Folding Lap Desk Christmas Presents

Submitted by beeski44 on Mon, 12/22/2014 - 13:47

This was a fun project for my three nephews for Christmas (ages 3, 2 and 2). I thought they'd each like their own little personalized desk for coloring, blocks, snacks, etc.

This was a relatively simple build with the only tricky part being the leg holes (and getting the legs to open at the exact angle I wanted). I had to fudge a couple of them with some patches that you can see in one of the photos.

I would suggest using lock nuts on the bolts. The original nuts I used were turning as the legs opened and closed. I thought that eventually the nuts might work themselves off the bolt.

The frame was built completely out of 1x6 scrap wood I had lying around my garage that had been used for shelves. I cut the 1x6s down to 1x2 and 1x3 with my table saw. I did buy a small sheet of plywood underlayment for the top.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Aprox $10/ea for my three. If you buy all the wood, it would probably be closer to $15-20/ea.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Acrylic paint for the names and border. Poly clear coat all over.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

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