Pottery Barn Kids inspired cubby

About This Project

This plan for a cubby is a favorite of mine.  It was the first piece of furniture that I built specifically for my daughter's room.  It's made almost entirely of MDF, which means that it will be strong, easily paintable, won't warp, and best of all inexpensive.  This cubby was inspired by Pottery Barn Kids' Cameron cubby.  Hope you enjoy!

$160 = Furniture Store Cost
- $75 = Your Approximate Cost
$85 = WHAT YOU SAVE!

Tools and Materials

• Circular Saw
• Dovetail Hand Saw (or other fine-toothed hand saw)
• Jig Saw
• Finishing Nails
• 1/4" wooden dowels
• 1 1/4" #6 screws
• Wood glue
• 3/4" MDF
• 5/8" MDF
• 1x1
• finishing supplies

Cutlist

Step 1

 

This is how it should look when we get finished! Excited yet? Let's get started!

Step 2

Attach 13 1/2" 1x1's to the tops of the sides with 1 1/4" screws, keeping them flush with the back and tops of the sides.  There should be a 1/2" difference between the front of the side and the front of the 1x1.

Step 3

Attach 2 1x1's to the top with finishing nails for now, aligning them 5/16" from the midpoint of the top and flush with the back.  This will later hold the center divider in place, and we will add screws then.

Step 4

Make center divider out of 5/8" MDF.  Cut a 6 1/2" slot directly in the center of it.  This will hold the shelf from the next step.

Step 5

Cut out slot in the shelf that is 5/8" wide and spans 6 1/2" from the back.  Then add dowel pins to the side.  Drill the holes 3 1/2" in from the sides of the shelf.  Make sure to try and keep the holes as straight as possible.  The dowels should stick out about 1/2" or a little less.

Step 6

Use dowel centering pins in the shelf to align holes directly in the center of both sides.  These will hold the dowels from the cubby shelf.  Be careful to only drill the holes about 1/2" deep.

Step 7

Dry assemble the cubby with the dowels inserted.   Starting from the top outside 1x1's, drill pilot holes and secure them with 1 1/4" screws both to the top and sides of the cubby.  Then attach the center 1x1's the same way, ensuring that the pieces are square and that the back ends and sides are flush.  After the top, sides, and center divider are attached through the 1x1's, flip the cubby over and attach the bottom panel with screws drilled in through the bottom.  Be sure to drill pilot holes first, as MDF cracks easily.

Step 8

Attach edging strip to the front top of the cubby to hide the 1x1's, then secure from underneath with 1 1/4" screws.

Step 9

Attach 1/4" particleboard for back, then sand and finish as desired.  Since the project is made of mostly MDF, I decided to paint it white.  For finishing tips, read this article from Fine Woodworking.  If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share it with someone you know, or online.

Happy Building!
-Josh

By Joshua Cook with No comments

Side Table inspired by Pottery Barn Hyde Collection

   Cut a 2x4 into 6 15” strips.  It is better to cut them a tiny bit too long rather than too short at this point.  Lay them side by side, and then glue together.  After glue dries, cut ends off so that the piece remaining is 18” wide.  Sand ends of boards so that they are flush with all adjacent boards and 15” in length

 Add 2x2’s to the sides of the 2x4 top, so that it makes an 18” by 18” square.  Make sure all edges are flush and square, and then glue together.  Allow glue to dry.  

 Cut 4 25” sections of 4x4, then use a circular saw with a ripping guide to cut down to 2.5 x 2.5 inches. 

 Near the tops of all four legs, use a 1/2" chisel out two mortises for mortis and tenon joints.  These will accept the tenons from the side aprons, which we will cut in the next step.  The mortises should be 1/2” from the top along the centerline and 3/4" deep.

 Next, cut all four aprons out of 2x4's each piece should be 12 1/2" long.  Then cut tenons into both sides of each apron with a fine-toothed saw like a dovetail saw.  The tenons should be centered on the board 1/2" from either side of the aprons and 1/2" from the top and bottom of the aprons.  Cut them so they are 2 1/2" long, 1/2" wide, and 3/4" deep.

 Connect the aprons to the legs of the table using the mortis and tenon joints.  Once you ensure a good fit and that the tops are flush, add glue to the joints to solidify the joint.  Allow glue to dry.

 Align the tabletop so that it is centered over the legs squarely.  Connect top by drilling screws in from the bottom of the aprons.  Start by drilling oversized holes about 2" into the aprons so that the screws will be able to reach the tabletop.  Then add a pilot hole to the center of the holes.  Drill #8 2.5" screws into the holes to firmly connect the top to the aprons and legs.

Fill in all holes.  Sand and finish as desired.


That's all there is to it.  If you enjoyed this plan, please share it with someone else.  Happy building!

By Joshua Cook with No comments

Chunky Modern Wood Bed Frame

Queen size

About This Project

Are you inspired by the simplicity of West Elm's furniture? Well so am I, and with these plans, you can build a similar bed frame. This is the first real woodworking project I ever built, so it is well suited for a beginner. Have fun!

Designer Furniture Store Cost: $400
Estimated Project Cost: $115*
You Save: $285

Tools and Materials

4 Heavy Duty 90 degree angle brackets
4 in. Corner Braces
2 Leg Levelers (sold in packs of 4)
4 - 2 x 8 x 8'
1 - 2 x 3 x 8'
1 - 4 x 4 x 8'
4 - 2 x 2 x 8'
4 - 1 x 3 x 10'
#8 2" Wood Screws
#8 1" Wood Screws
Drill
Circular Saw
Circular Saw Rip Guide
Wood Glue
Clamps
Measuring Tape
Sander
Speed Square
Wood Glue

Cutlist

-First, plane 2x8's down to 1" thickness. If you don't have a planer, most lumber yards will provide this service for a fee.

-Cut 4x4's down to 2.25"x2.25" with circular saw and rip guide.

-After that, make these cuts:

8 - 4 x 4	6" on long side @ 45 degree angle	Feet
2 - 4 x 4	7"	Center rail support feet
2 - 2 x 8	62"	End Rails
2 - 2 x 8	80"	Side Rails
1 - 2 x 3	80"	Center Rail
2 - 2 x 2	74"	Side rail supports
4 - 2 x 2	25,3/4"	End rail supports
2 - 2 x 2	8"	Center rail supports
8 - 1 x 3	60"	Slats

Step 1

Glue feet together at 90 degree angles, and hold with clamps. Set aside.

Step 2

Sand down outside of siderails and endrails until smooth.

Step 3

One at a time, attach siderails to endrails with the foot braces. Use the foot brace to square the joint, then use a pencil to draw where the holes should be on the boards. Predrill holes for the screws, making sure not to drill through the siderails or endrails. Then screw in brace to siderails. Don't attach the foot brace to the endrails yet.

Step 4

While holding boards in place at 90 degree angles, set angle bracket on top of the foot brace. Use a pencil to mark where the hols are for the siderails and endrails. Predrill holes for angle brackets.

Step 5

Center side rail supports on the inside of the siderails, 1,1/4" from the top. Clamp to secure to siderails. Predril holes for screws approximately 12" apart, centering them on the siderails suports. Then attach siderails with 2" screws.

Step 6

Center endrail supports on the inside of the enrails 1,1/4" from the top and 4" from the sides. There will be a gap in the middle that will be exactly 2,1/2" where the center rail will sit. Predrill holes and attach with 2" woodscrews. Then attach center rail supports beneath the gap.

Step 7

With siderail and endrail supports attached, attach the siderails and endrails to each other using 1" screws for the angle brackets and the supplied screws for the foot braces.

Step 8

Screw in feet to the foot braces with 2" woodscrews. I offset my feet about 5/16" from both edges, but you can choose to make them flush with the siderails and endrails if you like that look better

Step 9

Attach feet to center rail with four 2" screws each, countersunk into the wood so that the top of the center rail is flush. Lay the center support rail into the center of the bed lengthwise.

Step 10

Lay in the slats, spacing them about 8-10" apart.

By Joshua Cook with No comments