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This is the table you build when you need a nightstand THIS weekend: two leg sets, a 1x10 lower shelf, a 1x12 top shelf, done. No joinery beyond screws or brads, and no board wider than what a home center sells off the shelf.
The only real technique in the whole build is keeping the two leg sets square to each other as you attach the shelves — if the shelf boards' edges don't line up flush on both sides as you screw them down, that's your signal the legs went in slightly twisted, and it's worth backing a screw out and correcting it now rather than living with a table that rocks.
The top shelf has two build options depending on where the table lives. Against a wall as a true bedside table, cut both 1x12 top boards to the same 22" length, start with the front board flush to the front and both sides, then let the back board overhang the back edge by about 1/2" — nobody sees that edge. As a floating side table or the end of a sofa run where every side is visible, trim that back overhang flush with a circular saw instead.
Choose your fastening method by finish: star-bit screws are easy to fill and hide under paint and pull tighter, while brad nails and a generous bead of glue disappear better under a stain finish where you don't want visible filled holes.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft or stud lengthAll four legs and side supports. | 2 each |
| 1x10, 4 ftBottom shelf. | 1 each |
| 1x12, 4 ftTop shelf. | 1 each |
| Self-tapping star bit screws, 2-1/2" | 16 each |
| Self-tapping star bit screws, 1-1/2" to 2", or brad nails and glueScrews are easier to fill under paint; brads and glue hide better under stain. | 32 each |
| Wood glue | 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Legs2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21 1/4" |
| Side supports2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 19" |
| Bottom shelf1x10 | 2 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 22" |
| Top shelf1x12Against a wall: back board overhangs 1/2". Fully visible placement: trim the back edge flush instead. | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 22 1/2" |
Buy 4 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
1 board
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 →
Attach a leg to a side support, then repeat for the other three corners, building two matching leg-and-support pairs. Two 2-1/2" screws per joint.
Attach the two 1x10 bottom shelf boards inside the leg sets so their outside edges sit flush with the legs. Use either 1-1/4" brad nails and glue, or the shorter star bit screws — screws are easier to fill and hide for a paint finish, nails are easier to hide for a stain finish (use a generous amount of glue either way).
Check that the legs are square to each other as you go: if the 1x10 edges don't line up flush on both sides, the legs went in slightly twisted, and it's worth correcting now.
Repeat the same fastening method for the top 1x12 boards. For a true bedside table where the back sits against a wall, start with the front board flush on the front and both sides, then let the back board overhang the back edge by about 1/2" — that edge is never seen. For a floating side table or an end table where every side shows, trim that back overhang flush with a circular saw instead.
Sand and finish to match the room.
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