Plywood Nightstand Plans: One Drawer, Open Shelf
A simple bedside table: 20" wide, 26" tall, with one drawer under the top and an open shelf below it. The carcass takes about half a sheet of 3/4" plywood. The drawer box and back come from 2×4 ft handy panels, so you do not buy full sheets of 1/2" and 1/4".
- Finished size
- 20" W × 26" H × 16" D (with back)
- 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- 1 sheet · 41% yield
- 1/2" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
- 1 sheet · 24% yield
- 1/4" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
- 1 sheet · 65% yield
Assumptions behind every number
- 3/4" plywood measures 23/32", which is typical for US sheet goods. Parts that fit between two others subtract the actual thickness. Measure your sheet; if it differs, edit the sizes in the optimizer.
- 1/2" plywood is taken as 15/32" for the drawer boxes. Check yours before cutting.
- Every layout uses a 1/8" saw kerf on every cut, run through the same optimizer as the app.
Cut list
3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
| Part | Qty | Width × Length | How it's sized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2 | 15 3/4" × 26"(grain locked) | full height |
| Top / bottom | 2 | 15 3/4" × 18 9/16" | 20 − 1-7/16 |
| Fixed shelf | 1 | 15 3/4" × 18 9/16" | 20 − 1-7/16 |
| Toe kick | 1 | 3" × 18 9/16" | 20 − 1-7/16 |
| Drawer front | 1 | 6 5/8" × 19 7/8"(grain locked) | 20 − 1/8 wide |
1/2" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
| Part | Qty | Width × Length | How it's sized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box side | 2 | 4 1/2" × 14" | 14" slides |
| Box front/back | 2 | 4 1/2" × 16 5/8" | 17-9/16 − 2 × 15/32 |
1/4" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
| Part | Qty | Width × Length | How it's sized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawer bottom | 1 | 13 1/2" × 17 1/16" | inside + 2 × 1/4 groove − 1/16 |
| Back | 1 | 20" × 26" | full case size |
Width × length is in inches, with length along the face grain. Parts marked "grain locked" are kept with the grain running their length in the layout.
Sheet and board layouts
This is the optimizer's output for exactly this list: 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft, 1 sheet of 1/2" plywood, 2×4 ft panel, 1 sheet of 1/4" plywood, 2×4 ft panel.
3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft: 1 sheet, 41% yield
1/2" plywood, 2×4 ft panel: 1 sheet, 24% yield
1/4" plywood, 2×4 ft panel: 1 sheet, 65% yield
Materials list
- 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood, 4×8 ft
- 1 sheet of 1/2" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
- 1 sheet of 1/4" plywood, 2×4 ft panel
- One pair of 14" side-mount drawer slides (1/2" clearance)
- One drawer pull
- 1-1/4" screws, glue, and 3/4" brads for the back
How it goes together
The sides are 15-3/4" deep and full height. The top, bottom and fixed shelf sit between them at 20" − 1-7/16" = 18-9/16". The bottom sits on a 3" toe kick. Place the fixed shelf so it leaves a 6" drawer opening under the top.
The drawer box is 1/2" plywood (15/32" actual), 17-9/16" wide (1" less than the opening for 1/2" side-mount slides), 14" deep and 4-1/2" tall. The front and back fit between the sides at 16-5/8". The 1/4" bottom sits in a 1/4" groove: 17-1/16" × 13-1/2".
The full-overlay drawer front is 19-7/8" × 6-5/8". It covers the opening and the front edge of the top with a small reveal.
Build order
- Cut the carcass parts and drawer front from 3/4", the box parts from the 1/2" panel, and the back and bottom from the 1/4" panel.
- Assemble the carcass with the fixed shelf 6" below the top. Square it and nail on the back.
- Groove and assemble the drawer box, mount the slides, then fit the front.
FAQ
How much plywood does a nightstand need?
The 3/4" parts for this nightstand use about half of one 4×8 sheet. The layout shows the exact yield, and the leftover is enough for a second carcass. Building a pair? Load both into the optimizer at once and see whether the two carcasses share a sheet.
Why do the sizes subtract 1-7/16" instead of 1-1/2"?
Plywood sold as 3/4" actually measures 23/32" (about 0.72"). Two sides are 1-7/16" thick, not 1-1/2", so every part that fits between two sides is cut 1-7/16" shorter than the outside width. Measure your own sheet with calipers before cutting: if it is a true 3/4", subtract 1-1/2" instead and re-run the list in the optimizer.
What saw kerf does the layout assume?
A 1/8" kerf on every cut, which is a standard full-kerf table saw or track saw blade. With a thin-kerf blade the parts still fit; you just get slightly bigger offcuts.
Change a size, add a part or use up offcuts. The optimizer re-nests it in seconds.
Open this plan in EZNESTING →