Introduction: Clamp in Bedside Table

About: I like inventing things and solving problems. My available tools skills and materials frustrate me constantly. Writing instructables is a way for me, to stop ideas from turning in my head, to close the case on…

After spilling countless cups of chocolate and toppeling more than a few bowls of food onto my bed, I started thinking about a solution, that didn't include me stopping to eat in bed.

I wanted to make something, that was easy to build, required little space and could replace a table to some degree. Something I could put drinks and food on, but also anything I would keep on a bedside table, or even my laptop or writing pad to draw.

The solution I found is a Clamp in Bedside Table, that is tucked in between mattress and bedstead. It is basically a small table with one leg. There is just something about this idea, that rubbs me the wrong way. It's simplisity and ease annoy me and that it is very practical makes it only worse.

Step 1: You Need

6 small wood screws

1 breakfast board

1 small wooden plank

1 metal bracket

30 minutes of time

Step 2: Sawing the Leg

Mark the length you want for the leg, make sure, that you have a bit more, to clamp in between your mattress and your bedstead.

I used two pieces of wood behind each other, because it was easier than cutting the screws, or finding shorter ones

Step 3: Screwing on the Plate

To screw the bracket to the breakfast board, first mark the positions of the holes in the bracket on the board.

Make the holes in the wood, by pressing the screws against the wood a little and then screwing them in.

Screw the screws out again and add the bracket.

Make sure you used the right size screwdriver and take care of your hands, I slipped several times, almost stabbing my fingers, before switching to the right size.

Step 4: Screwing on the Leg

Hold the plank against the bracket and mark the holes in the bracket on the plank. Screw the screws into the plank.

Here I had the problem of keeping the parts aligned, to do this, I left all but one screw in and screwed the bracket on with the one I had removed. Then I removed the other screws and turned the bracket into it's intended position. Finding the holes again, I screwed in the last two screws.

Step 5: Usage

Clamp the the leg between mattress and bedstead and you are good to go.

It puts some stress on your mattress and can screatch the bedstead.

Thanks for reading,

Philipp