In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY storage bench with drawer!
This would be perfect for a bathroom, the end of a bed, in an entryway, or for storage in a kids room.
I actually built this little bench to go in our bathroom for some extra towel storage and to cover a hole in the floor where the tub used to be–but that’s another story for another day haha.
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Anyway, this is obviously a versatile project and a pretty easy build, so let’s dive right in and get building 🙂
How to Build a Storage Bench with Drawer
I’m sharing the plans below, with a step by step tutorial and also a video here as well:
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Tools & Materials:
Tools:
- Circular saw
- Kreg Rip Cut and Kreg Accu-Cut Cutting guides (optional, but helpful)
- Drill/Driver
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
- Miter saw
- Nail gun (optional–used for adding trim pieces)
- Table saw (optional–for cutting dadoes in drawer box)
Materials:
- (1) sheet ¾″ plywood (I used maple)
- ¼ sheet ¼″ plywood
- (1) 2x2x8 board
- (2) 1x2x8 board
- (2) 1x3x8 board
- (1) pair 16″ ball bearing drawer slides
- 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws
- 1 ¼″ brad nails
- Edge banding
- Wood Glue
- Wood Filler
Grab the printable plans for this DIY Storage Bench with Drawer here:
Some Notes About the Build:
The trim on the bench sides and drawer front is optional and, if desired, you can use plywood strips for this vs 1x2s and 1x3s instead.
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You can find the full cut and materials list with diagrams in the plans here.
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You can also replace the ¾″ plywood top with a thicker top (like 2x material, OR double up on the plywood) if you’d like to make this larger.
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Overall dimensions for this DIY storage bench with drawer project are 19″ deep x 19 ¼″ tall x 36″ wide.
Step 1: Assemble Storage Bench Side Panels
I cut all my plywood pieces according to the cut list in the plans before getting started.
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The side panels consist of 2×2 legs with a ¾″ plywood panel between them.
RELATED: How to make your own 2x2s
So, I cut four 2×2 legs to 18 ½″ long, and installed a 15 ½″ square plywood panel between them using ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.
RELATED: How to use a Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
NOTE: It’s easier to sand pieces BEFORE assembling 🙂
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I installed the panel so that these sides are flush across the inside–so they’re inset on the outside to allow for trim pieces to be added later.
Step 2: Assemble Storage Bench Frame
Once the sides were together, I assembled the main bench frame using 1x2s.
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Now, I actually used ¾″ plywood strips ripped to 1 ½″ wide–which is the same size as a 1×2. So whether you want to use plywood strips or actual 1x2s, either way works fine.
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If you’d rather make this a little “beefier,” you could also substitute the 1x2s for 2x2s as well.
I assembled these 1x2s between the side panels with ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.
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Note that the front pieces are inset ¾″ from the front edge of the legs and the bottom piece is 3″ off the ground.
Step 3: Install Top and Bottom Supports
Then, I used 1x3s at the top to add some support and to give me somewhere to attach the top later.
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Now, again, I actually used ¾″ plywood strips ripped to 2 ½″ wide for this–so you can use plywood or actual 1x3s.
I installed one at the front and one at the back of the top of the bench frame using ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.
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Then, I cut and installed a ¾″ plywood panel using pocket holes and screws as well.
And at this point, if you wanted to skip the drawer, the frame is complete and it’s ready for a top! But, I love building drawers so I went ahead and added one here 🙂
Step 4: Install Drawer Slides into Bench
I installed a pair of 16” ball bearing drawer slides into the opening ¾” inset to allow for an inset drawer front later.
Step 5: Build and Install Drawer in Storage Bench
Now, it was time for my favorite part of every build—the drawer!
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My process for assembling drawers is pretty much always the same. You can check out how I build drawers here. The DIY storage bench plans have the exact measurements needed here.
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I cut my four drawer sides from ¾” plywood and used a table saw to cut a ¼” dado ¼” deep ½” up from the bottom of each piece.
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Just for a cleaner look, I like to edge band the tops of my plywood drawer boxes. This is totally optional, but here’s a guide for how to apply iron on edge banding if you’re interested.
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I drilled ¾” pocket holes into the ends of the front and back pieces of the drawer box making sure to drill fairly close to the top and bottom so that the trim I add in a minute will cover them.
Then, I assembled the drawer box using 1 ¼” pocket hole screws with the ¼” plywood bottom installed into the dado.
I installed this drawer box onto the slides in the opening of the bench. I have a complete guide on how to measure, build and install drawer boxes that I’ll link in here for details on all things related to drawers.
Step 6: Install Side and Drawer Front Trim
For the trim, you could use leftover plywood strips if you wanted—especially if you’re painting, but I used solid 1x2s for the sides and 1x3s for the drawer front because I did have some scraps already on hand for this.
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I simply cut four pieces of 1×3 to piece together to glue and nail onto the drawer box front so that when put together, it left ⅛” gap around all sides.
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I flipped the bench on its back and just glued and brad nailed the pieces on the front.
After the drawer front trim was on, I cut some 1x2s to trim the sides at the top and bottom and also just glued and nailed these pieces in place.
I puttied and sanded over all the joints on the trim and the nail holes, and gave it a final sanding after it was dry.
Step 7: Paint/Stain Storage Bench
I removed the drawer to make painting easier and I primed and painted the bench base and the drawer front separately.
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I cut the top from ¾″ plywood and I chose to leave it a natural color. I just applied iron on edge banding along the edges and gave it a few coats of clear poly.
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Since this DIY storage bench was two-tone, I found it easier to finish the pieces separately this way.
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Before adding the drawer back in after painting/polying, I went ahead and placed the top on and used 1 ¼” screws through the top supports to secure it.
Once the top was on, I added a drawer pull to the drawer and installed it back into the bench and it was ready for use!
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This DIY storage bench with drawer will be great for storing towels in our new bathroom, but would also work well for for blankets in a living or bed room, shoes, gloves, or hats in an entryway, or for toys in a kids room.
I hope you enjoyed this simple build and if you’d like to build your own, don’t forget to grab the plans here!
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Until next time, friends, happy building 😊