How to easily build a large craft table or desk with storage on both sides using Create Room Cubby and an Ikea Tabletop without using any power tools. Written in partnership with Create Room.
If your craft supplies or home office is bursting at the seams and you’ve been considering adding a large storage table, you’re in the right place. A big craft table is usually thousands of dollars or requires a lot of skill and tools to custom-build your own. But I found a hack to create a table with storage on both sides for way less using two Create Room Cubby units and an Ikea tabletop, and the best part is you don’t need any power tools to assemble it.
How To Build A Craft Table With Create Room Cubby
This is probably the easiest DIY build I’ve ever done. No power tools, no fancy equipment, no paint, and no wait time before using it. All you have to do is assemble the Cubby units, add the tabletop, organize the drawers, and you’re done.
Save $50 on Create Room Cubby with code LELABURRISCUBBY
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This table is perfect for scrapbooking, Cricut crafting, sewing, paper crafting, and just about any other crafting that involves a large area to spread out. I’m currently using mine as a place to renovate a dollhouse I’ve been working on.
Here’s the full breakdown of how to build a craft table with Create Room Cubby units step by step. If you prefer a video tutorial, you can watch it here on YouTube or in the video player below.
Watch The Full DIY Craft Table Tutorial Video
Supplies You Need
- Two Create Room Cubby units (save $50 with code LELABURRISCUBBY)
- IKEA Lagkapten Tabletop (63″x35.5″ size)
- Phillips screwdriver
- Rubber mallet (or hammer with a sock wrapped around it)
- Museum Gel dots
Step By Step Breakdown
- Assemble both Cubby units
- Add museum gel to tops of Cubbies
- Add tabletop
- Fill and organize drawers
Assembling Create Room Cubby
The Create Room Cubby comes with everything you need to assemble the unit except a screwdriver and hammer/rubber mallet. The instructions say you need a drill too, but that’s just for anchoring it to the wall. We won’t be doing that for this project, so you don’t actually need the drill.
The instructions are very easy to follow for the Cubby units, and my son and I were able to put both of them together in under two hours. Once you figure out how to build the first one, the second one goes together much faster.
Save $50 on Create Room Cubby with code LELABURRISCUBBY
shop create room here
Adding The Tabletop
After both of the Cubby units are assembled, adding the Ikea tabletop is really easy. I suggest using museum gel dots to keep the tabletop in place. This gel is a lot stronger than it looks since it’s made to keep sculptures from toppling over at a museum. I have moved my craft table three times already and the tabletop never budged.
Just peel the gel dots off the paper backing, stick them on the four corners of the top of the Cubby units, and add one or two to the middle of the top of the Cubby, too. Then peel off the paper from the top of the gel dots. Space the Cubbies with a 29.5 inch gap between the backs. With a partner, carefully place the tabletop on the cubby units, making sure it’s straight and even. Press down on the tabletop over each Cubby to secure the gel.
Can You Attach The Tabletop With Screws?
You can technically screw the top to the Cubbies from the underside of the Cubby units, but that means you’ll never be able to disassemble the table and use the Cubbies as freestanding units without seeing all the holes in the top. I like to change up my office layout often, especially for the holiday season, so this temporary solution gives me a lot more flexibility.
Adding The Create Room Cubby Drawers
When you purchase a Create Room Cubby, you have two options: InView Totes or DiviDrawers. I used the InView Totes in my DreamBox, so I decided to try out the DiviDrawers in my Cubbies. InView Totes come ready to go, but DiviDrawers need to be assembled first. If you chose DiviDrawers, you’ll need to put them together before adding them to your Cubbies.
Using The Tracks for large totes
To add both the InView and the DiviDrawer large totes, start by inserting the tracks on both sides of the Cubby opening in the pre-drilled holes. Then the drawer slides into the tracks. One thing to note is that when you first add the drawers, they’re a little hard to slide in and out. The tracks loosen up over time, and they glide easily within a few uses.
Using The Tracks For Medium Totes
For the medium totes, these sit on a shelf. The Create Room Cubby comes with a few shelves, and they just slide right into the tracks like the drawers. You can place the medium totes right on the shelf, and two will fit side by side perfectly.
Adding Dividers To Totes
You can also add dividers to separate the totes even more. The Cubby DiviDrawers come with dividers for all sizes, while the Cubby InViews only come with dividers for the medium totes. If you chose the InView option, you can use inexpensive drawer trays like these or the drawer inserts from Create Room to organize the large totes.
How I Use The Create Room Cubby Craft Table
My DreamBox holds most of my Cricut supplies, paper crafts, paints, and other crafting materials, but I couldn’t fit all the supplies for my dollhouse renovations. Before this table, everything was stored in a rolling cart I built, which worked fine but lacked the storage options and workspace area I needed.
I played around with where I wanted to store my own Create Room Cubby craft table a few times before I finally figured out the placement. I had originally planned on putting it against the wall, but I wouldn’t be able to access one side of the dollhouse which would force me to pull the heavy table out and turn the house frequently. So after a few more moves, I landed on this longways placement.
I chose to use the solid white fronts instead of the clear fronts for my DiviDrawers to avoid a cluttered look. I used an inexpensive label maker to label each drawer for now since I just set it up and may rearrange as I use it more. Once I figure out a layout that will stick, I’ll probably make cute labels with my Cricut machine.
Tour My Create Room Cubby Dollhouse Craft Table
Want to see what’s inside all the drawers of the Create Room Cubby craft table? Let’s go on a little tour. I divided my supplies into two main categories since there are two Cubby units: Building Supplies and Decorating Supplies.
Dollhouse Building Supply Cubby Storage
This side holds all the wood, tools, and materials I use to renovate the dollhouse and make furnishings from scratch.
I used two Create Room Tool Cubbies to hold small tools and long pieces of wood. I call that side the lumber yard. 🙂
In the lower drawers, they hold wood sheets, wood blocks, wood embellishments, foam and fabric, and my tiny miter saw. There was a little gap at the top, so I added two Cubby shelves to hold cutting tools and extra long building supplies that didn’t fit in the drawers.
I also utilized the dividers that came with the DiviDrawers to separate all the small things I use frequently and divide the drawers into subcategories.
Dollhouse Decorating Supply Cubby Storage
On the other side of the craft table is the decorating supply storage zone. This is where I keep decor and furniture that isn’t currently used inside the dollhouse due to seasonality.
For the tiny decorations and food, I divided them into these photo cases and stood them up inside medium totes. One tote is for everyday decor and food, and the other is for holiday and season decorations.
The other drawers hold unfinished furniture, larger furniture and decor pieces that aren’t in use, and seasonal landscaping supplies.
I still had some extra drawers leftover after filling up the Cubbies with my dollhouse stuff, so I was able to use those for my Cricut Infusible Ink supplies. They didn’t fit in my DreamBox, so they had been stored in a rolling cart before. This allowed me to get rid of the cart and free up some floor space.
Want To See What’s In The DreamBox?
You can check out my DreamBox and how I organized it in this post. By having the DreamBox and Cubby craft table together, my craft supplies have never been more organized. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, too, because I’ll be sharing a full DreamBox tour soon, along with a full reveal of my remodeled craft room.
Create Room Coupon Codes
If you’ve got a DreamBox or Cubby in your cart right now, or if you’re ready to buy one soon, I have some exclusive discount codes you can use to save a little money:
- Save $50 on Create Room Cubby with code: LELABURRISCUBBY
- Save $100 on Create Room DreamBox with code: LELABURRIS
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