Frequently Asked Questions
Wood Questions
What kind of wood should I use?
Most of our plans use standard construction lumber like pine or fir. It's affordable, easy to work with, and easy to find. It's also rapidly renewing and biodegradable, so a great eco friendly choice!
Can I use hardwoods instead?
Yes—just keep in mind they're heavier, cost more, and can be tougher on tools and harder to join together and finish. I recommend not tackling a hardwood project until after you have built several softwood projects.
What if my boards are warped?
Choose the straightest boards at the store. You can often work around slight warps by cutting them into shorter pieces.
What wood should I use for outdoor furniture?
Use red-toned or pressure-treated 2x lumber for framing, and cedar or cedar fence pickets for the decking. Outdoor furniture should be built like a deck—your local home center can help recommend the right wood for your climate.
Will my wood move or warp after I build?
Potentially, especially in humid climates. Let your wood acclimate indoors before building. Once acclimated and kept in a stable environment, movement should be minimal. Remember, most houses are built using framing lumber - it's all about keeping moisture down indoors.
Cutting Questions
Do I need a miter saw?
A miter saw is great, creating fast, safe, and precise cuts, even for beginners. But most plans can be built with a circular saw and a straight edge. If using a circular saw to cut, take time to practice, and get good at making cuts, before cutting your project boards.
How do I get clean cuts with a circular saw?
Clamp your board, measure twice, cut slow, and use a sharp blade. This takes practice, so spend some time making cuts. I go through becoming proficient at freehand cutting in my course, it is worth taking if you want to master this skill.
Will the store cut my wood?
Yes—most stores will do rough cuts to help you transport your materials home. But from store to store, the quality of cuts could greatly vary.
Joinery Questions
What screws should I use?
We recommend star-head self tapping screws for framing, most common sizes are 2-1/2", 1-3/4". Pre-drill if close to the edge or you find your wood is splitting.
Do I have to use pocket holes?
Pocket holes are the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to do some joints - like edge to edge or a hidden fastener joint. There are other methods, but these can be time consuming and expensive. We recommend using pocket holes as indicated in plans for best results.
How do I keep things square?
Use a speed square and measure diagonals after each step. Always clamp joints before screwing to keep them tight and flush.
Finishing Questions
Stain or paint before or after building?
A quick sand before and a full finish after gives the best results. Pre-finish if you're doing two-tone or detailed finishes.
What type of finish?
Use oil-based or water-based stain. For paint, cabinet-grade latex or enamel works great. High use surfaces on indoor projects should get a coat of polyurethane, I recommend a Helsman or Spar or other flexible poly that won't crack or peel with wood movement. For exterior projects, use a finish suitable for exterior fences.
How to get a smooth finish?
Start with a well sanded project. Sand between coats (220 grit), wipe clean, and apply light coats with a foam brush or roller.
Plan Questions
Can I change the size?
Many people do, and that's the great thing about building your own furniture! But do keep in mind going bigger might mean more supports are required, and often plans are optimized for minimal material waste.
Are these beginner-friendly?
Yes—plans are written with simple tools and clear steps in mind, with every effort to make plans as simple as possible.
Can I sell what I build?
Absolutely! Just don’t resell or repost the plans themselves.
General Questions
What tools do I really need?
A drill, circular saw, tape measure, square, and a few clamps will get you through most projects.
Do I need a workshop?
Nope! A driveway or small patio is plenty to get started, just make sure you have a level place to work. If you find you are building several projects a year, creating a small workbench is a great way to store tools and have a dedicated workspace.
What if I mess up?
Wood filler, sanding, or flipping boards goes a long way. Mistakes are part of the process!
What can I do to make my projects look more professional?
Start with straight boards, make accurate cuts, clamp all joints, and line up everything neatly. Sand thoroughly, use a neutral finish, and apply it in light coats for a clean look.
I've never built anything before. Where should I start?
Start with a few smaller softwood projects to get hands-on experience. Or if you're tackling a big project, buy a little extra lumber and practice your cuts and joints first. If possible, work with someone who has a bit of experience.
Care & Maintenance
How long will my furniture last?
With good joinery and regular care, your DIY furniture can last for decades. I have pieces in my own home that are over 20 years old and still going strong! One of the best parts about DIY furniture is that it’s easy to repaint, refinish, or repair—so your projects can grow and adapt with you.
How should I care for outdoor furniture?
Lightly pressure wash or hose it down once or twice a year. Tighten screws and reapply finish as needed to protect it—just like a deck or fence. A little upkeep goes a long way in extending the life of your furniture.
How about indoor furniture?
Regularly dust or wipe with a damp cloth. If it starts to look worn, a light sanding and touch-up paint or stain can refresh it in no time. DIY pieces are meant to be durable and fixable—so don’t be afraid to give them some love now and then.
Want to Build with Confidence?
Check out my ebook: 12 Skills to Build Your Own Furniture
It walks you through the core skills every builder needs—measuring, cutting, joinery, and finishing—so you can build beautiful furniture that lasts.
Still Have Questions?
Email us anytime at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!
Comments
Ana White (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:15
I'll be posting the giveaway
I'll be posting the giveaway winner in the morning . . . Grace is asking me to put her to bed :) Good night!
liz @ btb (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:21
Ana! This is the *perfect*
Ana! This is the *perfect* solution for my bathroom storage problem. Thank you!!
michelle minor (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:21
Love it want it:)
Love it want it:)
Alison (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:26
Beautiful build! I can
Beautiful build! I can totally understand the joy you must of hand for those smooth sliding drawers, great feeling that is!
Jess (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:34
It's gorgeous Ana - as ever!
It's gorgeous Ana - as ever! We need bedside tables and I think this might be our winner! Thank you
Miranda (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:39
Gosh, that is gorgeous. You
Gosh, that is gorgeous. You are truly cool!. Bad Alaska light or no, it still looks amazing.
Summer (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 20:41
This looks gorgeous! I'm
This looks gorgeous! I'm building our two night stands next week and I SO wish I could build them like this! I have to make them a little narrow though, more like the Simple Nightstand...I'll have to make it look similar to this one though! Love it!
Heidi (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 21:29
LOVE your work!!! would it be
LOVE your work!!! would it be possible to do same bedside table but with 3 drawers?
Kev (not verified)
Thu, 01/13/2011 - 22:49
for gap use a few dimes or
for gap use a few dimes or washers
Turn unit upside down place spacers on drawer sides and fit guides
Job done
In reply to for gap use a few dimes or by Kev (not verified)
CarolinaL
Sat, 08/10/2019 - 19:21
Great tip, thanks!
Great tip, thanks!
Green Gracie Home (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 00:33
I love everything you do!
I love everything you do! Great job. Stay warm. Bev
Britni B. (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 03:37
I love that night stand,
I love that night stand, beautiful!
Shawn (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 04:20
Now I just need a dresser :)
Now I just need a dresser :)
Alexiis (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 04:22
I am SOOOO happy you posted
I am SOOOO happy you posted this! I have been waiting for this one...can't wait to get started!
Megan (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 04:36
Love these! My husband
Love these! My husband surprised me and built the Farmhouse bed while I was away and it would be awesome to build one of these! Thanks for the plan, you rock!
Jalet (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 05:12
Boy if the legs were
Boy if the legs were lengthened, and I added a moulding lip at the front, I could use this as a standing desk for my laptop and have plenty of storage for the stuff I like to keep near my desk. I love this project and I will be building it. Great job and congratulations on the 'smmmoooth' drawers.
Chelle (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 05:14
Thank you! I have been in
Thank you! I have been in search of a good nightstand to fit the bed I want to make. To Do list just got longer! :)
Rob (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 05:36
Ana- Great looking and easy
Ana- Great looking and easy to build as always. One small suggestion: add a drawer stop. Attach a small scrap to the bottom of the drawer box at the back. This will prevent little ones from pulling the drawer all the way out and on to their heads.
Katie (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 05:48
I currently have 2 browser
I currently have 2 browser windows open with about 10 tabs in each of bedroom furniture that I just don't like. The farmhouse bed and this nightstand are perfect! Did you make your own dresser/chest of drawers to go with these?
Jessica Christensen (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 05:49
Oh I love it, we've been
Oh I love it, we've been looking for a perfect bedside table!!
Ana White (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 08:37
Great advice, I'm taking it!
Great advice, I'm taking it! Thank you!
Ana White (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 08:38
Thank you, another great
Thank you, another great suggestion!
DeBird (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 08:51
This looks exactly like my
This looks exactly like my pottery barn farmhouse night stands that I paid WAY too much money for!!! I wish I had discovered you before I bought them :)
Rob (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 08:54
From the looks of things this
From the looks of things this will be the very last step in your instructions. Fit the drawer then, add the stop. As an aside: Maybe start using some white epoxy drawer slides from HD :-)
Nan Tovar (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 09:29
I think I need these! Thanks,
I think I need these! Thanks, Ana, glad to see the site back up :)
Lori (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 09:53
Okay, I got addicted to
Okay, I got addicted to looking at your site about a year ago and then got scared and abandoned ship. But these look so simple! My husband and I have decided to make a pair of them together. Hopefully the marriage survives the project. :)
Erin (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 14:04
I second a dresser!
I second a dresser!
Nicky Hurt (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 14:25
This is the cutest table!
This is the cutest table! I'm SO making this after we move and have our stuff back! Thank you for not only the plans, but for the confidence to do this stuff myself! :)
Jennifer Orgill (not verified)
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 15:26
Ana, I was actually in
Ana,
I was actually in the middle of trying to figure out the measurements for the extra wide dresser from this collection. Any way you could create the plans for that? I LOVE your website and can't wait to make my Farmhouse bed, kitchen table, and now bedside tables!
CarolineRN (not verified)
Sat, 01/15/2011 - 00:01
I absolutely love this
I absolutely love this table!!! Can't wait to build it! Thanks!
Ellen Farrow (not verified)
Sun, 01/16/2011 - 14:31
I think you must be psychic,
I think you must be psychic, as every time I need something you have just posted plans for the very thing that would fit the bill. I just finished the "taller, thinner bookcase" and put it in my hallway temporarily. I thought, gosh, it would be nice to have something there, but not so big...and this will be perfect I think! But first I have to prime and paint the Dress-up center, the Grace's Table and 4 stackable chairs, and the bookcase. It has been way too much fun building everything. Thanks for the plans and the inspiration!
Marla (not verified)
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 02:47
Ana- we are in the process of
Ana- we are in the process of building 2 of these and unless I've completely lost it, the cut list is short (2) 1x2s for the side trim. You list (5) 1x2s cut at 11 1/2" for the project, but (7) is needed... Am I the only one that was short? Anyway, I thought I'd letcha know! :) Will send pictures after we are finished!
Maria (not verified)
Wed, 01/19/2011 - 13:16
I second Marla! I think the
I second Marla! I think the cut list is missing 1x2s....I am missing 4 1x2s in the cut list, the drawer slides and the side trim. Thank goodness I have the scrap lumber to keep going anyway! So excited about these! They are going next to the farmhouse bed that my fiance built me as a surprise for Christmas :)
Michelle (not verified)
Sun, 01/23/2011 - 08:43
Ana, this is a PERFECT
Ana, this is a PERFECT project for my 11 y/o son! We homeschool, and are looking for an art project (just finishing a unit on early american art/furniture building). He is excited about this one, and eager to build something he can use in his room! Will be posting plenty of pictures when we finish!
Becky V (not verified)
Mon, 01/24/2011 - 05:57
Looks great! - I have a
Looks great! - I have a couple of questions on the drawers - 1) What does "inset" mean? 2) Do you screw from the front and back pieces into the side pieces and then fill the front screw holes ?
Becky (not verified)
Mon, 01/24/2011 - 06:11
Looks great! About to start
Looks great! About to start work and have acouple of questions on the drawer assembly - 1) what does "inset" mean and 2) Do the screws go from the fromt and back pieces into the sides? If so, presumably I'll need to fill the front screw holes?
Donna (not verified)
Mon, 01/24/2011 - 09:50
No, you;'re right. I was
No, you;'re right. I was wondering why I only had 5 1x2's and reading I needed 7. i kept reading the plans over and over to make sure I was right.
Joel (not verified)
Fri, 01/28/2011 - 09:11
I really like that stain
I really like that stain color...can you share the details?
NancyO (not verified)
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 12:42
If you change the top to be a
If you change the top to be a single piece of wood, make the length shorter and add some trim, this table will look a lot like the Stratton Bedside Table at PB.
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/stratton-bedside-table/
melissa2
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 20:16
1 x 2s comments
I've been looking at possibly doing this beautiful plan, and agree--it does look like the cut list is missing something. I think instead of
2 - 1 x 2 @ 11 1/2"
it should be three times that--6 pieces cut at 11 1/2". The reason being, you need two for each side of the table, plus drawer slides (the measurement for these is in the graphic).
melissa2
Sun, 05/08/2011 - 19:53
Just finished building this!
Hi, everyone! I just finished building this, but since I don't have a digital camera (and the table isn't painted yet, anyway), maybe posting some tips is a way I can help before attempting to get a photo somehow! :)
- To figure out the gap for the bottom of the drawer (i.e., where to install the drawer sliders), I measured what space there was taller than the drawer, then divided it in two, then drew pencil lines to mark this measurement. It was really easy, and I didn't have to adjust the drawer slides once!
- The plan calls for "6 – 2×2 @ 23″ (Front/Back Trim)," but I could only find five in the instructions.
- At least with the table I ended up with, there's no "stop" in the back for the drawer--in fact, it can slide in almost 2" more than it should. Because of this, though, it's almost impossible *not* to make a "flush" drawer. Hooray!
- My shelf ended up being a tad short. If I had to do this all over again, I would have had the "big box store" cut it slightly longer, and then belt-sanded it down after it was installed. Part of the problem may have been that I tried something new for the legs--and hope to be able to share it soon!
- The only good 2 x 2s I could find were over $5 each in 3' lengths! I used some at first, but after a while, ended up making my own, by laminating together two 1 x 2s. This worked really well, and I liked the widths better than the "quality" 2 x 2s, which were not really square.
- I glued the three table pieces together (along their sides) before putting them on. Just a bit of hand sanding and belt sanding helped clean things up.
- Becky V., "inset" means that the drawer bottom is flat on the ground, with the other pieces attached to its sides rather than its top.
- I made this the "old-fashioned" way--plain old counter-sunk screws. You'll be left with painter-quality furniture, because so much obvious patching will be needed.
- Like member jsle_bel, I also chose to go with just one center pull (a knob). It creates a whole different look! You can also dress up the drawer--I added moulding to match another piece of furniture made from Ana White plans.
Thanks so much for sharing this plan and your talent, Ana!
Guest (not verified)
Sat, 06/04/2011 - 18:27
Thank You!
Thank You, Ana for the plans for the Farmhouse Bedside Table. Hubby built one for me for my birthday and I absolutely *love* it! (I've asked for the Farmhouse Bed for Christmas :) I have quite the honey-do list for things I'd love to have... maybe he will offer to teach me to use the tools and I could create something myself! Thanks again!
CoreyS
Fri, 12/16/2011 - 08:47
Farmhouse tallboy dresser
I love this! Im going be building two for my wife and i next week. Dear ana all i want for christmas is a plan for a farmhouse tallboy dresser from pottery barn? Please?
CoreyS
Sat, 12/17/2011 - 07:07
Farmhouse tallboy dresser
I love this! Im going be building two for my wife and i next week. Dear ana all i want for christmas is a plan for a farmhouse tallboy dresser from pottery barn? Please?
Leah315 (not verified)
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 15:59
Do you think this would work as a entertainment storage unit?
We are trying to wall mount a tv in our bedroom and I really want to build the farmhouse bed, but I'm thinking the bedside table might be good to hide our cable box and DVD player in, is it big enough?
Guest (not verified)
Fri, 01/13/2012 - 18:56
big box, small wood
I'm about to start working on a pair of these tables this weekend and I'm a little worried, I purchased my lumber from the big blue box store and all of it is just a bit smaller than it is suppose to be, 1x12 and just a fraction over 11" 1x6 just making 5 1/4, all the 1 by stuff somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4. I'm worried about how this will effect the outcome of the project but we'll see. On thing I learned already though is it's lumber yards for me from here on out.
Guest (not verified)
Sat, 01/14/2012 - 08:36
I love the look of this table
I love the look of this table and plan to make 2 smaller (less wide) versions along with a farmhouse bed for my wife for valentines day. With that said, I have also made the loft bed for my step daughter with desk/bookcase under it and she loves it. I painted that white. I would like to stain these pieces. I have never stained before.... You say sand, then stain, THEN wood fill? then of couse light sand and stain again... Whats the philosophy to not just wood fill before the FIRST coat of stain?
Like I said, new to this, but my step daughters bed turned out well and her mother and I got some really good quality time in building it, same with your floating shelves, love this site, keep up the good work!
Robert (not verified)
Sat, 08/18/2012 - 19:52
Where do you get 2" x 2" stock?
This is a great looking plan. It calls for quite a few 2x2's. The only stock pine in this dimension that I can find are furring strips, which are poor in quality. I've ripped 2x4's down to this size, and even starting with better material, the results still aren't suitable for furniture, IMO. I thought about gluing up 1x2 select pine, since that is what I'm using on the rest of the project . What do you use when the plan calls for for 2x2 pine?
Elizabeth K (not verified)
Mon, 09/17/2012 - 16:33
Hi there! This was my very
Hi there! This was my very first wood project and considering that, I don't think it turned out that bad. But I am very discouraged that my drawer gets stuck coming in and out. It's roughly about 1/8" at the top and bottom like the plans says but I think there is a little bit more room on the sides which causes this problem? What can I do to fix it? Today is a rainy day and it is almost impossible to not want to throw the thing across the room just trying to open it! Help!!! I don't think there is enough room to install a runner or anything. I've seen stuff about using a router to make grooves in the side of the drawer? Remember, this is my first project! Any advice would be appreciated!
In reply to Hi there! This was my very by Elizabeth K (not verified)
DirtSquirt
Mon, 10/08/2012 - 12:08
Is your drawer square?
Hi Elizabeth,
Is your drawer perfectly square? That could be causing your problems. Easiest way to measure for square is to measure diagonally corner to corner. Your 2 corner to corner measurements should be exactly the same. If not, you will need to unscrew and and adjust your drawer until they are.