DIY Standing Desk Tutorial

Materials:

Tools:

Step 1: Build plywood “boxes” around the legs

Max a cut list and rip down your plywood with your circular saw. I didn’t take the time to document the cut list (I’m sorry!) but each piece of plywood will be the same height! I cut down 2×4’s and built a plywood box around the two legs. There are motors in the standing desk legs, so you don’t want to drill into those! I just fastened the box together around the legs with screws, and I made sure to locate the screws where trim would be installed. I didn’t want those screw heads visible!

I also shimmed the boxes so they were tight to the legs and so that the standing desk frame top could slide down easily into the leg box.

Step 2: Build a side cubby + add trim work

You can make this cubby as wide as you want! I made mine about 13″ wide so it could easily fit computers, notebooks, and baskets. I still might add a top drawer and a second shelf!

I created some fluting details with scrap plywood. I just set my table saw blade about 1/3 the height of the plywood and made cuts spaced at 1/2″. Do a practice piece first so you can get the hang of fluting! I sure needed to! These fluted pieces were glued to the back side “legs”.

For the front and side panels, I wanted more delicate looking fluting trim work. I found the 2 1/4″ wide fluted casing at Home Depot and knew it was perfect! It really elevated the desk and made it look more professional! I mitered each piece to create a square on each side and glued and clamped these.

Finish this step with wood filler – WARNING! Wood filling the fluted casing mitered joints is not for the faint of heart!!! It was so time consuming.. but definitely worth it. 🙂 I found having water wipes nearby helpful to wipe away excess wood filler.

Step 3: Build desk top & attach standing desk controller

I’m using the same 1/2″ thick plywood for the desk top. To make the raw plywood edges look more finished, I added 1×2 Pine with mitered corners. Glue, clamp, and nail with an 18 gauge brand nailer. Also – make sure you glue some backer blocks at the corners & middle span of the plywood to give the 1×2’s extra support!

Wood fill the desk top seams as necessary and give it a good sand. Don’t leave any wood glue residue or it WILL mess up the wood stain!

You can attach your standing desk controller now, or wait until after your stain it. Waiting is probably smart.. but I was too excited, installed it before staining, and did some deep cleaning on my controller afterwards. 🙂

Before attaching your desk controller, attach an additional 1″ thick wood piece so that the controller will be flush with the 1×2 surround. I used two 1/2″ thick pieces of plywood here (see picture above.)

Step 4: Sand & stain

If you haven’t already, sand everything with your 220 grit orbital sander. It’s so important to sand if you want to achieve a cohesive wood stain finish.

Follow the sanding with a tack cloth to remove any dust and then apply your stain:

1 coat pre-stain wood conditioner
1 coat provincial
1 coat antique white (have an extra rag or two around to really wipe the excess stain off)
2 coats polyurethane in a matte finish

I applied all stains with a rag, but I applied the poly with a foam roller and a paint brush.