DIY Nightstand Plans

This step by step diy woodworking project is about diy nightstand plans. If you want to learn more about building a beautiful nightstand with a glass door, 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 a nightstand, 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

Building a bedside table

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 23 1/4″ long LEGS
B – 2 pieces of 3/4″ plywood – 11″x19 1/4 long SIDES
C – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 13 1/2″x19 1/4″ long BACK
D – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 11 3/4″x13 1/2″long, 1 piece – 12 1/2″x13 1/2″ long SHELVES
E – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 14 1/2″x17 1/2″ long TOP
F – 2 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 18 1/4″ long, 2 pieces – 8 1/4″ long, 1 piece of 1/4″ glass – 13 3/4″x18 3/4″ long DOOR

1 piece of 2×2 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 1×3 lumber – 6 ft
1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 4’x8′
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

How to build a nightstand

Building a nightstand

Building the sides

The first step of the project is to build the sides of the nightstand. As you can easily notice in the diagram, you should build the legs out of 2×2 lumber and the panels out of 3/4″ plywood. Drill pocket holes along both sides of the panel and along the top edge. Insert 1 1/4″ screws into the side legs and add glue to the joints. Make sure there are no gaps between the components and cut the bottom of the legs in a decorative manner.

Attaching the back

Continue the project by fitting the back component to the sides of the nightstand. Cut the component out of 3/4″ plywood and drill pocket holes along the sides and the top of the plywood sheet. Fit the component to the back of the structure and secure it into place using 1 1/4″ screws and glue.

Attaching the shelves

The next step of the project is to attach the shelves to the nightstand. As you can easily notice in the diagram, we recommend you to drill pocket holes along the sides and back of the plywood components. Fit the shelves into place, align the edges with great care and secure them tightly using 1 1/4″ screws. Add glue to the joints and make sure the corners are square.

Attaching the top

Build the top of the nightstand out of 3/4″ plywood and lay it on a level surface. Center the structure of the nightstand to the components and insert 1 1/4″ screws to secure the component into place. Add glue to the joints and remove the excess with a damp cloth.

Building the frame of door

One of the last steps is to build the door for the nightstand. As you can see in the diagram, we recommend you to build the frame out of 1×3 lumber. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the horizontal components and insert 1 1/4″ screws to the sides. Add glue to the joints and make sure the corners are square. Use a router to make 1/4″ x 1/4″ rabbets to the interior face of the door.

Building the door

Fit the glass inside the frame and secure into place by applying a bead of silicone to the rabbets. Make sure the edges are flush before fitting the door to the opening.

Fitting the door

Fit the door to the opening and secure it into place using hinges. Leave about 1/8″ around the edges and attach the handle. Make sure the door opens and closes properly.

How to build 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.

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