Building a DIY desk not only allows you to custom make furniture that suits your unique needs, it is also an enjoyable and gratifying experience in and of itself. Not to mention, building your own desk from scratch can be more affordable than buying a new one.
If you’re looking for ideas for your next DIY desk, keep reading! We will provide some ideas and free plans that are worth considering.
Important Details to Consider
Now, before you start sawing and hammering willy-nilly, there are some important details to consider for your DIY desk project. Here is what you should think about before you start building your own handmade desk.
Desk Size
Desk size is an important consideration when dealing with space constraints in the room. If you have a small room, a big desk may not be ideal as it will eat up all the space. It will help if you also consider how many things you plan to spread out on the desk surface, as they can influence how much surface space your desk should have.
Types of Materials to Use
The materials you use can significantly impact the look, feel, and cost of the desk you build. Wood is a popular option. You can also consider using found materials which can be repurposed. Generally speaking, go for materials that are functional, affordable or free, easy to work with, and fit your aesthetic preferences.
Storage Space and Needs
How much storage space do you figure you’ll need? If you have lots of files and books, you should consider building a desk with plenty of cabinets or shelving space.
If you opt for this approach, you can think of creative ways to maximize the storage space so you don’t make a desk that won’t serve your needs.
Free DIY Desk Ideas to Consider
Here are 25 DIY desk designs and free plans for you to consider.
Modern Double Duty Desk
This modern double duty desk is an excellent choice if you want an all-purpose desk or table top for a home office space. You can use it both as a place to work and as a bar or kitchen table. All you need to build one is plywood, four hairpin legs, and some time and dedication. This project should only take a few hours and the video tutorial helps make the process easy to follow.
Tiny Table
The primary materials required for this desk are lumber and copper piping. You might have guessed from the name that it is supposed to be for a small space, and you would be correct.
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This desk is for kids, giving them a surface to let their creativity run wild. All you need to do is cut the pipes to length, glue them together, mount the seat, and set the desk surface on top. It’s a functional option for your kiddos, it’s a beautiful addition to your home.
Pedestal Desk
Do you have some spare pedestal legs? You can use them as a support base for a desk. All you need to do is glue a board on top, and you have an all-purpose desk for a home office.
Track Shelving Desk
If you have a track shelving system in your room, consider adding a very deep shelf near the bottom that can double as a workspace or convenient table top. This design is versatile, as you can easily adjust the height of the surface.
Sneaky Storage Desk
The best thing about this type of DIY desk is there’s plenty of space for customization. The legs are ideal for under-desk storage. The top can also be customized with storage cubbies to provide extra space to stash items you’ll need daily. You can put this desk together quickly and cheaply since you’ll be using pre-cut plywood panels.
Rustic Pallet Desk
This DIY desk requires no more than a couple of recycled wooden pallets and some extra planks. It’s creative and charming, and practically free — assuming you can get your hands on a couple of wood pallets — and you can easily customize it with nooks for books.
DIY Farmhouse Desk
This desk is for those that want a large workspace. Ideally, it should be 12 feet long by 3 feet deep with plenty of room above and below to store your stuff.
Being large doesn’t mean it’s expensive, however. You can make this table out of materials you already have like pallet posts for the legs and planks or thick wood chunks for the top. This design could also work as a regular farm table.
L-Shaped Standing DIY Corner Desk
If you like standing desks, a good option is a wrap-around that sits in the corner of the room.
This DIY desk can serve as a multipurpose surface where you can work on your computer and do other things. You can attach this easy DIY desk to the wall corner, so it doesn’t take up much floor space sitting too far into the room. All you need are shelf brackets and pine boards.
Stretch DIY Desk
This desk uses top joints and sturdy legs. Plywood or heavier wood like oak is ideal for this desk which has a large top for all your work needs. The design adds contemporary ambiance to room.
Old School Desk
How about a do-it-yourself old school student desk? You can scale it however you want, depending on the size of the user. All you need is to coat the wood with some clear acrylic and then finish it off with antique wax, adding to its old school charm. You can also build in as much storage as you like.
Narrow Desk
This desk is a simple option using reclaimed bar stools as support legs and a wooden board on top. You can then affix the ends of the board to the tops of the seats with screws.
A few wood stain coats will beautify this furniture and make it look like a Home Depot DIY desk even if you use found materials.
Flip Down DIY Desk Table
How about a regular drop-down desk that you can flip back up to reveal a chalkboard? All you need is a wooden plank, some chains, hinges, and a chalkboard. This would be the perfect addition to your kids’ room for distance learning.
IKEA-Style DIY Desk
You’ll need shelving units and a desktop for this desk. With these two components, the assembly should be easy. The idea is to incorporate the shelves into the desk to maximize the storage space. It shouldn’t take too long to build, considering how modular everything is.
Storage Desk
This desk with drawers is an easy to customize storage/work desk solution. The idea is to give you as much filing space as you need. And as a bonus, this desk is easy to take apart when you need to relocate.
DIY Saw Horse Craft Desk
If you already have a few sawhorses lying around, you can repurpose them into this beautiful, simple desk. If you don’t have any sawhorses, two-by-four wood combined with hinges should work just fine. You can then add a sheet of cut plywood to the top to finish it off.
Concrete Desk
This Home Depot DIY desk plan shows you how to build a table with wooden legs and a concrete top.
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It’s small enough to fit most nooks in your home, and the plan is free. You can potentially use found items instead of store-bought wood. A similar design could also work as a coffee table.
Dresser Turned to Secretary Desk
If you have an old dresser that you’re looking to repurpose, you can turn it into a do-it-yourself secretary desk. It includes shelves or drawers for storage, and you can build from scratch using cheap lumber or found materials.
L-Shaped Desk
A sizable L-shaped table gives you plenty of desk top space to spread your stuff. It also offers excellent open storage for those things you need to have close at hand. For such a sophisticated design, the plan and tutorial for this desk are remarkably easy to follow.
Piping and Butcher Block DIY Desk
This beautiful table uses industrial piping for the legs and butcher block for the desk top. You can use it as a desk and, as the name suggests, a regular table. It’s surprisingly easy to build, and yet the end product looks beautiful in almost any space.
Farmhouse Style Office Desk
This DIY farmhouse desk includes two shelves and a roomy underside for your chair. While it’s quite spacious, it’s not so large that it would have trouble fitting in a small room. The design is relatively easy to build, so it’s a good option if you don’t consider yourself handy with wood and tools.
X-Frame DIY Desk
This stylish desk is just the right size to fit in a small space without sacrificing comfort. The top is three feet long and includes a drawer, while the bottom contains a bookshelf.
Custom Built-in DIY Desk
This desk can be stood against a wall in any room. It is straightforward to customize, depending on how much space you have. It includes plywood, lumber, and prefab cabinets and is inexpensive to build from start to finish.
DIY Corner Desk
If you want an expansive home office corner desk, then you’ll love this particular project. The plan is straightforward to follow. It includes step-by-step instructions, comprehensive diagrams, a materials list, and color photos of the end product.
DIY Computer Desk
This desk plan shows you how to build a spacious computer desk for your laptop or desktop computer. It’s a woodworking project, and you should be comfortable with sawing and other fundamental carpentry tasks in order to take it on. You may need some hardware for this design, but you can use found wood if available.
Casual Desk
This option is one of the most straightforward desks you can build and is a great way to add a functional workspace to your office. All you need are two-by-four wood pieces, and the instructions are simple and easy to follow. Even if you need to purchase the wood, the project will be affordable and result in a beautiful, simple design.
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