My friends, I am pumped to show you this awesome hairpin leg desk! I teamed up with DIY Hairpin Legs and they sent me this amazing set of raw steel hairpin legs and I just knew they would be perfect for my studio! I had contemplated building a desk with two drawers and a built in pencil holder, but while assessing my needs more specifically, I realized I needed a smaller sturdy surface to do some detail painting on wood signs that I will be selling in my Etsy shop.
Sometimes keeping it simple really is better! Alright, here’s how I made the hairpin leg desk:
(There are some affiliate links in this post which simply means that I get a small commission if you purchase through those links, at no cost to you. More details can be found in my Disclosure page. Thanks for supporting my small venture.)
PREPPING THE HAIRPIN LEGS:
When I opened the shipment from DIY Hairpin Legs I was pleased to find the 28″ 3-rod legs wrapped individually in paper, with full instructions on setup and maintenance, screws, and wax, which is everything you need.
I started out by cleaning the legs throughly. Then waxing them. Here they are all prettied up. The process can be found in the instructions that come with the legs. It’s super easy, but also important so that your legs are protected and do not rust.
MAKING THE hairpin leg desk top:
For the desktop I picked out an awesome 2″x 12″x 8′ board with some cool grain and knots. Wood grain is my favorite. Since I won’t be using this as a writing desk, I didn’t mind the knots at all, in fact, I prefer them!
First, cut the board in half as perfectly as you can. This will make your desk dimensions approx. 2’x4′.
Drill pocket holes on the back side of one of the boards. I use the Kreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System
(aff link) and highly recommend it!
Glue and clamp the boards together, then attach them with pocket screws. There are many ways to attach these boards, this is just the fastest and easiest for me.
Staining the hairpin leg desk:
Stain your desktop whatever stain color you’d like. I chose Minwax 70012444 Wood Finish Penetrating Stain, quart, Dark Walnut
(aff link) It matches my other furniture in that room and I just love how it makes the grain pop.
Finishing the hairpin leg desk:
Next, add some protection! I use Minwax Polycrylic Water Based Protective Finish, Satin
(aff link) and absolutely love it! There is little odor and it doesn’t yellow like polyurethane can tend to, plus, it’s water-based which always mean super EASY clean up! Just use water!
The satin finish on this just makes me smile.
Once the poly is cured, flip the desktop over and attach the legs.
Measure 2.5″ in from each side for the legs. Really, if you’re building this desk, you can attach them anywhere you want and for whatever look you want. It’s YOUR desk after all. I didn’t want the legs to extend past the desktop, so I opted to go a little further in with my measurement.
Project Complete:
All done! See, wasn’t that easy? And it looks AWESOME!
Here is my setup. It is exactly, I mean, exactly what I needed to work on my signs!
This project taught me that sometimes your first idea isn’t always the one you end up making happen, and that’s totally okay! Hairpin legs are easy to use, look great, and you can bet this will not be my last project using them.
I have more awesome news! I can get you 10% off through August 1st! Click here! Get 10% off at DIY Hairpin Legs! (ends Aug 1, 2017)
Alright friends, thanks for reading. Time for me to go paint some signs! Have a fantastic day!
–Sheri
P.S. Other awesome projects that you can check out: the Balustrade Console Table and my most popular project ever: the DIY Textured Headboard/Footboard!
Love these legs!
Me too! They’re even prettier in person! ?