Creative and easy to build: the swinging DIY nightstand

A picture of a swing as a night stand — Update your bedroom with this swinging night stand

Difficulty

easy
Cost

50-100 £
Duration

1-3 h

Introduction

Do you remember playing on swings as a child? And always wanting to swing higher and feel as free as a bird? Now you’ll reminisce about it every evening – as a swing will hang beside your bed, replacing your boring, old nightstand and rocking you gently into the land of nod.

You need

Tools

Utilities

g-clamps
Set square
tape measure
pocket rule
pencil

Materials

1 old, solid-wood board, 600 x 250 x 20 mm (l x w x h)
1 rope, approx. 6 m long and 2 cm thick
2 hooks
8 mm wall plugs (designed to fit the hooks and suitable for your ceiling composition)

L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Let's go - step by step

Step 1 5

Saw the board

A picture of someone using a jigsaw to cut wood to size — Use your jigsaw to cut the wood to size

You need: Jigsaws, Accessories for jigsaws, pocket rule, Set square, tape measure, g-clamps, board

No matter where you found your old wooden board, the first step is to give it a makeover before you transform it into your DIY nightstand. Start by sawing it down to a length of 60 cm and a width of 25 cm. We recommend making precise measurements beforehand and marking where to cut the board with a straight line using a pencil and set square.

TIPS FOR SAWING

Lay the wooden board on a workbench or other stable, raised surface. If you don’t have a way of clamping the board down, ask someone to help! A second pair of hands can then hold the board firmly against your work surface while you saw. The aim is to make sure the board doesn’t slip. Be careful! Make sure your helper’s hands are a safe distance from where you are sawing. If you have a jigsaw with a power swing, you can use it for this project – the board is thin enough that you’ll easily cut through it. Now place the saw at the edge of the board and gently move it away from you, applying light pressure. You and your helper should wear safety gloves at all times.

Step 2 5

Drill the holes

A picture of someone using a drill to drill holes into wood — To drill holes in the board, set the drill vertically

You need: Cordless drill/driver, Forstner bit 20mm, pocket rule

To turn your board into a swing – which will become your DIY nightstand – you need to drill four holes. First, mark the position of each drill hole in each corner of the board with a pencil. Make sure you mark the holes 5 cm away from the edge of the board. Then, insert the Forstner bit into the impact drill and drill through the four markings on the board using moderate pressure.

ATTENTION: KNOW THE FACTS!

The Forstner bit is a drill bit for holes measuring 8–150 mm in diameter. The Forstner bit is not a twist drill bit. Instead, its tip is surrounded by two semi-circles fitted with blades that cut through wood. You can create larger holes using a router or a hole saw. However, the Forstner bit is the easiest tool to use for this project.

Step 3 5

Sand down the board

A picture of someone using a multi sander to sand down the wood — Sand down the wood to get a smooth finish.

You need: Multi-sander, Sanding sheet for multi-sander G120

To make sure you don’t get splinters when reaching for your alarm each morning, you need to sand down the entire board – both its flat surfaces and edges. In addition, sanding will help you to remove irregularities like scratches from your future DIY nightstand. For perfect results, sand the board evenly without applying pressure, always moving in one direction. Don’t forget to also file down any nails! When you’ve finished sanding the wooden board, sweep away any sawdust with a small hand brush or simply blow it away. To avoid getting sawdust in your eyes, we recommend wearing protective goggles. If you like, you can also add a glaze, paint or varnish at this point, but we chose to leave the board untreated.

Step 4 5

Transform the board into your DIY nightstand with a piece of rope

Picture of a person making a knot to make the swing — The rope turns your board into a DIY bedside table.

You need: Maßband, rope

To make your DIY nightstand hang from the ceiling like a real swing, you need to knot a handle to both short sides of the board. Cut two pieces of rope around a metre long. Take the first piece of rope, thread it through one of the holes and knot it to the underside of the nightstand. The other end of the rope should be threaded through the second hole on the same side of the board and knotted. Then repeat this step with the other piece of rope on the other side of the board. You now have two large handles that can be used to fix the swing to the ceiling with more rope. To find out how much rope you need, first measure your ceiling height and work out how high you want your nightstand to swing above the ground. The best way to test this is to lie on your bed. Once you know how high you want your books, alarm etc. to sit, cut two equal lengths of rope and tie each one to a handle.

Step 5 5

Hang the DIY nightstand from the ceiling

Picture of something creating a hole in the ceiling with a drill

Picture of someone putting the rope through the hoop

You need: impact drill, Drill bit: 8mm (depending on ceiling condition), pocket rule, 8 mm wall plugs, hooks

You already know how high you want to hang your DIY nightstand. Now work out where you want to attach it to the ceiling and mark these spots with a pencil. Then use a moderate pressure to drill holes into the ceiling. When you do this, make sure you’re standing safely on a ladder. Insert a wall plug into each drill hole and screw a hook into each one. Now you just need to thread the rope through the hooks and knot it securely. Et voilà: your DIY nightstand is complete!

TIPS FOR CHOOSING A DRILL BIT

Choosing the right drill bit for your ceiling depends on the type of ceiling you have. If you don’t know whether you have a concrete, wood or plaster ceiling, it’s easy to find out. Knock on the ceiling with your hand or a hammer. Do you hear a hollow sound? If so, your ceiling is probably made from plasterboard, aerated concrete or wood. Is the sound dull or muffled? This means your ceiling is a solid one made from natural stone or concrete. Ask your DIY store which drill bit is best for your ceiling. If you’re unsure, you can perform a small test using a thin drill bit in a concealed area of the ceiling. Aside from the drill bit, you may also need to choose a different power tool depending on your ceiling composition. For soft materials, you can simply use your cordless drill/driver. If your ceiling is made from concrete or natural stone, we recommend using an impact drill.