hammocks for a few years now. We have some really nice hammocks from a local artisan. This past weekend, we built the framing with intentions of making it a pergola at a later time. With encouragement of my son & boyfriend, we decided to add the pergola on Sunday. I liked this plan because it wasn't as complicated or expensive as a lot of other plans out there that use 2x6s instead of 2x4s. Adding the angle brackets really solidified the whole structure. I'm so thrilled with this project! Unfortunately, today (Monday), it's raining, so I can't go hang out there.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
300
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
We will allow the wood to dry most of the summer before finishing.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Modern Laundry Basket Sorter

I built this project totally from pallet wood and leftover 2x4's. I already had the paint and stain from other projects, so the only cost was for the baskets, which were $6 a piece at Ikea. This project turned out even better than I expected and I couldn't be happier.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Best Chairs Ever!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/09/2020 - 18:16

I made these modern Adirondack chairs for our business in Anchorage. GREAT and easy to build design by Ana - we upgraded the arms to tapered 2x6 and they're awesome!

Back