Building a Better Nightstand: DIY Nightstand Tutorial

I always wondered why quality furniture is always so expensive… Then I made 2 nightstands and now I understand, it is hard work! However, getting these nightstands with a little sweat equity and at nearly half the price, I think it was worth it! I know this looks intimidating, but it is not as bad as it may seem. I will walk you through the entire process and you can do it too!

If you are going for the raw wood look, I recommend Oak or Pine. Pine will be cheaper, but I love the look of Oak, so that is what I did. If you are going to paint it, you can do any wood you want. But get a nice, smooth wood, without a lot of knots.

I found these plans on Kreg’s website. I decided to change them up a bit to work for what I wanted. Kreg’s website is great, you can get free plans to thousands of projects.

Supplies:

Wood Products: I got most of my supplies at Lowes

• 1 2×2, 120” board
• 1 1×2, 96” board
• 1 1×3, 96” board
• 1 1×8, 72” board
• 1 Edge glued finger – joint pine board, 16inx3ft board
• 1 3/4” Thick, Half Sheet, Plywood
• 1 1/2” Thick, Half Sheet, Plywood

Hardware/Supplies:

• 1 ¼” Pocket hole screws
• 1” Pocket hole screws
• Pocket hole Jig
• 1 ¼” nails, 18 gauge
• 1” nails, 18 gauge
• Drawer Pulls
• 2” Wood Screws
• Wood Glue
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper
• Drawer slides
• Edge Banding that matches your wood

Step 1: Figure out your plans.

Like I said, I used the plans from Kreg as a starting point. I decided to add a third drawer and no apron. I adjusted my measurements and created a cut list. This is what Kreg suggested, but I adjusted my list for my project.

Step 2: Make your cuts.

If you do not have a table saw, you can still do this project with a circular saw. I picked up this cool measuring tool to help make the lines, and this saw attachment to keep the lines straight. It made the cuts so much easier. I finished with my table saw, but you don’t have to.

Step 5: Add Edge Banding to the raw edges,

Because the top of my nightstand had rough edges that you cannot typically paint to look clean. I used edge banding to cover them up. What I love about edge banding is that it is super easy to install, is paintable, stainable, OR it can be left raw. There are several different colors, so you can get one that matches the color of your wood perfectly! All you do is iron it on the edges and it finishes it so nicely.

Step 6: Assemble the Drawers.

Make sure as you assemble the drawers, that you keep your corners a perfect 90 degrees. Screw the backs to the sides using pocket hols. Make the side pieces 1/2 inch taller than the front and back, so the bottom piece will fit snug between it. Then, attach the bottom with glue and a nail gun.

Step 7: Install the drawer slides.

I recommend following the instructions on the slides you bought. They are super helpful and informative. Don’t forget to set the slide back enough so that once you add the face frame, it will line up flush with the front of the nightstand.

Step 8: Add the drawer face frames.

Once the drawers are installed, it’s time to add the face frames. Be sure to have it evenly spaced on all sides of the opening. Glue and nail the face frame to the drawer.

Step 9: Sand it down.

Because this is raw wood and I wanted to keep the raw look, I gave it a real good sanding. Using 220 grit sandpaper gives it a smooth finish. If your wood is more rough or needs a little more sanding, check out this post to get more info on which sandpaper to use.

Step 10: Seal or paint it.

The last step is to paint or seal it.

Because I wanted to leave it natural, I did a natural stain combo that I do on basically everything I leave natural.  First, make sure you always use wood conditioner on anything you will be staining. This is like a primer for stain, and it provides a smooth surface for the stain to sit on and provides an even coverage. My favorite stain combination is 40% Early American, 20% Whitewash and 40% Weathered gray stain. Once that is dry I seal it with Polycrylic in ultra-flat.

Step 11: Add hardware:

Decide on what hardware you want and install it according to the instructions.

AND YOU NOW HAVE A COMPLETED BEAUTIFUL NIGHTSTAND!!! Unless…. you want to be a little extra (like I did) you can keep going, otherwise, you can stop here and have an incredible custom nightstand.

Step 12: Customize the Drawers:

And now you really do have a beautifully custom nightstand that YOU MADE BY YOURSELF!! Will it be perfect? Absolutely not, you are not a mass manufacturer, a robot or a machine. But that is what makes these kinds of projects the best. It is perfectly imperfect! Now, go celebrate your hard work! You deserve it!

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