How to Build a Craft Table with Storage

For craftspeople and artists of all kinds, a dedicated work station makes projects go smoothly and reduces the time involved in creating finished work, whether the project is jewelry, sewing, toy making, quilting or any other project requiring assemblage. With freedom from having to put everything away in the middle of the work and having room to spread out comes greater pleasure in the projects themselves. That old adage, "A place for everything and everything in its place," comes true with your own inexpensive and quick-to-make storage craft table.

Instructions

1

Assess your work station needs. CraftGuidance.com recommends considering the size you need for the table, how it will look with your other furniture, whether you sit or stand at it, and the types and amounts of supplies you need to store at it.

2

Take measurements to determine how large to make the table. For example, if the table needs to fit between two cabinets, measure the distance between the cabinets.

3

Obtain materials for the craft table. Ron Hazelton's Housecalls website advises using medium density fiberboard (MDF) and four kitchen base cabinets. This works for a work station where there is room to walk around all four sides. For a craft table to place against a wall, get two cabinets. Get fiberboard or plywood cut to order, or shop for a used tabletop in a size that will work.

4

Prepare the tabletop for your crafts table. Place it top side down on a table. Roll some of the shelf paper out lengthwise and cut 1 1/2 inches longer than the length of the tabletop. Cut enough strips to cover the entire tabletop and all the edges. Peel the backing off the shelf paper. Center it, so the extra length will fold under the edges. Press it down against the tabletop in a smooth motion from one end to the other. Work from the center of the shelf paper outward. Apply each strip of shelf paper right next to the previous one for complete coverage.

5

Place the four cabinets where you want the craft station. Set up two at each end, back to back, so the cabinet openings remain accessible on each side of the table. (Or place two cabinets facing outward, if the craft table has to be against the wall). Set the tabletop on the cabinets and straighten it. Add supplies to the storage cabinets and set up the craft station for your next project.