DIY Plans to Build a Magnolia Vanity Table

A Beautiful Vanity Table Perfect in Any Room

Who wouldn’t love a beautiful handmade vanity? With the holidays coming up, this vanity would be a lovely gift! The DIY plans to build a Magnolia Vanity Table feature a large mirror with two smaller mirrors hinged to the sides, two small drawers on the top, and two larger drawers under the top. The vanity is easy and inexpensive to build, and will be a beautiful piece of furniture!

Materials:

• 1″ pocket hole screws
• 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws
• 1-1/4″ brad nails
• Edge banding, optional (<– affiliate link)
• 2 sets of 14″ drawer slides (<– affiliate link)
• 4 cabinet pulls
• 2 sets of hinges
• 2 mending straps
• Mirror clips
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper (100, 150, 220 grits)
• Finishing supplies (primer & paint, or stain, sealer)

Lumber:

• 1 – 3/4″ square dowel at 3′
• 1 – 1×2 at 6′
• 3 – 1×3 at 8′
• 1 – 1×6 at 6′
• 1 – 1×6 at 8′
• 1 – 1×10 at 4′
• 2 – 2×2 at 6′
• 1 – 2′ x 4′ sheet of 1/2″ plywood
• 1 – 2′ x 4′ sheet of 3/4″ plywood
• Mirrors cut to fit the frames

Cut List:

• 4 – 2×2 at 29-1/4″ – Legs
• 2 – 1×6 at 14-1/2″ – Side Panels
• 1 – 1×6 at 36″ – Back Panel
• 1 – 1×2 at 36″ – Upper Front Stretcher
• 2 – 1×6 at 16″ – Drawer Box Cubby
• 2 – 1×10 (ripped to 8″ wide) at 16″ – Drawer Box Cubby
• 1 – 3/4″ square dowel at 18-1/2″ – Center Stretcher
• 1 – 1×2 at 18-1/2″ – Center Stretcher
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 18″ x 40″ – Top
• 4 – 1/2″ plywood at 2-1/8″ x 4″ – Upper Drawer Cubby Sides
• 2 – 1/2″ plywood at 2-1/8″ x 7″ – Upper Drawer Cubby Back
• 2 – 1/2″ plywood at 4″ x 8″ – Upper Drawer Cubby Top
• 2 – 1/2″ plywood at 2-1/2″ x 5-7/8″ – Upper Drawer Bottom
• 4 – 1/2″ plywood at 2″ x 2-1/2″ – Upper Drawer Sides
• 4 – 1/2″ plywood at 2″ x 6-7/8″ – Upper Drawer Front & Back
• 2 – 1×6 at 12-1/2″ – Lower Drawer Box Bottom
• 4 – 1×3 at 12-1/2″ – Lower Drawer Box Sides
• 4 – 1×3 at 7″ – Lower Drawer Box Front & Back
• 2 – 3/4″ plywood at 3-3/4″ x 7-3/4″ – Lower Drawer Fronts
• 4 – 1×3 at 20-3/4″ – Smaller Mirror Frames (Stiles)
• 4 – 1×3 at 4-3/4″ – Smaller Mirror Frames (Rails)
• 2 – 1×3 at 19″ – Larger Mirror Frame (Rails)
• 2 – 1×3 at 26″ – Larger Mirror Frame (Stiles)

Click on the drawings for a larger view!

Step One

Edge banding will be applied to the exposed edges of the plywood prior to assembly!

Cut the pieces for the legs. Cut the taper using a jigsaw, bandsaw, or tapering jig on the table saw.

Cut the pieces for the sides. With the pocket hole jig set for 3/4″ material, drill pocket holes in each end of the side pieces. Secure the sides to the legs using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. The tapers will face inward, and the back face of the side panels will be flush with the inside faces of the legs.

Step Two

Cut the pieces for the back panel and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure the back panel to the legs using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. The back face of the panel will be flush with the inside faces of the legs.

Step Three

Cut the piece for the upper stretcher and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure the stretcher to the legs using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Step Four

Cut the pieces for the lower drawer box cubby. Drill pocket holes in each long edge and one shorter edge in the bottom piece (the 8″ wide piece), then drill pocket holes in the back edge of the side pieces. Cut the notch as shown in the side piece treating each piece as a left and a right. Secure the bottom piece to the side piece using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws, then secure the assembly to each side and to the back of the vanity frame as shown. Add a few 1-1/4″ brad nails through the upper stretcher into the notch to further secure the cubby.

Step Five

Cut the pieces for the center stretchers. The 3/4″ dowel will be attached to the 1×2 using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails. The back edges will be flush.

Secure the center stretcher assembly between the lower drawer box cubbies using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails through the upper stretcher and through the sides of the lower drawer box cubbies.

Step Six

Cut the piece for the top. The sides and front will overhang by 1/2″ each. Secure in place using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails through the top into the sides, back, legs, and drawer cubby sides.

Step Seven

Cut the pieces for the upper drawer box cubby sides. Set the pocket hole jig for 1/2″ material and drill pocket holes in the lower edge of each piece. Secure to the top as shown using glue and 1″ pocket hole screws.

Step Eight

Cut the pieces for the upper drawer box cubby back. Position the back pieces in between the side pieces and secure in place using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails.

Step Nine

Cut the pieces for the upper drawer box cubby top. Position the top pieces on the sides and back securing in place using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails.

Step Ten

Cut the pieces for the upper drawers. The smaller drawers are assembled using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails. Secure the sides to the bottom, then secure the front and back pieces. The drawers will have a 1/16″ gap at the sides, and a 1/8″ gap at the top in the openings.

Step Eleven

Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket holes in all four edges of the bottom as well as each end of the sides. Assemble the drawer boxes as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Install the drawer slides according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions, locating them ¾” back from the front edge of the sides. Take a look at this easy tutorial on installing drawer slides. Make any necessary adjustments.

Step Twelve

Cut the pieces for the drawer fronts. Mark the position for the drawer pulls and drill the holes. Shim the drawer front in the opening – there will be a 1/8” gap around all sides – then drive screws through the holes for the drawer pulls into the drawer box. Open the drawer, and secure the drawer front using countersunk 1-1/4” screws from the inside. Remove the screws from the holes for the drawer pull then finish drilling the holes. Install the drawer pull. This easy tutorial on installing drawer fronts will be helpful!

Step Thirteen

Cut the pieces for the mirror frames. The larger and the smaller frames are assembled the same way. Set the pocket hole jig for 3/4″ material, and drill pocket holes in each end of the shorter (rail) pieces, as well as on long edge of one rail piece for the larger center mirror (this is to attach the mirror to the table top). Assemble the frames using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Use a router and a 1/4″ rabbeting bit to cut a 1/4″ deep rabbet at the inside of the frame. This is where the mirror will sit. Use a chisel and a hammer to square the corners of the rabbet. Measure the openings and cut mirrors to fit. Secure the mirrors in place using mirror clips or silicone.

Install the hinges on the smaller side mirrors, then attach the smaller mirrors to the sides of the larger mirror locating them 2-1/2″ down from the top of the larger mirror. Position the mirror assembly on the top between the upper drawer cubbies, and secure the larger mirror frame to the vanity table top using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Further secure the mirror to the upper drawer box cubbies using the mending plates as shown in the drawing.

Finish as desired. Apply a coat of paste wax to the bottom of the upper drawer boxes to help them slide smoothly in the openings.

The vanity would look great in any room. The mirrors can be omitted and the table can be used as a desk! Either way, it will be fabulous! Have any questions about the DIY plans to build a Magnolia Vanity Table? Leave a comment below or contact me at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot} com.

Originally posted 2014-09-25 08:00:14.