How To Add Legs To Furniture Fast And Easy

How To Add Legs To Shorty Furniture

First off, this shorty nightstand was married into the family 15 years ago. He said, “you marry me; you marry my furniture.” YIKES! It took me a few years to convince him that I could freshen up the look a bit. So, 1o years later, I gave it legs and a new paint job. It’s not the prettiest makeover, but it sure is better than it was.

What You Will Need To Add Legs To Furniture

Supply List:

• Shorty Furniture
• Wood Legs (set of 4)
• Tee Nuts
• Drill
• Bolt Hanger
• Spade Drill Bit
• Wood Glue
• Nail Gun
• Scrap Wood

The Nightstand Makeover

• Butter Cream (chalk mineral paint)
• New Hardware 

Building The Base For The Legs

To add legs to furniture like these particleboard beauties (ha!), you’ll need to build up the base with a few pieces of solid wood. Leftover 1x4s work well. Cut what you need. The underside of the nightstand already had wood strips to support the bottom, so I added a few more strips of wood to raise the height so it would be more flush with the bottom. If you’re stacking 2 wood pieces together to get your height, use wood glue and secure them in place with nails or screws. * Using boards, the full length of the dresser or nightstands is preferred for additional strength when adding legs to furniture.

Securing Hardware To The Legs

For this style of wood leg, you will need to secure the bolt hangers inside the legs. These wood legs did not come with screws, but some do. Basically, the bolt hangers are big ole screws. One end is for wood, and the other is a bolt with threads that will screw into the tee nut.

Next, you will need to prepare the wood legs for the tee nuts. These are crazy strong anchors that will hold just about anything. Because this piece was made from particleboard and super heavy, I chose this method of attaching the wood legs. Pre-drill the holes and countersink for the tee nuts if you want the legs to be flush. Use a hammer to secure the tee nuts into the holes where the legs will screw in.

Instant Legs On Furniture!

A New Paint Color For The Nightstands

After you add legs to wood furniture, you need to paint them… and maybe the furniture too. I did! The nightstands were painted 2 coats of Butter Cream chalk mineral paint with a mild distressing of the paint to give it that aged worn look. One of my favorites! And it now matches my bed! Want to see how the whole room looks? CLICK HERE to see how we updated our bedroom.

I was amazed at how much I loved them after adding the wood legs. My plan (don’t tell hubby) was to keep them a few years and then gently move them out for a more “my style” piece. It’s been three years, and I’m okay for now. And if you’re curious about my bed… it’s amazing! CLICK HERE to see more. We built it together after we married, so I guess I’m okay with HIS furniture after all.

So what do you think? Would you add legs to your furniture if need be? I’d love to hear what you think in the comment section below, or if you want to say hi… I’ll be happy to hear from you.

Until the next project… xo, Do