{"id":843,"date":"2024-10-21T19:58:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T11:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/22\/diy-nightstand-with-floating-top\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T14:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T06:42:15","slug":"diy-nightstand-with-floating-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/?p=843","title":{"rendered":"DIY Nightstand With Floating Top"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This DIY nightstand with a faux floating top is a gorgeous project you can build for under $100. Perfect for a tween or teen girl\u2019s room!<\/h2>\n
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Being a boy mom, getting to build anything even remotely feminine is not really in the cards for me. My boys have VERY strong opinions about just about everything. Including my projects! That doesn\u2019t mean I always listen to them, though:)<\/p>\n

Lucky for me, I have nieces! I built this beautiful Anthropologie-inspired \u201cfloating\u201d top nightstand for my youngest niece and it fit in perfectly with her room decor. Best part? I built it for under $100! <\/p>\n

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With it\u2019s storage drawer and pull out tray, it\u2019s got a lot to offer! The \u201cfloating\u201d top and notched legs give this DIY nightstand a little more of a delicate look, which I absolutely love.<\/p>\n

Keep reading to see the step by step photo tutorial and also make sure you download the printable plans<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

How to build a DIY Nightstand with a floating top<\/h2>\n
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  1. Cut the plywood pieces<\/strong>\n

    Cut all of the plywood pieces to size. I recommend labeling the pieces so you know what goes where. It saves you time and helps to avoid mistakes!\"cut<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. Apply veneer banding<\/strong>\n

    Apply veneer edge banding to all of the pieces, per the printable plans. Trim the edge banding and sand all of the plywood pieces with 220 grit sandpaper and an orbital sander.\"apply<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. Notch the bottom of the legs<\/strong>\n

    Mark 3\/4\u201d in from the bottom end of each of the legs. Set your miter saw to a 45 degree angle and cut a notch into the inside edge of each leg (if desired).\"notching<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. Build the nightstand base<\/strong>\n

    Build the base of the nightstand. Drill 1 1\/2\u2033 pocket holes into each of the stretchers and attach to the legs with 2 1\/2\u2033 pocket screws.\"building<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. Attach the spacers<\/strong>\n

    Center the 2\u00d72 spacers on the front, back and sides of the base. Attach with wood glue and 2\u201d wood screws, slightly countersunk into the wood to allow the top of the nightstand to sit flush on the spacers.\"attaching<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. Build the top of the nightstand<\/strong>\n

    Drill 3\/4\u201d pocket holes into the bottom edge of the side pieces and the bottom edge and ends of the back pieces. Apply a bead of wood glue to the ends of the back piece, clamp and attach to the sides with 1 1\/4\u201d pocket screws. Apply a bead of wood glue along the bottom edges of the side and back pieces. Clamp to the bottom panel and attach with 1 1\/4\u201d pocket screws. Apply glue to the spacers and line up the bottom panel of the nightstand over the base. Clamp in place and attach with 1 1\/4\u201d wood screws into the spacers.\"build<\/p>\n

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  7. Attach face frame<\/strong>\n

    Drill 3\/4\u201d pocket holes into each end of the 1\u00d72 face frame piece. Attach flush with the front edges of the sides, 7\/8\u201d down from the top.\"attaching<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  8. Attach supports for the tray<\/strong>\n

    Measure and mark 7\/8\u201d down on the sides for the dowels and attach flush with the height of the 1\u00d72 with wood glue and 1 1\/4\u201d brad nails. This will be the support for the pull out tray.\"nailing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  9. Attach stop to tray<\/strong>\n

    Attach the 3\/4\u2033 square dowel stop to the back of the tray, flush with the back edge. Use wood glue and 1 1\/4\u2033 brad nails to attach it.\"attach<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  10. Build the drawer<\/strong>\n

    Drill 3\/4\u201d pocket holes into all four edges of the drawer bottom, the front ends of the drawer sides, and both ends of the drawer back. Glue and clamp the drawer pieces together and attach with 1 1\/4\u201d pocket screws.\"building<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  11. Attach drawer front<\/strong>\n

    Center the drawer front so that there is 3\/8\u201d overhang on each side of the drawer. Glue and clamp in place, and attach with 1 1\/4\u201d pocket screws.\"attaching<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  12. Finish the nighstand<\/strong>\n

    Paint or stain all of the nightstand pieces before final assembly.\"nightstand<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  13. Attach the top to the nightstand<\/strong>\n

    Set the pull out tray in place and then attach the top. Apply a bead of glue to the top edges of the sides and back, then line up the top and clamp. Attach with 1 1\/4\u201d brad nails. \"nailing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  14. Fill nail holes<\/strong>\n

    Fill the holes from the brad nails with wood filler and let dry. Sand smooth and touch up the spots with paint or stain. Install the drawer glides to to the drawer and slide into place.\"filling<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    DIY Nightstand with faux floating top<\/h2>\n
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    If you\u2019d like to build this project, make sure to download the printable plans<\/strong>! I love hearing from you and also seeing your versions of my projects! If you\u2019d like to drop me a line or share a photo of your project, just shoot me an email or tag me on social media! <\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This DIY nightstand with a faux floating top is a gorgeous project you can build for under $100.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/843"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=843"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1078,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/843\/revisions\/1078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veryauto.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}