Easy to Build Desk for Home Office or Homeschool | Free Woodworking Plans

My wife and daughter had been using a flimsy Ikea desk to do homeschooling at for way too long and it was time for a change.  I made this easy to build desk that’s also a great solution for people who are working from home and need a quality desk.  With plenty of work space, a handful of drawers, and easy access to a hidden power strip, this desk is a huge improvement! 

Thanks to my friends at Kreg Tool, the plans for this desk are available on their site for free!

Save money on these tools I used for this project:

Make Parts for Base

To kick things off, cut all of the parts for the base of the desk and drill pocket holes where shown in the plans.  I also edgeband one edge of each piece of plywood that will face the front of the desk.

Assemble the Desk Cabinets

Moving on to assembly, I grab some clamps along with a fist full of 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws and assemble the boxes for each base of the desk.

I then add some stretchers to the front and back of each cabinet to divide the drawer fronts and to make installing the drawer slides easier.  To make locating these pieces easier, I use a spacer to set each end of the stretcher on while screwing it in place.

To create an “air gap” between the base and the top I add two layers of plywood to the top of each cabinet.

Back Panel and Power Strip

I then assemble the power strip support and screw it to the back panel.

How to Make Drawer Boxes

When it comes to making drawer boxes, I cut all of the parts to size and again edgeband the edge of the plywood that will be seen.  I also drill micro pocket holes since these drawer boxes are made from 1/2″ plywood.

With two sides and the front of the drawer box together, I slide in the drawer box bottom.

I then finish up the assembly by screwing the back of the drawer box in place.

How to Build a Desk Top

To make the desk top I used 4/4 ambrosia maple and milled it to 3/4″.  To make the top look thicker I mitered the front edge and glued a 2″ wide strip to the front.  I also glued some material to both ends to fill in the void.

Flip-Up Access to Power Strip

This step is optional but really adds to the utility of the desk.  Route out an opening in the desk top (using the two templates that are shown in the build plans) that will accept the flip up lid and allow easy access to the power strip.

Next up I resaw a piece that’s larger that what will be needed for the final piece and cut it to the final size needed.

I then fit the hinge in the desk top and temporarily screw it in place before final sanding and finishing.

Installing Drawers

With stretchers in the front and back of the cabinet installing the drawer slides is very easy.  I set the slides in place and push them back from the cabinet front about 7/8″ and then screw them in position.

To set the drawer fronts, I first slide the drawer boxes in place and center the drawer front with a stack of playing cards under the left and right sides.  I then use a bit of double sided tape to temporarily hold the drawer front in place while using 2 to 4 1″ screws to permanently secure the drawer front to the drawer box.

Finish

If you haven’t already done so, sand and all of the pieces.  I sprayed the cabinet base with two coats of General Finishes Stain Blocker Primer and then top coated it with two coats of flat General Finishes White Enduro Poly.  The desk top was finished with 3 coats of flat General Finishes High Performance Top Coat.

Final Assembly

Set up the base cabinets where you want the desk to be and screw the back panel in place using 1-¼” pocket hole screws.  The back panel should be flush with the top of part 1 on each base cabinet, and inset 3” from the back of the cabinets.

Get the Plans!

Follow the link to head over to Kreg’s website and grab the free plans!

As always, if you have any questions or comments just let me know. And until next time, have fun making something!

Kreg Tool provided me with product and/or monetary compensation as a sponsor of this post. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the sponsor. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

Products specifications are sourced on each product page linked above with each item.

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