How to Build a DIY Computer Desk From Scratch
Hey friends! As you all know, my whole purpose of this blog is to provide you resources for affordable homemaking without breaking the bank. In today’s post, we are going to learn how to make a DIY computer desk.
DIY Computer Desk Plan With A Custom Design
I want to keep it real simple, as the room we were going to put this computer desk has a weird shape. Therefore, to be something simple with a custom measurement will check all the boxes.
My husband really nailed it when he showed me a simple design in Google Drive using minimum material for under $50. As you all know, any furniture item can hurt your budget for the month.
Desk Dimensions for Your Custom Desk
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Material to Build Your Desk
Here is what we purchased from Lowes:
- A big long wood top. It measures 3/4″ x 24″ x 48″. The little corner in the room we were going to put this table is total 58″ wide. It was more than perfect for us.
It measures 3/4: x 24″ x 48″.
- 3) eight feet 2″ x 4″ long pieces for the legs at $2.50 each
- 2) eight feet long 1″ x 3″ pieces to put edges around the table in orderer to beautify it at $1.65 each
- Considering how cheap the material is, I would buy 1 extra for each in case you make a mistake in cutting or drilling the pocket holes. It’s a lot better than having to drive back to the hardware store!
Required Tools For Your Custom Desk
These are very handy tools for any woodworking project. We have not purchased them at once. However, my husband loaded up his workshop with all the phenomenal tools over time.
You don’t have to buy every tool I show you here, although they indeed make life easy. Just go with what is the most needed.
- Kreg Jig and Kreg jig clamps ( A package deal)
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Kreg jig screw kit or a packet of screws
- Brad nailer
- Brad nails
- Wood glue and glue brush
- Sander – Either wood sander or just buy a cheap sanding block.
- Stain (of your choice). You don’t have to strain if you don’t want to.
All the above tools are extremely useful if you do DIY projects on a regular basis. Otherwise, just to make a DIY computer desk, you can get by without having them as you can use a hammer and long nails with wood glue.
This DIY project is easy and anyone can do it. Don’t get scared, as I provided you both options with and without fancy tools.
My goal is to provide you with the resources!
Things To Consider Before You Start
Here is a little criterion I have set for me. I follow this whenever I have to do any DIY project.
1- Difficulty Of The Project
This is something you should consider for your very first DIY projects. Since my husband has been doing wooding working for us now for the last 5 years, he is at an advanced level. However, this DIY computer desk has an easy difficulty level.
2- Ergonomically Correct
Ergonomics are something you should never ignore. We made this desk for my brother and he is little over 6 feet tall. A small desk was not going to cut it. Especially with his long legs. If you want to not have any physical discomfort, you better pay attention to ergonomics.
3- Custom Dimensions:
Most of the store-bought furniture doesn’t come with the custom dimension you want to fit in your desired location. I checked around to see if I could buy a desk to go in the weird shape of the boy’s room I have, but either they were too big or too small. It left me with only the DIY option.
4- Cost-Effective
The other big thing with DIY projects is that you almost always save money. In my personal opinion, 90% of the time you save money with DIY projects. Your work also makes you proud, and this computer desk only cost me less than $50 with our DIY skills. And we already had all the tools, which made things easier.
Simple DIY Computer Desk Tutorial Steps
Step 1: Cut The Wood For Desk’s Legs
To make the legs, cut them to the plan I provided above. You need to cut 4 2″ x 4″ pieces for the verticle parts of the legs with a miter saw or any saw you have available.
You can also have someone cut according to your measurements at Lowes or Home Depot.
Step 2: Drill Pocket Holes With A Kreg Jig
The next step is to drill holes with a Kreg Jig. This little tool is stunning. Without it, you’d have to screw in from the sides or use nails, which wouldn’t look good. With a Kreg Jig, the screws are put in at an angle, and if you put them underneath, they won’t be visible!
Step 3: Screw The Wood Together
You are going to need this handy chart to decide which screw is the best for your project.
They are super cheap but awfully helpful. Notice the pocket holes are facing out!
Make two of them. one for each side of the table to hold the top
My husband cut some scrap wood (to rest the middle support on while connecting) as a simple measuring guide. This way, both sides will be the same height.
Step 4: Attach The Top For Your DIY Computer Desk
Place the legs on the floor and place your top wood on it. We used the top as it is without cutting or altering it. Just put a few brad nails or small nails to hold in place temporarily.
Step 5: Cut the Edges
Now it’s time to finalize your DIY computer desk project. Cut the 1″ x 3″ long wood according to the size using the chart above to attach it to the edges. It will give this computer desk a good and clean look.
You can also have the wood cut in the store as well.
The Exact Tools We Used For This Project
I am just listing them in case you like to buy anything. We added to our workshop over the years and bought these tools from time to time. They are perfect for any level of DIY’ers.
Kreg Jig with Kreg Clamp
This Kreg screw kit is good as it gives you all the sizes you’ll possibly need to start.
PIN IT
Now It’s Your Turn!
Download the plan above or print it to start building your own. You can adjust your measurements according to your space. I hope you like it, and once you make it, come share it on our FB page with thousands of other followers!
22 thoughts on “How To Build An Easy DIY Computer Desk Under $50”
Wow that’s quite the workshop you have! Amazing plan to follow and the end results look awesome. Love the blue that you’ve chosen, looks great x
Thank you girl, you are so kind!
You’re welcome, honestly, adore your home! X
You say you are personal finance geek. How did you do it? Get family out of debt. Need to know the steps to do it myself myself. By the way I’m great at DIY project around my apt. Love that lil desk. Love the jig
Hi Irene,
Welcome to the blog! I would love to see your projects. Share with us! I have worked my way up and now documenting my whole process in the course as so many people like me have asked to build the step by step system. It’s about to be launch this month. Let me know if you are interested. We paid over a hundred thousand in debt. Last year alone we paid 57000. We now have complete financial freedom!
Awesome looking desk, Bushra! I just love the Kreg jig 🙂 Makes it so easy to build your own furniture!
Yes Sarah, it is one of the most amazing tools someone invented. Thank you
Wow, amazing work! You and your hubby did such a great job!
Thank you Erica! We love to do that.
Awesome, Bushra! I’m so glad that you consider ergonomics in your home DIYs as many people overlook it yet it’s so important especially for something like a work station.
Will you ever try making a simple foot rest? I you do, I’d love to see how you go about it. I always end up crossing my legs which I’m told is bad…I definitely need something like a foot rest but the store bought rests are ridiculously inflated 🙂
Thank you Jessica! Yes, I will consider making the footrest. Thank you for the wonderful idea.
Oh wow! This is great!! We are rehabbing a 100 year old house and this would be perfect for it once it is finished.
Thank you so much, Stephanie and welcome to Bushra’s Lifestyle! I would love to see, what you do with the house. Good luck!
This looks so good! And the way you decorated it in that space looks amazing! I really love how you laid all the steps out so anyone can make this. Great post!! ?
Thank you, I will post before and after pictures when I will do the post about shiplap. Michelle, it was a really boring corner.
Cool idea!
Great content ideas, very useful and not the generic list I was expecting to see. Thank you for compiling this list!
https://www.gogle-news.com
Thank you, Khurram, and welcome to the readership!
I actually built a desk according to these plans and want to warn readers that there are a number of things wrong with them.
1) The amount of 2×4 pieces we are told to buy is too little. Bushra tells you to buy three 2x4s at 8 feet each. She also tells you to cut them into two 29″ pieces, two 24″ pieces, and one 48″ piece. This is not possible. You need another 2×4.
2) The dimensions in her schematic don’t make sense. She tells you to buy a panel for the surface of the desk that is 24×48, and then build a frame around it with 1×3. Somehow this creates a desktop that is 49 1/4″ long (which makes sense – the two pieces of 1×3 on each side of the panel adds an inch and quarter to its length) and 29 3/4 inches wide? (How did the same 1×3 manage to add 5 and 3/4 inches to the width of the desktop?)
3) You won’t be able to fit the desk surface on top of the legs if you cut them to her specified lengths. She says to cut the bottom and top of the square legs to 24″ and then put the vertical part of the legs on the outside of the bottom and top pieces. Of course, this is going to make the top of the legs wider than the 24″ wide panel on the surface. So when I built mine, after cutting the legs to her dimensions and realizing they don’t make sense, I put the vertical part of the legs on top of the bottom pieces of wood (which will then make your Kreg holes, if you choose to use the Kreg, no longer invisible, but I just drilled holes into the bottom and top of the rectangular legs, so they are invisible that way). This allowed for a width of legs that would fit the surface, but created a taller desk, which suits me.
So, just be forewarned, you’re going to need more wood than what’s listed and if you cut pieces according to Bushra’s listed dimensions, they won’t fit.
I am sorry to hear about your frustration. However, I had no intention to rip anyone off. This post has gone viral on many different sites, and I have seen people build and posted images of their tables. Let me know where you need help. I will walk you through it, as I did several others via Facebook messages. The 2 x 4 pieces are absolutely workable as you have seen that I broke down everything in the post. I took 2 years break from blogging for some personal reasons, therefore I couldn’t respond to you earlier, my friend. I will take a picture with the dimensions showing to add to the post later so people can see it. Have a blessed day! I so appreciate your comments though.
Bushra,
Very nice rug and cricket bat!
Thank you, Steve! Bat is from Pakistan.