3 Ways To Create Your Own Nightstand With Thrift Shop Items

The nightstand by your bed is the first thing that you look at in the morning as you reach for your phone, or the last thing you look at  each night as you switch off the light. This functional piece of furniture does have to serve its purpose, but it does not have to be boring! Why not have a nightstand that is as creative and stylish as you are? Here are three ways to create a nightstand with thrift shop items that are totally out-of-the-box and different.

1. Vintage Suitcases

Vintage suitcases make the perfect nightstand material. Suitcases used to be rectangular with flat, smooth surfaces that stack well. You might not want to use these bulky and often heavy contraptions for your next trip, but they make great furniture!

Dig through the luggage collection at your local thrift shops and find the suitcases that are old enough to have an antique feel. Look for brass clasps instead of aluminum or plastic, thread stitching, and perfectly flat sides. Stack up your finds to make sure they balance well and that the color tones match.

You could match the colors exactly if you find a set, or mix and match within the same family of colors (the blue and brown above go well together, but if you add in bright red it would clash). A storage crate as used above would also make a great addition, add a new texture, and give your stand some height! Clean out your suitcases inside and out so that your bedroom does not smell musty. Use a steam cleaner and Fabreze on inside fabrics, and a leather cream, suede brush, or damp rag for the outside surfaces depending on the material.

2. Old Books

Have you ever been to the back of a thrift store where there are shelves and shelves of bulky hardcover books? Now that we have kindles and laptops, all of those pages of information are transferred electronically. That’s a good thing, for those of us living in apartments! I don’t know about you, but I have no room for a whole volume of encyclopedias!

The classic shape of hardcover books can stack together to make a very creative nightstand. You could get really “meta” and have the top book open up to a hollowed out space for your e-reader! Glue all of the base books together for stability, and paint entirely white (or another solid color) for a less cluttered feel.

3. Wine Case

The nightstand above is made with an old wine create, and hairpin table legs. This project takes a bit of construction. You need to use the slats of wood from the top of the create and re-place them as a middle shelf and lower lip. The middle shelf is made with just a few screws, but you do have to saw so that it is short enough to fit inside.

The crafty carpenter who created the post above really explains it well. Follow the link above and check out her instructions. I love how she used wrapping paper as a backdrop behind the shelf. She used a geometric pattern, but don’t forget about bold, solid colors, or a floral print! I found a set of hairpin table legs on amazon for $35, but you could also consider recycling a set of old table legs.

A nightstand is a very simple piece of furniture. That’s why making one is the perfect D.I.Y. project! Even those of us with limited tool boxes (okay, no tool box) can create a cool, unique nightstand out of common thrift shop items! Give your bedroom some vintage flair, and have a blast digging through old creates, suitcases, and books! Once you create your own nightstand with thrift shop items, you might feel inspired to move on to rethink more of your bedroom furniture! Let me know what you think about these three creations in the comments below.