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April 11, 2020

Easy DIY Homeschool Desk

DIY· Rooms for Kids

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Tired of homeschooling at the kitchen table? Yeah, I was too.

Like a lot of you, we suddenly found ourselves in a remote learning situation back in March. None of us knew how long this would go on at the time, so we just made due with what we had. Now that it’s looking like we’re in this for the long haul I decided I needed to make a dedicated learning space.

I DIY’d this cute and super functional homeschool desk in just 15 minutes:

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Not ready to make it yet? Pin it for later!

Are you suddenly homeschooling? Build this DIY homeschool desk in under 15 minutes. Perfect for remote learning for elementary school age.

We started out trying to do “school” at the kitchen table and it was kind of a disaster. First, there was no separation between work and play. Everything was laid out all the time and stressing us out. The easy(ish) solve for this was to move us all into my home office.

But the bigger issue: an adult sized desk or table just isn’t very comfortable for a kid to work at.

My kids are in second grade and kindergarten and their desks at school are way shorter than a kitchen table. At school, they can sit with their feet on the ground and easily reach the desk top. Not so much at a regular table.

Think of it this way, would you be comfortable working at a pub height table? It’s kinda the same thing for a young elementary school kid at the kitchen table.

Why Not Just Buy a Desk?

I quickly found out that most kids tables and desks available online are actually for much younger children. Far too short for a school-aged kid.

I did some research and the ideal height for a table or desk at this age is around 20 inches, paired with a seat height of 12 to 16 inches. The only good online option I found was a school supply website. I wanted something that would still be useful after the kids went back to school, so I wasn’t keen to buy an official school desk.

DIY That Desk Instead!

I decided to “borrow” the IKEA desk top we had lying on top of our washer and dryer, so all in, this project only cost me $39. You can make this desk any size you want so the size of the top can vary. I needed mine sized for two kids so the 30″ x 60″ piece of wood I already had was perfect.

Already have a scrap of counter, table top, or large piece of wood at home? You’re golden. If not, here are a few options you can buy online:

 

Materials Needed

Wood table top or other large piece of wood

Hairpin desk legs, 20″ tall

Screws (they likely came with your legs)

Screwdriver

Optional: Drill with bit sized for your screws

How to Make Your DIY Homeschool Desk

Get ready for the easiest DIY desk build ever.

Flip your wood top side down, and position the desk legs (see photo). Make sure to line the leg plates parallel to the desk edge and roughly the same distance away for each one. Eyeballing carefully is fine, no measuring needed.

Use random poofs to hold up the desk top if you’re too lazy to go to the garage and grab the sawhorses 😉

Next, take a marker and scribble a little hole onto the desk top through each leg’s screw hole so you know where to drill your pilot holes.

Note: with a softer wood or laminate you can use a screwdriver to drive the screws, but my wood was a little hard so I opted to drill pilot holes.

Hold a screw up to your drill bit and mark with tape how deep you need to drill the holes. Drill slowly and when the edge of the tape hits the wood, stop and back your drill out.

Once you have all your pilot holes drilled, screw in the legs. The legs I bought came with these snap on feet to protect the floor and keep the desk from sliding around. It’s the little things…

Finally, flip your desk over and enjoy! Step back and admire how handy you are 🙂

This 20 inch school desk height works perfectly with a 15 inch seat height for the typical 5 – 10 year old. I bought these incredible wobble stools and they work perfectly. In case you’re not familiar, wobble stools are amazing for fidgety (re: all) kids and help them to work out the wiggles as they sit and attend to the task in front of them. Plus they look good and are fun to sit in.

I hope this was helpful! If you decide to make this desk, let me know here or tag me on Instagram.

About Brianna

Brianna Thomas is the founder of Bloom in the Black, a home decor and DIY blog showing people how to personalize their home through simple projects, smart shopping, and good design. She encourages her readers to stop striving for their house to be “done,” and instead, make small, impactful changes one step at a time. Brianna’s work has been featured in publications such as House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Today.com.

Where to next?

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DIY Faux Pottery: Upcycle a Leftover Glass Vase
Upcycled Planter Idea: Try the Fluted Wood Trend
How to Stencil an Accent Wall (Costs 80% Less Than Wallpaper)
Previous Post: « The Dark and Moody Master Bedroom Reveal
Next Post: The Secret Garden at Night Bedroom: One Room Challenge Week 1 »

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About Brianna

Hey, I’m Brianna! First, you should know I’m a homebody to the core. I love surrounding myself with pretty things, yummy food, and settling in for movie marathons with my family. Most of all, I love sharing what I know about making home beautiful…

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