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Antique Wood and Cast Iron School Desk

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Paddywhacks

Louisville, KY

Description

Rustic antique wood and cast iron school desk featuring an adorable carved heart with initials on the seat. A great … more Rustic antique wood and cast iron school desk featuring an adorable carved heart with initials on the seat. A great piece of history that will make a great reading chair, homework desk, or decor piece for those small spaces. less

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Vintage School Desks Go to the Head of Design Class

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How to Design and Build a Vintage School Desk

Written by Don P. on Dec 13, 2009 To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Reviewed by H.R. Helm on Jun 26, 2023
3-9 hours •
Intermediate •

Designing and building a vintage school desk for your student will help you save on space in your home and give them a place in which to prepare their homework. Vintage school desks can be built from custom plans purchased online or from pictures of old school desks like the ones you used as a child.

Step 1 - Design Vintage School Desk

Go online to find pictures of vintage school desks that you want to incorporate in your design. You may be able to find build plans for a desk or be able to guesstimate the dimensions of the desk you want to build. The desk will be built using plywood sheets, 2x4 wood for legs, and the box drawer and locking hinges for a raised top desk.

Step 2 - Purchase Materials

Once you obtain the dimensions for the vintage school desk, go to a building materials store or home improvement store to purchase the materials for the desk. Getting the dimensions are important because it will tell you how much wood is needed for the top, sides, drawers, draw bottom and braces for the desk.

Step 3 - Cut Pieces of Wood to Dimension

Use the circular saw to cut the wood to the desired dimensions of the vintage school desk. After the wood has been cut, sand the wood to remove any rough edges.

Step 4 - Build Drawer Box

Based on your vintage school desk dimensions, build the box structure for your desk drawer. Use the 2x4 wood to build the sides and back of the drawer box. Take two pieces of 2x2 wood to create the front of the box, leaving sufficient space for the drawer to slide into. Place drawer glides on both sides of the box structure for the vintage school desk.

Step 5 - Attach Legs

Attach legs to the box structure, using 2X4 wood cut to your design dimensions. Attach the legs to the box using wood screws that are placed in counter drilled holes on the side. Use at least two screws per leg. Use a level to make sure that each leg is at the correct height.

Create a box brace attached midway from the top of the drawer box structure and the bottom of the vintage school desk legs. Attach a piece of 2x4 wood to the front and sides of the desk. This will create a brace and strengthen the desk.

Step 6 - Build the Drawers

Use the plywood as the drawer bottom and attach 2x4 wood cut to size for the sides, front and back of the drawer. The 2x4 wood sides can be attached flush to each other and screwed together with wood screws. Use wood glue and brads to attach the plywood bottom to the sides. Attach opposing drawer glides to the drawer and a drawer pull to the front. Place the drawer inside the drawer box to make sure it pulls in and out.

Step 7 - Attach the Top and Paint

Take the plywood top and using the hinges, attach it to the drawer box assembly. The hinges should lock when the drawer is raised, giving you additional access to the drawer’s contents. Stain or paint the wood and allow it to dry before using your new vintage student desk.

Home Office

Vintage School Desk Upcycle – DIY Furniture Makeover (Plus Video)

If you’ve checked out our blog before then you know that we love a few things. We love making things. We love repurposing things. And lastly, we love auctions .

This great trifecta was the catalyst behind this vintage school desk upcycle .

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents for Easy Navigation

The Story Behind the Vintage School Desk Upcycle

One day, I was gently waking up from a nap. My kids were supposed to be home soon and I caught a quick snooze before the chaos of homework, dinner, baths, bedtime, and the works. But something happened that put our evening plans on hold.

There were cars parked up and down the loop of our development. I couldn’t believe it! There was an auction right in our own little neighborhood and I had no idea it was going to happen.

I called Ned and told him the news. He told me to collect the kids, go to the auction, and get a number. He said he’d be there as soon as he could. Our kids have been going to auctions since they were babies so it really wasn’t a strange event for them. We packed snacks, coloring books, and a blanket and walked up the road.

I bid on a few items before Ned arrived, and we bid on a few after. There was quite a lot of beautiful furniture that sold for very fair prices. If we had been more prepared, we may have purchased more. We did, however, walk away with two camping chairs, a solid wood oval mirror, a wooden Ethan Allen cabinet, a wooden end table/cabinet, and of course the vintage school desk. We took it all for around $45 dollars.

I was able to snag the chair desk for $5. I was impressed by the quality of this piece. It’s solid wood and very sturdy. I knew right away that I wanted to do something fun with it.

Though we’re not master upcyclers, we enjoy watching other people repurpose furniture and wanted to try our hand at doing a furniture makeover.

So there’s the story of how we took a $5 desk and upcycled it into a modern piece of furniture. I’ve included a step-by-step so you can do it too!

List of Supplies for the School Desk Upcycle

You don’t need a ton of supplies to do this furniture makeover. It’s more time-consuming than anything. But, there are a few things that you will need for this school desk upcycle project.

A wooden school desk
Electric sander
Coarse sandpaper for your electric sander
Medium sandpaper (for your electric sander or sand by hand)
Fine sandpaper (for light sanding)
Safety glasses
Dust mask (for sanding)
Chalk paint (in color of your choice)
Pa inter’s tape
Foam brushes or chalk paint brushes
Polycrylic or furniture wax
Wood finish (in the shade of your choice)
Plastic gloves for applying finishes
Something to apply the stain and poly ( we used a sponge )
Lead test (if worried about finish)

Step One: Sand the School Desk With an Electric Sander

Here’s a picture of what the desk looked like when we first bought it. The school desk that we bought at the auction is made of oak and had a finish on it that was beginning to wear off.

To begin the school desk upcycle project, start by sanding down the entire school desk with an electric sander and coarse sandpaper. Remember to use a dust mask and safety glasses to avoid breathing in dust or getting it in your eyes. I also prefer to sand outside if possible.

Sanding is one of the most time-consuming parts of this project. For a beautiful finish at the end, be ready to put in a little hard work and to invest some time. I have heard that chalk paint can be more forgiving and may not require as much sanding. Since we didn’t choose to paint the entire piece, we did sand the whole thing smooth and removed all the former finish.

NOTE: If you have reason so suspect that your furniture may contain lead, I strongly suggest you test before sanding it down. You can pick up a lead test from Amazon , Home Depot, or Lowe’s. Paint is the number one culprit for lead, but some other finishes also contain lead.

Step Two: Sand the School Desk By Hand

Here’s what the desk looks like after the first step.

After using your electric sander, it’s time to do some more sanding. I can feel your excitement at this task!! Just kidding. You’ll get through this soon enough. Just keep at it!

Sand the school desk until the wood is smooth. Pay special attention to the seat and desktop portion because these will not be painted. The non-painted part needs to be finish free so it can take the stain well.

Step Three: Tape the School Desk

If you’re planning on painting the whole school desk one color, you won’t need to worry about taping anything off. I really wanted to create a two-tone look, so I taped around the seat and desktop.

Step Four: Paint the School Desk

When I was choosing colors for this project I wasn’t quite sure what direction I wanted to take it. I called my sister-in-law who is more experienced at refinishing furniture and asked for her advice. She suggested I paint part of the desk black and stain the seat and desktop a dark walnut stain. I wasn’t sure what I thought about this at first, but now I am really glad I took her suggestion. I think it’s a really cool combo.

There are a lot of different chalk paints available but since this was my first time using chalk paint, I just went with the kind available at Wal-Mart.

If you choose the Waverly chalk paint I recommend watering it down a little before painting it on. You don’t need to add a lot to it. Just enough to make it a little easier to paint on. Once you’re done with this step, use your foam brush or chalk paintbrush to apply the paint. I used a foam brush because it was cheaper, but they had a tendency to fall apart which was annoying. If I knew I would be repurposing a lot of furniture I would invest in something more durable.

Here is a picture of the chalk painting in progress. I really loved the transformation of the school desk at this point. It was really fun seeing the changes!

Step Five: Lightly Sand Painted Areas and Paint Again

It will take about 24 hours for your chalk paint to dry. Once it has dried, you can lightly sand it with fine sandpaper and paint again. Repeat as many times as necessary to get the look you want. This does slow down the process a bit, but it’s worth it to make sure you completely cover the wood underneath.

Here’s what the wooden school desk looked like after applying three coats of chalk paint. (It hadn’t fully dried when I took the picture).

After the paint dries you can scuff it up a little to give it that farmhouse look. We chose not to do that with this piece, but I think it would definitely add some charm.

Step Six: Retape the School Desk

In this step, you’re going to tape off the desk again. This time it will be the opposite way as before. Now you’re ready to add the stain to the seat and desktop, so add tape to the chair to protect the painted areas.

Try not to do what we did, and add the tape as an afterthought 🙂

Step Seven: Add Your Stain of Choice to the School Desk

Once you’ve taped off the chair again, it’s time to add your stain of choice. We chose a dark walnut stain that we already owned, but you can use whatever you think will look amazing. You could even choose to keep the wood natural and just apply a coat of poly to seal it.

Ned applied about one coat (maybe a little more) to this desk before we achieved the look we were going for. If you wanted the stain to be a little darker you could always apply additional coats. We like to use plastic gloves for stains and finishes so they don’t get on our hands.

This is what the chair looks like at this point in the process. I was geeking out a little about how pleased I was with the look. (Thanks again to my sister-in-law for the combination suggestion).

At this point, you’re SO close to being done, but there’s one more thing to do before you’re finished.

Step Eight: Apply a Sealing Coat to the School Desk

The final step is to add your sealing coat to both the chalk paint and the stained areas. We chose to use Polycrylic for this step. It’s a clear coat water-based protective finish that can be applied to both painted and stained areas. Another option for the chalk painted areas is to use a wax finish.

We applied the Polycrilic three times before we were satisfied with the look. I suggest doing it somewhere with really good lighting because it’s difficult to see where you’ve applied the coats in dim light. (I know because I missed some spots after applying it in the warm lighting of our garage).

Remember to lightly sand with your fine sandpaper between coats. Don’t worry about sanding a lot, just do it enough to take care of any imperfections created by your brush strokes.

And that’s it! You’ve successfully completed a school desk upcycle and saved a high-quality piece of furniture from ending up in the trash.

A Little History of this Vintage School Desk

If you’re into history, I thought I would include this little section about our school desk. I did a little research about the particular desk that we upcycled and found a few facts. I didn’t know previously, but this style of desk (one that has a desktop attached to a chair) is called a tablet arm desk.

The solid wood desk that we repurposed was probably built between 1900 and 1950. According to Fiona Miller of the blog the classroom, “ As time went on, the idea of saving wood became in fashion. In the 1960s and 1970s, many desks were made fully out of metal, but these were mostly used for high school students.”

It’s hard to say for sure when this desk was manufactured, but I imagine it in an elementary school in the 1950s. If you’re an antique person please let me know if you have any more information about this desk. (Also please don’t be mad at me for giving it a makeover 🙂 )

The Benefits of Upcycling — Why You Should Repurpose and Reuse

We talk about repurposing things on our blog from time to time. You may be wondering what upcycling is and why people even do it.

So what’s the big deal with upcycling anyway?

The term “upcycle” was first coined in 1994 , believe it or not. It was published in an article in SalvoNEWS. The article quoted Reiner Pilz, a German engineer saying, “‘Recycling? I call it downcycling. They smash bricks, they smash everything. What we need is upcycling, where old products are given more value, not less.'”

Upcycling something usually means you take an item that would otherwise have been thrown away or destroyed and you give it new life. As with the school chair that we repurposed, you often make it more modern to match the current trends or to match your own personal tastes.

There are quite a few benefits to repurposing or upcycling something. Here are some that we would like to highlight.

Upcycling is Good For the Environment

This one is probably the easiest to identify. Instead of sending something to the dump or even to a recycling center, you give it a distinct purpose. I don’t know what would have happened to the school desk if we hadn’t bought it, but it had the potential of being sent to the garbage. For $5, it obviously wasn’t in high demand.

There are loads of other materials readily available all around us. Glass jars from food purchased at the grocery store. Leftover cardboard for kids crafts . Old furniture that’s been sitting in the garage or that you picked up for cheap at a yard sale. There are so many opportunities.

If you’re a maker who also cares about the environment, check out our blog post: 5 Ways to be an Environmentally Friendly Crafter, Maker, and Artist .

Upcycling Usually Doesn’t Cost Much

Assuming that you already have general making materials like an electric sander and a dust mask, this project really didn’t cost much. The biggest cost was the paint which was under $10. I used most of the little container of paint for this project so it’s not something I can really use again. The cost of the Polycrilic and walnut stain was minimal because we didn’t use very much for this project and still have a lot left over for future projects.

So, including the cost of the chair and materials… you’re looking at a project that costs less than $20 to make.

Upcycling Gives You the Freedom to Experiment

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I buy new materials to make a project I feel like I have to do it right. There’s some inherent pressure to make something great since I spent the money. I don’t want to waste my investment.

Using materials that would have been thrown away gives you the freedom to try something new. There’s really no parameters when you’re using an old piece of cardboard. The kids can draw all over it if they want. They can play in a cardboard box until it falls apart. If you want to turn a used glass bottle into a vase for your table, there’s no real big loss if it takes you several bottles to get the look you want.

If you use discarded materials you also have the opportunity to learn with very little investment. Let’s say you want to learn how to sew. Instead of buying expensive new materials, you can start learning on an old bedsheet. Even if you don’t end up making anything you want to keep, you’ve used something that didn’t cost anything extra and probably would have been thrown away.

The Vidoe of the DIY Vintage School Desk Upcycle

If you prefer to learn how to make things in a video form, we have you covered! Here’s our video tutorial on how to upcycle a vintage school desk! Plus you’ll get to learn a little about us and the way we do things at the Making Life.

Upcycling and Furniture Flips

In the future, we’d enjoy doing more of these upcycling projects. The vintage school desk upcycle will hopefully be the first of many projects to come. In the meantime, we’d love to hear about some of your upcycling projects or furniture flips. Have you turned trash to treasure? Have you been able to keep something from ending up in the landfill? We want to hear all about it in the comments below.

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That is a really good tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise information… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!

I have one just like this I’m getting ready to redo. Mine have this laminate like coating on desk part. Any idea or suggestions how to remove it?

Ned and Hannah

That’s a good question. Laminate is a bit harder to work with. We haven’t done it, but I think it requires heating up the laminate so you can scrape it off. My guess is the heat loosens the glue that holds the laminate.

If you want to email us a picture we might be able to offer some advice. Our email is [email protected] if you want to send a picture!

Alicia Hursley

My husband and I are all about side hustles, and our junk removal side hustle gave us the opportunity to clean out an old school. We found a ton of these old desks and decided to save a couple of them rather them throw them in our dumpster rental . We decided to follow your project and upcycled those old desks. Our kids absolutely love them and they’ve helped make homework time go a little smoother haha Thank you so much for sharing.

That is so so cool! We love side hustles and what an excellent opportunity to find soon-to-be treasures. It makes me really happy that you were able to use our tutorial to help you refinish the desks you found. If you have a public social media account we’d love to see it!

Thanks for the awesome breakdown. I’ve considered using chalk paint on a wood end table but I’m curious, have you had any chipping or scratching with the paint on the desks? How has it held up? We tried chalk paint (a different brand) a few years back on a couple of wood desktops that we purchased from Ikea and it didn’t hold up too well. Granted, the desks got a lot of use and I think any paint is likely to chip or scratch in high-use areas like that. I love the look, though, and have wanted to give it another shot so I would love to hear how your chairs are looking now after a couple of years of use. Thanks in advance!

Great great question! Thank you for asking!

I would say that ours has held up really well over time, but I’ve also primarily used it for decoration. The parts that would get the most use if this were used as a functional desk were stained instead of painted. With that said, I do not notice any chipping, cracking, or any other problems where I used chalk paint.

I used the Waverly chalk paint, but if you’re looking for something that’s higher quality a lot of people recommended using Dixie Belle chalk which I think will likely be more durable.

I hope this helps!

Vintage School Supplies: These Traditional Must-Haves Take Us Back to Childhood

Reiko Nakagawa/EyeEm/gettyimages

Notebooks and Nostalgia

Back-to-school shopping remains as much of a ritual as ever, but the gear that's filling today's backpacks looks a little different than it did several decades ago. Whether you learned to read with Dick and Jane, brought your PB&J in a metal lunch box or corralled your papers in a Trapper Keeper, here's your trip down memory lane.

Related: 25 Childhood Cereals We Wish They Would Bring Back

Trapper Keepers

Rolled out nationwide in 1981 , Mead's Trapper Keeper was a runaway hit, dominating kids' back-to-school wishlists for most of the '80s and '90s. This three-ring binder with an iconic "trapper" flap on the front came in a huge number of designs and was sold practically everywhere. Sales tapered off in the new millennium, and Mead was forced to replace the largely PVC binders with safer materials. While Trapper Keepers have been produced sporadically in recent years, they've largely been supplanted by Mead's Five Star binders. Gotta have the real deal? You can find vintage versions on eBay .

Scratch 'n' Sniff Stickers

Mr. Sketch didn't have an olfactory monopoly in the classroom. Most children of the '70s and '80s fondly remember scratch 'n' sniff stickers that teachers affixed to spelling tests, homework, and anything that showed a little extra effort. (Our personal favorite? The chocolate-scented "Scooper Dooper" ice-cream cone.) While today's teachers have mostly moved on to foil stars or written affirmations, scratch 'n' sniffs are still on the market. If you want to go old school, check out Etsy or eBay.

Lisa Frank Everything

For children of the late '80s and early '90s, nothing was safe from the Lisa Frank empire. Everything from folders and notebooks to erasers and pencil boxes came festooned in whimsical neon and rainbow colors, often featuring unicorns, big-eyed cheetahs, puppies, and kittens. Today, Lisa Frank's designs are licensed to other companies , and you can still find stickers, puzzles, bedding, and assorted other products on Amazon .

'Dick and Jane' Books

These iconic early readers were a staple of classrooms as early as the '30s, and by 1970, a staggering 85 million first-graders had plowed through the repetitive texts, according to Mental Floss. But they gradually fell out of favor for two main reasons: First, at many schools, phonics replaced the whole-word reading method that the books used; and second, "Dick and Jane" simply didn't reflect increasingly diverse student bodies. Today, if you've just gotta "see Jane run," they're easily tracked down on Amazon , while pricier originals are all over eBay.

Bic Four-Color Pens

Click. Click. Click. Click. No doubt the sound these things made drove teachers batty, but in the '70s and '80s, Bic's fat-barreled, four-color pen was one of kids' favorite writing instruments. Unleashed upon the U.S. in 1971 after a successful launch in France, the iconic pen remains on the market today and is even available in different versions, including "fashionable" pastels . Oh, and that little ball at the top? It wasn't just a design flourish — according to Bic, it was meant to help people dial rotary phones.

Pee-Chee Folders

Around since the '40s , Pee-Chee folders really cemented their icon status in the '60s, after an illustrator decided to decorate the yellow folders with images of athletic youngsters playing football, tennis, basketball, and other sports. Of course, students took it upon themselves over the next few decades to doodle on their Pee-Chees in ways innocent and … not so innocent. Mead still sells these decidedly retro folders and has even added other color choices.

Metal Lunch Boxes

Until the 1980s, metal lunch boxes were a common sight in school cafeterias. Their heyday started in the '50s , when enterprising executives at Aladdin started putting popular characters on them; soon, they would feature everything from superheroes to The Beatles. A few decades later, manufacturers turned to cheaper molded plastic. Though you can still track down metal or plastic lunch boxes online ( including some vintage finds ), stores today almost exclusively sell insulated, soft-sided lunch bags.

CliffsNotes

Long before the Internet and its infinite wisdom, students' favorite homework shortcuts came bundled in small booklets with black and yellow stripes. These study guides that famously summarized classic literature became popular in the '60s and remained popular over the next few decades, despite objections from teachers who said they made it too easy to cheat. Today, the company makes its literature guides available for free online and has refocused on study and test-prep guides to stay profitable.

Mr. Sketch Markers

Markers used to be a sweeter-smelling affair. Mr. Sketch markers were introduced in the mid-1960s, and kids' masterpieces used to smell like cherry (red), grape (purple), mint (green) and a host of other scents. Though never off the shelves entirely, Mr. Sketch was reintroduced in 2014 to a new generation with a commercial that featured a flatulent blueberry . Today the markers are available at major retailers including Walmart , but don't be surprised if your kid's supply list insists on Crayola.

Big Chief Tablets

Big Chief probably wouldn't fly today (just ask the embattled Chief Wahoo) but these ubiquitous thick red tablets were a common sight on school desks throughout the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Production changed hands between a few companies over the years, eventually coming to a halt roughly 20 years ago. But never underestimate the power of nostalgia: There are still versions on Amazon up for grabs.

Pop-a-Point Pencils

If Bic's four-color pen had a pencil counterpart, it was the Pop-a-Point pencil . Popular around the same time, these pencils were filled with small plastic cartridges with sharp, graphite tips. As soon as the tip became too blunt, you pulled out the little cartridge, pushed it into a hole at the end of the pencil, and voila – a new cartridge with a new writing tip popped forward. Today, they're largely a novelty item.

Slide Rules

Today, powerful calculators are a requirement for high-schoolers plodding through advanced mathematics classes. But Texas Instruments wouldn't begin distributing its handheld scientific calculators to consumers until the middle of the '70s. Before then, students had to rely on slide rules to perform tricky calculations. Often made of wood or plastic, they were usually rectangular and had logarithmic scales along the side; students could often follow along as their teacher used a larger slide rule to demonstrate how to solve a problem. Today, they're a favorite of collectors and are up for grabs on eBay .

Paste and Rubber Cement

Maybe it came in a squat jar with a brush, or maybe you got to use the fancy container with the rubber spreader on top. Whatever you used in the '60s and '70s for art projects, chances are it was paste or rubber cement. Both are still available but have largely been replaced by glue sticks or those ubiquitous bottles of Elmer's with the orange tip. Of course, that means today's kids will never know the joy of rolling balls of rubber cement between their fingers or secretly eating paste (spoiler alert: it wasn't that bad for us after all).

The modern backpack is so prevalent that it's easy to forget that there was something that came before: the satchel. Up until JanSport helped spur a revolution in the '70s, backpacks were mostly reserved for outdoorsy uses like hiking , and students often relied on single-strap canvas and leather bags that buckled shut to lug around their books and homework. Of course, there are still plenty of satchels on the market today, but you're better off looking for them using their modern name: messenger bags .

Floppy Disks

If you were lucky enough to be doing schoolwork on a personal computer during the '80s and '90s, a floppy disk was probably your constant companion. At the beginning of the Reagan era, 5.25-inch floppies reigned supreme, but eventually gave way to more portable 3.25-inch disks. The rest, of course, is history — floppies ceded the market to read-writable CDs and DVDs by the new millennium, then USB drives. The latter remains a popular way for today's students to store and carry their digital work — if, of course, they haven't simply stored it in the cloud.

Eraser Mates

Having the coolest school supplies has always been a status symbol, and in the '80s, there was nothing cooler than doing your work with an Eraser Mate. Paper Mate introduced its famous erasable-ink pen in 1979, and even though there was definite room for improvement (we still remember the smell and the runny ink), the novelty factor ensured their popularity with kids. Today, improved Eraser Mates are still in stores , but they face stiff competition from better-reviewed Pilot FriXion erasable, gel-ink pens.

Novelty Erasers

In the '80s, teachers were a little more lax about the school supplies they let into their classrooms, and kids took full advantage in the form of novelty erasers. These colorful rubber gems often didn't work that well, spreading pencil smudges and sometimes even shredding paper. Still, function was beside the point — they just looked cool. Our favorite varieties included the erasers that looked like food and the ubiquitous rainbow designs.

Marbled Composition Books

Of all the supplies on our list, marbled composition books are probably still in widest use today and might be one of the most iconic school supplies of all time. The eye-catching design likely made its way stateside from Europe in the late 1800s, and it's been a top seller here ever since, likely thanks to the stitched, spiral-free binding that means papers can't escape. Virtually every paper company still makes its own version, including brand names like Mead , but store brands are widely available at big-box stores, often for under a buck a piece.

Lovely Etc.

Creating home for less

DIY Decor Furniture Flips Woodworking

23 Clever DIY Desk Ideas To Upgrade Your Workspace

Upgrade your home office or homework space with these 23 incredible DIY desk ideas including new builds, IKEA hacks, and desk makeovers.

I’m a huge fan of both building new wood furniture and refinishing old outdated pieces . And both work perfectly when you need a new desk.

A desk can be as simple as a worktop with legs, so building your own desk is typically an easy project, even if you are a beginner woodworker. Or if you want to get fancy, you can take it up a notch by adding drawers or other special details.

Desks are also awesome candidates for refinishing. Thrift stores and Facebook marketplace are full of cheap, old desks that would look absolutely amazing with a bit of fresh paint.

Whichever way you go, there are so many creative ways to create a DIY desk that looks amazing without spending a lot of money.

I’ve gathered 23 fantastic DIY desk ideas and I hope they inspire you to get creative and transform your own workspace into an inviting and functional area.

These desk ideas include a mix of beginner-friendly and more advanced DIY builds, along with simple paint makeovers so you can find the perfect project for you.

23 Amazing DIY Desk Ideas

These DIY desk ideas include inspiration for building and refinishing desks to fit any space. Just click the link below each picture for more details and the full tutorial.

Repurpose a Vintage Sewing Machine Table as a Desk

Revamp your home office or study area by repurposing a charming vintage sewing machine table into a versatile and eye-catching desk. This was one of my favorite DIY projects!

DIY A-Frame Desk

Get the step-by-step tutorial for a stylish A-Frame Desk that fits perfectly in any space. It even includes drawers for storage. The design is modern and sleek and doesn't take up much space.

DIY Desk with Drawers

This stunning woodworking project features a pair of desks with built-in drawers to give you plenty of room to organize office supplies, important documents, or even craft supplies.

DIY Chippendale Desk

I'm a huge fan of Chippendale style furniture and this DIY desk is a beautiful piece of furniture that really makes a statement.

Modern Plywood Desk

Learn how to build a contemporary desk using a sheet of plywood. This birch plywood desk is a surprisingly easy build and can be stained however you like. It has clean lines and can blend with any style home decor.

L-Shaped Double X Desk Build

Get the details for this beautiful farmhouse style L-shaped desk. It's perfect for when you need lots of workspace but don't want to sacrifice style.

Desk Made with File Cabinets

Elevate your work-from-home setup with a DIY desk made with file cabinets. It's a great way to maximize organization, space, and creativity for an inspiring workspace.

Large 6' DIY Desk

This gorgeous 6' DIY desk is super easy to build. With plenty of room to comfortably seat two, it makes a great art table or homework station.

Workbench Inspired Desk Build

If you are looking for a large desk to work from home, you'll definitely want to check out this workbench inspired desk build. It's a large, solid piece with space for a printer, or other office necessities.

DIY Built-in Desk In A Dormer

Make the most of your dormer space with this easy-to-follow DIY tutorial for a built-in desk. The addition of shelves over the desk is a clever storage option.

DIY Desk Makeover with Paint

Sometimes you already have a great desk that just needs a quick refresh. Revamp your desk with bold colors using these DIY desk makeover instructions.

Learn How to Build a Standing Desk

This standing desk takes up minimal space and is perfect for two people to work side by side. Plus it's easy to customize with this easy-to-follow tutorial!

Easy DIY Desk for $40

It's hard to believe you can build this simple wood desk for just $40 with only 4 tools. Get the free build plans from Shara with Woodshop Diaries.

Beautiful Stenciled Desk Makeover

Make a statement in your home office with a gorgeous stenciled desk makeover. The paint color used in this desk refresh is just lovely.

DIY 2 Person Corner Desk

This clever two person corner desk with a large work surface is perfect for a homeschool space or large home office. There's plenty of room to spread out plus just the right amount of farmhouse style.

Wall-to-Wall Floating Desk

This floating desk idea is genius! It provides a large desktop with plenty of open space under the desk for extra storage. It's perfect to build into a small nook or even a closet area.

DIY Modern Desk With Monitor Stand

Create the perfect workstation with a mid century modern desk equipped with a built-in monitor stand. Get the free build plans to make your own.

Vintage Bamboo Desk Makeover

Heather from Heathered Nest took an outdated bamboo desk with great bones and gave it new life with a bright pink paint perfect for her daughter's room.

Easy Rustic Industrial Wall-Mounted Desk Build Plans

If you have a small space that needs a computer desk, this wall-mounted desk idea is perfect! It's a simple build that also creates an eye-catching focal point. The best part is it takes up very little space.

DIY Industrial 2x4 Computer Desk

This DIY computer desk using 2x4's has a unique industrial style. It's an affordable build with minimal supplies needed.

Vintage Gray Painted Desk Makeover

Upgrade an old wooden desk to a timeless piece with a vintage gray paint finish. The espresso stain top adds a touch of richness that's just gorgeous!

Live Edge Wood Slab Desk DIY

This beginner-friendly desk build couldn't be any easier. All you need are a pair of hairpin legs and a large wood desk top. Finish it in your favorite stain and you have a unique statement piece for your home office.

DIY Desk Top with Cabinets

This DIY desk top uses cabinets as a base to create an organized and efficient workspace. Such a great way to create a desk with lots of storage.

More DIY furniture ideas I think you’ll like:

21 Ways to Transform Your Old Sofa
19 DIY Painted Table Ideas
51 Painted Dresser Ideas

I’d love for you to pin this post on Pinterest!

Vintage School Desk Refresh

by Larissa 22 Comments

One of the best parts of what I do is having people who get me. If it’s not you, a reader, then it’s local folk who want to share in my joy-filled journey. My friends, kids, and my parents have always had my back in finding #trashure. So, when my dad sends me this pic of a worn-out vintage school desk, I couldn’t resist the challenge. A hot mess!

Vintage School Desk Before | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Funny thing is someone already gave it a sweet country makeover with the pink and blue hearts…AND sheep and geese with bonnets. Gotta love those 80’s hearts !

80's Hearts and Bows Stencil on Vintage School Desk | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Not only that, but it has oodles of wear and weathered to the point of the wood shrinking. No problem! haha. At least, in my head that’s what my inner junker voice is saying.

Old Wooden Vintage School Desk | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

WHAT DOIN’?

That is until I get it in my workshop and the reality voice asks, “What now?” haha. That’s the fun of this adventure of mine. I don’t know where these projects will take, but I love for them to speak to me of what they want to be. I figured that if it is beyond repair, I can at least dismantle it to make something new like I did HERE with handmade cradle or HERE with dumpster chairs .

DIY Video Desk Nightstands by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Thankfully, after a look-over, I find that this vintage school desk is solid and just needs tender lovin’ care. First, I tighten up joints with taking it apart and re-gluing connections. Also, I use my wood filler to fill in some of the hard-carved initials and words. Then, my sander comes out to play to take care of those stencils and wood filler knock down.

Sanding Vintage School Desk Chair Back | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Primarily I focus on refinishing the seat, back splats, and desk. We’re talking solid oak wood here and this desk is built to last. As soon as I’m done sanding, I apply a reactive stain that will not only draw out that gorgeous grain, but also naturally age it a bit using the tannins in the wood.

Using Reactive Stain on Vintage School Desk Seat | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Last, but not least, I add a few grain sack stripes , stencils to the desk, all topped with hemp oil to seal it all in and nourish as soon as all is cured.

Oiling Vintage School Desk Seat with Hemp Oil | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

TIME TO SCHOOL YA

While I certainly don’t miss the days of a flat bum for sitting in a desk all day while in school, I surely miss how vintage furniture is built to last. This one isn’t going anywhere!

Farmhouse Style Vintage School Desk Makeover by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #vintage #farmhouse #school

The geese, sheep, hearts, and bows are no more! Not only that, but also the fact the grain is really popping now. Is it perfect? nah. However, I wanted to keep some of the marks and wear to let it keep some of its story, plus add a bit of my own.

Industrial Desk Top View by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #desk #furniture #vintage

Of course, I went with a classic wood paint combo because black (or white) really showcase wood beautifully. I’m curious…what would you have done with the desk?

Black Wood Vintage School Desk Refresh by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #rustic #diy #furniture #farmhosue

If you’d like to add it to your home story, you can find it and much more in my online shop. I ship to your door and offer discounts when you sign up for my FREE newsletter .

DIY Vintage Wood Desk Makeover by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #farmhouse #furniture #homedecor

In addition, as always, I would love to hear from you by leaving a comment a below AND by pinning and sharing this vintage school desk refresh. Let’s have DIY fun and inspire others!

Wow! This vintage school desk got the refresh of the year when Larissa of Prodigal Pieces gives it new life. See at prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #farmhouse #diy #furntiure

Additionally, up next, I’m finally getting to these vintage jello molds I shared a while back. Come see what became of them HERE .

Vintage Jello Molds and Bread Pans | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Also, check out these other furniture refreshes like this vintage school desk:

An updated French Provincial Chest of drawers gets a sunshine makeover with a mustard yellow by Larissa of Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces #furniture #diy

I totally love this!!!! No way it’s the same desk. You really did a great job with it!

You just made my day, Mandy. 😀 Thanks so much for the love.

Boy does this bring back memories!!! But my school desk NEVER looked this cute!!! What a cute homework station!!! 😉🥰

I know, right?? My littlest has loved sitting in it while I give her spelling tests and the like. I tell her that 14+ years sitting in one isn’t as fun as you’d think. haha.

Over the hill; totally Outstanding.. The old school desks aren’t the easyest thing to find. I have been looking for one for a few years now. Love what you done to it. Great job. Give yourself a big pat on the back

aww…how fun for me to hear, Colleen. Thank you! I give all props to my dad for not adding it to the burn pile. haha. I’m just happy it still has life. hugs!

What a great makeover! Love the desk top! But really love the graphic you posted about a simple Christmas 💕💕🎄

Thank you, Susan. I had fun with this and totally love a simple Christmas. He lives! 😀

She is beautiful!!I thought it needed to soak in a bath tub,lol. But you have reclaimed another lost and forsaken piece of furniture. They realm were built to last. Have a wonderful Christmas. Take care.

bwahahaha! It looked like me after a bathtub soak. 😀 Thank you so much, Charleen. The smiles you bring make my day brighter.

The desk is stupendous Larissa!! I like the contrast and the stencil. I always marvel at the treasures you find. The estate sales I’ve been to really don’t have much but old- (not antique) things that smell like moth balls or vacant houses/ barn, dusty old wood or mouse 😬. Also, I am so glad that you boldly share your love of Jesus, we are supposed to spread the gospel after all! In our home we do not celebrate Christmas, we don’t celebrate/observe any holidays except Resurrection Sunday and 4th of July. I hope you enjoy the season however and Keep it Simple Saint!! 😊

Thank you, Niki! 😀 It’s truly a blessing to get to share my passion as well as hear from my readers.

What a lucky score, those old school desks are hard to find. Nice save, as always, Larissa! Love the stencil detail you added to the top.

Blessed to have my dad on my side. 😀 Thanks so much, Marie. I had to have a little typography fun with it.

OT: you are such a cute gal and the curly hair style definitely suits your lighthearted, warm smile!

How sweet of you to say, Jan. I’m just happy to finally feel like me…the wavy girl inside waiting to burst out. 😀

Love this combination of wood grain and black and of course, the typography! You brought it from drab and dated to classy. Nice work!

happy dancin’ over heeyah! 😀 Thank you bunches for the love, Tess.

Fabulous. JUST FABULOUS! As is everything you create, remake, renew, revise, etc., etc! I’ve concluded I NEED YOU FOR MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR!!! I would love to learn from you!! And I just read your adventure beginning with CurlyGirl — me, too!! See, we could struggle through that together, too! I love this desk, saw your AMAZING creations from that HUGE cradle — I do wonder WHO must have used that cradle?? Your end results never fail to fascinate, inspire and just make me say, WOW!!

Marti, you made me giggle more than once! tee hee! I would love to hear your curly girl story too, curlfriend! 😀 I just can’t say enough how much it means to hear from those I write for. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So pretty now !!! It now has a whole new life ! I love the black / stain combination. Timeless. As always, your work is amazing. 🙂 p

It’s so wonderful to hear. Thank you for leaving me some love. 🙂

Client Love

~ Stephanie

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My friend and I are staying in Mosvow for a about a week. We've been looking for vintage/retro sorts of shops. The sort of place were people might sell second hand clothes, lurch items from years ago that no one wants any more.

We can't seem to find anything.

Does anyone on here have any tips?

The "back yard" of Izmailovo Vernissage (market) might work for you. There's also the quarterly "Flea Market" in Tishinka, the next one opens on September 25th.

The area behind the faux Kremlin in Izmailovo is where the flea market is.

And it's great! Fantastic place to visit. From memory, though, there are some restrictions on what you can take out of the country in terms of age when it comes to this sort of stuff... Perhaps the locals or DEs can confirm this or provide a link to some official info along these lines?

Correct: so called "cultural valuables" are subject to severe export restrictions, and anything older than 100 years is considered a cultural valuable.

not that it gets checked though.

Probably not the point though, eh, Tobias? :)

true enough :)

As for vintage stuff, I remember back in 2010 I visited a shop (must have been quite close to M. Smolenskaya where they sold many vintage things/military related. It had a basement and all that. A bit of heaven that was.

Must admit I didn't check on it in recent trips, but I'd certainly give it a try. Any members on here which know the shop I mean?

> I visited a shop (must have been quite close to M. Smolenskaya where they sold many vintage things/military related

Every second shop in Old Arbat street fits that description ;)

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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