It was totally a gamble to DIY floating nightstand with waterfall edges WITHOUT a table saw. I had been seeing woodworkers crushing it with this kind of design and thought I could hack it using my not-so-fancy power tools. By “not-so-fancy”, I mean, basic. All I had were a second-hand fixed miter saw and a compact DeWalt circular saw (my go-to for all projects big and small). I made it work as you can see in the picture below. But oh man, it was a humbling experience.
If you’ve been thinking about adding a simple one-drawer nightstand to either side of the bed, get the full scoop on how to build one yourself in this post. This is a beginner-friendly project that can be done in a few simple steps. Check out all the steps in this post, as well as wood selection process, pros and cons of using a circular saw for bevel cuts, how much I saved by DIYing these nightstands, and tricks for fixing imperfect miter joints.
A simple design
My biggest inspiration for this nightstand came from the Nordic II Bedside Table by Ethnicraft. It’s simple, stylish and has a clean-lined look that immediately captured my heart. What I love the most about this style is there is enough space on the top for an alarm clock, books, even a vase, and enough room inside the drawer for other accessories. It is such a great way to add storage without taking up floor space.
If you want to build one yourself, I will be preparing detailed build plans. So check back late!
Other similar designs on the market include the Batten White Oak Floating Nightstand by Crate and Barrel and Oak Bedside by OhhDarlingDesigns on Etsy.
What material is the best to build a simple nightstand?
The first set of nightstands I ever built was made of ¾” birch plywood. After covering the rough edges using 1×2 select pine, the whole piece looked like a high-end dupe of the Crate and Barrel Keane nightstand (check it out here).
For these simple DIY floating nightstands, I decided to use solid red oak boards. The cost was only a bit more than using plywood, but the mitered corners were much more professional.
You can also build these with plywood and glue on edge banding with 45-degree corner.
While I was at Lowe’s, I noticed there were other wide wood planks suitable for this project. Red oak was the most expensive ($70 for a 1 in x 12 in x 6 ft board). Poplar was in the mid-range (about $50 for the same size). If cost is a concern to you, you can finish this project using pine at about 1/3 of the total cost.
Another thing to note is to make sure to find project boards that are flat and of good quality. I tried to build a prototype using common board since it’s so inexpensive and ended up with a curve like this:
Ugh.
This can be minimized by clamping down the board and checking the blade is not dull. But you would have a much better luck by using boards without all the complications (knobs, splits and cups) to begin with.
How much does it cost to build this nightstand?
Not every DIY is as big a money saver as we hope, especially compared to IKEA furniture or thrifting. However, this simple DIY floating nightstand is hands down one of the most affordable furniture builds I’ve done.
Here are the key components used in the build:
| 1x12x6 red oak (box frame) | $69.42 |
| 1x8x2 red oak (drawer front) | $14.96 |
| Plywood or pine board (drawer box) | $30-$50 |
| 1 pair 10” push to open drawer slides | $10.00 |
Since I already had leftover plywood lying around and wood glue, screws, etc. on hand, my out-of-pocket per nightstand was less than $100.
Accounting for all the lumber and materials, this build costs about $150 using red oak. It can be as low as $60 using pine. Compared to the retail price of over $600 apiece, it’s a nice chunk of savings by DIYing.
Can you make waterfall edge furniture with just a circular saw?
The short answer is yes. It’s doable. The long answer (as someone who just experienced the frustration first-hand) is although you can adjust a circular saw and make 45-degree angle bevel cuts on extra wide wood boards, doing so is error-prone and quite tedious.
I did everything I could think of to get an accurate 45 degree cut—taping the mark line, testing the cut on scrap piece, clamping the saw guide…but these precautions didn’t seem to make much difference. I still found tear-outs and ugly joints.
The good news is even though the miter corners had uneven gaps, with the help of wood glue and brad nails, the joints held up. I was excited to find the box frame stayed together and didn’t fall apart the next day.
Compared to running the boards in multiple passes in the exact same setup, cutting them with a circular saw was a grind. Hold the saw slightly tilted, the cut easily become crooked.
So my recommendation is if all you have is a circular saw, approach this project with the expectation that the miter joints won’t be perfect. Know that you can hide the seams with color matching wood filler and just call it a day.
Also, it’s a lot easier to build the box frame using straight edge boards and butt joints. I’ve seen designs using this method and they look just as nice. So it’s definitely something to consider.
What to do with common problems, such as brad nail sticking out, imperfect joints, stain…
How to fix the annoying brad nail sticking out?
Not sure if it’s bad luck or what. In almost every project that I’ve used a nail gun, I always have at least one brad nail sticking out. It was not fun!
I’ve learned that prying the nail out is a terrible idea (believe me, it leaves a much bigger dent than it begins with). The right approach is to use a nail setter or a hammer plus a screw driver to push the nail head just below the wood surface. With a bit of wood filler, no one can tell there is a nail hidden behind.
How to fix the imperfect miter joints?
I’d be the first to admit that getting the perfect miter joints is HARD. Especially without the tool that offers precise cuts.
To minimize the gaps between two boards, I asked my husband to help push them tightly together when gluing, in addition to using corner clamps. We strategically placed the boards in a way that hides the worse cuts in the back and at the bottom, so no one will notice them.
The wood filler completely blended in after it was sanded flush.
How to get the perfect natural wood tone?
OK, first let’s be honest, you will never get red oak to look exactly like white oak. Every piece of wood is different. The color, wood grains vary from one to another, so it’s tricky to copy the exact same look.
But if you want to recreate the neutral, brown wood tone of white oak, my friend Natalie has a stain combo that promises to do the job: how to make red oak look like white oak.
Wood finish from left to right: Mixwax oil based stain English Oak, General Finishes (GF) Gel Stain American Oak, GF Gel Stain White, Acrylic Paint Trail Tan, Acrylic Paint Linen, Walrus Oil Furniture Butter
After testing a few options, my favorites were tan wash (third one from right) and furniture butter (far right). The tan wash gave the red oak a thin layer of paint to hide the red undertone, it looked a bit opaque, while the furniture butter added amber to the red oak and enhanced the wood grains, which I liked the most. I ended up using this option and the nightstand turned out amazing. The most natural, and beautiful warm wood tone.
What to do with a drawer box 1/8″ narrower than it’s supposed to be?
In woodworking, even a small error like cutting a piece of wood 1/8″ off can be a big headache. It’s absolutely the case with building drawer boxes.
Luckily, there is a trick to fix it.
Cut off a long strip of scrap wood that is the same depth as the gap you’re trying to fill. Glue it onto the side of the drawer box, where the drawer slide will be screw into. This bridges the gap between the metal slide and the box and allows the drawer to slide in and out smoothly. Easy Peasy.
Step by step of building a DIY floating nightstand
Step 1. Planning
Start by creating a sketch and determine measurements. Make sure to account for drawer slide, French cleat, and clearance for outlet/wire, if there is any.
I had to revise my initial plan because the shortest push to open drawer slides I could find were 10 inches long and there was no room for error.
Step 2. Making cuts
Following the cut list, cut all pieces to length.
Check with an angle finder or a speed square. Having the cuts as close to 45 degree as possible ensures a smooth process for glue-up.
Foureyes Furniture has a great tip on getting perfect miters: video
Step 3. Assembling the box frame
First apply wood glue, then use corner clamps to secure the boards keeping the corners square, and wait overnight for the glue to dry.
To strengthen the miter joints, use brad nails or corner brackets.
Use wood filler to fill all the gaps and nail holes.
Step 4. Adding French cleat or nailing strip
Cut a strip of wood or MDF to use as a nailing strip and glue it to the back of the nightstand.
If using a French cleats, make sure it’s long enough to cover two studs.
Step 5. Building drawer
Cut pine boards or plywood to size, build a drawer box, attach the pieces with pocket hole screws, wood glue, or brad nails, including the bottom.
Step 6. Installing drawer slides
Install the push to open drawer slides to the frame, 1″ away from the front of the nightstand. Secure the drawer slides to the drawer box.
Step 7. Installing drawer front
Insert playing cards around the four sides drawer front to adjust its position before attaching from the inside of the drawer box.
Step 8. Sand, stain, top coat
First sand with 120 grit sandpaper, then advance to higher grit sandpaper (180 grit) to achieve the buttery smooth touch.
Remove saw dust and apply stain and top coat.
With that, the build is complete!
Styling the nightstand
Building this nightstand from start to finish took me a couple of days. I worked on this probably 2-3 hours each day. So this can be a quick and easy DIY project (caveat: don’t be too stressed about the imperfect mitered joints!)
Lastly, if you like approachable DIY ideas, don’t miss these tutorials:
Read this through twice. Now, even without a cut list, I feel I can modify this per my needs, and build a floating side table with drawer (mine will also include a lower shelf). Thank you for the detailed photos and explanation.
A floating table with drawer is an awesome idea! It will look great and be so functional. I totally forgot to make the build plans for these nightstands, glad you’re able to figure out how to build it. Feel free to reach out if you want more details or have any questions.