How to Make a Makeup Table

Making your own makeup table is an easy task that anyone with minimal carpentry skills can accomplish. An inexpensive way to create your own vanity is by checking thrift stores for used materials, such as nightstands and mirrors. This will not only save you money, but allow you to reuse a piece of furniture and make it your very own. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Backing

1

Remove the top surface from the nightstands. If the tops are already flat, this is not necessary.

2

Place the nightstands two to three feet apart, making sure they are even and on a completely flat surface. Measure the distance of the nightstands from end to end and from top to bottom.

3

Using the measurements you just took, draw reference lines on your plywood with your pencil.

4

Place the plywood on supports or a cutting table and cut along the lines with the handsaw, making sure to keep the lines straight.

5

Ensure that the plywood backing fits perfectly onto the back of the two nightstands before attaching.

6

Turn the nightstands face down, keeping them the proper distance apart, and dispense a line of glue around the edges.

7

Place the plywood onto the glued back of the nightstands and let it dry for about an hour. This will keep the backing in place while attaching it.

8

Drill holes about six inches apart through the plywood and the edges of the nightstands. This will make it easier to drill in screws. Make sure when drilling through the nightstands, you drill through the actual wood and not the thin backing.

9

Drill screws into the premade holes, attaching the plywood backing to the two nightstands. When attached, turn the nightstands back onto their feet and ensure that the backing is securely fastened.

Surface

10

Measure the depth and entire length of the two nightstands, including the thickness of the backing plywood.

11

Draw out the reference lines on another piece of plywood using the measurements you took.

12

Place the plywood on supports or a cutting table and cut along the lines with the handsaw, making sure to keep the lines straight.

13

Double-check to make sure the surface plywood fits perfectly by placing it on top of the two nightstands before drilling.

14

Dispense a line of glue around the top edges of the nightstands and the plywood backing. Place the plywood surface on top and let dry for at least one hour.

15

Drill holes about six inches apart through the plywood and the edges of the nightstands.

16

Drill screws into the premade holes, attaching the plywood surface to the two nightstands.

17

Fill in the holes created by the screws with the wood filler, making sure the end result is smooth and not noticeable. Some sanding may be necessary after the wood filler has dried.

Finishing

18

Paint the table with at least two coats of the color of your choice. A paint roller will produce a smooth finish on a wood top, while a paintbrush will often show brush strokes.

19

Paint the frame around the mirror in the same color, or choose a darker or lighter tone of the shade you painted the table.

20

Place the table in the appropriate spot in your home when dried. Set the mirror on the surface and lean it against the wall for easy removal and cleaning.