DIY Simple Desk Ideas

With a little planning and minimum tools, you can build a simple desk yourself at a low cost. The desktop can be made from various materials, such as doors, tabletops or plywood. Consider what you will be using the desk for when deciding on materials to support the desktop. Stair posts can make decorative legs, and filing cabinets or bookshelves can add functionality to the desk while saving space.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Table saw
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Screwdriver and screws
• Wood glue
• Carpenter square
• L-brackets
• Level
• Table saw (for some designs)

Instructions

Size

1. Clear the floor area where the desk will be. If there are doors, dressers or cabinets nearby, open them so you can determine how much space they will need.

2. Measure the available floor space for the desk with a measuring tape. Write down the maximum width and length with which you have to work. If the desk is going to be placed beneath a window, measure the distance from the floor to the window ledge to determine the maximum height.

3. Sit in the chair you will use for your desk to determine the best height for the desk. Most desks are about 29 inches high; however, the difference of 1 inch can be substantial. Try moving the chair to different desks or tables in your home or office to determine the right height for you.

Desktop Ideas

1. Acquire a wooden hollow-core interior door for a large desktop. These generally measure 80 by 32 inches and are lightweight and sturdy. They can be found at most building supply stores.

2. Use a piece of plywood or particleboard for a smaller desktop, a child’s desk or a light-duty desk.

3. Use a larger piece of plywood for a larger desk. Reinforce the edges with four pieces of 1-by-2 inch lumber to prevent warping. Cut two pieces to match the width of the desktop and two for the length. Screw the pieces together to form a frame and then screw the frame to the plywood.

4. Go to garage sales and used furniture stores and keep an eye out for old tables, doors or other large pieces of wood. Even if a corner or edge is damaged, measure the piece to see if the wood is usable for a desktop, if the damaged section were trimmed with a table saw.

5. Sand the desktop using 120-grit sandpaper. You can do this by hand, with a hand sander or by wrapping the sandpaper around a small scrap of wood like a 2-by-4.

Leg Ideas

1. Acquire four stair posts as legs for the desk. Measure the thickness of the desktop and subtract this from the total height of the desk to determine the length of the legs. Measure and mark the length of each leg using a pencil and carpenter square. Screw the legs to the bottom of the desktop using L-shaped metal brackets.

2. Acquire two bookshelves, cabinets or filing cabinets that are the right height for your desk. Place them beneath the desktop, and then screw the desktop to the tops of the cabinets.

3. Secure the back of the desk to the wall, so you need only two front legs instead of four. Cut a piece of 1-by-2 inch lumber to the same length as the desktop. Use a measuring tape and a level to draw a line on the wall at the height you require for the desk, and then use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall. Screw the 1-by-2 to the wall. Run a bead of white glue across the top of wood and then screw the desktop to it.

References

• Mother Earth News: Build Mother’s Easy, Low-Cost Big Desk
• HGTV: Stair Post Kid’s Desk