How to build a night stand

This step by step diy woodworking project is about how to build a nightstand. If you want to learn more about building a nightstand, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. Invest in high quality materials and don’t forget to take a look over the rest of the projects, as there are so many things that you could build for your property.

Before starting the actual construction project, we recommend you to plan everything, as to save money and to keep the costs under control. Adjust the size and the design of the nightstand to suit your needs. In addition, we recommend you to invest in high-quality materials, such as pine, redwood or cedar, as they have a nice finish and are highly durable, especially in a humid environment.

If you don’t have a rich expertise in woodworking field, you should ask a friend to give you a hand with the project. There are many things that you could go wrong, so make sure you plan everything and invest in quality materials. Select the lumber with attention, making sure the components are perfectly straight and in a very good condition. Use a carpentry square to check if the corners are right-angled. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building a nightstand

Materials

A – 2 pieces of 3/4″ plywood – 12 3/4″x24 3/4″ long SIDES
B – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 19 1/2″x23″ long BACK
C – 3 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 12″x19 1/2″ long, 1 piece – 22 1/2″x13 1/2″ long SUPPORTS
D – 2 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 13 1/2″ long, 1 piece – 22 1/2″ long TRIMS
D – 2 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 18 1/2″ long, 2 pieces – 9 3/4″ long, 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – “x” long 2xDRAWERS
E – 2 pieces of 3/4″ plywood – 6″x19 1/4″ long FACES

1 piece of 1×3 lumber – 6 ft
1 piece of 1×4 lumber – 10 ft
1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 4’x8′
slides
drawer pull
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
Fill the holes with wood filler and smooth the surface

Time

One Day

Corner Desk Plans

Building the side components

The first step of the project is to build the sides of the night stand. Therefore, cut the components out of 3/4″ plywood, making sure you have taken accurate measurements.

Attaching the back

The next step of the woodworking project is to attach the back to the sides of the nightstand. Therefore, we recommend you to drill pocket holes along the sides of the back and to lock it into place with galvanized screws. Add waterproof glue to the joints and leave no gaps between the components. Make sure the corners are right-angled.

Fitting the shelves

Continue the woodworking project by attaching the 3/4″ plywood supports into place. Drill pocket holes along the sides of the shelves and secure them to the side components with 1 1/4″ screws. Make sure the supports are equally-spaced and they are perfectly horizontal. In addition, check if the corners are right-angled and work with great attention.

Fitting the tabletop

Center the frame of the nightstand and drill pocket holes at the top of the side components. Secure the frame of the nightstand to the top components with 1 1/4″ screws. Add waterproof glue to the joints in order to create a rigid structure.

Attaching the trims

Continue the woodworking project by attaching the trims to the bottom of the nightstand. Cut the ends of the trims at 45 degrees and secure them to the structure with finishing nails and waterproof glue.

Building the drawers

Next, you need to build the drawers for the nightstand. Build the frame of the drawer out of 1×4 lumber and attach the bottom made out of 3/4″ plywood. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the side components and secure them to the perpendicular components with 1 1/4″ screws. Drill pocket holes along the edges of the plywood bottom and secure them to the frame of the drawer.

Fitting the drawers into place

Fit the drawers into the opening and secure them to the sides with slides.

Fitting the face drawers

One of the last steps of the woodworking project is to attach the faces to the drawers, making sure you leave a gap of 1/8″ around the edges. Secure the faces to the drawer with screws, from the interior.

How to build a night stand

Last but not least, we recommend you to take care of the finishing touches. Fill the holes with wood filler and let it to dry out for several hours. Afterwards, smooth the wooden surface with fine-grit sandpaper and vacuum the residues. If you want to secure the armoire to a wall, we recommend you to drill pilot holes through the back and to secure it to a studs with several 2 1/2″ screws.

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