DIY nightstand build yourself from old wooden planks

Can you get a Build bedside table yourself - from old wooden planks? No problem! I have even upcycled two bedside tables for our apartment from 35 year old oak planks - in the spirit of the Zero Waste Lifestyle. In the end it became two bedside tables with real industrial charm.

How I proceeded when I built myself the nightstands, you will now learn in this article in the DIY Furniture Blog.

Here is another short Table of contents for you:

• Nightstand plan
• Construction of the bedside table
• Closing words

Plan for's build bedside table itself

If you want to build a nightstand yourself, you should think about a clear plan in advance. This is also basically a good rule for everything you plan to do in life. In the case of DIY nightstands, you should therefore answer the questions about the style, size and material.

DIY bedside tables style

I am a big fan of the Industrial designsbecause every piece of furniture automatically looks unique and usually is. Not everything has to be smooth, straight and parallel to each other. And the material certainly doesn't have to be brand new. Instead, industrial design places great emphasis on using used objects from industry. That I in this style also our Dining table self made made the decision even easier.

Size & height of the homemade bedside table

In the next step, think carefully about which Dimensions the nightstand should have. You also need to know where the nightstand(s) will be placed and how much space is available. In our case, I opted for a surface of 34×34 cm, because that is easily enough. The height is especially important - depending on the height of the bed, you should simply stop once how high the nightstand must be at least. In our DIY nightstand I decided on a height of 44 cm including surface.

Material of the self-made bedside tables

In the village, there is usually a larger selection of suitable material - but even in the big city, basically everything is possible. From a known I have old Oak planks that had been stacked on a farm for 35 years. I recommend you just ask around a bit in your circle of acquaintances. The runners of the table should be made of metal to contrast nicely with the wood and provide enough stability.

DIY nightstand build yourself

Now it's down to the nitty-gritty: the execution! Fortunately, with the homemade bedside table is not so complicated, because the surfaces are nice and small, easy to transport, and painting also does not take much time.

I would now like to describe to you how I proceeded.

1) Clean wooden planks

If oak planks have been vegetating in a dusty, dark corner for 35 years, it is likely that the wood may be infested with worms or have other defects. Therefore, you should first check the raw material with the High pressure cleaner clean and allow to dry in a warm environment. Also check carefully whether somewhere in the wood may still be Nails and screws hide

Only when everything fits is it worth going to the carpenter.

2) Process wooden planks for the bedside table.

So that the table does not wobble later, the surface should be straight - but at the edges can quietly remain a natural, sloping tree edge. This makes the nightstand unique. In order to process the wood accordingly, it is best to let it trim, plane and cut as desired at the carpenter.

I have a carpenter friend to whom I also go, for example, the wood for my homemade coffee table have brought. But even if you do not know a carpenter - of course, will not stop you.

To avoid a strange look later, both DIY nightstands should also get an (at least almost) identical surface.

3) Sand wood smooth

Once you have the blanks for the two surfaces of your nightstand, you can sand them. Start with a rough Sandpaper (80 grit) and then use 120 grit sandpaper for the fine sanding.

Blow the dust off the wood and wipe the wood surfaces again with a slightly damp cloth. After a few minutes have passed, you can proceed to the next step, which you have prepared with this.

4) Paint wooden planks with hard wax oil.

If you want to build your own bedside table, you can of course decide for yourself what color the surface should be afterwards. I am a big fan of wood and would like to use the Preserve natural look. Of course, even if the nightstand remains in the apartment, it should still be applied a protective coating, which will also provide a cool shine.

That's why I grabbed a paint roller and painted both woods with a transparent hard wax oil. You can get the oil in any hardware store - alternatively you can get the hard wax oil here*.

After about 12 hours, the surface of your self-made bedside table should be completely dry.

5) Have metal skids made by professional

Unfortunately, I myself am not a metal expert. So that the DIY nightstand does not wobble later, I asked a corresponding supplier to make the skids for the nightstands according to desired dimensions.

In my search I found many suppliers who wanted just under 400€ for the work and the material. Fortunately, I then came across someone who gave me the two skids for 70€ shipping included made in the desired dimensions. I then just sanded them and sprayed with clear lacquer.

Just write me an email to metal skids[at]careelite.com and I'll be happy to give you his contact information.

6) Screw surface & metal skid

The metal runners are here and harmonize perfectly with the finished surface of our DIY nightstands. So that runners and table tops also hold firmly to each other in the future, they still need to be screwed together. For this I have a corresponding Screws and washers procured. It is important to pre-drill so that the screws do not break off when tightened. Be careful not to accidentally drill through the wood, otherwise the hole will eventually be seen on top of the surface of the homemade nightstand.

DIY nightstand decorate and ready!

Now the self-made bedside tables are finally ready and ready for your use at the bedside. A little decoration and of course a matching bedside lamp on it and ready is the DIY nightstand made of old wooden planks and sturdy metal - in industrial look! What do you think of the table?

Even though it's hard to see now, of course, I added foam stickers under the metal so the floor wouldn't get scratched when I moved the nightstand. I didn't want to keep that from you.

So it doesn't always have to be the big Swedish furniture store or one of the many other huge furniture stores to furnish the apartment beautifully. Instead, you can save real money and expand your personal horizons in terms of craftsmanship. In keeping with the zero waste lifestyle, we also gave old, dusty oak planks a second life as a bedside table. By the way, this is also in the spirit of the plastic-free lifestyle - because anyone who has ever ordered furniture knows how much plastic waste is produced in the process.

Do you have any questions or suggestions about building your own nightstand? Then leave me a comment below this article.

Best regards,

PS.: Since I built this nightstand myself as part of our move, it is of course not only remained with this one piece of furniture. In the article Build desk yourself you can see, for example, how I also built my new workstation from the material for the nightstand.