How to Build a Nightstand with Drawer | FROM PLYWOOD & 2x2s

Hi guys, it's Sherff from Wood Shop Diaries and first of all, happy new year. This year got off to a bit of a slow start, but we're here so it's time to

build

. In my last video, I shared how to

build

this bed with storage. In this video it seems logical that we make matching

nightstand

s, so if you're ready to dive into the first project of the new year, let's go. This video was sponsored by Shopify. I'm building these

nightstand

s to match the storage bed I shared. in my last video and since I built that bed with Red Oak that's also what I used for these, most of this build was made with Red Oak

plywood

but some was made with Solid 2 byos you can certainly Choose to buy only pre-cut. 2 by 2 boards and save a little time, but if you have a table saw it is much cheaper or at least in my case it was buying 2 x 4 boards and ripping them out than buying precut 2 by 2 boards. so first I cut my 2x4 board into smaller sections and then ripped them into 1 and 1/2 inch wide strips on the table saw.

I ripped off one piece to give me two front legs, another to give me two back legs, and then one more for The top supports are so close together that I had six 2 x 2s. You can easily modify the overall size of the nightstands by simply adjusting the length of the legs and support parts; However, in my case I made my legs 24 long and the top supports 23 long. Well, basically, here are my two legs and then I'm going to glue this between them at the top so that it looks like a u. I placed the pieces on my workbench to mark the locations for my Dow.

I made sure. To carefully label each joint, then drill Dow holes and assemble them with glue. I've linked a detailed guide on how to use a Dow template in the video description and also, if you're looking for construction plans for this project, you can find them in my shop which has been powered by Shopify for the past few years. I worked very hard to create top-quality construction plans that match the projects I share. My hope with every plan is that it helps someone get a project off the ground, build something new, and gain some confidence. on your skills, so after dedicating myself to every detail to make the best plans and products I can, I don't trust just anyone to take things from there.

I trust Shopify Shopify is a leading all-in-one global commerce platform that powers millions of businesses in over 175 countries, including mine, for someone like me who is first a creator and then a business owner. I appreciate that Shopify supports entrepreneurs no matter what stage of the journey they are in. When I started, I just knew how to create the product I had. I have no idea where to go from there, from setting up the first website and adding the first product to making the first sale. They offer useful tools and resources that have allowed me to learn and grow along with my business.

If you are someone you know, you are looking. To start or grow your own business, start your free trial with Shopify today at shopify.com cut the newspapers or scan the QR code. After gluing two of these 2x2 frames into a U shape, I set them aside to dry while I moved on to cutting. From the plow wood, you guys know how much I love working with

plywood

, but I'll be honest. Red oak plywood is not my favorite, it splinters easily, so I made sure I had a good fine finish blade on all my saws. I cut two.

The side panels first go between the 2 by two frames I glued together. I use pocket holes and screws to assemble the rest of the construction. If you don't like pocket holes, you can assemble them another way if you prefer, but I made sure. to place the pocket holes where they will be hidden by the shelves and

drawer

later in the construction, so before drilling I marked where the shelves and

drawer

will land on each side and then drilled pocket holes along the side panels Between these marks hidden holes were once drilled. I installed the side panels between the 2x two frames using pocket hole screws.

Okay, I have the frame here and I need to add the shelves. I cut two plywood panels for the shelf, the top shelf is simply going to be the 3/4 in plywood, so I applied edge banding to the front now on the bottom shelf. I didn't apply any edge banding because I'm going to add a 1x two to the front. I also have a 1x3 here I'm going to put under where the drawer will go so everything comes together in just a minute, but I have a 1x3 and a 1x two and then my two shelves, the 1X two, it doesn't need any pocket holes, but the 1x3 piece and the shelves make it, so I drilled pocket holes in these pieces for a bug symbol here, there it is okay, so here is the bottom shelf.

I also drilled pocks along the front edge because that's how I'm going to attach the 1 by two, hey, full transparency, in case you were wondering, the 1 by two is just a piece of plywood that I cut down to an inch and a half wide and then I applied a piece of Edge Wanding to one edge that will be the top so that it'll be the side you see boy, once the pocket holes were drilled I glued and screwed the 1 by two on the front of the bottom shelf and then I started installing everything on the nightstand frame, by the way the 1x3 is just a strip of plywood that ironon edge banding was applied.

You can use solid wood or wood for this piece. It's basically just a molding. The 1x3 goes right below where I want the drawer. I installed the top shelf where it would cover the pocket holes I had already drilled in the side. panels then I installed the bottom shelves so the bottom of the 1X two was flush with the bottom of the side panel after they were all attached on one side I flipped it over and placed it on the other the next part is just adding a drawer that is always my favorite part of every build.

I installed 14-inch ball bearing drawer slides on the nightstands so they were about an inch and a half from the front of the legs. Then it was time to build the actual drawer box. I use red oak for everything. On this build, except for the drawer box, I grabbed some scrap birch plywood from my scrap cart as I only needed a few small pieces. I divided these scraps into strips for the drawer sides and cut Doos into them to install a Quin plywood bottom panel. then trim them lengthwise before assembling. I applied iron-on edge banding to the top.

This is optional, but it just makes them look nice and clean. You can see my breath. It's cold if you want to learn more about how to apply edge banding. I linked a detailed guide to use it in the video description, then I assembled the drawer box using pocket holes and screws and installed it on the nightstand. You can check out my entire drawer building series playlist for more information on how to measure to build and install drawers. I've linked it below. I cut the front of a drawer to fit the opening and used some shims to help with the gap while I screwed it in from the inside.

These shims you see here come with the Craig drawer front installation template. very useful, but any 8 inch wedge would work just as well. The last part was adding the top. I cut a panel of 3/4 inch plywood for the top and ironed the edge bending to the sides and front to make it look a little more finished. I cut this top 1 inch wider and deeper than the body of the actual nightstand, that way it will overhang both sides and the front by 1/2 inch. I turn the top panel upside down on the work table and then turn the nightstand upside down. top making sure the overhang was even.

You can also see here that I had to remove the drawer in order to access the top supports and screw it into place. I drilled holes in the top two at a time and secured the top panel using Now, doing this on the back with 2 inch wood screws was easy because there was plenty of room, but on the front there is limited space to place the drill between the top piece and the 1x3 piece under the drawer, so here I just drilled lightly. angle to be able to insert the screws and with that these nightstands were assembled and ready to be stained to match the bed.

I stained them the same Weathered Oak Minwax color, this stained color helped tone down the red and red oak while still keeping it pretty light in color after the stain dried. I applied a few coats of Minwax polyacrylic clear coat and re-added the drawers and a simple black knob to complete them. Now these nightstands are the perfect complement next to the bed with storage. I really love how simple it is. These are the large space at the bottom that is perfect for blankets or baskets and the shallow top shelf is perfect for books. I hope you enjoyed this simple build to start the new year and if you want to build your own don't forget to do so.

Grab the plans linked below. I have many more projects planned for this year, but if you can't wait to see the matching dresser as well, be sure to stay tuned because I'll be sharing it below. Thank you very much for watching friends and until next time happy building