Creating a Craft Table on a Budget

Over the last few weeks my family and I have undertaken a complete re-do of the upstairs of our home. I’ve shared a bit about this process here and here.

I’m so excited that we finally got to the stage where I could move my office/craft room from it’s original space to the room that was formerly my daughter’s bedroom. While it is not completely set up and organized yet, I am able to use it.

It thrills me that the space is working out just as I had planned. In fact, I was actually able to work on my planner without having to pull supplies out, take them downstairs, then bring them back upstairs when I was finished.

What enabled me to do this was my new craft table. In my previous office, I had a desk (which I still have) that was only big enough to accommodate my computer, printer, and a lamp. I did not have a good workspace that would allow me to scrapbook, make cards, or work on my planner.

One of my dreams for my new office space was to have a dedicated craft table separate from my desk. I really wanted this one from Pottery Barn, however it was over $1,300. Yikes! Plus, it would have been way too big for my new space.

So, I began to research ways to make my own craft table without spending a ton of money.

I came across these storage cube units from Closet Maid. I found these at my local Lowe’s store. They are 36″ tall and 24″ wide.

I liked these because the height makes it easy to stand up and work. Or, I can use this stool I bought from Target to sit down.

The one draw back for me is the actual cubbie size is not a true 12″ x 12″. It’s more like 11 1/4″ x 11 1/4″. However, I’ve managed to fit quite a few things in them, so it’s not too much of a problem.

I purchased fabric bins to go in three of the cubbies in each of the storage cube units. They help to store things I don’t necessarily want in sight all the time.

For the top, I lucked out in that my mom had an old desk from Container Store that she was not using. They don’t sell this particular one anymore, but it was simply a melamine top with metal legs on the bottom. We just took off the legs and used the top.

It is not a perfect fit. Even though it measures 24″ deep, it is slightly smaller than the width of the storage cube units. It sits nicely on the top, though, without moving. We may attach it at some point, but for right now, we are going to leave it the way it is.

If you are interested in putting something similar together for your craft space, you can find a melamine desk top at Container Store. It measures 54″ x 24″. It won’t match up exactly, but it should do the job.

I spent $132.20 on the storage cube units and fabric bins. If I had to have purchased the desktop, that would have been another $49.00. So overall, not counting the stool, this project would have come in under $200.

I’m sure some of you would know even less expensive ways to create a craft table. I’d love to hear your ideas!

I’m so excited to be able to use this new craft table!

As soon as I get the rest of the space set up and organized, I’ll be sure to share it with you.