What's inside
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Contents
Project overview
This small Shaker-style side table has a square top, four tapered legs, a simple apron and one useful drawer. The design is plain enough to suit different rooms, and the joinery can be adapted to the tools you own. The finished table is about 20 inches tall, with a 16-by-16-inch top and a drawer roughly 11 inches wide. Change those dimensions to fit the space, but keep the apron and drawer clear of the legs.
Allow a weekend for cutting, joinery, assembly and finishing, plus drying time. This is a good intermediate project: accurate layout matters, but you can build it with basic machines and straightforward joinery.
Materials and tools
Use straight, dry hardwood for the legs and apron. Cherry, maple, birch and poplar all work; poplar is usually less expensive and takes paint well, while cherry and maple are better choices for a clear finish. For the top, use a 3/4-inch hardwood panel or glue up boards. A solid panel moves across its width with seasonal humidity, so attach it with figure-eight fasteners or tabletop clips rather than screws driven tight through fixed holes.
You’ll also need 1/2-inch stock for the drawer sides and back, 1/4-inch plywood for the bottom, glue, finish and a drawer pull. Useful equipment includes a saw, drill, square, clamps, measuring tools and a way to cut the joinery. A reliable combination square is a sensible purchase if yours is inaccurate; even a small layout error can leave a wobbly leg or a drawer front that sits crooked.
Cut list
Dimensions below are finished sizes. Add a little length when rough-cutting, then trim to final size after checking the parts for square.
| Part | Quantity | Finished size |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | 4 | 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 × 19 1/4 inches |
| Side aprons | 2 | 3/4 × 3 × 13 inches |
| Front and back aprons | 2 | 3/4 × 3 × 13 inches |
| Top | 1 | 3/4 × 16 × 16 inches |
| Drawer front | 1 | 3/4 × about 12 × 2 1/2 inches |
The apron lengths assume roughly 1/2-inch-deep joints at both ends. Measure the actual leg spacing before cutting. The drawer front is intentionally oversized; fit it to the opening after the frame is assembled.
Build the leg-and-apron frame
Mark the legs together so their tops and tapers match. Leave the upper 5 inches straight; taper the inside face of each leg from about 1 1/2 inches wide near the apron to about 1 inch at the foot. A tapering jig makes repeat cuts safer and more consistent, but a handsaw and plane are adequate if you work carefully. Keep the outside faces square and untapered for a clean Shaker outline.
Join the aprons to the legs with mortise-and-tenon joints, with the apron tops about 3 inches below the leg tops. A 1/4-inch-thick tenon is a practical size for this stock. Test the fit on offcuts: the tenon should seat with hand pressure, not require pounding. If you don’t have tools for that joint, pocket screws are a faster, lower-cost alternative for a light-use table. They are less traditional and can loosen if the table is dragged or repeatedly racked, so use glue and keep the screws hidden on the inside.
Dry-fit the frame on a flat surface before gluing. Check that the corners are square by comparing diagonal measurements; they should match within about 1/16 inch. Glue and clamp the frame, then recheck before the glue sets. A frame clamped out of square will make drawer fitting harder later.
Make and fit the drawer
Measure the opening only after the frame is assembled. Make the drawer box about 1/2 inch narrower than the opening, allowing roughly 1/4 inch clearance on each side. Keep the box depth several inches shorter than the available space so it won’t hit the back of the table. Join the sides to the front and back with simple rabbets, small dowels or carefully placed screws. Fit a 1/4-inch plywood bottom into grooves near the lower edges; this is more stable than a solid bottom and is inexpensive.
Use a wooden runner or side-mounted slides. A wooden runner is quiet, simple and a good match for a traditional table, but it needs a smooth, waxed contact surface and may vary slightly with humidity. Ball-bearing slides are easier to adjust and open smoothly, but require accurate, parallel mounting and add hardware cost.
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden runner | Traditional look and simple hardware | Needs fitting and can swell seasonally |
| Side-mounted slides | Predictable, smooth action | Costs more and needs careful alignment |
For slides, check the required side clearance before building the box; many common pairs need about 1/2 inch on each side. A 10-inch pair of side-mount drawer slides may suit this table, but confirm the actual usable depth and mounting instructions first. Fit the drawer front with an even gap, aiming for about 1/16 inch around it. Use temporary spacers to hold the gap while attaching the front from inside the drawer.
Attach the top and apply finish
Center the top on the frame, leaving about 1/2 inch of overhang on each side. Attach it with tabletop clips or figure-eight fasteners so the panel can expand and contract across its width. For a solid top, rigidly screwing it to all four aprons can cause splits or raised joints during seasonal movement. If you’re using plywood or a stable veneered panel, movement is less of a concern, though flexible fasteners are still a neat choice.
Sand through 120 and 180 grit, removing glue squeeze-out before the final pass. Ease sharp edges slightly; a small round-over feels better and helps prevent finish from chipping. Apply a clear oil or varnish to hardwood, or prime and paint poplar. Test the finish on an offcut, especially with cherry, which darkens with age. Don’t finish the runner surfaces heavily; wax is enough. A water-based polyurethane keeps light woods closer to their natural color, while oil-based finishes add a warmer tone.
Final checks before use
Set the table on a flat floor and press each corner. If it rocks, check the frame for square before shortening a leg; a twist in the frame is often the real cause. Open the drawer fully and check for rubbing, binding or uneven gaps. Sand a tight spot rather than forcing the drawer, and confirm slides or runners are parallel. After the finish cures according to its label, install the pull and put the table into service. If it will carry a lamp and daily-use items, that is a reasonable job for this light frame; don’t treat it as a step stool.