Here’s how I made my wife’s making center with a sewing table and craft table. The sewing table features cubbies and a recess so the sewing machine sits flush with the top of table, and the standing height craft table has tons of storage!

Both of these tables are 2′ x 4′. The sewing table is 30″ tall, a standard table height, it’s good for working while sitting. The crafting table is 36″ tall, which is countertop height, it’s better for standing work.

You can find more information on this piece at my website.

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Step 1: Gather Materials

This project was made with:

3/4″ Pine Plywood
1/8″ Melamine
Wood glue
Pocket screws

You can find all of that at any home center.

The tools I used were my:

Step 2: Break Down the Plywood

I cut all the plywood down to dimension on my table saw.

My wife wanted the corner clipped on the standing craft table, so I used my miter saw set at 45 degrees to cut it down.

One of the reasons I like building furniture in this style is the cut list is so easy. I pick an easy number for the width, depth, and height, then for the internal pieces I just subtract the thickness of the material.

Step 3: Drill Lots of Pocket Holes

I'm putting this together with pocket screws. To make it go quickly I like to batch steps. First I cut all the wood at once, now I'm drilling all of the pocket holes.

Step 4: Standing Table: Attach the Sides and Internal Supports

It’s best to build pieces like this upside down. The pocket holes should be on the underside so they’re not visible, building upside makes it easy to screw everything together and prevents you from getting in your own way as you build.

If all the pieces are pre-cut, use them to space each other while you’re assembly.

Step 5: Standing Table: Install the Shelves

I use spacer blocks to hold the shelves in place and keep them level while installing.

Step 6: Standing Table: Install the Bottom

The internal supports were two thickness shorter than the sides so the bottom would be raised. If the bottom was on the ground then the table would be very unstable unless the floor was perfectly flat.

Step 7: Sewing Table: Install the Cubbies

The pieces for the sewing table were easier to cut because all of the sides (or legs) are the same height.

I start the sewing table by installing the cubbies on one side. They're basically two sides, a back, and two shelves.

Step 8: Sewing Table: Install the Opposite Side and Braces

Next I install the other side, and two back braces. The back braces keep the table from racking. One brace goes right under the top, and the other one is at the bottom.

Step 9: Sewing Table: Build and Install the Sewing Machine Box

The sewing table will have a recess for a sewing machine to set in. I build a box to mount under the table top to carry the machine.

I went ahead and made the sides of the box the full width of the space to add more reinforcement to the top.

Step 10: Paint

We chose to go with white to keep it simple and bright. I decided to paint before laminating the top on so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting paint on the top.

Step 11: Laminate the Melamine to the Top

I used regular wood glue to laminate the melamine to the top. The trick is plenty of clamps and/or weight to hold it down until the glue sets!

I cut the melamine slightly over sized and used a flush trim bit in a router to flush it up after the glue set.

Step 12: Cut Out the Sewing Machine Recess

I marked on the top where the sewing machine box was and taped off the perimeter to minimize tear out on the melamine. I drilled some holes with a large forstner bit and then used an oscillating tool to rough off the hole. A flush trim bit in a router finished it off.