How to Build a Bedside Cabinet – Step-by-Step Guide
Learning how to build a bedside cabinet is one of the most satisfying weekend projects you can take on. It's small enough to finish in a day, practical enough to use every night, and simple enough that a beginner with a drill and a Kreg jig can pull it off. I built my first one for about $35 in pine and it's been sitting next to my bed for four years without a wobble. This guide covers everything — exact dimensions, a full cut list, a pocket hole joinery method, and the finishing moves that separate a "meh" cabinet from one that looks like you paid real money for it.
Why Build Your Own Bedside Cabinet
Walk into any big-box furniture store and a basic nightstand runs $80–150. Most of them are particleboard wrapped in vinyl. They look okay for about two years, then the drawer slides strip out and the corners start peeling. Building your own from solid pine or plywood costs a third of that and lasts indefinitely.
There's also the fit problem. Bedroom furniture heights aren't universal. My mattress sits high — pillow top on a thick base — so store-bought tables always feel too low. When you build it yourself, you cut the legs to match your bed exactly. That's a luxury you can't buy off a shelf at that price point.
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Materials and Cost Breakdown
I built this cabinet from standard dimensional pine — no exotic lumber, no special-order anything. Every piece comes from a single home center visit. Here's exactly what I bought and what it cost.
| Material | Qty | Unit Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x10x8 pine board | 2 | $10.00 | $20.00 |
| 1x4x8 pine board | 1 | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| 1x6x4 pine board (drawer face) | 1 | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| 1/4" plywood offcut (drawer bottom) | 1 | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Pocket hole screws (box) | 1 | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Drawer pull hardware | 1 | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| Sandpaper pack + wood filler | 1 | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| Total | ~$50 |
If you already own sandpaper and screws, it's easily a $35 build. The finish — paint, stain, or poly — is extra depending on what you already have in the shop.
Cut List
These dimensions produce a cabinet 22 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 14 inches deep. That's a good all-purpose size. Adjust the height if your bed sits unusually high or low.
| Part | Qty | Thickness | Width | Length | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side panels | 2 | 3/4" | 14" | 22" | 1x10 pine (ripped) |
| Top | 1 | 3/4" | 14" | 16" | 1x10 pine (ripped) |
| Bottom shelf | 1 | 3/4" | 13-1/4" | 14-1/2" | 1x10 pine |
| Fixed middle shelf | 1 | 3/4" | 13-1/4" | 14-1/2" | 1x10 pine |
| Drawer box front/back | 2 | 3/4" | 3-1/2" | 13" | 1x4 pine |
| Drawer box sides | 2 | 3/4" | 3-1/2" | 12-1/2" | 1x4 pine |
| Drawer bottom | 1 | 1/4" | 12-1/2" | 13" | 1/4" plywood |
| Drawer face | 1 | 3/4" | 5" | 15-1/2" | 1x6 pine |
| Back panel (optional) | 1 | 1/4" | 14-1/2" | 22" | 1/4" plywood |
Note: 1x10 actual width is 9-1/4 inches. For 14-inch-deep sides, rip two boards and edge-glue them, or use 3/4-inch plywood cut to exact width. Either works fine.
Tools You'll Need
- Kreg R3 or Kreg 320 pocket hole jig
- Circular saw or miter saw
- Drill/driver
- Tape measure
- Clamps (at least 4 bar clamps)
- Combination square or speed square
- Router with roundover bit (optional)
- Random orbital sander
- Pencil and marking knife
The Kreg R3 runs about $25 and is worth every cent for this kind of cabinet build. If you're going to do more than one furniture project this year, buy one. You'll use it constantly.
Step-by-Step Build Instructions
Step 1: Cut All Your Parts
Work from the cut list and break down boards in order of longest pieces first. If you're using a circular saw, clamp a straightedge guide to get clean rip cuts. A miter saw handles the crosscuts cleanly. Label each piece with a pencil the moment you cut it — side, top, bottom, shelf. Sounds unnecessary until you have eight similar-looking rectangles on your bench
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