Unlike my previous two posts (how to build a desk and a bookcase), I haven’t actually made this coffee table myself.  I drew up some basic plans a few years back but ended up being donated a table that was too much of a stunning antique to pass upon.

Just like the desk and bookcase, this table isn’t meant to be massively aesthetically pleasing, but more to serve its purpose without spending money on what can be expensive shop bought variations.

Materials Needed

• One piece of 4′ x 2′ MDF (the choice is yours, I just planned to use MDF for money cost originally), somewhere between a half to three quarters of an inch thick (at least)
• Four pieces of wood (again, the choice is yours, but it should be strong – MDF could work, but something stronger here would be preferred) that are 14″ x 2″ x 2″
• Two pieces of 10″ x 2″ x 2″ wood (same as that used above)
• Two pieces of 3′ x 2″ x 2″ wood (same as that used above)

Equipment Needed

• Ten 1.25″ wood screws
• Four 3″ wood screws
• Screwdriver
• Wood glue
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Ruler / straight piece of wood

1.  Lay the 4′ x 2′ piece of wood on the floor and on the two longest edges, mark 5 inches from each end and on the two shortest edges, mark 6 inches from each end.  Draw lines linking the opposite markings up (so there should be two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, making a 3′ 2″ x 12″ rectangle)

2.  In each of the drawn rectangle’s corners, mark 1″ away from the corner, on the sides of the intersection that make up part of the larger rectangle

3.  Looking at the longer sides of this drawn rectangle, place a some wood glue along the line, starting and ending where you have made 1″ markings.  Place a piece of the 3′ wood on this glue and press firmly.  Repeat the same process for the opposite side

4.  Carry out exactly the same process for the two shorter sides, using the 10″ pieces of wood

5.  After waiting for the glue to set a little, place 6 of the 1.25″ screws in equal distances in each of the 3′ pieces of wood and 4 of the 1.25″ screws in equal distances along both of the 10″ pieces of wood

5.  You should now have somewhat of a frame, with 4 gaps in the corners

5.  Placing glue in each of the four corners, press the legs (the 14″ pieces of wood) right into the corners of the frame and hold for a few seconds until they become rigid

6.  With the remaing 4 screws, insert them from one side of the leg through to an adjoining part of the frame (it doesn’t make a difference which, as long as it’s in centre)

7.  Leave to dry for a few hours, turn upside down and voila, you have a fully functioning coffee table

Like I said, as with the previous projects, this home coffee table isn’t particularly aesthetically pleasing, but it gets the job done.  You can amend it as you like - reshaping the legs is pretty easy, tapering them in so they are thinner at the bottom and obviously staining the wood is a great idea if you’re wanting to make it look less, well, DIY-ish – but the table should fulfill it’s function perfectly just as it is.

Any questions, comments or problems, let me know.

The reason I built my own desk, apart from the fact that I needed a separate writing space was that I was in the same boat as a lot of new freelancers and money wasn’t as flush as it could have been.

Not long after I built the desk, I decided that I needed to tidy up what was fast becoming my dedicated office. I had books and papers everywhere, both for business and pleasure.

With money still not being in any particular abundance but being in need of a solid book case, I set out to create my own – and it wasn’t as hard as you might think.

NB: I wanted to make a 4 shelf bookcase that was 6 foot tall, 2 foot wide and 10 inches deep. As with the desk project, if you want to amend any of these measurements for your own project, make sure you check all of them don’t need changing, as changing one can effect all of the others..

Materials Needed

For the entire bookcase, I used plywood with a maple veneer. So you don’t have to keep reading “plywood with a maple veneer”, I’ll refer to it simply as ‘wood’ from now on

• One piece of 6’ tall x 2’ wide x 1” thick wood (back)
• Two pieces of 6’ tall x 10” wide x 1” thick wood (sides)
• Three pieces of 2’ tall x 10” wide x 1” thick wood (shelves)
• Two pieces of 22” tall x 10” wide x 1” thick wood (top and bottom)
• Three pieces of 22” tall x 1” wide x 1” thick wood (shelf batons)
• One piece of 6” doweling, cut up into six 1” pieces (thickness is not massively important, but keep it around the same size as a pencil for ease of use.)

Equipment Needed

• Wood glue
• Ten L brackets with screws (these are small brackets that are at a 90 degree angle that can join two pieces of wood together in the corner)
• Six 1.5 inch screws
• Electric drill
• Drill bits
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Spirit level
• Sandpaper
• Old newspaper or cloth (enough to stretch along all four sides of the largest piece of wood)
• Two heavy or sturdy objects, such as a chair or a box

1. Start by laying the largest piece of wood (the 6 foot tall by 2 foot wide one) on the floor, with the newspaper / cloth underneath

2. Mark three points of 1.5 feet, 3 feet and 4.5 from the bottom of the wood on the left hand side. Do the same on the right hand side.

3. Carry out step 2 on both pieces of the 6 foot tall by 10 inch wide pieces of wood.

4. On these two pieces of wood, mark a point about 2 inches in from the front on each of the three lines

5. Drill a half inch hole on each of three marked points

6. Place a drop of wood glue and a piece of doweling in each hole. Leave to set.

7. Moving back to the larger piece of wood, using the spirit level, line the points that you have just marked up and draw a line with the pencil right across the entire 2 feet of the wood.

8. Mark two points, 1 inch in from either side on the line and after placing a line of glue on the back of one of the 22 inches tall by 1 inch wide pieces of wood, press it firmly on the lines. Use the spirit level to ensure it remains straight and after a few moments, place 2 of the 1.5 inch screw in the baton, 4 inches from either end.

9. Repeat the same process for the remaining two batons

10. In the four corners of the 6 foot by 2 foot wood, mark an inch in from both sides and insert one of the 4 L brackets. Only screw it down to the back; we’ll insert the other screw into what will be the sides later.

11. Along the 6 foot edge of wood, spread a line of glue along the top, in between the edge and the L brackets. Try and keep the line as straight as possible, coming away from the edge by about 2 millimeters.

12. Now for the hardest bit of the whole project – place the edge of one of the 6 foot by 2 inch pieces of wood on the glue, pressing firmly both down and up to the L brackets. There’s no need to rush here, so just hold the wood in place, wiping along the edge to remove any excess glue and making sure that on the outside, the two pieces of wood are as flush as possible with each other.

13. After a minute or two, place something against the wood to support it, such as a box or a chair. The idea is to keep the piece of wood as straight as possible, so make sure that the box or chair doesn’t push it in or let it lean out.

14. Leaving it to set for the recommended time on the pack, repeat the steps 9 and 10 for the other side.

15. I would then recommend you leave the whole thing to dry and set properly for at least an hour or two. As much as the glue might say it sets in 30 minutes, I always find the longer you can leave, the sturdier it will be.

16. Keeping the chairs or boxes in place for added stability, affix two corner brackets under each of the three batons where the back and sides of the book case meet.

17. Affix the L brackets that were already in place at the top or bottom to the sides

18. Moving to either end of the bookcase, place a line of glue on the base (it should look like a square U) and press either of the two 2 foot wide by 10 inch deep pieces of wood to the bottom.

19. Carry out point 15 for the top of the bookcase.

20. By now, you should have the empty shell of a bookcase, with the only parts missing being the shelves. Fortunately, these are the easy parts.

21. Lift the book shelf up so it is on its end and move it to its desired location.

22. The shelves should now simply slide into the bookcase, each of them resting on the baton and the back and two pieces of doweling at the front. It might be a little bit of a squeeze, but they will go in. If you think it is too tight, just use the sandpaper to shave a little of one side off.

And there we have it – a fully functioning bookcase.

It’s worthwhile remembering that I created this bookcase (and the desk) when I was on a pretty limited budget. They aren’t particularly aesthetically pleasing compared to some of the furniture on the market, but they do the job that they were intended to be built for.

So, mixing my passion for DIY with my need for a separate writing space, I decided to create my own office, starting with the desk.

There are two things to note about this post:

1. I wanted to build a desk that would fit into the corner of a room (in an ‘L’ shape) and was 60 inches in length in both directions and 25 inches in depth all the way round. These plans show how to build a desk that size, but they are also easy to change should you need a longer, shorter or deeper desk – just remember to look at ALL measurements if you change one!

2. It was a basic desk, but it served its purpose. If you decide to build it, it will look relatively plain at first, but there are a lot of additions that can be made to ensure that it is a fully functioning and aesthetically pleasing office desk for regular daily use.

Materials Needed:

• One piece of ‘L’ shaped plywood that is 60 inches long on both straights and 25 inches deep all around and 3 inches thick (approximately – this was personal preference)

OR

• One piece of 60 x 25 inch plywood and one piece of 35 x 25 inch plywood (both approximately 3 inches thick)

AND

• One piece of timber that is 25 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick
• Two pieces of timber, one that is 60 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep and one that is 59 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep.
• Four metal support poles, around 27 inches tall, with fixing brackets
• Eight plywood off cuts, around four inches square

Equipment Needed:

• Wood glue
• Raul plugs
• Twelve two inch screws
• Electric drill and drill bits
• Two clamps
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Chalk
• Tape measure

1. If you couldn’t get one piece of ‘L’ shaped plywood, lay the two individual pieces next to each other upside down on a table or workbench.

2. Place a strip of wood glue down each side of the join and press the piece of timber that is 25 inches long all across the joint, holding firmly for a few seconds. Attach clamps at both ends and leave to dry for at least an hour.

3. In the space where the desk is to go, measure up the wall 27 inches from the floor and mark with a pencil. Do this in three or four times along the wall and then join the dots together with one straight line (using the spirit level) to form a 60 inch line from the corner. Complete the same process for the adjoining wall.

NB: I chose 27 inches as when sat at a desk, your arms should be in an ‘L’ shape with the keyboard and with a desk that is 27 inches tall, it ensures that my arms are at the correct level.

4. On the line that you have drawn, mark five dots – two 2 inches from either end of the line and then three at the 15, 30 and 45 inch points. Complete the same for the adjoining wall.

5. Drill holes where you have just marked and push a Raul plug into each hole, ensuring that it is as flush as possible with the wall.

6. On the two pieces of remaining timber, mark with a pencil the same dots that were on the wall (2 inches from either end and then at 15, 30 and 45 inch intervals).

7. Attach the pieces of timber to the wall with the screws. Start with the longest piece that is going to be right in the corner and then add the second piece after. Remember to only put each screw in place a little and then tighten them all up once the timber is being held freely.

8. On the floor, use the chalk to draw the outline of the desk and then at the front of the desk at either end, mark a four inch square about an inch and a half in from the front. Do the same at the corner of the ‘L’ shape, but make two markings either side of the corner.

9. Place the four plywood cut offs over these markings and use a screw in the centre to the secure them to floor.

10. Attach the metal support poles to these plywood cut offs and then straight into the floorboards using the fixings provided. You may need to pre-drill smaller holes first.

NB: If you do not want to drill into the floor, you could create a direct replica of the actual desk top, place it on the floor, attach it to the wall with brackets and then drill the metal supports to this.

11. Bring the actual desk top to the room and lay it on the frame. If everything fits properly, take it off, place a layer of glue on top of the timber around the wall and lay the desk top back on. Place something heavy around the edge of the desk where the top meets the wall and wipe away any excess glue underneath.

12. Attach the metal supports to a four inch square piece of plywood and then to the bottom of the desk using the fittings, leave everything to set and dry for a few hours and you’ll have yourself a perfectly good office desk!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Let us know!

How to Hang Shelves

You Will Need:

Shelf

Shelf brackets (2 for most shelves, more if you plan to hang a long shelf)

Screws (regular multi-use)

Level

Measuring tape

Drill

Pencil

Wall Stud Finder (Optional)

Paint or Spray Paint (Optional)

1.)    Find the wall studs in the area where you want to hang your shelves. You can use an electronic stud finder, but often you can find studs simply by knocking on the wall. The studs will feel harder and more solid than the rest of the wall, and your knock will sound solid rather than hollow when you’ve found a stud.

2.)    Measure the area where you want to hang your shelves. Then measure again.  You don’t want to get home with shelves that are the wrong size.

3.)    With a pencil, mark the location (on the stud) where you want the bottom edge of the shelf to sit. Use a level to make sure that the shelf will be perfectly straight.

4.)    Buy your shelves, brackets, and screws. This is your chance to decorate, so make sure you buy something that you want to live with for a long time.  Many stores sell pre-painted shelves, but for a cheaper alternative, you can paint your own.  (See below for a Shelf Painting Pro-Tip).

5.)    Line the brackets up with your pencil marks, and then use your pencil to mark the position of the screw holes.  Set the brackets aside.

6.)    Using the drill, make shallow test holes in the wall, but don’t screw in all the way.

7.)    Replace the brackets and, using the drill, screw them in firmly.

8.)    Position your shelf atop the bracket, and then screw the brackets to the bottom of the shelf.

9.)    Get organized!

If you plan to use your shelf for decoration rather than holding weight, you may not need to secure your shelves in your wall studs. Use wall anchors instead.

Shelf Painting Pro-Tip

I was once lucky enough to observe a Master Carpenter as he built a bookcase. Instead of painting his shelves on one side then waiting hours for each coat to dry, he had this trick up his sleeve. Be warned – getting this process just right may take a little practice.

You will need:

1 Screw (multi-use)

Drill

Strong Twine

Shelf

Spray Paint (designed for wood, in the color of your choice)

Clear polyurethane spray

Protective Goggles

A well-ventilated garage or basement that can get a little messy

You will be hanging the shelf lengthwise from a ceiling joist for this project.  Make sure you have a strong ceiling joist available in a well-ventilated area.

1.)    Always wear your protective goggles when dealing with spray paint or power tools.

2.)    Prepare your shelf. If it has flaws or imperfections, use sandpaper or an electric sander to remove them.

3.)    Stand the shelf up lengthwise on its narrow end, and then drill a screw into the opposite narrow end.  (Think as if you are hanging your shelf from the ceiling like a side of beef.)

4.)    Affix a nail or screw into the ceiling joist.

5.)    Affix the twine to the nail or screw in the ceiling joist, then affix the other end of the twine to the screw on the end of your shelf. Your shelf will now be dangling from the ceiling, and should be at least a few feet off the ground. Choose a height that will be comfortable for you, because you are about to spray paint.

6.)    Spread a drop cloth or tarp underneath the shelf.

7.)    Hold your spray paint 12 to 24 inches from the shelf and begin spraying. Start at the top and work your way down in a side to side sweeping motion.

8.)    Let the first coat dry thoroughly, and then apply the spray paint again to form a second coat.

9.)    After that coat dries thoroughly, apply the clear polyurethane spray to the entire shelf.

10.) Enjoy your newly painted shelf!

If you find your shelf moving around on you, stand back a bit farther before aiming your spray paint.

Have a question, idea or shelf-hanging adventure story? Let it all out in the comments!

This monthly series on do-it-yourself projects for freelance writers will serve a dual purpose of saving you money on all the various and sundry freelance writing accoutrements you need and allowing you to personalize your office space. After all, you’re a freelancer unlike any other, why use the same old laptop stand, pencil cup, or inbox tray that everybody else uses?

This month’s project is all about cork boards. Cork boards, known by school children everywhere as bulletin boards, come in second only to white boards as the handiest of all office wall decorations. Though you can’t write on them, you can fill them with your schedule, reminders, outlines, pictures, motivational sayings, and whatever else you need to see in your day to day. If all else fails, you can also throw darts at them with few lasting effects to your office walls.  Better yet, both of these cork board projects can be done safely from your own home with only hand tools.

Cork Board with Personality

This is possibly the easiest DIY project for the office, but also one of the most versatile. Not only can you use cork boards in the traditional spot – on the wall where you can easily see them – you can use them in hidden places such as inside desk cabinets, or on the side of the file cabinet.

You will need:

4 (or more) cork tiles (available at Office Depot)

Fabric in a style and pattern that suits you

Staple Gun

Scissors

Super glue/Glue Gun (Optional for Hanging)

1.)    Measure your cork board, then cut your fabric so that it is 1 ½” longer and wider than your cork board on all sides.

2.)    On a flat surface, lay the fabric print side down, making sure there are no wrinkles. Lay the cork gently on top of the fabric. For some reason, the meeting of cork board and fabric will cause the fabric to immediately wrinkle. This will be your challenge. Pull the fabric taut under the cork board and be prepared to struggle to keep it that way.

3.)    Fold the excess cloth around the back of the cork board, as when wrapping a present.

4.)    Start stapling. Staples should be about ½” to 1” from the edges of the corkboard, and about 2 inches apart in order to hold the fabric in place. During this step, watch for wrinkles in your fabric. Pull taut every time you staple.

5.)    Use thumbtacks or nails to attach the finished product directly to the walls. Get creative and use negative space or a diamond pattern to make your cork boards stand out. If you wish to hang your cloth covered bulletin boards inside desk drawers or on the side of a file cabinet, use a hot glue gun to apply. Be advised though that this is a permanent solution. (Hot glue can be removed, but it’s difficult.)

Criss-Cross Cork Board

Do you already have a bulletin board, but get sick of how its dull corkiness sticks out like a store thumb in your otherwise immaculate office? Transform it into a criss-cross board! Criss-cross boards are surfaces covered with cotton batting and fabric, then criss-crossed with ribbons. The ribbons allow you to stick receipts, bills, notices and photographs right onto the board without bothering with thumbtacks.

You will need:

1 Cork bulletin Board (Substitutes: large piece of cardboard, plywood, artist’s canvas)

Cotton batting

Fabric in a style and pattern that suits you

Spool of ribbon (or a variety of ribbons)

Sawtooth Picture Hanger

Scissors

Pins

A Staple Gun

A Glue Gun

Decorative Thumb Tacks (Optional)

A DIY ribbon board with horizontal/vertical ribboning.

1.)    Decide whether or not you wish to remove the bulletin board frame. My personal ribbon board still has its frame, but the project works either way.

2.)    Remove your cork board’s hanging mechanism. Sawtooth and other hangers can be glued back on after the project is complete.

3.)    Cut the cotton batting so that it is 3” longer and wider than your cork board on all sides. (Can be shorter if you choose to remove the bulletin board frame.)

4.)    Lay the batting on a flat surface. Then lay the bulletin board, cork-side down, squarely in the center of the batting.

5.)    Gather the excess batting around the back of the bulletin board and then staple the batting to the back of the bulletin board. Staples should be about 1/2” to 1” from edges of the bulletin board and about 2” apart. When finished, trim off excess batting.

6.)    Next, take your cloth, cover the front (cotton batting side) of the bulletin board with it, and use that measurement to trim it to size. Leave a generous amount of fabric (at least 6”) so that you have room to wrap the fabric around the board. You can always trim the fabric later.

7.)    Staple the cloth to the back of the bulletin board. (Try to avoid the staples you used for the batting!) Staples should be about 1/2” to 1” from edges of the bulletin board and about 2” apart. Trim the excess fabric.

8.)    Now comes the fun/hard part – applying the ribbons.  You can either apply the ribbons in one of two ways: horizontally/vertically or diagonally. I recommend diagonally because it’s allows for better hold in day to day use. Starting a couple of inches from one of the corners of the board, run a piece of ribbon diagonally across the fabric surface to the opposite side of the board. Hold the ribbon in place temporarily with pins or fabric tape, then do the same with the rest of the ribbon. Then run the ribbon in the opposite direction over the fabric surface, so that the ribbons form a criss-cross diamond pattern on the front of your board. You will be tucking small papers into the ribbons, so be sure to leave enough room.

9.)    When the ribbons look the way you want them too, hot glue or staple them to the back of the board.

10.) Hot glue or staple the points where the ribbons intersect. You can optionally use decorative thumb tacks for this purpose to give your board a little extra flair.

11.) Glue a sawtooth picture hanger to the back to hang the board.

There’s a whole lot more you can do with malleable and versatile cork board. If you want to get creative with the shape of your cork board, visit DesignSponge.com for a template for the mother of all funky cork boards. Or if you simply want to construct a school-style bulletin board of your own without bothering with fabric and glue guns, visit Instructables for a step-by-step guide to DIY bulletin boards.