DIY Junior Loft Bed (Plans by Ana White)

I assisted a friend in building a loft bed for her daughter.  We followed free plans by Ana White for the junior loft bed. We made a few modifications such as changing it to fit a full-sized mattress (more details down below). The loft bed is the largest furniture item that I have built thus far. I have learned a lot from working on the project. In this post, I’ll share the steps we took to build it.

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Homemade junior loft bed

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  That means if you purchase an item via one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission at no added cost to you.  This helps keep the content on the site free and I appreciate the support! :o) For more details read my disclosure policy.

Tools and Materials

The following items are some of the tools and supplies we gathered to build the junior loft bed.  For a complete listing of what is needed to build the loft bed check out Ana White’s free plan.

Tools

• Circular saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Mobile Project Center (I love this workbench)
• Clamps
• Belt sander
• Orbital sander
• Drill / Driver

Materials

• Bed rail brackets (knockdown hardware)
• Pocket hole screws
• Behr White paint

How to build a Loft Bed

Continue reading for in progress photos, modifications to the original plans and lessons learned from building the junior loft bed.

3 Modifications to the original plan

1. The biggest modification made to the original loft bed plans was adjusting the size to fit a full-sized mattress instead of the twin mattress. In addition to increasing the length of the bed, we added a 2×6 board to the middle of the bed for extra mattress support.
2. The other major modification we made was using knockdown hardware instead of pocket hole joints for connecting the bed together.  We wanted this bed to be something that could be assembled and disassembled easily because the bed was built at my home but needed to be transported to another.
3. The final modification made to the project was using 4×4 posts instead of 2×4 posts. This added additional stability to the bed.

Building the loft bed

We used pocket hole joinery to bed most of the bed. I used the Kreg Jig K5 to create the pocket holes. For the bed rails and mattress support, we used bed rail brackets.  I purchased 6 pairs of bed rail brackets as well as a bracket for the center mattress support board. The center support is a 2×6 board cut the same length as the bed rails. This board was not included in the original plans. We added it to support the additional weight of the full-sized mattress.

Building the junior loft bed with a mixture of pocket hole joinery with the Kreg Jig and knockdown hardware with the bed rail brackets.

We painted the bed with white paint and sealed with a satin finish. We used a paint roller. (I think we regretted not using a paint sprayer.)

Painting the junior loft bed with white paint

The kid approved of the new bed.

(The stairs were completed after the bed was delivered to the home. Originally we used nails to hold the steps in place.  This did not hold up for long and screws were used to secure the steps.)

Homemade junior loft bed

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DIY Junior Loft Bed | Free Woodworking Plans by ANA WHITE

The post DIY Loft Bed (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf

I just wrapped up building a leaning ladder bathroom shelf for my master toilet.  I followed plans by Ana White to construct the shelf.  Follow along for project details!

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to create the leaning ladder shelf.  For a complete listing of what’s required check out Ana’s plans:

• Jigsaw (equiped with a Festool Scroll-Cut jigsaw blade)
• Brad Nailer
• Watco Danish Oil (Dark Walnut)

Building the Ladder Shelf

The bathroom shelf is a pretty easy build.  I was able to complete the project over the course of two evenings.  I had to run out and purchase a couple of 2x3s.  The rest of the lumber came from my scrap pile.

Lumber cut to the appriopriate dimensions

Cutting the ladder legs with a jigsaw

Nice smooth jigsaw cuts with the Festool scroll-cut blades

Hard deadlines are the best thing for a procrastinator like me. Building a leaning ladder shelf. I had to run out and buy a couple 2x3s but everything else is scrap lumber. Plans by @anawhitediy #diy #woodworking #diyfurniture #anawhite #ladder #leaningladder #ryobipowertools #ryobinationrocks #buildallthethings #buildersgonnabuild #sawdust #woodworker #wood #pine #woodcraft #woodscraps #scrapwood

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Sep 9, 2016 at 10:01am PDT

Staining the shelf with Danish Oil

Assembling the shelf

DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf

DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf

DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf

The post DIY Leaning Ladder Bathroom Shelf (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC

I have a bad habit of starting new projects before completing old projects.  About a year ago, I started to build a storage bench following plans by Ana White.  I was about half way done with the building portion of it when I stopped working on it.  I don’t recall what distracted me from completion, but it sat in my garage for months!

(Instagram informs me that I took this photo 52 weeks ago from today.  Yikes!)

Today I’m working on an entry way storage bench. I can’t wait to get this one done! #woodworking #krejjig #garageshop #shanty2chic #anawhite #sawdustfriday #pockethole #letsdothis #diy

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Aug 28, 2015 at 11:06am PDT

When I joined August’s Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest, I looked around the house for a piece of old furniture that could use some TLC.  I then got the idea of revisiting the bench project. Today, I will share the steps I took to build and finish the bench.  However before I begin, I want to first give the Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest and this month’s sponsor the proper introduction!

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest

Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest is a monthly furniture decorating contest.  Each month there is a new theme and a new sponsor.  August’s theme is “class it up,” and August’s sponsor is D. Lawless Hardware!  D. Lawless Hardware has a huge selection of hardware for really good prices.

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Hosts

The Storage Bench

I am really happy with the final look of the storage bench.  I used 4 large 2″ ring pulls from D. Lawless Hardware in the Dark Antique Bronze (item number P3031-DAB).

DIY Storage Bench with pulls from D. Lawless Hardware

Here’s a close up on the pulls:

Large 2″ Ring Pulls (Dark Antique Bronze) from D. Lawless Hardware

DIY Storage Bench

Building the Bench

I closely followed Ana White’s plans for the Alexia Storage bench.

Bench sides assembled

Attaching the bench back

Attaching a decorative trim

Finishing the Bench

Once the surface of the bench was prepped, I stained the seat portion of the bench with Danish Oil (Dark Walnut) and I painted the bottom portion of the bench with an off-white color.

I forgot to precondition the wood before staining and I was a little worried about the appearance, but I have successfully convinced myself it gives the bench a lot of character.

That moment when you realize you forgot to precondition the wood before staining. I keep telling myself it gives it character. #almostdone #diy #woodworking #thatmomentwhen #diyfurniture #woodwork #woodworker #wood #kregjig #anawhite #shanty2chic #danishoil #watco #furniture #buildersgonnabuild #buildallthethings #storagebench #bench

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Aug 25, 2016 at 6:35pm PDT

Installing the Hardware

After the finish dried, I installed drawer slides for the drawers and installed the ring pulls.

Trying to decided on where to place the pulls

Drilled holes for installing the ring pulls

DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench

DIY Storage Bench with pulls from D. Lawless Hardware

The post DIY Storage Bench with D. Lawless Hardware – August’s FFFC appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

Last weekend, I built another stuffed animal zoo tower.  I followed Ana White’s plans for the zoo tower.  This is a pretty easy DIY that you can complete in one weekend. Follow along for details for project details!

The kid approves!

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the stuffed animal zoo tower.  For a complete listing of what’s required, check out Ana White’s plans.

• 2x2x8 (2)
• 1x2x8 (2) (I used this instead of the 1×3 listed in the plans.  I did not want to purchase new lumber for the project.)
• Brad nailer
• Japanese Handsaw (with saw guide)
• 50′ 3-ply jute twine
• #10 screw eyes (24)
• Super glue (for securing the rope knot)
• Watco’s Danish Oil (Medium Walnut) (This was my first time using Danish Oil.  I really enjoyed using the finish!)
• Cloth applicator

I did not own my brad nailer when I built the first stuffed animal zoo tower.  Oh wow, what a difference that made (compared to using a hammer)!

Building the Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

Step 1: Cut the boards to the appropriate lengths

First up, I cut the 2×2 and 1×2 boards down the the correct sizes with my Japanese handsaw and guide.

Boards cut with a handsaw

Step 2: Assemble the zoo tower

Next, I assembled the zoo tower.  I used a brad nailer and wood glue to attach the boards.

Nailing the boards together

Zoo tower assembled

Step 3: Sand the tower and prep it for staining (or painting)

Sand the surface of the tower. (Sanding is always my least favorite part of a project!)

Step 4: Stain and seal the tower

I used Watco Danish Oil in Medium Walnut.  This was  my first time using Danish Oil and I really enjoyed applying the finish. It stains and seals in a single step.  The color is a bit too light for my preferences. I should have selected the dark walnut.

Watco Danish Oil (Medium Walnut)

One coat of Watco Danish Oil (Medium Walnut)

Step 5:  Screw in the screw eyes

Once the finished dried, I installed the screw eyes.  A pair of pliers was necessary to get the job done.

Screw eyes

Installing screw eyes

Step 6:  Add the rope

For the final step, I threaded the jute twine through the screw eyes.  I sealed the knot with super glue.

50′ 3-ply jute twine

DAP Rapid Fuse

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower

There is finally order for my young one’s stuffed animal collection.  (Seriously though, I think half of the stuffed animals are my own.)

DIY Stuffed Animal Toy Storage

The little guy approves!

The post DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Tower (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

On Monday, I finished building a Bailey console for the Instagram Builders Challenge.  Raechal from Desert Woodworks organized the challenge.  Ana White and David Sheinkopf were judges for the challenge.  Ana created plans for the console, and contestants had 3 weeks to build the console.

The challenge’s sponsors are:

Have you signed up yet?!? Registration closes on June 20th so go register now at @desertwoodwrks #diyfurniturenation #makersgonnamake #builderschallenge

A photo posted by Ana White (@anawhitediy) on Jun 15, 2016 at 11:49am PDT

I really enjoyed participating in the challenge. I had so much fun following along with everyone’s progress via the #igbuilderschallenge hashtag.

Today, I want to share with you the steps I took to build my console for the challenge.

Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the console.  For a complete listing of what is required, check out Ana White’s plans for the console. (Which at the time of me writing this is not available, but I think she will release them soon!)  Plans are available here!

Tools

• Circular Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Right Angle clamps (I adore these clamps, a must if you use pocket hole joints)
• Orbital Sander
• Brad Nailer

Supplies

• ECOS Paints WoodShield (Special Walnut)
• ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin Varnish
• Behr Mint Parfait
• Bi-fold door hinges
• Cabinet door hinges
• Wood glue

Building the Console

Step 1: Cut the lumber

For this build I was able to avoid a lumber trip.  All of the boards came from my lumber rack.  I ripped a sheet of plywood with my VersaCut and made all of the other cuts with my Japanese handsaws.

Ripping plywood with the Rockwell VersaCut

Boards cut with a Japanese handsaw and saw guide

Step 2: Create pocket holes

Next, I used the Kreg Jig pocket hole system and drilled pocket holes on the boards.

Pocket holes created with a Kreg Jig K5

Step 3: Assemble the console

First up, I assembled the console’s frames.  Instead of creating a console with drawers, I opted for a console with a shelf and bi-fold doors.

Console’s frame

Console shelf attached

Cuts for the console’s doors

Step 4:  Fill in the pocket holes and sand

Once the console was assembled, I filled in the pocket holes with wood filler.  I then cycled through several grits of sand paper to prep the surface for painting and staining.

Step 5: Stain, paint and seal

I stained the top of the console with ECOS Paints Woodshield in Special Walnut.  The base of the console was painted with Behr’s Mint Parfait.  I stained the console top prior to attaching it to the base.

Priming the console

Staining the console’s top

Behr’s Mint Parfait

Painting the console’s base

Step 6: Install the doors

This was the trickiest of all the steps, because this is the first project where I had to install door hardware.  I purchased 4 door knobs from Anthropologie.

Glass melon knobs from Anthropologie

I made a little progress during my lunch break. Just gotta install the doors #diy #woodworking #diyfurniture #kregjig #buildersgonnabuild #buildallthethings #anawhite #console #woodworker #diyblogger #buildlikeagirl #igbuilderschallenge #itscrunchtime #procrastinationprobs

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Jul 11, 2016 at 10:49am PDT

DIY Bailey Console

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

The post DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Apothecary Console

Hello everyone, today I want to share with you my latest creation: a media console!  Several months ago, my sister approached me with the request of helping her build a media console for her home.  She found plans by Ana White for the Apothecary Cabinet Console.  We left off the doors and drawers in favor of having open shelves.  We worked on this project over the course of several weekends and my sister is very happy with the final result!

My TV Stand! #anawhiteplans #kregjig #minwaxstain #jacobean #coffeeglaze

A photo posted by LifeStyleW/Brit (@lifestylewithbrit) on Jun 16, 2016 at 6:50am PDT

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies we gathered to build the Apothecary Console.  For a complete listing of what is required, check out Ana White’s plans for the console.

Tools

• Circular Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Right Angle clamps (I adore these clamps, a must if you use pocket hole joints)
• Orbital Sander
• Brad Nailer

Supplies

• Minwax Wood Stain (Jacobean)  (This is the same color we used to stain her rustic coffee table.)
• ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin Varnish

The top of the console is pine and the base is built from MDF.
 

Building the Console

Step 1: Cut the lumber

First up, we cut down all the lumber with my mini circular saw.

The lumber is cut

Step 2:  Create pocket holes

Next up, we used the Kreg Jig pocket hole system and drilled pocket holes on the boards.

Kreg Jig pocket holes

Step 3: Assemble the console

Next we began to assemble the console piece by piece.  The Kreg right angle clamps were incredibly useful at this step.

Attaching the first pieces

Adding one more board

Adding two more boards

Getting closer

Step 4:  Fill in the pocket holes and sand

Once the console was assembled, we filled in the pocket holes with wood filler.  We then cycled through several grits of sand paper to prep the surface for painting and staining.

Catching up on the queue of projects. Once I’m caught up I hope I never start a new project without finishing an old one! #diy #woodworking

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Feb 13, 2016 at 2:06pm PST

Step 5: Stain, paint, and seal

We stained the top of the console with Minwax Wood Stain in Jacobean.  The base of the console was painted white.  We stained the console top prior to attaching it to the base.

Console base painted white

Attaching the top of the console

The apothecary console was sealed with a few coats of ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin varnish.

DIY Apothecary Console

DIY media console

DIY media console

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DIY TV Console

The post DIY Apothecary Console (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

What’s a DIY blogger’s worst fear? Losing all her in progress photos! I recently wrapped up building a wooden stuffed animal zoo (and unfortunately, I suffered from a bit of memory loss).  I built the toy storage following free plans by Ana White!  I also followed Jamie at That’s My Letter’s blog post on her build of the toy storage.  This is a really easy project, and you should be able to knock it out in one weekend.

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Stuffed Animals

Empty Stuffed Animal Zoo

How to Build A Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo

As I mentioned earlier, I lost most of my in progress photos.  *insert sad face* Once you have the frame of the toy zoo built, sanded, stained (or painted) and sealed it’s time to add the hardware and rope!  This was actually the hardest part of the entire project for me.

For the finish, I used ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Special Walnut) and Varnish (Satin).

Install the Eye Screws

You will want to have a pair of pliers on hand for screwing in the eye screws.  By the time I reached the last eye screw, my hands were pretty sore.

Screw eyes for supporting the rope

Eye screws inserted from a far

String and secure the rope

I cut four pieces of rope (one for each side), looped it through the eyes of the screws, and secured each end with a rope clamp.  Closing the clamps was a bit of a tedious process.  In hindsight, I think I would have used one long piece of rope so I would only need to secure two ends.

Rope and rope clamps

My son thinks the toy zoo could double as a jungle gym

Rope installed and secured

DIY Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo Storage

This wooden zoo is a really nice way to store your little one’s stuffed animals!

My stuffed Domo-kun collection

An empty zoo

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Toy Storage

The post DIY Stuffed Animal Storage (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Upholstered Bench

I just finished my first project with upholstery!  I built a bench following plans by Ana White from a couple of 2x4s and used this gorgeous fabric from Minted.  That’s right, Minted carries fabric.  That’s something I did not know about until very recently!

Floral Pattern Fabric from Minted

Floral Pattern designed by Trendy Peas (Patchi Cancada)

Upholstered Bench with Minted Floral Pattern Fabric

The new bench is my entry for this month’s Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest.

The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest is a monthly furniture decorating contest.  Each month there is a new theme and a new sponsor. November’s theme is “Take a Seat” and November’s sponsor is Minted!

Minted

Minted pairs with indie graphic designers and offers a variety of products including cards, art, and home decor items.

November’s fab hosts are Colleen from 58 Water Street  and Stacy from Anastasia Vintage. Our fab hosts kicked off this month’s contest with upholstered pieces of their own. Be sure to check out Colleen’s and Stacy’s upholstered projects. If you are a blogger and you are interested in participating in future contests, please send an email to info@fabfurnitureflippincontest.com.

First up, I am going to cover the steps I took to build the bench and then I will describe the steps I took to upholster the bench.

Building the Bench

I followed these really easy bench plans by Ana White for this project.  It took a couple of hours to build the bench base.

Step 1:  Cut the boards to the appropiate length.

I used a Japanese handsaw to cut the 2×4 boards down the correct lengths.  I used a mini circular saw to cut a 16″ wide piece of plywood.

2×4 boards cut with Japanese Handsaw

Step 2:  Taper the bench legs

For added character, I used a jigsaw to taper each leg.

Tapered legs with a jigsaw

Step 3:  Create pocket holes

Next up, I used my Kreg Jig to drill several pocket holes into the boards.

Creating pocket holes

Step 4:  Assemble the bench

I screwed the boards together with pocket hole screws and some well place clamps. (That pesky warped wood.)

Assembling the bench

Steps 5  – 8:  Sand, Prime, Paint and Seal

Originally, I had my heart set on staining the bench, but the aqua color complimented the fabric in a way no stain could.

Painting it aqua

Upholstering the Bench

I love the look of diamond tufting and I found this really awesome tutorial on how to do diamond tufting over at Addicting 2 Decorating.  I don’t think I deviated from her steps to tuft my bench.

Step 1:  Glue upholstery foam to the plywood

People aren’t kidding when they say upholstery foam is expensive!  Fortunately, I walked into the fabric stored equipped with a 60% off one item coupon. I used a spray web adhesive to attach the foam to the plywood.

Steps 2 & 3:  Draw diamond pattern on to the foam and cut out 1″ squares

Marking the diamonds

I tried using a pair of scissors to cut out the squares, but I found a knife more effective at the job.

Step 4:  Cover the foam with batting

I covered the foam with one layer of high-loft batting.

Attaching batting

Step 5:  Tufting!

I drilled screws with washers into the plywood to tuft the piece.

Tufting

Step 6:  Finish the sides

Folding over the sides was a bit tricky, but I started to get the hang of it towards the end.

Finishing the sides

Step 7:  Cover the screws with buttons

I covered the screws with a craft button cover kit and fabric scraps.  This step was a bit tedious, but definitely worth the effort.

Button covers

Screws covered with buttons

Step 8:  Attach the upholstered top to the bench base

DIY Upholstered Bench

DIY Upholstered Bench

The post DIY Upholstered Bench – November’s FFFC Contest (Sponsored by Minted!) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Rustic X Coffee Table

In recent weeks, my sister has expressed great interest in woodworking.  She sent me a picture of a coffee table someone built following Ana White’s plans for the Rustic X Coffee Table.  She wanted to build it too!  We spent a weekend constructing the coffee table, and in this post, I’ll share the steps we took to build it.

(For sneak peaks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies we gathered to create the Rustic X Coffee table.  Check out Ana White’s plan for a more detailed listing.

• Kreg Jig (for joining boards)
• Kreg Right Angle Clamps
• Japanese Hand saw and Guide
• Rockwell VersaCut Circular Saw
• Rockwell JawHorse
• Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner – To prevent blotching
• Minwax Wood Finish (Jacobean 2750)
• Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey (Satin)

Building the Coffee Table

The Rustic X Coffee table complements plans Ana created for the Rustic X Console table.  The matching console table is a project I built a few years ago.  You can check out the build details for that project here.

Rustic X Console

Step 1:  Cut the boards to the appropriate lengths.

My sister and I used my Japanese handsaw and guide to cut the 2×2, 2×4 and 2×6 boards.  It was a nice arm workout.

My sister cutting boards with a Japanese handsaw

I used my mini circular saw to cut the 1×12 board into the appropriate sized portion.  I really like the weight of this saw.  I splurged and purchased the kit.  The kit includes a track guide which makes accurate cuts pretty easy!  The only negative to this saw is it cannot cut 2x or thicker materials.

Rockwell VersaCut Circular Saw

Step 2:  Drill pocket holes

Next up, we used my Kreg Jig and created a ton of pocket holes.  I own the Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig and the Kreg Jig Master System.  Between the two, the K5 is my favorite model because it requires less effort to adjust the settings.

Drilling pocket holes with the Kreg K5

Step 3:  Assemble the frame

We had a really poor selection of 2×2 boards to choose from.  Twisted or bowed, take your pick!  Clamps were an absolute must for this project.  My Kreg right angle clamp was incredibly helpful for forcing the boards into place.

Kreg right angle clamp in use

First couple of boards joined together

One side of the coffee table frame complete

Coffee table frame is almost complete

We decided to drop the x’s because our boards were so warped, and it was a battle not worth fighting.

Step 4:  Install the bottom shelf

We joined two 1×12 boards together to form the bottom shelf of the table.  Installing the shelf was the trickest step in the whole project (thanks to the super warped wood).  We used lots of clamping and mallet to get everything aligned and in place.

Bottom shelf installed

 Step 5:  Assemble the table top

We used pocket hole joints planking 2×6 boards together to form the coffee table’s top.

Assembling the coffee table’s top

Step 6:  Attach the coffee table top to the frame

Finally, we screwed the table’s top the the frame.

The table is assembled

Finishing the Coffee Table

Step 1:  Apply pre-stain conditioner.

Before applying the stain, we coated the table with Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner to prevent blotching.

Applying pre-color conditioner

Step 2:  Apply the stain

Next up, we added one coat of Minwax Wood Finish in Jacobean.  Unfortunately, my sister was disappointed with the color once we applied it on the table.  The stain was a darker color than she was expecting.

Staining the coffee table with Minwax Wood Finish

Step 3:  Seal the table

We sealed the coffee table with a couple layers of Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey.

Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey

My helper sanding between coats

The table is sealed

The Finished Coffee Table

My sister really enjoyed building the coffee table.  I think she has found a new hobby in woodworking.  She is already plotting her next project!

The coffee table is complete

Rustic X Coffee table (but without the x)

Coffee table ready for it’s new home

The post DIY Rustic X Coffee Table (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Makes: DIY Providence Bench

Hooray! I recently finished building a dining room bench.  For this project, I used the Providence Bench plans by Ana White.   I started this project in May, and two months later it is finally complete!  In this post I’ll share details on how I built the Providence Bench. 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the Providence bench.  Check out Ana White’s plan for a more detailed listing.

• Kreg Jig (for joining boards)
• Kreg Right Angle Clamps
• Japanese Hand saw and Guide
• Nobex Champion Miter Saw
• Rockwell JawHorse
• Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner – To prevent blotching
• ECOS Paint Woodshield Stain (Pine Needles) – There is seriously  no smell with this stuff.
• ECOS Paint WoodShield Varnish (Satin) – There is a tiny odor when you first open the can, but it’s nothing compared to your traditional varnishes.

Building the Providence Bench

Step 1:  Cut the boards to the appropriate length.

I made all the straight cuts with my Japanese handsaw, and I used my Nobex Champion Miter Saw to create the angle cuts.

Nobex Champion Miter Saw

Step 2:  Drill pocket holes.

Next up, I used my Kreg Jig and created a ton of pocket holes.

Boards cut the appropriate lengths with pocket holes

Step 3:  Assemble the legs.

I followed Ana’s plans and assembled the bench legs.

Assembling the legs

Kreg Right Angle clamps being put to good use

The legs are assembled!

Step 4:  Add the stretchers.

I connected the two legs with the stretchers.

Stretcher one screwed together

Kreg Right angle clamps being put to good use again!

Stretcher assembly complete!

Step 5:  Add the cross supports

Next up, I added the bench’s cross supports.  At this point I realized I cut the board for the cross support a few millimeters short.  This resulted in a tiny gap, but it should only be noticeable if you are looking for a flaw.

Cross supports installed

Step 6:  Add the bench top

I used by Kreg Jig to join 4 – 2×4 boards together creating the bench’s top.  Unfortunately, the 2×4 boards I selected were pretty warped.  Once I screwed the bench top to the bottom, all four legs of the bench’s bottom where no longer touching the ground at once.  In fact, I had a very noticeable gap!

To remedy the situation, I used Nobex Champion Miter Saw to cut a tiny slice of wood.  I glued and nailed the slice to the bottom of one of the legs and the bench no longer wobbled.

Creating the bench top

Attaching bench top to bottom

Glue + nails for homemade shim

Finishing the Providence Bench

With the bench assembled, it was time to apply the finish!

Ready to be stained and painted

Step 1:  Apply pre-stain conditioner

Before applying the stain, I coated the top of the bench with Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner to prevent blotching.

Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner

Step 2:  Apply stain

Next up, I added one coat of ECOS Paint Woodshield Stain in Pine Needles.  I am really pleased with the results of Woodshield.   This is my third project using the stain. (Check out my homemade growth chart and vintage step stool to see the stain in different colors.)

ECOS Paint Woodshield in Pine Needles

Woodshield stain applied

Step 3:  Prime and paint the bench base

I love two toned furniture and I wanted the look for this bench.  I used Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Primer and White Semi-Gloss paint to paint the base of the bench.

If I had to do this all over again, I would paint the base and stain the top before attaching the two together.  It is a lesson learned.

Rust-Oleum Primer and Gloss paint

Base primed (I seriously regretted using gray primer.)

Painting the bench base

Step 4:  Seal the bench

In the final step, I applied a few layers of ECOS Paint WoodShield Satin Varnish.

The Finished Providence Bench

I am really happy with how the bench turned out!  It is pretty sturdy and makes for a nice addition to the dining room!

DIY Providence Bench

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