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A child-height bookshelf and a matching table that cantilevers off it — one weekend build that turns a corner into a craft station.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookshelf sides | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 32" | 1x12 | ☐ |
| Bookshelf top | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 24" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Bookshelf bottom rails | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Shelves | 3 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 24" | 1x12 | ☐ |
| Table cleats Fastened inside the bookshelf to carry one end of the table. | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Table legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 20 1/4" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Table side aprons | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 46 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Table front apron | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 21" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Tabletop | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 48" | Plywood / project panel | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1x12 board, 12 ft total (Pine) Sides and shelves of the bookshelf. Sold as 6- or 8-ft lengths — buy to suit your car. | 12 board feet | ☐ |
| 1x3 board, 4 ft (Pine) | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x2 board, 8 ft (Pine) | 2 each | ☐ |
| 2x2 board, 4 ft (Pine) | 1 each | ☐ |
| 3/4" plywood or project panel, 48" x 24" A pre-finished birch project panel makes a tougher, easier-to-wipe tabletop. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 4 oz | ☐ |
| Wood screws, 2" For fastening the table apron to the bookshelf cleats. | 12 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Speed Square. Materials: 1x12 board, 12 ft total, 1x3 board, 4 ft, 1x2 board, 8 ft, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Attach the two top rails and two bottom rails to the two 1x12 sides with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket screws plus glue. If you'd rather not see pocket holes, drive 2" screws through the outside faces of the sides and countersink them.
Check the box for square across both diagonals before the glue grabs — everything downstream references off this box.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x12 board, 12 ft total, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Set the three 1x12 shelves into the box — the top and bottom shelves land on top of and beneath the rails from the last step, the middle one wherever you want it. Pocket-screw them first, then reinforce by gluing and nailing into the 1x2 and 1x3 rails.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x2 board, 8 ft, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Fasten the two cleats to the inside face of the bookshelf with 1-1/4" screws and glue. Their top edge sets the table height, so measure their position up from the floor — the same number you'll use for the table legs. Get this wrong and the tabletop slopes.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x2 board, 8 ft, 2x2 board, 4 ft, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Drill 3/4" pocket holes in both ends of the front apron and in one end of each side apron. Attach them to the two legs, flush to the inside faces, with 1-1/4" pocket screws and glue. Also drill a couple of pocket holes facing up in the aprons now — you'll use them to grab the tabletop.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 3/4" plywood or project panel, 48" x 24", Wood screws, 2"
Rest the free end of the table frame on the bookshelf cleats and screw the aprons to the cleats. Set the tabletop on the frame and drive screws up through the apron pocket holes into it.
Sand every edge and corner round — this is a toddler's table. Finish the top with a durable, wipeable topcoat; markers and glue live here now.