Happy Wednesday!

I am so excited to share my latest furniture build with you guys.  I teamed up with the oh so amazing Miss Ana White on this one!  We had a reader email us about an amazing chest that Pottery Barn carries that she was wanting plans for.  I fell in love with everything but the price tag.   So… Here is what we came up with!

Trunk-Table-DIY

Isn’t it pretty?? This baby was so easy to make!  It’s a great beginner build for those of you on the fence.

I will share some tips with you here, and of course you can get the full set of plans over at Ana’s site!

So… Here we go!

Now, this plan calls for 1/2 sheets of 3/4″ and 1/4″ plywood.  We love using PureBond Plywood any chance we get.

The thought of building beautiful furniture with plywood may sound a bit strange.  It did to us as well!  That was until we learned about PureBond Plywood.

PureBond Plywood can be found at any Home Depot.

What sold us on PureBond

~ It uses Formaldehyde-free glue (scary to think we have been breathing in harmful chemicals until now)

~ It’s made in AMERICA… Whoop!!!

~ It’s made with wood from sustainable forests

~ It’s extremely easy to work with

~ Biggest selling point for us… It’s BEAUTIFUL!  You get the look of real hard wood for a fraction of the cost.  Home Depot stocks birch and oak.  You can also order hickory, maple, you name it and have it delivered to your store… Love that!

So after learning the benefits of PureBond Plywood, we will never go back.  It’s such an obvious choice and it fits quite nicely in our shanty budgets!

Ash and I have shared some videos on working with PureBond.  You can see them here!

I was so excited to use my new Kreg Jig K3 model for this build.  I have had this thing sitting in a box for sometime, but I love my K4.  I decided to give it a try, and let me tell you… It is my new FAV!

Kreg Jig K3 Model

It basically does exactly what the K4 does, but has a few differences.  My favorite feature is the front clamp capability!

Kreg Jig k3

You don’t have to reach around your board to unclamp your wood!  You just do it from the front… Game changer.  LOVE.

I used 3/4″ pocket holes and 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws for the whole build.

K3 Kreg Jig

Here is a shot of an inside corner of the box.  This is how I put the box together…

How to build a wood box

I attached all my trim using Gorilla Wood Glue and finish nails with my Ryobi Finish Nailer.  So simple!

wood glue trim

If you don’t have a miter saw, you can always invest in one of these!  It’s a miter box and hand saw… Simple and it gets the job done!

Now for the top!

This part is so easy!  You basically Kreg Jig the whole thing together…

Start with your center pieces… You can see where I made my 3/4″ pocket holes…

Kreg jig top_edited-1

And your final step is adding those side pieces.  Here is where I put my pocket holes for those…

top of trunk_edited-1

Easy Peasy!

To finish this trunk I used one of my very favorite colors..

Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Early American

rust-oleum-early-american

To give it that distressed look I used a favorite tool of ours…

Ryobi’s Corner Cat Finish Sander

I cannot say enough about how cool this little sander is.  It’s lightweight and powerful at the same time.  Plus… It’s cheap!!

Ryobi Corner Cat Sander

Just sand down the whole thing until you get the look you want!

Now for the hardware…

I found my nail heads at Lowe’s as well as the cute latch for the top.

Trunk Coffee Table DIY

Hardware for trunk

And, I found my side handles at Hobby Lobby for $3 a piece!

Hobby Lobby Knobs

And a few more pics…

Trunk-Table-DIY

Pottery Barn Trunk DIY

Trunk Coffee Table

Top of trunk table

Trunk Table DIY

Whew… That’s it!  Remember you can get the full set of free plans over at Ana’s site!

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Please let me know if you have any questions at all!

I would LOVE for you to pin and share this trunk with your friends!  Have a good one!

~Whitney

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28 Comments

  1. How did you install the hardware on the back of the trunk? Do you have pictures of that too? Oh please get back to us!

  2. Hi Whitney! Thanks for the great post, as usual!! I had a couple of questions – I’d love to make this as an (don’t cringe) outdoor tack trunk (well, indoors but in a barn) for my tack/horse stuff…Do you think these plans would allow it to be sturdy enough to sit on once in a while and also to add wheels so it’s more easily transported!? I’d love to hear your thoughts before I make it…it’s so beautiful I almost feel bad making it and then USING it so much but I guess if it’s functional why not!? Also do you think i’d need more sturdy handles if I were to transport it every so often – are the ones you got more decorative? Thank you!!!!!! Ellie

  3. I would live to buy this trunk for my living room! Where can I find one just like this one?

  4. I just built this chest and I love it. It was my first build. My friend has built several pieces and we both did one of these. Wish I would have started building a long time ago.

  5. Hi, I am almost done building my own version of this. (Thank you SO much for the plans!!). I’m curious about what type of hinges you used. I’ve built lots of furniture over the last couple years but this is my first with hinges and I’m a little lost. lol! Can you post a pic? I’ll be posting a brag post on Ana’s site by the end of the week. 😉

  6. This is beautiful! I do wish you included instructions on how to make this trunk functional as well. I always need extra storage!

  7. Did I miss the total cost of materials? I understand that the PureBond Plywood is a little pricier than others but I think it is very helpful to have a cost in mind before beginning. I checked over on Ana’s site and did not see a price range with the plans either. I think it’s exciting to know just how much can be saved by building an inspiration piece vs. ordering premade! It helps in the sales pitch to the Mr. on why we should take on the project, too! Thanks for all that you both do! You’re inspiring! ( as is Ana White, amazing all the projects you have all made together!)

  8. I have been eyeing the Pottery Barn chest for a while now, and I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this post. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!! My birthday’s coming up, and I know just what I want. 🙂

  9. This is gorgeous! I’d love to make one for our bedroom; it looks as though it would be perfect for storing blankets, pillows, etc.

    I also love the LOVE sign you have on your shelf in the background. Do you have a tutorial for that one somewhere?

  10. This would be an awesome build as a chest to put at the end of a bed!!! Looks awesome!
    I would LOVE to invest in a better Kreg Jig. I’m currently fighting with the Kreg R3 Jr. Jig set. It takes forever to get a couple of holes done. I use a C clamp (the only one I have that will work, and the Kreg clamps are too much $$). Oh the things we wish for!

    1. Check garage sales, craigslist, and ask family members if they have any. My mom and stepdad turned out to have TWO Kreg K4s. They bought one and forgot they had it until we cleaned out a barn for them. By the time we found it they already had another.

      1. I have gotten a ton of tools from garage and yard sales, clamps, planers, drills you name it. You just have to make a quick get away before hubby realizes wife has sold all his tools!

  11. WOW I love this and am going to make it as soon as I move into my new house!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!! It is fabulous!