Wooden L-Shaped Teacher Desk
I have always placed my large metal teacher desk together with some type of table. I needed the work space. I found myself last year not using my drawers and found the metal desk to be bulky and cumbersome. I kept seeing L-Shaped wooden desks and decided to convince my husband he should build me one so we could save some money and get exactly what I wanted! Off to Lowes we went. I am a visual person who needs to talk through how something is going to go. I needed to see what these boards were going to look like placed together. They were perfect!
We went with these boards for the desk tops. I was going to piece together boards but my husband made a good point that writing on something not smooth or with a slight gap would be frustrating. You would always have to write on a surface or clipboard. We did not have to make any cuts to these boards because they are 6 feet long. Just do a light sanding on the edges to smooth the corners to prevent them from snagging your clothes!
I am not an expert and I will be giving some measurements that worked in my space. We had to adjust as we went as you always do when working with wood. Use these as a guideline to help plan yours out. Keep in mind that all wood is not exact and that there are variances so always remember the golden rule—”Measure twice, cut once!”.
—Basic Supplies Needed:
*affiliate links below
(2) 20”x72” edge glued panels (for the top of the desks)
(3) 2”x2”x8’ boards (for the legs of the desk)
(8) 1”x3”x8’ boards (for the trim pieces)
Measuring Tape
Optional: Stain or paint, Polyurethane
Step One: Determine the top of your desks and lay that down facing the ground. Using a speed square make a cross mark one inch in from the edge. This is to allow for a slight overhang.
Step Two: Determine the desired height of your desk. We went with the standard desk height of 30”. You have to account for the height of the desk top wood. We cut our legs at 29.5 inches. Place the legs on the inside of the cross marks you made and use the Kreg Jig to attach the bottom of the desk top. Continue with the other three legs.
Step Three: You are ready for the braces for between the legs. My husband placed the board on the side of one leg and marked where he needed to cut. Remember to measure twice and cut once! Continue this all the way around. Attach the boards in the center of your legs(this is just eyeballing it). Use a level to make sure your boards are not sideways before drilling. Now you have a long table!
Step Four: Grab a few scrap pieces of wood to use as braces for the long trim pieces under the top. This is to keep the trim from moving if you bump into it as well adding more support. Just place a few screws going into the top and into the sides. Flip the table over and be sure everything is level and straight.
Step Five: Now you are going to add braces near the bottom for added stability. We placed mine 6.5” from the bottom. No reason (just guessed) and I wanted to be able to prop my feet on the braces. You’ll do the two shorter sides and only one of the long sides. You’ll have one side open for you to put your legs under. Make sure to use a level the entire time!
Step Six: Repeat all steps above to make an identical desk. This one goes much faster because you’ve already done it once before!
Step Seven: Now time for the fun part! I chose to stain my desk because it will hold up longer than paint. I like the look of worn wood and any dings will just add character over the years. I use Minwax Stain in Dark Walnut. I use this all over my entire house! Definitely wear a pair of gloves and use a rag to rub the stain into the wood. Be sure to wipe off any excess. I did apply a coat of Minwax polyurethane in the clear satin finish using a foam brush(you’ll need gloves here too!). You can see how it brings out the color of the stained wood. Be sure to catch any drips with a quick swipe of the brush!
CONGRATS! You have built your amazing wooden L-Shaped teacher desk! Be ready for lots of “Oohs and Aahs” from your peers. It is amazing how much better this is than your regular metal teacher desk.
*A few notes: I wanted to first use larger pieces of wood for the tops pieced together and 4”x4”s for the legs. This would have been a very heavy desk! I can easily pick both of these desks up by myself which means I don’t need help should I change my mind mid-year about my layout. I was going to paint the legs white(because I love the farmhouse look of wood and white paint) but my husband quickly helped change my mind when he reminded me how dirty they were going to get before school even started with all the dirt from my shoes and sweeping/mopping. I stained the entire thing instead. You can get two small mending braces to attach the desks underneath if you feel like they will shift apart. I have not done this yet and after putting all my stuff on top I feel they are weighted down enough. The width of these is 19.25”(actual) which is actually narrower than my old metal desk.
One side is used for my computer and printer and the longer side will be used for grading papers, planning, small groups and student conferencing.
I can’t wait to see your desk! Please be sure to tag me on Instagram @activityaftermath so I can see! Happy building teacher friends! Let me know if you have questions!
