Hey guys! I am so excited to finally have nightstands in my bedroom! We haven’t had them in our room in about 1 1/2 years so it really feels life changing 😉 Here they are!

DIY-nightstand-with-bun-feet

I wanted to design them to match the bed that I built for our bedroom and wanted at least one drawer. So, I got busy in my shop and this is what I came up with! It is a very simple build and it’s also very easy to modify!

Of course, we have the FREE printable plans for you and a step-by-step tutorial to follow along! You can click the image below or HERE to print your set of plans. The plans are for one nightstand.

night-stand-free-plans

And, a big thank you to our very talented friend, Jay from Jay’s Custom Creations for creating the printable version of the plans! Check out his site, he has LOTS of awesome furniture plans!

Let’s get started!

sides-and-bottom

drill-pocket-holes-in-shelf-tops

I started by making my cuts and drilling my pocket holes with my Kreg K5.  I had the Purebond plywood ripped down at Home Depot and then made the cross cuts at home. The top boards are the sides and the bottom board is the bottom of the nightstand. You can see where I drilled the pocket holes on the bottom board. You can click the box below for a link to the K5 on Amazon.

attach-sides-to-bottom

I attached the side pieces to the bottom piece with 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws. The pocket holes will be hidden under the nightstand.

add-top-runners

Then I attached the top supports.

attach-drawer-slides

Next, I attached the drawer slides.

make-slides-level

I used a level to make sure the slides were straight!

add-back-support

After I attached the slides, I attached the back supports.

attach-spacers

I attached the drawer spacers with wood glue and my brad nailer.

ready-for-drawers

Here they are, ready for the drawers. (you can attach the back here but I like to wait until I’m totally done with the piece to attach the back. If you make any mistakes it’s easier to fix without the backing on 😉

measure-opening

Don’t go off the plans for the drawer measurements. There is always going to be a difference right here. I like to place the side pieces of the drawer frame in the stand then measure for the front piece.

build-drawers

I build the drawer frame with 3/4″ pocket holes and 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.

test-drawer

I made sure it fit

attach-drawer-back

and then I attached the bottom of the drawer with my Ryobi Stapler. If you don’t have a stapler, you can use finish nails here. I like to attach backing with staples because it is less likely to pull away from the piece.

add-foot-support-block

I flipped the nightstand upside down and attached the foot support pads with wood glue and brad nails.

predrill-for-bun-feet

Then, I predrilled for the bun feet. I used the same size bit as the bun feet screws.

bun-feet-attached

I put wood glue on the foot pads and screwed the bun feet in. I purchased these bun feet.

build-top

Next, I assembled the top.

attach-top

and attached it with 1 1/4″ brad nails.

measure-for-overhang

There is a 3/4″ over hang on the front and sides of the nightstand. I used a scrap 1x piece to line everything up.

miter-cut-cove-molding

Now for the molding! The easiest way, I believe, to cut and measure for the cove molding is to start with one piece cut at 45 degrees. Just set your saw to miter at 45. The miter is the top adjustment on the saw.

measure-for-molding

Next, I line the mitered edge where it should be and then mark for the other end.

attach-cove-molding

I attach it with wood glue and brad nails.

measure-for-cove-molding

For the side pieces do the same thing

mark-for-cut

then, mark for the straight cut at the end.

ready-for-stain

Finally, I added the drawer face. You can do this at anytime, I just prefer to wait until the entire piece is the way I like it.

fill-nail-holes

Before I stained it, I filled all of my nail holes with wood filler.

Varathane-early-american

I gave it one coat of Varathane Early American Stain

triple-thick

and sealed it with Varathane Triple Thick Polyurethane. Love. This. Stuff. That was it! I brought them inside and added cute hardware from Home Depot. You can see it HERE.

diy-nightstand

diy-bedroom-furniture

DIY-nightstand-with-bun-feet

how-to-build-nightstands

I’m so happy with the way my room is coming together! It’s so nice to finally have a bed and nightstands again! The total cost for each nighstand was $140. The bun feet are $10 each so you could find some less expensive options and save there. A similar nightstand to this retails for over $700. My bedroom suit including a queen headboard, footboard, side rails and two nightstands cost me $680 total!!! Overall it’s a WIN 🙂

Curious about other items in this room?

DIY Queen Bed – HERE

Bedding – HERE

Couch – World Market

Curtains – Pottery Barn

Wall Hangings – Hobby Lobby

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Ashley

Ashley and Whitney Blog post signature

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

18 Comments

  1. How hard would it be/How much would things change if I wanted three skinnier drawers rather than one drawer and shelf space? I’m also thinking of adding wheels. Kind of like a makeshift/DIY taboret. Any tips? I’m a first timer!

  2. I originally found your blog at the beginning of this year, I wanted a new table but could never afford one like I liked. THEN I ran across Ashley’s farmhouse dining table on Pinterest, and OMG it was like my eyes were opened to a whole new world! I have always had a knack for being crafty and making things, but I have never been so inspired in my entire life as I was when I started reading your blog. I love to decorate my house, but I have always felt restricted in getting it the way I want it due to a tight budget. I am now looking at everything in a whole different way, and can not wait to tackle many more of your projects to hopefully make my home as beautiful as both of yours.
    Tonight I finished reading your entire blog(I binge read it, kinda like Netflix watching only better), and I just want to thank you both for giving me the opportunity to learn so much from just one website. It is truly an amazing thing.

    1. Hi Randi,
      Thank you so much for this comment. What a wonderful thing to wake up to 🙂 totally made our day and we are so happy that we have inspired you and can help you decorate your home on a budget!! Please send us pictures of your completed projects!

  3. What’s the best technique when you are working by yourself to create a “box” (i.e. nightstand) that keeps it in square 90 degree angles? I’ve done it plenty of wrong ways,that I’m pretty certain of :/

    1. Hi Sherry! Do you use clamps? They help so much! Kreg has right angle clamps that you can use if you are joining with pocket holes and we also like bar clamps. It’s like having a few extra hands 🙂