NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This is a faux-vintage steamer trunk built as real storage furniture: four wall panels, each a row of horizontal 1x4 slats captured inside a simple 1x2 frame, screwed to a plywood base and topped with a mitered lid. Building each panel as its own framed unit — rather than slat by slat directly onto the trunk — is what makes the slats sit flush and even; fit five boards into a frame on a flat bench and they line up far more easily than five boards fastened one at a time to a standing box.
The two-tone finish (a wood-tone stain on the slats, white paint on the frames, or whatever combination you like) is what sells the vintage-trunk look, so mask carefully between the two before finishing. Decorative nail heads along the base plywood and real hinges plus a support arm or chain for the lid are what make it function and read as a trunk rather than just a slatted box with a flat top.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x2 board, 6 ft | 5 each |
| 1x4 board, 6 ft | 6 each |
| 1/4" plywood, cut to 18" x 18" | 1 each |
| Bun foot wood table legs, 3-1/2" | 4 each |
| Decorative nail heads | 1 pack |
| Hinges and lid support hardware | 1 set |
| Wood stain (two-tone accent) | 1 can |
| White paint | 1 quart |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 80 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Front/back frame verticals1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/2" |
| Front/back frame horizontals1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 18" |
| Front/back slats1x4Five slats per panel, front and back. | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 15" |
| Side frame horizontals1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17" |
| Side slats1x4Five slats per panel, both sides. | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 17" |
| Lid frame, mitered1x4Mitered at 45° at each corner. | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 18" |
| Lid support cleats, long1x2Screwed under the lid frame. | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 18" |
| Lid support cleats, short1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" |
| Lid center panelScrap or 3/4" plywoodFill the mitered lid frame's center opening — scrap pieces cut to fit work as well as a single panel. | 1 | 3/4" × 11" × 11" |
Buy 10 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
5 boards
4 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Glue and screw (or pocket-screw) the five 1x4 slats together edge to edge to form each panel face. Attach the 1x2 frame verticals to the panel's outside edges first, then attach the bottom horizontal — leave the top horizontal off for now, you'll add it after the panel is standing.
Build the two side panels the same way, gluing and nailing the bottom horizontal on with a nail gun and glue since the 1-1/4" pocket screws used elsewhere are too long for this thinner joint here — a smaller pocket screw works too if you have one.
Join the four panels at the corners into a box, then add the remaining top horizontal 1x2 pieces now that the box is standing. Attach the assembled box to the 1/4" plywood base with screws, nails, or glue.
Install the four bun feet per the hardware manufacturer's instructions.
Miter the four lid frame pieces at 45° and join them into a frame with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Fill the center opening with scrap pieces cut to fit, or a single panel cut to size. Screw the support cleats to the underside of the frame.
Sand everything, then finish with your chosen two-tone combination — for example, a wood-tone stain on the slats and white paint on the frames, masking carefully between the two. Tack decorative nail heads along the base if desired. Attach the lid with hinges and a support arm or chain so it stays open on its own.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.