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Wall-Mounted Desk Tutorial

Need a desk but lack floor space or the funds to buy a desk? This Wall-Mounted Desk tutorial will meet your needs! Plus, you can customize the length to meet your needs.

Wall Mounted Desk Tutorial

Hey, I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Was it productive? Full of DIY activities? Well, I’m back with a tutorial for building a wall-mounted desk. The great thing about a desk that is wall-mounted is it can be small or large and it won’t take up any floor space! This gives a nice clean look and makes the room feel larger. Plus, the materials will almost certainly cost less than buying a desk.

My son is starting to have more homework in school. (I didn’t realize that first grade was the new 3rd grade!) I figured soon enough he’s going to need a spot to sit and work on homework. Plus, he’s an avid Lego builder and this makes a great surface for him to build on.

Materials:

Finish grade plywood (my desktop is 16″ x 40″)
Painter’s Tape
1 – 2″ x 4″ x 93″
2 – 9.5″ x 9.5″ bird’s mouth brackets
4 – 3″ cabinet mounting screws
Paint
Paint brush
Drill
Drill bits
Level
Pencil

Instructions:

Begin by assessing where you want to mount your desk. For better perspective, you can outline the desk area with painter’s tape on the floor.

Cut your finish grade plywood to size. Using the Kreg Rip Saw with my miter saw is much easier than hauling out the table saw and getting as assistant to help lift the plywood. If you put a piece of rigid foam insulation underneath, you can cut almost anywhere! Just set your saw blade depth slightly below the plywood.

Cut your 2″x4″ stud 4″ narrower than the length of your desk top surface. (My desktop is 40″ long, therefore my mounting stud is 36″ long.) Locate the studs in your wall. Mark their location.

Pre-drill holes in the mounting board at the stud locations. Use a small bit slightly narrower than your screws. Then use a larger bit the width of your screw head to create a countersink hole. Drive the cabinet mounting screws into one end of the mounting board and into the stud. Use a level to make sure your mounting board is level, then drive the additional mounting screws into the other studs.

Cut two pieces of 2″x4″ at 8″ long. These will create the supports for the shelf brackets. For a clean look, bevel the end at a 45 degree angle when you cut them. Attach the 2″ x 4″ pieces below each end of the mounting board as shown below.

Your mounting boards should look like this:

Set two small screws into the shelf bracket keyholes. Line the bracket up with the top of the mounting board and center it on the vertical supports already attached to the wall. Make a pencil mark where the screws need to be set.

Use the pencil to mark the depth of the keyholes on the screws so you know how deep to drive the screws into the bracket support.

Attach the small screws to the vertical support where the pencil marks were and drive them to the point where you marked on each screw.

Slip the bracket onto the screws.

For added support, pre-drill one hole through the top of the bracket and into the mounting board. Pre-drill a second hole through the bird’s eye bracket at the narrowest point.

Drive screws into the two pre-drilled holes to further secure the shelf brackets to the mounting boards.

Repeat for the second bracket.

Lay your desktop surface on top of the brackets. You can either drive small screws through the top of the desk and into the mounting board. Or drive a small screw up through the underside of the bracket and into the desktop. I prefer the latter because you won’t have to wood putty the desk surface.

Wood putty all your holes. Allow the putty to dry and sand the putty smooth. Paint your brackets, mounting boards, and desktop. I chose to paint my desktop beforehand with a chalkboard surface.

Let the paint dry. If you want to protect the desk surface, you may choose to paint a few coats of polycrylic on top.

And my son has a spot to do homework, legos, or create a little book.

Don’t you just love his lego pencil holder he created?! I think he needs to start an Etsy store ;-).

I had fun decorating the wall with some vintage signs and an adorable London themed tea towel calendar from Spoonflower. Making tea towel calendars every year in November/December has been a tradition I started over a year ago. We anxiously await the release of the newest calendar designs on Spoonflower.

Source List:

Lumber from Lowe’s
Wooden corbels found here
Nickel Lamp from Ikea
Chair from a Craig’s List (similar chairs at Target)
Exit sign from Hobby Lobby
Vintage “G” from Hobby Lobby
Tea Towel calendar from Spoonflower
White star (forgot, I’ve had it so long)
Wall (& desk) paint color: Benjamin Moore Aura custom gray color: Base 1: 524-1x Gallon size S1 0 x 16.75 | Y2 0 x 1 | O1 0 x .50

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. It was an easy solution for my son’s room. Best of all, you can expand the width, but if you do add more brackets.

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If you liked this tutorial, you might also like this inexpensive desktop for $40!

May 19, 2014/20 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, bedroom, Build It, Chalkboard paint, desk, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, priming, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial

How to Make a Chalkboard Surface Desk

As part of the makeover of my son’s bedroom, I wanted to create a fun chalkboard desk surface for him to write and build legos on. The idea of a chalkboard coated surface came to me when I remembered how much he liked the mini-chalkboard decals that used to be on his room wall.

Creating a chalkboard surface on any desk or flat surface couldn’t be easier with the right tools. Here’s how you can create your own chalkboard desk!

Materials:

3M fine grit sanding block
Valspar High-Hiding Primer tinted gray
Rustoleum chalkboard paint
2″ paint brush
Foam brush
Small craft paintbrush
Desk surface (I used pre-cut finish grade plywood)
ScotchBlue painter’s Tape
General Finishes Water-based sealer (or satin Minwax Polycrylic)

Instructions:

Begin by lightly sanding your desktop with the sanding block. Wipe any dust off with a damp rag.

Paint one coat of primer on your desktop surface. (A little note about my primer: I asked the Lowe’s paint department to tint it as dark as they could with black colorant. This helps when you are painting over the primer with a dark color.)

After the primer has dried, create a border on your desktop with painter’s tape. Press the edges down firmly with your fingers. Paint one coat of chalkboard paint with the paint brush. Brush the paint in one direction. Let that layer dry. Repeat with a second coat brushing across the original strokes (i.e. vertical then horizontal.) Read more

May 16, 2014/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Chalk marker, chalk paint, Chalkboard paint, Contributor, Decorating, DIY, Home Decor, kids art, Painting & Antiquing Techniques

How to: Build a Wall Chalkboard with a Chalk Ledge

Chalkboards are popping up everywhere (like Brittany’s DIY chalkboard calendar from last week) and you can easily make one, but how about upping the usefulness by making a chalkboard WITH a chalk ledge? Jaime here from That’s My Letter to show you how easy it is to add a chalk ledge to your chalkboard.

You definitely need a place to put all that chalk (or chalk markers like we prefer). This chalk ledge protudes a minimal 1 3/4″ from the wall but still has space enough to hold lots of chalk.

I also attached a galvanized pail for more chalk markers.

I installed this chalkboard near our back door mudroom area. Unfortunately the key pad for our alarm system is nearly smack in the middle of that wall. I simply cut out a square in my plywood using a jig saw to accommodate the key pad. My kids love their new chalkboard and somehow the key pad isn’t quite so obvious once they start drawing around it.

Supplies:

1/2″ plywood (cut to desired size)
1×2 pine board (cut to length of plywood)
1 3/8″ x 1/4″ thick flat trim moulding (cut to length of plywood)
black chalkboard paint
blue painters tape
stain
polyurethane
foam brushes
drill
Kreg pocket hole jig (not necessary but definitely easier if you have one)
1″ pocket hole screws
wood glue
3/4″ trim nails
countersink bit
2 1/2″ toggle bolts
5/8″ spade bit (check toggle bolt requirements)
pencil
level

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut your plywood to size, using your Kreg pocket hole jig make pocket holes every 8″ along bottom edge of plywood (on back side). (I used the portable base with automaxx clamp here, much easier that slipping a large piece of plywood into the jig.) Read more

February 19, 2014/8 Comments/by Jaime Costiglio

accessories, Chalkboard paint, chandeliers, Christmas Card Display, decor, Decorating, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, Home Tour, Uncategorized

Pretty Handy Girl’s Christmas Home Tour 2013

Welcome, welcome! I see you made it here from Songbird’s beautiful home. If you are coming here first, be sure to check out Marianne’s home:

I can not tell you how excited I am to have you in for the tour. Last Christmas we were living in a demolition zone. So, it feels wonderful to have our kitchen complete and be able to focus on decorating for the holidays.

I’m also enjoying low fuss decorating. Like this fake wreath that looks fabulous when you tuck some live greenery inside (thanks for the idea Colleen.)

Another lazy decorating trick is to wrap garlands around the chandelier. Read more

December 12, 2013/52 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Chalk marker, Chalkboard paint, Crafts, Gift Ideas, gifts, Très Frugal

DIY Chalkboard Painted Mugs

Chalkboard Painted Mugs | Pretty Handy Girl

The holidays are fast approaching and the last thing I want to do is wander through the stores aimlessly looking for gifts for my friends or for the service providers in my life. Instead, I came up with the perfect gift idea: DIY Chalkboard Painted Mugs!

DIY Chalkboard Painted Mugs

Have you seen those cute chalkboard mugs at Starbucks? They are so fun and I think it would be funny to write crazy messages on them daily. I decided to try my hand at a DIY painted version. Let me say upfront that I did a little test using Rustoleum Chalkboard paint on one mug and Porcelaine Chalkboard paint (made for glass and ceramics) on a second one. I expected the regular chalkboard paint to flake off, especially after seeing this happen after just one coat:

However, after a second coat and baking it in the oven, it appeared to hold up after an initial dishwasher run. I can chip off some of the regular paint with my fingernail on the edges. But, overall the paint seems to be hanging onto the mug. That being said, based on the way the Porcelaine paint immediately took to the mug and appears to be harder to chip, I expect the Porcelaine painted mug to hold up much longer. So, if you want a chalkboard mug that will last longer, use Porcelaine paint.

Chalkboard Painted Mugs Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Mugs (Dollar Tree, Thrift Store, or Scour Your Cupboards for Mugs!)
ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape
Freezer paper
220 grit sandpaper
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton pad or clean rag
Wet rag or wipes for clean up
Crafting scissors and/or hole punch
Regular scissors
Porcelaine Chalkboard paint (Rustoleum chalkboard paint can be used as a slightly less suitable substitute paint)
Disposable cup
Foam brush
X-acto knife

Chalkboard Painted Mugs Instructions:

Lightly sand the sides of the mug where you intend to paint. Wipe off any dirt and oils with a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Creating Decorative Borders:

Lay a strip of painter’s tape onto freezer paper.

Cut along one edge (or both) with craft scissors. Cut in the middle with regular scissors to give you two pieces of decorative edged tape.

Using a Decorative Border Hole Punch:

Cut along the top edge of the tape to create a straight edge.
Align the cut edge in the border punch and punch along the top of the tape.
Peel tape off of the freezer paper.

Tape off the top of your mug to protect it from paint. (This should be safer because you really don’t want people drinking liquid against the paint.) Be sure to press the edges down firmly. You can also tape along the bottom if you want a centered band of chalkboard on the mugs.

Pour a small amount of the Porcelaine paint into the disposable cup. Use the foam brush to evenly coat paint onto the mug. Check for drips before the paint dries. After the first coat dries, paint a second coat for complete coverage. (Occasionally three coats may be necessary.)

After the paint has thoroughly dried (allow 24 hours to dry), remove the painter’s tape. Clean up any seepage or drips by scratching off the paint with the x-acto knife.

Place mugs in a cool oven. Heat oven to 300F and bake for 30 minutes. Let oven cool with mugs inside.

The mugs are ready for decorating now! Add some hot cocoa and marshmallows for an instant chocolatey gift.Better yet, you could make these yummy hot cocoa on a stick gifts!

These are so incredibly fun! I can’t wait to use one and write something witty on it. At $1 each for the mugs and $10 for the Porcelaine chalkboard paint (enough to paint about 8-10 mugs) this is truly a thrifty gift idea!

So, please tell me, what should I write on DIY Chalkboard Painted Mugs?

Fill ‘er up
Don’t Let Me Run on Empty
High Octane Please
Do Not Disturb until I’ve Finished this Cup
___________________

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December 9, 2013/37 Comments/by Brittany Bailey