15 Free DIY Standing Desk Plans You Can Make Today (with Pictures)
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Jana Blagojevic
- Last updated:
It’s no wonder that standing desks are all the rage right now. They have great benefits for everyone – not just people with back problems. Research studies have found strong evidence that working at a standing desk can decrease your risk for weight-gain, heart diseases, and high blood sugar.
That’s not all, though!
Standing desks can also improve your mood, increase your energy, and boost your productivity levels.
Convinced?
Try out one of these DIY plans and learn how to build a standing desk of your own.
Top 15 Free DIY Standing Desk Plans
1. Wrap-around Standing Desk from ABeautifulMess.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Pine Board, Shelf Brackets, Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Power Saw, Power Drill, Level, Sand Paper, Hand Sander, Polyurethane, Rag, Brush |
| Tips: | You don’t have to use pine boards; you can substitute another kind of wood. Keep your wood on the lighter side though, so that the brackets can effectively hold it up. |
This Wrap-around Standing Desk plan is easy to follow, with helpful anecdotes and tips throughout. A wrap-around desk is great because it keeps a room from feeling cluttered but still creates a large amount of desk space for getting things done.
2. Convertible Standing Desk from Instructables.com
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
| Materials: | Wood, Brackets, Screws, T-Brace, Lock Pins, Drawer Slides, Cable, Pulleys |
| Tools Needed: | Saw, Screwdriver, Level, Tape Measure, Pencil, Sandpaper, Paint |
| Tips: | Some of the desk used parts from Ikea. If you are an advanced woodworker, feel free to substitute those parts for homemade concoctions! |
This Convertible Standing Desk is perfect for people who don’t want to commit to using a standing desk all the time. After all, standing for too long can be as bad for your health as sitting for too long. This desk plan’s design uses the same mechanics as an elevator!
3. Plumber Pipe Standing Desk from Homemade-Modern.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Wooden Board, Mending Plates, Iron Pipe, Black Iron Couplings, Black Drywall Screws, Danish Oil |
| Tools Needed: | Drill, Saw, Sander, Speed Square, Pencil, Rag, Clamps |
| Tips: | If you are tall or short- don’t worry! They provide instructions on how to make 42”, 48’, and 30’ desk. |
This Plumber Pipe Standing Desk plan is easy to build, requiring less than $185 in materials, and less than 3 hours of your time. With helpful photos, easy to read instructions, and a video, this is a great project for beginners. It also doesn’t require you to own that many tools!
4. Cheap and Easy Standing Desk from Joshuabermandesign.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Pine Boards, Braces, Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Drills, Saw, Sander |
| Tips: | If you are a total woodworking beginner and don’t have a saw, don’t worry. Home improvement stores often have an option to trim boards for you. |
If you are looking for an affordable standing desk plan, then this Cheap and Easy Standing Desk plan is perfect for you! Through specific instructions, and helpful photos, learn how to make a standing desk for under $50.
5. Steel Pipe Standing Desk from Spacekat.me
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Sturdy Wooden Countertop, Wood Screws, Steel Pipes, T-Joints, Flanges, End Caps, Extensions, Paint, Primer, Wood Stain, Polyurethane, Pipe De-Greaser |
| Tools Needed: | Drill, Paint Brush, Sandpaper, Gloves, Tarp |
| Tips: | It’s up to you what wooden countertop you want to use. The writers of this blog said they used IKEA NUMERAR Oak kitchen countertop which was great quality and only $129. |
This Steel Pipe Standing Desk is great for beginners because it uses an already cut piece of wood as the actual desk! The pipes are easy to assemble- most of the work is connecting them to the desk and then making the whole thing look aesthetically-pleasing.
6. Wood Standing Desk for Your Cubicle from Jeffgeerling.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Wood, Wood Stain, Polyurethane, Ponderosa Panels |
| Tools Needed: | Circle Saw, Drill, Clamps, Sander |
| Tips: | He provides some great tips on how to properly stain wood! |
Looking to convert your cubicle desk into a standing desk? Try out this Wood Standing Desk for Your Cubicle Plan! It has great instructions, tips, and pictures, and is perfect for beginner to intermediate level woodworkers.
7. Large Standing Desk or Kiosk from Woodshopdiaries.com
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
| Materials: | Wood, Screws, Plywood, Edge Banding, Wood Glue |
| Tools Needed: | Miter Saw, Circular Saw, Drill, Kreg Pocket Hole Jig, Nail Gun |
| Tips: | This desk is huge but the size is easy to modify if you love the design, but don’t have room for something like this in your home or office. |
A lot of standing desks only offer you a limited amount of space. That is not the case with this Large Standing Desk or Kiosk plan. With these plans, you’ll learn how to build a standing desk that’s big, and an even bigger project, but this desk is built to last. It was originally meant to be a kiosk but functions well as a desk.
8. Pipe Standing Desk Converter from Simplifiedbuilding.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Klee Klamp Fittings, Pipe, Brackets, Rail Support Fittings, Velcro, Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Screw Driver |
| Tips: | A large part of this plan requires you to have a detachable computer monitor. If you don’t, this is not the plan for you. |
Inspired by the piping desk plans I have mentioned but not ready to fully commit to a standing desk? Try this Pipe Standing Desk Converter plan! Place the small pipe desk on top of your normal desk to instantly have a standing desk.
9. Minimalistic Wooden Standing Desk from Hunker
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
| Materials: | Wooden Boards, Wooden Balusters, Wood Screws, Finishing Oil |
| Tools Needed: | Pencil, Tape Measure, Carpenter’s Square, Circular Saw, Orbital Sander, Dusting Rag, Cordless Drill |
| Tips: | Decide on the ideal height of your standing desk by customizing it to your height. It is best to measure the height at which your elbows naturally bend and make your standing desk that tall. |
This fantastic Minimalistic Wooden Standing Desk tutorial is an excellent way of improving your skills as a DIYer as it doesn’t require many skills but may come as a challenge for beginners. It will fit into any space with its minimalistic style. This tutorial can be an excellent base for further customizing your standing desk and creating a design that suits your vision best.
10. DIY Standing Desk with Storage by Papernstitchblog.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Two Cabinets, Pine Board, Screws, Wall Straps (Optional) |
| Tools Needed: | Drill |
| Tips: | You can use either two new cabinets or recycle vintage cabinets to give them an entirely new purpose. |
This DIY Standing Desk with Storage is one of the easiest DIY projects you’ll find. It requires the use of two new or upcycled cabinets, which you’ll turn into a beautiful standing work desk. Following this incredibly easy tutorial will entirely transform your home office or working area into a more cozy and inspirational space.
11. Adjustable Standing Desk by Familyhandyman.com
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
| Materials: | Pine Boards, Spruce boards, Dowels, Wood Glue, Brad Nails, Wood Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Pencil, Tape Measure, Table Saw, Miter Saw, Drill, Mallet, Sandpaper, Air Compressor, Air Nailer |
| Tips: | It is recommended to have extra lumber on hand so you don’t have to run back to the store in case you need more material. |
This gorgeous Adjustable Standing Desk is a fantastic way to improve your home office and the comfort of working from home. Since there are many benefits to working while standing, this desk is adjustable and comfortable for all heights. The tutorial may be more advanced, requiring the use of many power tools, but with enough patience and a skilled hand, you will handle it easily.
12. Tiny Portable Standing Desk by Tinyshinyhome.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Camera Tripod, Tabletop Board, Ball Head Mount, Tripod Mounting Bracket, Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Drill |
| Tips: | Experiment with different materials to create a standing desk that suits your needs specifically. You can modify this tutorial to create a larger or smaller workspace. |
This Tiny Portable Standing Desk tutorial is an amazing tutorial for all those that are setting up their tiny office space. It offers a perfect use of materials and space, all while increasing productivity. It is ideal for those traveling due to work or taking their work on vacation.
13. DIY Standing Desk Hack from Upcyclethisdiythat.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Plywood, Decorative Wallpaper, Upcycled Desk, Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Pencil, Tape Measure, Drill, Sandpaper, Sharp Knife |
| Tips: | Experiment with different techniques with the use of paint and wallpaper, to create your own one-of-a-kind standing desk design. |
Knowing how to upcycle your old furniture is an amazing way to save money while making another functional piece of furniture. This DIY Standing Desk Hack is another tutorial that includes being creative and innovative and using vintage pieces of furniture you already have. This tutorial is incredibly easy to follow and is suitable for beginner DIYers.
14. Adjustable and Mobile Standing Desk by DIYCreators
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
| Materials: | Plywood, Wood Glue, Swivel Casters, Bolts, Round Knob, USB Outlet |
| Tools Needed: | Table Saw, Miter Saw, Bandsaw, Router, Sander, Drill Press, Nail Gun, Drill, Countersink Bit, Clamp, Jigsaw |
| Tips: | As this tutorial is entirely customizable, you can add more features to the wooden legs beside the USB outlet, such as more pockets for your work necessities. |
This advanced Adjustable and Mobile Standing Desk tutorial suits crafters looking for a challenge. It requires carefully using power tools to cut all the pieces to the desired shape and connect them to a lovely standing desk.
15. Standing Desk with Shelving Unit by Strongtie.com
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Materials: | Lumber, Plywood, Corner Connectors, Wood Screws |
| Tools Needed: | Saw, Drill, Head Bit, Tape Measure, Chalk Line, Clamps, Bit Holder (Optional), Speed Square |
| Tips: | This tutorial is perfect for beginners, so give yourself an additional challenge by adding more shelves or customizing the shape of the entire piece. |
This Standing Desk With a Shelving Unit is an amazing way to add functionality and decor to your home office. It provides enough working space while offering extra room to store your work necessities and decoration such as plants, equipment, or family photos.
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Featured Image Credit: Homemade-Modern
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