How to build an office desk

Whether you work from home, keep a home office or just need to study, you need a desk. Office desks provide a place to collect all of your important papers and documents, keeping them neat and organized in one area. They also provide a comfortable, quiet place to work, allowing you to set your mind to "work mode."

Though office desks can cost several hundred dollars, you can create one for much less with a few household tools and discounted materials. You can even customize it to your dcor. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Measure across the top of one of the 3 foot tall cabinets. Multiply the resulting number by 2 and add the amount of desired leg space to that measurement. For instance, if your cabinet measures 18 inches wide and you want 2 feet of leg space, your final measurement is 5 feet.

2

Measure the length of the top of one of the cabinets. This measurement, combined with your first measurement, are the dimensions of your desk top. For instance, if the cabinets measure 2 feet in length, your desk top must be 2 feet wide by 5 feet long. Many hardware stores will cut the necessary board to size for you.

3

Place the cabinets where you want them, spacing them 2 feet apart, in this case. Trace long lines of construction adhesive over the tops of the cabinets and press the board into place. Line the edges of the board up exactly with the edges of the cabinets. Allow the adhesive to dry overnight.

4

Measure and mark one piece of trim molding for the front, side and back edges of your desk, adding .5 inch to the actual lengths of those edges. For instance, in this case you need two 2 foot, 1 inch pieces and two 5 foot, 1 inch pieces.

5

Saw the trim molding apart with a coping saw. Once cut, saw away about .25 inch of each end of each piece of molding at a 45 degree angle. This creates a miter so your corners will look clean and neat.

6

Attach the molding to the edges of the desk with the construction adhesive. Allow the adhesive to dry overnight.

7

Spray paint the entire desk with slick-surface spray paint in the color of your choice. This unifies all of the pieces and makes the desk look less handmade.