A Beautiful Mess

Bedside Table DIY

For some reason I was having the hardest time picking out bedside tables for our bedroom. Do you ever get a mental block about something? Why was finding the perfect bedside tables turning out to be so hard? I think part of the issue for me was that I really did want them to be cute and match the look of our room. But I also wanted them to be functional/useful, because we often sit in bed at night and watch a movie on our laptop, or I'll finish up a little work. Sometimes we read, and I like to keep nail polish and lotion by my side of the bed too. So our bedside tables tend to become a catch-all for lots of different items. Thankfully our friend Josh was in town and kindly volunteered to create the perfect bedside tables for us! Here's how he did it:Bed Side Table tools and supplies:

1.5" Kreg screws (fine thread) you won't have to pre-drill with these screws
.75" wood screws
3/4" hardwood sheet of hardwood plywood 4' by 8'
drill
wood glue
sandpaper (50 and 220 grit)
straight edge
tape measure
pencil
skill saw
Optional:
stain
polyurethaneSteps:

1. Cut (2) 18" by 8' strips from plywood sheet

2. From remaining piece, cut a a piece 3" by 8" and 3.75" by 8". sand and glue together (as pictured)

3. Cut (2) pieces 26.5" by 18"  (sand all edges)

4. Cut (2) pieces 17.75" by 18" (sand all edges)

5. Cut a 16.25" by 18" piece (sand all edges)

6. Cut 13.5" by 18" piece (sand all edges)7. Glue and screw pieces A,B,C,D together (as pictured)

8. Glue E and F together (as pictured) let dry then install into the ABCD

9. Glue in G and H (optional)

10. Let table dry and flip, install casters (as pictured)

11. Sand all edges and surfaces

12. Optional (stain and seal)Jeremy and I absolutely LOVE how the tables turned out! We have been using every little nook, especially the pencil holders. :) A big thank you to Josh for creating these beautiful tables and sharing his process with us. xo. Elsie

Looking for more fun woodworking projects? Check out Emma's Wood Pallet Kitchen Table, Elsie's Light-up Headboard, DIY Triangle Shelves, or the Honeycomb Shelves

Josh's Homemade Bench

Last week Josh and Sarah came to town. It was awesome. Sarah managed to squeeze in a bunch of photos of me and Trey. For our fire pit idea we realized we didn't have any pretty chairs for the shoot—mostly just our camping chairs that we accidently left out in the snow. Josh was kind enough to whip up this adorable bench for our shoot. It's such a cute bench it has already made it's way into Elsie's living room. Josh said he'd be happy to share how he made this bench (in one afternoon!). Here's what you need:

2 pine planks 3/4 " thick 10' long at least 12" wide
Drill
Screws (Tip: get Kreg wood screws! They are usually found in the tool section of your home store. They make it possible to screw in without pre driling and they won't split the wood.)
Wood glue
Sand paper (50 and 220 grit)
Optional: paint, stain, polyurethaneStep 1. Cut your pieces:
a. one 5' long (seat part) 
b. two 2' long (legs) (cutting in triangle notches is not necessary, but its a simple way to give the bench a bit of character.)
c. one 4' 10.5" long (support piece)Step 2. Glue and screw in leg one either end of support piece (hint: mark the center of both sides of the boards with a pencil making it easier to line of pieces and then screwing them together.) Step 3. Flip over and glue and screw seat piece across the middle.

Step 4. Allow glue to dry.Step 5. Sand really rough spot with 50 grit then switch to 220 grit for a smooth finish.Step 6. Apply Stain it you prefer, let dry over night.

Step 7. apply a couple of coats of  glossy, semi glossy, or satin polyurethane depending on your preference. Sand with 220 grit between coats.Step 8. Have a seat. :)

Thank you so much Josh for whipping up this bench for us! You guys rock. xo. Emma

*Photos by Arrow and Apple

Related

DIY Triangle Shelves

Josh & Sarah's Modern Stool

DIY Honeycomb Shelves

DIY Light Up Headboard

DIY Framing Wood Corner Desk

Elsie's ReStyled Espresso Cart

Josh & Sarah's Modern Stool

Hi there! I'm Sarah from Arrow & Apple. Although I'm a photographer, I mostly work at home in front of my computer, and I get really tired of sitting all of the time. I asked my clever husband Josh of Subtle Takeover if he could build me a standing height desk, as well as a tall stool in case I do need to sit. Today Josh is going to share his tutorial for building the stool and the optional workspace! I really love my new workspace and I know you will too!Supplies:
4' x 8' (3/4" thick) Sheet of hard wood plywood or similar
wood screws aprox. 1 3/8" long
wood glue
drill
drill bit slightly narrower than screws for pre-drilling
miter saw
jig saw
table saw (optional)
measuring tape
straight edge (T-square would be awesome)
3 shelf brackets

Tip: Measure and mark a line (with a pencil) down the center of all the boards so you have a  reference for when you pre-drill and screw in the screws. Step 1. If you buy you wood at a place like Home Depot, they can rip pieces that you need, so you don't have to deal with that at home! Have them rip the plywood vertically into 3 pieces. the first being 13" by 96" (for your stool) and the other 24" by 96" (for the work surface), leaving you with a piece the is about 11" by 96" (scrap, save for other projects!).

Step 2. Take the 13" by 96" piece and cut it into 3 pieces:

Piece A (will be the seat): 12" by 13"

Piece B (will be the back leg): 30" by 13"

Piece C (will be the front leg): 30.5 " by 13" (each end at a 15˚ angle for the angled front part of the stool.)

Step 3A. Mark (as shown) on Piece C Step 3B. Drill out a couple of holes.
Step 3C. Cut out with jig sawTIP: When pre-drilling and screwing, make sure you pre-drill and screw in the outermost screws first, and then you can pre-drill and screw in the middle screws. This will help you to make sure everything is attached straight.

Step 4. Glue pieces A & B together (the wood should be aprox. 3/4" thick, half of the is 3/8", so measure and mark a line about a 3/8" from edge so that when you screw in, you're hitting the middle of bottom piece). Pre-drill holes every 2" or so, and screw in.

Step 5. Glue pieces A & C together, then pre drill holes every 2" or so, and screw in.

Step 6. Measure and cut for Piece D. I included my measurements, but I would re-measure just to make sure it's a nice tight fit.  Apply glue to three sides.

Step 7. Pre-drill and screw three screws through Piece B

Step 8. Pre-drill and screw in three screws through Piece C

Step 9. Pre-drill and screw in 5 pieces through Piece A

Step 10. An easy way to find out the dimensions for Piece E is hold it against the upright still and mark with pencil (as shown) you may need to mark both sides as Piece B may not be at a 90˚ angle. Cut.  Step 11. Pre-drill and screw in through Piece B every 2" or so. Step 12. Pre-drill and screw in through Piece C every 2" or so. 

Step 13. Let glue dry, sand all edges and surfaces, then apply polyurethane (optional)

Optional Step. To create a standing height workspace, take the 2' foot piece (sanded and polyurethaned) along with your brackets and install (just like a shelf) a standing height work surface! We installed ours at 42" high, but make sure the height is comfortable for you.

Thanks so much Sarah and Josh! We love your beautiful stool.

DIY Triangle Shelves

Don't you just love these mini triangle shelves!? Today husband and wife team Josh + Sarah show us how to make your own.Supplies needed: 1"x4" by 6-foot pine boards (x2), wood glue, sandpaper (100 and 220 grit), miter saw, measuring tape.
*Optional: paint (we used acrylic) or stain,gloss medium & varnish (for acrylic paint).

Step 1. Set miter saw to 30˚ Step 2. Cut 1st 30˚ angle then flip board and measure long end 6". Step 3. Cut 18 6" (long side) pieces with 30˚ angles on either end. (*Length is optional, you can make these as big or small as you like, as long as all sides are equal.) Optional Step: Cut 2" (long side) pieces with 30˚ angles if you'd like to add inset shelves for the triangles that will hang upside down. Step 4. Sand off all burrs and rough spots with the 100 grit sandpaper, making all the pieces nice and smooth.Step 5. Arrange the first triangle (as pictured). Step 6. Glue together using a thin yet generous smear along connecting edge. Be sure to press pieces nice and tight together. Wipe off any excess glue. Repeat for all 6 triangles. Let glue dry for at least 4 hrs. Step 7. Sand any exposed, dried glue. Now you can paint your shelves if you choose to.

Tip: When painting smaller pieces, use a tack to keep it from getting too messy!You could give these as a gift or hang in your home! Thanks so much Josh + Sarah! (You can meet them on Instagram: Josh @subtletakeover and Sarah @arrowandapple)