Build a Low-Cost Desk

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Photo courtesy MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors
The pattern for the curved sideboards: Draw a grid of 1-inch squares then use the reference lines to plot the shape of the curve. You also can enlarge this pattern on a copier until it is actual size, and then cut out the curve and mark it onto the sideboards.

You’d be surprised how easy it is to build this simple desk. For about $75 (even less if you use recycled materials), you get more than 15 square feet of desktop space plus an optional shelf underneath for computer equipment or extra books. And building a desk like this won’t take more than a weekend, even if you don’t have much carpentry experience.

There are three keys to building any kind of simple, inexpensive furniture, and this desk incorporates them all: a design that uses standard lumber sizes; joinery details that are easy to build, yet strong; and a finishing strategy that’s fast, fume-free and durable.

Start With the Top

Most lengths for the desk parts on the materials list are related to the size of the desktop you choose, and that’s why your first step is to acquire a hollow-core interior door. These inexpensive doors are large, flat, rigid and lightweight — perfect for use as a desktop. Our plan assumes a standard size of 80 by 32 inches.

  • Published on Jun 1, 2005
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