~DIY Sawhorse Desk~

A DIY Sawhorse Desk Design & Build

I'm so excited to share some of the steps it took to build the Sawhorse Desk today. This won't be a full tutorial because it was our first build for this particular build and I like to make sure that we have worked out all the bugs in order to go through an in depth explanation. However, showing you some of the steps should give you an idea what we did, so that if you wish to create something similar; you can do that from here.

Here is a list of items you will need for this build:

2 x 4's for the legs

1/2 in thick Birch board-measuring 2-1/2 ft wide by 4ft for the desk top

4 Sawhorse metal brackets-set of 2

1 x 4 trim boards

1x1 boards to attach the 1/4's to the trim on the desk

1 1/2 in wood screws

Minwax Stain in Espresso

The height of our desk was 31 inches from the desk top to the floor. That measurement is probably a little higher than a lot of desks, but I wanted to have lots of leg room since the legs on our desk are wider than normal legs.

First, we stared with cutting the 2 x 4's to the height of the desk. The desk top will add some overall height, so just make sure you factor that into your design and cut the length of the boards accordingly. We cut our boards 29 inches high to allow a few inches added for the desktop.

Once you have attached the sawhorse metal brackets to the 2 x 4's for the legs, you will add another 2 x 4 board across the top of the two legs to adjoin both sets of legs.

You will duplicate this process for the other set of sawhorse legs.

Next, you will attach strips of 1 x 1 trim boards to the underneath of the desk top securing with trim nails and wood glue. You are doing this to have something to use to attach the 1 x 4 trim boards around the edge of the birch top to give a more finished look to your design.

Finally, once you have attached the 1 x 4's from the underneath side of your desktop to the 1 x 1 trim strips, you are ready to sand. We sanded all the surfaces using a 120 grit followed by a 220 grit to ensure a smooth surface.

Now you are ready to stain the desk. We used Minwax stain in Espresso. After the stain dried overnight, I applied a soft clear furniture wax to give it durability.

I really like the look of the sawhorse desk. It's an industrial farmhouse look that brings character to the space. We are selling this desk in our shop @ Daisies & Olives in Prairie Grove, AR.

I hope you enjoyed seeing our DIY build today! We paired the desk with this galvanized metal chair to carry out the industrial look also found in the metal sawhorse brackets. Next time, we will be showing you a fun craft for Fall with these DIY Fabric Pumpkins. They are easy and fun for your home!