Making furniture from plywood: material properties + step-by-step instructions

Furniture made from environmentally friendly materials will never lose its popularity, however, in search of new forms and design solutions, interior design specialists are increasingly turning to plywood rather than natural wood. This material is ideal, as it allows you to produce not only durable and environmentally friendly furniture, but also experiment with shapes and product lines - plywood is easy to cut.

Despite the apparent simplicity of appearance, this material creates a special atmosphere in modern minimalist interiors. Making furniture from plywood is a fascinating process that even a beginner can handle. Today’s article is about the properties of materials and the features of working with them.


Making furniture from plywood

Manufacturing of children's furniture (drawings and diagrams)

Do-it-yourself drawings of children's furniture made of plywood provide an opportunity to customize a room for children. A special advantage of interior items made from such material is their environmental friendliness, which does not bring negative consequences for the child’s body. For this reason, many parents are thinking about arranging the children's area with furniture made from affordable sheets of plywood.

Designer

A children's furniture set made of plywood can be made in an original design. For example, a table in the form of wood, which is treated with a special acrylic putty. This piece of furniture has an unusual effect: it looks plastic. This creative desk and chair for a child is made from furniture plywood with a thickness of 2.4 centimeters.


Furniture made from environmentally friendly materials will never lose its popularity.

There are other options for custom-designed furniture for a child’s room made from this material. The main thing is to process the workpiece correctly, use environmentally friendly components, and apply unique decor.

In search of new forms and design solutions, interior design specialists are increasingly turning not to natural wood, but to plywood.

In the form of animals

Today, furniture in the shape of an animal is very popular. Craftsmen produce bookshelves in the shape of a child’s favorite animal, chairs with bunny ears, children’s beds with a headboard decorated with representatives of flora and fauna.

The design of furniture made of plywood depends solely on the master and the owners of the apartment, the child, since this universal material opens up enormous possibilities in interior design.

This material is ideal, as it allows you to produce not only durable and environmentally friendly furniture, but also experiment with shapes and product lines - plywood is easy to cut.

Types of models

Any room can become a place for such a pleasant “guest”. Only the operating conditions must be thought out as much as possible, then the furniture will last a long time and create the necessary amenities for its owners.

In some cases, a room requires a design option that is impervious to moisture; in others, it is generally impossible to recommend using a material with a laminate, so as not to spoil the overall decor.

  • For example, for use in an office environment, this option is generally ideal. Firstly, this is directly related to the originality of the designers’ ideas put into practice.
  • Uniqueness is in many ways desired in today's fast-paced environments. For buyers, most studios have developed interesting modern models of both tables and cabinets, very comfortable and unusual.
  • Here you can always find document shelves to suit your taste, where everything you need will be conveniently placed. Of particular interest are always the improved and, at the same time, creative designs of armchairs and various models of chairs, which are always offered to visitors with pleasure.

Sleeping cribs sometimes look great and extraordinary at home when combined with compact-sized transformers in the form of tables. The presence of a small wall or miniature bedside table adds charm without disturbing the overall design style.

Dear ladies always highly appreciate signs of attention, which are expressed in a luxurious dressing table with a comfortable chair next to it.


Of course, for children, all the sharp corners are rounded, and the set or individual item itself is painted in a bright, pleasant color or retains all its external signs of natural wood.
  • Furniture for cottages and gardens is light in terms of tables and comfortable in terms of sun loungers.
  • When relaxing, you always want to give your eye a break from the usual surroundings, which is largely facilitated by the presence of structures that are unusual in their whimsical originality.
  • One has only to take into account that if such products tolerate high humidity perfectly, then in the winter cold they should definitely be placed in the house.

Transformers have firmly established themselves in our lives, thanks to their ability to change functionality. A minute ago it was a comfortable lounger, and now in front of you is a beautiful sofa or an equally comfortable chair.

If you assemble the furniture yourself, then at the right time the bedroom can turn into a boudoir room, and the living room can acquire new features of minimalism or loft.

Creative plywood furniture (drawings and diagrams)

Factory production of furniture very often does not correspond to the personal preferences of the owners of an apartment or country house. In most cases it is typical and simple. Designer furniture can be made not only from expensive solid wood and genuine leather as finishing.

Today, more and more designers are choosing more budget-friendly options to create creative interior items, for example, familiar and unpretentious plywood. With its help, it is possible to create fantastic designs, while the technological processing process is simple and does not require much time and effort.

Despite the apparent simplicity of appearance, this material creates a special atmosphere in modern interiors.

To get inspiration for creating a unique furniture set, it is recommended to pay attention to the works of such designers:

  • Justin Couch (France);
  • Shige Hasegawa (Japan);
  • Jason and Lars Dressler (Canada);
  • Hilary Weisbensky (America);
  • Toby Howes (England);
  • George Nelson (America);
  • Jeffrey Matthias (America).

These specialists used simple budget sheets of plywood in their work, which later turned into real works of art. Very often, American and European public institutions are decorated with creative furniture made from this material, which makes it possible to give the room uniqueness, brightness and original style.


Making furniture from plywood is a fascinating process that even a beginner can handle.

Ease of manufacture, minimalism, sophistication and original openwork presented in plywood furniture provide an opportunity to take a different look at a trivial set. Many designers sand and polish, paint and assemble their products by hand. This versatile material allows you to achieve unusual textures and effects in the design of residential and office space.

The advantage of plywood is that it is easy to work with; it does not require the use of expensive special tools for processing.

How to give new life to old furniture with your own hands: examples of original painting

It would seem that it could be simpler: buy paint, paint an old chest of drawers with it and enjoy the changes. But it's not that simple

It is important to do this correctly so that the coating goes on evenly and does not transform your piece of furniture into a design failure.

Please note that if your cabinet or chair is made of solid wood, such as oak, then it is better not to use paint, but to try to transform it using other methods. Such high-quality material can easily be spoiled by coating with simple paint or varnish, reducing its cost. But it is precisely this kind of furniture that sets the tone for the entire environment, emphasizing the status and good taste of its owner.

If you want to give new life to old chipboard furniture or remake a Soviet wall, then look at the photos of painting options in different colors and carefully read the master class that we offer.

  1. First, wash and clean the surface. Apply a layer of primer and plaster.
  2. Dip the brush into the paint and start moving it along the grain of the wood. This way it will be better distributed.
  3. Wait at least 12 hours for the coating to dry completely.
  4. Wipe the surface with sandpaper and apply a second coat of paint.
  5. When everything is dry, you can fix the result with varnish.

Pay attention to color

Black and dark brown are ideal for transforming Soviet furniture from the 70s and 80s.

Light colors, on the contrary, will add romance. If you prefer lightness, simplicity and tenderness in the design of the room, then feel free to choose pink and blue colors.

They are sold in stores, they can also be printed from the Internet and cut out on thick paper. Before applying the design to the furniture, the stencil should be secured with adhesive tape.

If simple coloring is not to your liking, then experiment with stencils or lace. For example, you can make your own forms for future drawings. Place the image on thick paper and cut it out along the contours.

If you take a lace ribbon, first attach it, for example, to the wall of a cabinet or the head of a bed, and then run a paint roller over it, you will get a very beautiful and delicate decor.

How to make a cabinet

Nowadays, homemade cabinets made from sheets of plywood are very popular among modern designers and property owners. You can make such furniture using the following materials and tools:

  • sheet plywood;
  • screwdriver and screws;
  • four blanks for legs. You can prepare it yourself from wooden blocks;
  • special glue for fixing wood.

To create the base of the bedside table, you will need to take four pieces of plywood of the required size. Furniture plywood blanks should be 15 by 45 centimeters for the side components, and 45 by 45 cm for the lower and upper bases. All elements are produced in duplicate.

A bedside table is considered easy to make. You can do it yourself in a short time.

The side panels are fixed to the bottom base using wood glue. The upper part of the cabinet with the prepared frame is fastened in the same way. The legs are connected to the base with self-tapping screws.

If desired, you can coat the finished furniture with varnish or paint.

Let's take on the glamorous set

An office set of upholstered furniture in the loft style looks tempting. We will order seat and back cushions from specialists. Our job is to assemble the frame. Two manufacturing methods are acceptable: bending and assembly with subsequent processing of rectangular blanks.


Who wouldn't want to supply such a kit?

Let's consider both so that there is a choice.

Without much explanation, the photo below makes it clear how thick, stubborn material becomes pliable and obedient. Just? Don't flatter yourself. Changing the bend angle or adding one layer will change the number of cuts.

In our case, the bent sidewalls do not bear the load. But imagine that the coffee table became a banquette or a full-fledged dining table. Support on the inner edges is mandatory - otherwise rigidity is lost and the structure will have to be artificially strengthened.

After bending according to the template, the contact inner edges must certainly be glued together at the joints. Veneering or veneering of the ends after processing is mandatory. It is advisable to coat the inner surface.

One, two and done. In theory…

The second option will require great precision and will increase the time for machining, but if you prefer confidence in the strength of the furniture, we cut the parts of the armrests and the support bed for gluing with an allowance for the thickness of the sheet.

We mill grooves in a checkerboard pattern for a tight connection and glue them. The second method is time-consuming and wastes material: to create an internal radius, you will have to glue in a cross member. Veneer coating is an additional cost.

Finishing operations to give it a marketable appearance will take no less time than assembly. Sanding, dust removal, varnishing with the obligatory sanding of each layer to remove rising fluff. And finally, the last layer of varnish. The woodworker's work is completed, it's time to become a successful trader.

Conclusion

A test of strength in the furniture business is not hopeless. The market will respond to the offer of a new product. It is easier for a small workshop to adapt to the dynamics of demand than for clumsy giants. Good luck in your endeavor.

Kitchen furniture made of plywood (drawings and diagrams)

Furniture for the kitchen area made from plywood sheets is famous for its long service life, impeccable appearance and environmental friendliness. Before you begin creating a drawing, you must carefully measure the space. This approach allows the master to be confident that the end result will be reliable and high-quality interior items.


The thickness of the plywood sheets used depends on the upcoming load on the part and its purpose.

When creating a layout for a future kitchen, it is important to take into account the wishes of the household, the growth of the housewife, the functionality and ergonomics of the furniture set. The sketch shows the dimensions of bedside tables, cabinets, shelves and drawers, and facades. Technological clearances must be taken into account so that all modules subsequently look flawless.


To make a durable frame and shelves, 18 mm thick material is used. For a façade, a thickness of no more than 12 mm is sufficient.

Next, materials, tools and necessary accessories are prepared in sufficient quantity. After this, you can begin marking the furniture components on sheets of plywood, cutting and assembling. In the process of such actions, it is necessary to remember about safety precautions and the features of the products indicated in the drawing.

The doors of wall cabinets, which are fixed using stiffening ribs, can be made of plywood 6 mm thick.

Note! Cutting parts of future furniture should be done at home only if you have an electric jigsaw and skills in working with tools. Otherwise, this procedure can be entrusted to specialists in furniture workshops.

Today it is possible to make a huge amount of kitchen furniture from this material. For example, dining tables and worktops, cabinets with shelves, cabinets with drawers, creative chairs and much more. All these interior items have one thing in common - the ease of creating them with your own hands.

It is recommended to start making plywood furniture with the simplest designs, gradually acquiring and improving the skill of working with this material.

What to look for when choosing plywood

Veneer made from coniferous or birch wood is used to make plywood. Coniferous plywood is characterized by a more attractive appearance and strength. Veneer sheets are glued together at high temperature and pressure, forming a monolithic slab of a given thickness. In this case, each layer is laid perpendicular to the previous one - this makes the plywood resistant to deformation.

Birch plywood

Plywood can be sanded or unsanded, and, depending on its performance properties, is divided into several categories.

Table 1. Plywood categories

Appearance of material and markingsDescription
FOFThe front layer of this moisture-resistant laminated plywood has a special coating in the form of PVC film, which provides additional protection against moisture.
FSFFormaldehyde resins are used for gluing sheets, so this material is not desirable for making furniture, despite the fact that plywood of this brand is highly moisture- and wear-resistant.


FC

This type of material has a wide range of applications. FC plywood is durable, moisture-resistant and environmentally friendly, therefore it is widely used for interior design and furniture manufacturing.
FBSWhen making bakelite plywood, a varnish composition of the same name is used, with which each sheet of veneer is impregnated, and then all layers of the slab are glued together using it. The material is characterized by unique performance qualities: strength, durability, resistance to deformation, and aggressive substances. This type of plywood is environmentally friendly, so it can be used for making children's furniture.


FBA

To glue veneer in the production of this type of plywood, natural albumin-casein glue is used, making the material environmentally friendly and safe. However, the moisture resistance of FBA plywood is low.

Note! The safest is plywood made in accordance with safety certificates E1 and E0.

The thickness of plywood sheets varies from 1.6 to 76 mm; sheets with a thickness from 6.4 to 19 mm are more often used.

Manufacturers of plywood furniture

At the moment, there are a lot of companies that produce furniture from this wear-resistant material for decorating residential premises. But, unfortunately, not many manufacturers offer ready-made kitchen sets made of plywood. For this reason, the majority of craftsmen who prefer furniture plywood choose to make products with their own hands.


You should not be afraid that the furniture will have some flaws - imperfections can be hidden with the help of painting or decorative textiles.

Collapsible furniture made from plywood sheets today is very popular among craftsmen and property owners. Using this material, you can create original interior items that will harmoniously fit into the design of a children's room, kitchen, bedroom and living room. Very often, garden furniture is made from plywood, as it is highly resistant to wear.

In most cases, it is enough to coat the plywood with a protective matte transparent varnish - this will preserve its shade and pattern.

The ease of manufacture, availability and quality of the material contribute to the fact that furniture plywood is present in almost every home. The main success factor in the production of such interior items is a professional approach to the creation of drawings, because they influence the final result of the project.

Features of accommodation

For the living room, along with the library, you can always choose a suitable design for a stylish cabinet that will take its place in the corner or in the center of the wall. There are models in which the height can be changed, if necessary, by rearranging the shelves.

The original looking buffet perfectly complements the country style, without losing any of its versatility.

In the living room of young people, the “highlight” will in many ways be the plywood shelf solution, reminiscent of a honeycomb in appearance.

If it is possible to carry out the correct sanding, along with varnishing and impregnation of the appropriate quality, then there is a great opportunity to transform the bathroom yourself, giving it a stylish environmental “charm”. Do not forget that the color of plywood changes after processing.

Photos of 50 plywood furniture design options

Gluing


Gluing plywood
To give plywood a curved look, a “pattern” piece is cut out of a thin sheet of plywood. It is laid on the sheet in such a way that the direction of the veneer alternates. As a result, the structure will have the necessary ductility and rigidity. Each layer of plywood is glued together with epoxy glue. To give the shape, the workpiece is clamped with clamps for one day. After drying, all irregularities and any exposed glue are removed from the part. Once completed, the workpiece is sanded.

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