3 DIY Hairpin Leg Desks in Under 2 Hours
A tutorial by
.DIY Children’s Desk, Bench, and Stool
- 11 – Hairpin Legs, in desired heights and finishes (we used 4 for the desk, 4 for the bench, and 3 for the stool, in raw steel)
- Plywood (we double-layered 2 pieces of pine measuring 2' x 4' to create a 1-1/2"-thick desktop)
- Circular saw
- Jigsaw, if you'd like to round your stool top
- 2x4s and a piece of trim, optional (to help guide cuts)
- Clamps
- Pencil
- Speed square
- Wood glue
- Adhesive trowel
- Orbital sander and sanding discs (we used 80-, 150-, and 220-grit, or sanding block
- Drill/driver
- Screws
- Finish of your choice (we used an oil and wax blend)
- Brush or rag to apply finish
- Safety gear such as eye protection, a mask/respirator, and gloves
Rose-Colored Desk
- 4 – Hairpin Legs, in desired height and finish (we spray-painted raw steel)
- 3/4" Plywood (we used a precut 2' x 4' piece of birch veneer plywood)
- 2x4s
- Circular saw/li>
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Drill/driver
- Orbital sander and sanding discs, or sanding block
- Finish of your choice (we applied Varathane wood stain in rose
- Polyurethane (we used Varathane water-based in crystal clear matte
- Brushes or rags to apply finish and polyurethane
- Wood glue
- Screws
- Mineral spirits
- Rag to apply mineral spirits
- Spray metal primer (we used Rust-Oleum rusty metal primer)
- Metal spray paint (we used Rust-Oleum protective enamel in gloss white)
- Safety gear such as eye protection, a mask/respirator, and gloves
Desk for 2 with Divider
- 4 – Hairpin Legs, in desired height and finish
- 1 – Sheet of 3/4" plywood
- 2x4s
- Tape measure
- Circular saw
- Clamps
- Speed square
- Orbital sander and sanding discs (we used 150-grit), or sanding block
- Drill/driver
- Screws
- Finish of your choice (we used Varathane water-based in crystal clear matte
- Brush to apply finish
- Safety gear such as eye protection, a mask/respirator, and gloves


Ben Uyeda
HomeMade Modern | @benjaminuyeda
Ben Uyeda stepped away from the award-winning architecture firm he co-founded, as well as an Ivy League teaching position, to develop media companies that deliver affordable designs to the masses. In the last four years, Ben’s design ideas have reached more than 50 million people and the free designs he gives away are being built on six different continents. Despite the populist and affordable nature of his work, Ben’s designs have been featured in an exhibition and workshop at the Vitra Furniture Museum in Germany.


Step 1:
Cut children’s desktop

Step 2:
Double up the plywood

Step 3:
Sand the desktop

Step 4:
Add hairpin legs and finish

Step 5:
Create bench and stool

Step 6:
Start the rose-colored desk

Step 7:
Stain it

Step 8:
Reinforce the desktop

Step 9:
Finish things up

Step 10:
Make a desk for 2

Step 11:
Sand it down

Step 12:
Create storage spacer

Step 13:
Put it all together
