Quick & Easy Building Projects You Can Start (and Finish!) This Weekend

You can do it! TOH general contractor Tom Silva walks beginners through some simple home center projects, including how to build a desk with easy-to-find stock materials, a tool bench with basic lumber, and more.












How to Build a Desk With a Storage Hutch. If you lack a dedicated spot for paying bills and stashing loose papers, a good desk is a must. And you can make one yourself with basic materials. To simplify construction, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva came up with a compact, drawer-free design. It'll take less than a day to build. Here's How to Build a Desk.



MORE: Inspirational Kitchen Office Design Ideas







How to Build a Tool Bench. Amy Paladino is a pro at juggling the demands of her job and family. But as with many of us, when it came to organizing tools for DIY projects, she needed a little assistance. Enter This Old House general contractor Tom Silva, with a plan for a size-it-to-your-space tool-storage bench that doubles as a work surface. Though it may look complicated, the construction couldn't be simpler. Here's How to Build a Tool Bench.

MORE: Create a Garage Storage Plan








How to Build a Beautiful Magazine Rack. April Monroe can't bear to toss old magazine issues. "There are so many great projects I want to try," she says. Although plastic magazine holders are inexpensive enough at office supply stores, she doesn't like the idea of placing pages full of design and remodeling ideas in holders with such little personality. In a couple of hours she created this gorgeous piece using affordable scrollwork brackets and molding. Makes a great gift. Here's How to Build a Magazine Rack.

MORE: One Reader Makes Her Home Look Like the Pages of TOH Magazine





How to Turn Beautiful Molding Into a Charging Station. Every evening you arrive home and divest yourself of ringing, beeping, buzzing accessories, dropping them like bread crumbs on the way to the bedroom. In the morning you lose precious minutes in a cushion-lifting scramble to gather PDA, phone, and iPod. Your portables clearly need a home base. A dedicated storage space for all your electronics not only saves your sanity but also prolongs their battery life. If you have some leftover crown molding from a previous project, or you've been spying some beautiful pieces at the home center, you can create a station like the one shown here in no time. Here's How to Make a Charging Station.





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