NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
Open-sided lap desks that nest into a stack when the crew's done — five cuts from a 1x12 and a 1x4 each, with jigsawed grab handles. Build one per kid.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sides | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 11 1/4" | 1x12 | ☐ |
| Rails | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Top Even overhang at each end — it's also the stacking registration. | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 25" | 1x12 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1x12, 4 ft Sides and top for one desk. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 4 ft The two rails. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, 1-1/2" | 15 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 2 oz | ☐ |
| Paint and wipeable topcoat A different color per kid ends the whose-is-whose debate. | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square. Materials: 1x12, 4 ft, 1x4, 4 ft, Self-tapping screws, 1-1/2", Wood glue
Screw and glue the two 1x4 rails across the 1x12 sides per the diagram — one high at the back, one low at the front — two screws per joint. Keep the assembly square; the desks only stack straight if each box is.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x12, 4 ft, Self-tapping screws, 1-1/2", Wood glue
Glue the top edges of the sides and back rail, set the top with even end overhangs, and screw down into the sides and the back 1x4. If you're building the fleet, use the first desk as the pattern for the rest — matching footprints are what make the stack.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Jigsaw, Pencil, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Paint and wipeable topcoat
Mark each handle slot, drill a starter hole at both ends, connect them with the jigsaw, and sand the opening genuinely smooth — fingers wrap this edge every single carry.
Round all the outer corners, paint each desk its owner's color, topcoat with something scrubbable, and stack the finished fleet by the couch. Homework has no excuses left; that part's not the desk's fault.