Building a bedside table

This step by step diy woodworking project is about building a bedside table. If you want to learn more about building a bedside table, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. There are so many designs and plans to choose from when building wooden storage boxes, so make sure you take a look over the related woodworking projects that are featured on our site.

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

Bedside Table Plans

Bedside table plans

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 23 1/4″ long LEGS
B – 2 pieces of 3/4″ plywood – 11″ x 19 1/4″ long PANELS
C – 1 piece of 2×6 lumber – 18 1/2″ long, 1 piece of 1×2 lumber – 18 1/2″ long SUPPORTS
D – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 18″ x 21 1/2″ long TABLETOP
E – 2 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 13 1/4″ long, 1 piece – 17 1/2″ long, 1 piece of 1×6 lumber – 18 1/4″ long, 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood -13 1/4″x16″ long DRAWERS

1 piece of 2×4 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 4’x4′
1 piece of 2×6 lumber – 2 ft
1 piece of 1×2 lumber – 2 ft
1 piece of 1×4 lumber – 4 ft
1 piece of 1×6 lumber – 2 ft
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

Bedside table plans

How to build a bedside table

Building the side panels

The first step of the woodworking project is to build the sides of the bedside table. As you can notice in the diagram, we recommend you to build the legs out of 2×4 lumber and the panels out of 3/4″ plywood. Drill pocket holes along the sides and the top of the panels and secure it to the legs using 1 1/4″ screws. Add glue to the joints and leave no gaps between the components.

Fitting the supports1

Continue the project by assembling the bedside table. As you can notice in the diagram, we recommend you build the back support out of 2×6 lumber. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the support and secure it to the sides using 2 1/2″ screws and waterproof glue. Make sure the corners are square and leave no gaps between the components. Build the front support out of 1×2 lumber and secure it to the sides using 1 1/4″ screws. Add glue to the joints and place the support 3/4″ recessed from the face.

Attaching the tabletop

The next step of the project is to attach the tabletop to the bedside table. Drill pocket holes through the top of the legs and along the top of the panels. Align the tabletop with great care, making sure the edges are flush. Add glue to the joints and insert 1 1/4″ screws to create rigid joints.

Building the drawer

Build the frame of drawer out of 1×4 lumber and the face out of 1×6 lumber. Leave 3/8″ on each side of the front face of the drawer, in order to leave enough space for the slides. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the side components and insert 1 1/4″ screws to create rigid joints. Add glue to the joints and make sure the corners are square.

Attaching the bottom

Attach the bottom to the drawer, as in the diagram. Cut the bottom out of 3/4″ plywood and drill pocket holes along the side edges. Fit the bottom to the drawer and secure it to the frame using 1 1/4″ screws and waterproof glue.

Fitting the drawer

Fit the drawer to the opening and leave 1/8″ around the edges. Fit slides to the both sides of the drawer and make sure the front face is perfectly aligned with the nightstand frame.

Building a bedside table

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.

Thank you for reading our project about building a bedside table plans and we recommend you to check out the rest of the projects. Don’t forget to share our projects with your friends and LIKE us, by using the social media widgets. SUBSCRIBE if you want to be the first that gets our latest articles.

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