Nifty Night-tables!

Hello my crafty crafters! I figured I should write another post considering I've been slacking a bit. Today's D.I.Y. craft is a Nifty Night Table! I decided that my current bedside table is too big for the bedroom so I designed and made this smaller one. This is a difficult craft. I had to have my boyfriend help me with the drilling. Also you will want to designate a few days to complete this project.

Things you will need:
- wood (i used wood boards from an old ikea bed frame.)
-saw
-nails (size is at your discretion. I can't remember how big the nails were that we used)
-paint (in the color you want to paint it)
-varnish to seal in the paint so it won't get ruined
-paintbrushes
-measuring tape
-sand paper

Step 1:
Figure out how tall you want the bed side table to be. I decided that 21" was a good height. So I took four pieces of the ikea bed frame and measured out 21" on it. I then drew a line across the piece of wood and had my boyfriend saw on excess wood off. I did this four times. These are the legs of the bed side table. Label them in pencil lightly.
NOTE: It is a good idea to label all pieces so you know what is what. It can get a little confusing with all the wood lying around.

Step 2:
To make the shelf and the top and bottom drawer enclosure of the bed side table, I took 6 pieces of the old ikea bed frame and sawed them in half. This is approximately 15". The side pieces of the drawer enclosure was the width of the table top. I think it was approximately 8 or 9". With the side pieces and the four pieces of wood for the top and bottom drawer enclosure, make a box shape.

Step 3:
Once you have made the box shape, attach the legs of the bed side table. We found it easier to drill holes first and then to drill the screws in. For the back of the enclosure, I found a piece of random wood that I hammered into the spot. You can glue it or drill a screw or two if you are concerned about it staying.

Step 4:
To make the shelf, you need a couple of small pieces of wood. This was just scraps we had left over. We screwed one piece to two of the legs and the other to the other two. Then we placed the last four 15" pieces of wood across the two pieces and drilled screws into them.

Step 5:
If you want to make the drawer, I used the door of an old entertainment unit. I had to saw about half an inch off the one side. This becomes the bottom of the drawer. Then I used some of the scraps to make the sides and back of the drawer. You may need to measure and cut to make it fit. Once that is complete, cut one 15" piece. This is to be the front. You will need to screw it to the sides and bottoms. My boyfriend and I used a combination of finishing nails and screws. Once the drawer is fastened securely, attached the drawer handle. The one I used was on from an old cabinet that I had taken the doors off of.

Step 6:
Once completed, sand any rough edges. You may want to do this as you are going along, because there will be rough edges from sawing. Once that is completed and you have wiped away the sawdust, start painting. I did this the next day... as putting it together took me from noonish to about 7pm. Depending on the color of the paint, you may have to do more than 1-2 coats. I did 4 coats because I chose to do it in white. Let each coat you do dry completely.

Step 7:
Once the paint is dry, you can decorate it however you want. The pattern on mine is inspired from a scrapbook paper I bought. I tweaked it a bit and added the letter b to the shelf. I used black folk art paint for this. I did two coats for this. Let this dry. I waited overnight.

Step 8:
After the design is complete and dry, you will need to varnish it so that all your hard work does not get ruin. To do this, you will need varnish. It's about 16 bucks at Canadian Tire. I got a semi gloss because the paint I used had a bit of a glossy look to it already. Semi-gloss is good if you don't want high shine on your end table. I put one coat on mine. You are supposed to put two or three coats on but when I went to apply the second coat it was going on yellow, not clear. I think one coat is okay. Each coat you do will have to dry 4-6 hours.





Once this is done, you have your very own bed side table. This is an extremely lengthy project but the outcome is worth it. I love my new bedside table. Like I said, you will need to make some time for this project... or do it when you have a lot of time. Happy DIY crafting!!!