How to Build a Wooden Monitor Stand for Beginners

If your neck aches by lunchtime, your monitor is probably sitting too low. Most desks put the screen a full hand’s width below eye level, so you spend eight hours a day looking down — and a stack of books under the monitor is a wobbly, ugly fix. Learning how to build a wooden monitor stand for beginners solves the problem properly: this measured 24-inch riser lifts your screen to the right height, holds up to 40 pounds (18 kg), and gives you a handy shelf underneath for your keyboard, notebook, or a small drawer. It is a small riser that sits on your desk, not a desk itself — a one-afternoon build from a single pine board, with simple pocket-hole joinery and no advanced skills required. In this guide, you will learn how to size the stand to your monitor, choose the right wood, cut the parts, assemble it square, add an optional drawer, and finish it so it looks like a piece of real desk furniture.

This is the measured, ergonomic version of the project: every height in the guide is tied to real eye-level numbers, and the width table covers monitors from compact 22-inch screens all the way to 39-inch ultrawides. If your whole desk setup needs organising first, our guide to how to build a wooden desk organizer for beginners pairs perfectly with this stand — the organizer holds your pens and phone while the stand holds your screen. The build takes most beginners 2 to 3 hours of hands-on work plus drying time, and it sits comfortably alongside the other home-office builds in our easy woodworking projects for beginners that sell collection.

What Height Should Your Monitor Stand Be?

The whole point of a monitor stand is ergonomics, so start with your body, not the board. Sit at your desk the way you normally work, look straight ahead, and have someone measure from the desk surface to the centre of your eyes — that number, minus half your screen’s height, is the height your monitor’s centre should sit at. The stand only needs to supply the difference between where the screen sits now and where it should sit. For most adults at a standard 29 to 30-inch (74 to 76 cm) desk, that difference is 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) — which is why this build is 4½ inches (11 cm) tall.

The golden rule is simple: the top of your screen should be at or just below eye level, and the centre of the screen should sit about 15 to 20 degrees below your straight-ahead gaze. If the stand is too tall, you will crane your neck upward and get the same ache from the other direction. If it is too short, nothing changes. Build the stand, set your monitor on it, sit down, and check before you glue anything — a dry fit on the desk takes thirty seconds and saves you rebuilding the legs.

Monitor size	Stand width	Stand height	Typical load
22 in (56 cm)	20 in (51 cm)	3½ in (9 cm)	Up to 15 lb (7 kg)
24–27 in (61–69 cm)	24 in (61 cm)	4½ in (11 cm)	Up to 40 lb (18 kg)
32 in (81 cm)	30 in (76 cm)	4½ in (11 cm)	Up to 45 lb (20 kg)
34–39 in ultrawide (86–99 cm)	36 in (91 cm)	5 in (13 cm)	Up to 55 lb (25 kg)

Measure your monitor’s base before you cut anything: the stand must be at least 2 inches (5 cm) wider than the monitor’s feet on each side, and at least as deep as the monitor base front to back. A 24-inch monitor with a wide rectangular base needs a stand about 9 inches (23 cm) deep; a monitor on a small round base can sit on an 8-inch-deep stand. Also check your desk: leave room for the keyboard in front of the stand, and make sure the stand does not push your monitor so far back that you are leaning forward to read it. The ideal viewing distance is an arm’s length — about 20 to 26 inches (51 to 66 cm) from your eyes to the screen.

Choosing the Best Wood for Your Monitor Stand

For a first monitor stand, pine is the best choice: cheap, light, easy to cut and sand, and it takes stain and paint beautifully. A 24-inch pine monitor stand costs about $12 to $18 in lumber. Pine is also soft enough that pocket-hole screws bite in easily, which matters on a first build. If you want a harder top surface that resists dents from the monitor base and daily keyboard sliding, poplar is a step up: still easy to work with, machines cleanly, and costs a little more. White oak or walnut looks stunning on a desk, but both are heavier, harder to cut, and two to three times the price — save them for your second stand, once you know the exact height you like.

Buy one 1×10 board (actual size ¾ × 9¼ inches, or 19 × 235 mm) for the top — its 9¼-inch width becomes the stand’s depth with almost no waste. Buy one 1×8 board (actual size ¾ × 7¼ inches, or 19 × 184 mm) for the two side legs, and one 1×2 board (actual size ¾ × 1½ inches, or 19 × 38 mm) for the back brace and optional drawer parts. Pick straight boards by sighting down each edge, and reject any with large face knots, heavy cupping, or twisting. A knot on the underside of the top is fine; one on the front edge will show every time you sit down at your desk. For a deeper dive into species, grain, and cost, read our guide to the best wood for beginner woodworking projects.

Avoid reclaimed pallet wood for a monitor stand: boards vary in thickness, often hide nails, and need far more sanding to become splinter-free — and an uneven top makes a heavy monitor sit crooked. Start with clean, new pine from the lumber yard and you will finish faster with a better result. Let the boards acclimatise in your house for two to three days before you cut them — wood that moves after assembly is the number one cause of a wobbly stand, and a wobbly stand under a monitor is a disaster waiting to happen.

Tools and Materials You Will Need

You probably own most of these tools already, and the rest can be borrowed or bought cheaply. Do not buy a tool you will use once if a neighbour or a tool library can lend it — but a decent cordless drill and a pocket-hole jig are worth owning for every furniture project after this one. A jigsaw is the only saw you truly need here: every cut in this build is a straight crosscut, and the jigsaw handles the small leg pieces easily.

Item	Details	Typical cost
Pine 1×10 board	1 board, 6 ft (1.8 m) long, for the top	$8–$12
Pine 1×8 board	1 board, 4 ft (1.2 m) long, for the legs	$4–$6
Pine 1×2 board	1 board, 4 ft (1.2 m) long, for the brace and drawer	$2–$4
Pocket-hole screws	1¼ in (32 mm) coarse-thread, about 20 screws	$4–$6
Wood glue	One 8 oz (237 ml) bottle	$5–$8
Pocket-hole jig	Single-hole or two-hole jig with drill bit	$25–$40
Sandpaper	80, 120, and 220 grit sheets	$5–$8
Finish	Wipe-on polyurethane or hard-wax oil, 1 pint (0.47 L)	$10–$16
Tools	Jigsaw or circular saw, drill, sander, tape measure, square, clamps	$0 if owned
Total (24 in, pine)	Lumber, screws, glue, finish	$30–$50

Safety gear matters too: safety glasses, hearing protection for the saw, and a dust mask for sanding — pine dust is an irritant. Apply the finish outside or in a well-ventilated garage, and keep oil-soaked rags flat to dry outdoors until stiff, then throw them away — bunched-up oily rags can self-heat.

Cut List for a 24 × 9 × 4½-Inch Monitor Stand

This cut list is for a monitor stand 24 inches (61 cm) wide, 9 inches (23 cm) deep, and 4½ inches (11 cm) tall, sized for a 24 to 27-inch monitor. Cut the top first, then the legs, then the brace — and always measure twice before every cut.

Part	Material	Size	Quantity
Top	1×10 pine	24 in (61 cm) long	1
Side legs	1×8 pine	3¾ in (10 cm) tall × 8 in (20 cm) deep	2
Back brace	1×2 pine	22½ in (57 cm) long	1
Drawer front (optional)	1×2 pine	20 in (51 cm) long	1
Drawer sides (optional)	1×2 pine	6 in (15 cm) long	2
Drawer bottom (optional)	¼ in (6 mm) plywood	20 × 6 in (51 × 15 cm)	1

The legs are 3¾ inches tall because the top is ¾ inch thick: 3¾ inches of leg plus ¾ inch of top gives a finished stand height of 4½ inches (11 cm). Read this carefully, because it is the one measurement that trips up first-time builders: the finished stand height is the leg height plus the top thickness. If you want a 3½-inch stand, cut the legs 2¾ inches tall; for a 5-inch stand, cut them 4¼ inches tall. The back brace is 22½ inches long because it fits between the two legs: 24 inches minus two ¾-inch leg thicknesses. The drawer parts are sized to slide under the top between the legs, with about ⅛ inch (3 mm) of clearance on each side.

Step 1: Measure and Mark Your Boards

Careful measuring comes first, because every later step depends on it. Lay your boards on a flat workbench and check each one for straightness. Mark the straightest face of the top board with a small pencil tick — that face goes upward, where the monitor sits and everyone sees it. Then measure and mark each cut with a pencil and a speed square, drawing the cut line squarely across the full width of the board.

Label every piece as you mark it: “Top”, “Leg L”, “Leg R”, and “Brace”. The two legs look identical, so the labels stop you mixing up a leg you already checked for square with one you have not. Next, sit at your desk and measure your eye height one more time — from the desk surface to the centre of your eyes while you sit upright looking straight ahead. Subtract half your screen height from that number, then subtract your monitor’s current centre height, and the result is the stand height you actually need. If it is not 4½ inches, adjust the leg height now, before the saw is running: leg height equals stand height minus ¾ inch for the top. Finally, measure your monitor’s base front to back and side to side, and confirm the 24 × 9-inch top is wide and deep enough, with at least 2 inches of spare room on each side.

Step 2: Cut the Boards to Size

Clamp a straight board or a speed square to your workpiece as a saw guide. A jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade makes every cut in this project: hold the saw base flat, cut slowly, and let the blade do the work — pushing hard causes the blade to wander and leaves a wavy edge. A circular saw with a straight-edge guide works just as well for the long top cut. Cut the top first — the largest piece, and the one where a square cut matters most — then the two legs, then the back brace.

After cutting, dry-fit the parts on the workbench: set the top upside down, stand the two legs on it at each end, and check that the legs sit flush with the front and back edges of the top. A small error here — even ⅛ inch (3 mm) — is easy to fix now by trimming one leg, and almost impossible to fix after the pocket holes are drilled. Sand the cut ends lightly with 80-grit paper to remove splinters and saw marks; the front edges of the legs are the parts your wrists brush against every day. Keep your offcuts: a short piece of 1×10 makes a perfect stain test piece, and a scrap of 1×8 is ideal for setting up the pocket-hole jig.

Step 3: Assemble the Stand with Pocket-Hole Joinery

Drill two pocket holes in the top edge of each leg, on the face that will sit against the underside of the top, using your pocket-hole jig set for ¾-inch (19 mm) stock. Test the jig setting on a scrap leg first: the screw should stop just short of poking through the top face. If the screw tip shows, lower the drill collar one notch and test again. Also drill two pocket holes at each end of the back brace, on its back face, so it can be screwed into the legs from behind where nobody sees it.

Build the stand upside down: lay the top face-down on the workbench, set the two legs on it at each end, and check with a square that each leg sits at 90 degrees to the top and flush with its front and back edges. Spread a thin bead of glue on the top edge of each leg, then drive 1¼-inch (32 mm) coarse-thread pocket-hole screws up through the legs into the top — two screws per leg. Clamps hold everything tight while you drive the screws; with only two clamps, fix one leg at a time and move the clamps along. Then fit the back brace between the legs, about 1 inch (25 mm) up from the bottom of the legs, with glue and two screws at each end. The brace stops the stand from racking sideways and gives it the rigid, furniture feel — a monitor stand without a brace will wobble the first time you bump the desk.

Set the finished stand on a flat desk and press down on each corner in turn. If it rocks, find the long leg and trim it — never shim a monitor stand, because shims work loose and a monitor must never sit on a wobbly base. Check the stand for square by measuring diagonally across the top — the two measurements should match within ⅛ inch (3 mm). If they do not, loosen the brace screws, rack the frame square, and re-tighten. Finally, set your monitor on the stand and sit down at the desk: the top of the screen should be at or just below your eye level. If it is still too low, you can add a second thin riser later; if it is too high, trim the legs down by the difference and re-sand the ends.

Step 4: Add the Optional Drawer Storage

The space under a monitor stand is prime desk real estate, and a shallow drawer turns it into storage for pens, cables, and notebooks instead of a dust trap. Build the drawer box from the optional cut-list parts: glue and screw the two drawer sides to the drawer front, then glue the plywood bottom into a shallow groove or simply screw it to the underside of the sides and front. The finished drawer is 20 inches (51 cm) wide, 6 inches (15 cm) deep, and about 2 inches (5 cm) tall — big enough for a notebook, a charging cable, and a handful of pens.

Fit two small cleats — short strips of 1×2, 6 inches long — to the inside faces of the legs, about 2¼ inches (6 cm) below the underside of the top. The drawer slides in on these cleats and rests on them, so it needs no metal slides at all. Leave about ⅛ inch (3 mm) of clearance on each side so the drawer slides freely without rattling, and sand the drawer edges smooth so it never catches. A small wooden knob or a finger hole drilled in the drawer front makes it easy to pull open. If you would rather keep the space open, skip the drawer entirely: the open shelf underneath is perfect for sliding your keyboard under when you leave the desk, which is exactly how most people use a monitor stand day to day. Our guide to how to build a wooden laptop stand for beginners uses the same pocket-hole method for a smaller riser, if you want a matching stand for a second screen.

Step 5: Sand and Finish Your Monitor Stand

Sanding is where a beginner build starts to look professional, so do not rush it. Sand the whole stand in three passes: 80 grit to remove saw marks and level the leg ends, 120 grit to smooth the surface, and 220 grit for a silky final finish. Always sand with the grain, never across it, and round over the front edge of the top slightly with 120-grit paper — your wrists rest against that edge for hours every day, and a sharp edge is uncomfortable and splinters easily. Vacuum or wipe the dust off with a tack cloth between grits; dust left behind shows up as rough spots under the finish. Our full guide, how to sand and finish wood for beginners, walks through grit progression and common sanding mistakes in detail.

A monitor stand needs a tougher finish than a decorative oil, because it meets coffee rings, a sliding keyboard, and the monitor base every day. A wipe-on polyurethane is the most forgiving choice: it builds a hard, waterproof film that shrugs off spills and is easy to repair later with a light sanding and one more coat. Apply three thin coats, sanding lightly with 220-grit paper between coats, and pay special attention to the top surface, where the monitor sits. If you prefer an oil look, use a hard-wax oil rated for tabletops, at least three coats, letting each cure fully. Avoid plain Danish oil unless you are happy to re-oil every few months — it looks beautiful but is not waterproof enough for a daily coffee mug. If you want colour, stain first, let it dry fully for 24 hours, then seal it with polyurethane. Let the final coat cure for at least 72 hours before you set the monitor on the stand — a finish that feels dry is not the same as a finish that has cured hard, and a heavy monitor will leave dents in a soft finish.

Finishing Options Compared

Finish	Water resistance	Coats needed	Best for
Wipe-on polyurethane	Excellent	3 thin coats	Coffee rings, daily keyboard use, family desks
Hard-wax oil	Good	3 coats	Natural look, easy spot repairs
Paint (semi-gloss)	Excellent	Primer + 2 coats	Matching desk colour, hiding pine grain
Danish oil	Fair	2–3 coats	Light-use stands, decorative look only
Stain + polyurethane	Excellent	Stain + 3 coats	Matching existing desk woodwork

Styling Your Finished Monitor Stand

Once the finish has cured, bring the stand to your desk. Set it back against the wall, leaving room for the keyboard in front, and place the monitor on top with its base centred — the stand should have at least 2 inches (5 cm) of spare top on each side of the base. Slide your keyboard underneath when you leave the desk, or keep a notebook and pen in the drawer if you built one. Route the monitor cables behind the stand and down the back of the desk; the open space under the top hides the cable clutter that usually spreads across a desk.

A small desk organizer beside the stand keeps pens, phone, and sticky notes in one place — our guide to how to build a wooden desk organizer for beginners makes a matching weekend project in the same pine and finish. Add a small plant or a framed photo on the spare corner of the stand top, but keep it light — the stand is rated for the monitor, not for a stack of books. If you use a phone beside your monitor, the same pocket-hole method builds our guide to how to make a wooden phone stand for beginners, which sits neatly on the stand’s top corner. To keep the stand looking new, wipe coffee drips with a barely damp cloth and dry it straight away, and add a fresh coat of polyurethane once a year, or whenever water stops beading on the top.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems come from rushing one of these seven steps — slow down here and the rest of the build goes smoothly.

Forgetting the top thickness in the height. The finished stand height is the leg height plus the ¾-inch top. Cut the legs ¾ inch shorter than your target height, or your monitor ends up higher than you planned.

Building the stand too narrow. The stand must be at least 2 inches wider than the monitor base on each side. A monitor base hanging over the edge is unstable and looks wrong.

Skipping the back brace. Without the brace, the stand racks sideways the first time you bump the desk. Two screws and one small board make it rigid.

Drilling pocket holes on the wrong face. Pocket holes go on the top edge of the legs, against the underside of the top, where nobody sees them. One leg flipped the wrong way leaves two visible holes on the outside face.

Skipping the dry fit. A leg that is not flush with the front of the top shows forever. Set the parts together, check with a square, and mark the arrangement first.

Forgetting the glue. Pocket screws alone will loosen under the daily weight and vibration of a monitor. Glue every joint, and the screws mainly hold everything tight while it cures.

Setting the monitor on a soft finish. Polyurethane that feels dry is not cured. Wait the full 72 hours or the monitor base will leave dents in the top.

How Much Does It Cost and How Long Does It Take?

For a 24-inch pine monitor stand, expect $30 to $50 in materials if you already own the tools — roughly a fifth of a comparable solid wood monitor stand in a shop, sized exactly to your monitor and your eye height. A 20-inch stand for a small monitor is closer to $25 to $40, a 36-inch ultrawide stand around $40 to $65. Hardwood versions cost two to three times more in lumber alone. Time-wise, plan 2 to 3 hours of hands-on work over one afternoon: half an hour to measure and mark, half an hour to cut, an hour to drill the pocket holes and assemble, half an hour to sand, and half an hour to finish, plus overnight glue drying and 72 hours for the final coat to cure. Add half an hour if you build the optional drawer. The same skills transfer directly to your next home-office project — a desk organizer or laptop stand uses the same cuts, pocket holes, and finishing steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall should a wooden monitor stand be?

For most adults at a standard 29 to 30-inch desk, a stand 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) tall is right — this build is 4½ inches (11 cm). The rule is that the top of your screen should sit at or just below eye level, with the centre of the screen about 15 to 20 degrees below your straight-ahead gaze. Measure your seated eye height, subtract half your screen height and your monitor’s current centre height, and that is the stand height you need.

How wide should a monitor stand be for a 27-inch monitor?

A 24-inch (61 cm) wide stand fits a 24 to 27-inch monitor comfortably, with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of spare top on each side of the monitor base. For a 32-inch monitor build a 30-inch stand, and for a 34 to 39-inch ultrawide build a 36-inch stand. Always measure the monitor’s base, not the screen — wide rectangular bases need more depth than small round ones.

How much weight can a wooden monitor stand hold?

This pine build, glued and screwed with pocket holes plus a back brace, holds up to 40 pounds (18 kg) — far more than a typical 24 to 27-inch monitor, which weighs 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 7 kg). The 36-inch ultrawide version holds up to 55 pounds (25 kg). The load limit is set by the glue joint and the brace, so never skip either one.

Can I build a monitor stand without a table saw?

Yes. A jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade makes every cut in this project, and a circular saw with a straight-edge guide works just as well for the long top cut. Many lumber yards will cut boards to length for a small fee, so you can have the top, legs, and brace cut at the store and do the pocket holes and assembly at home with only a drill.

Should a monitor stand have a drawer?

A shallow drawer is a useful upgrade if your desk is short on storage — it holds pens, cables, and a notebook under the screen. It adds about half an hour to the build and uses only a few extra small parts. If you prefer the open space, skip it: the open shelf underneath is perfect for sliding your keyboard under when you leave the desk.

What is the best wood for a monitor stand?

Pine is the best wood for a first monitor stand: cheap, light, easy to cut and sand, and it takes stain and paint well. Poplar is a good upgrade if you want a harder top that resists dents from the monitor base. Save white oak and walnut for a second stand, once you know the exact height you like.

How do I stop my monitor stand from wobbling?

Build it on a flat desk, check it for square by measuring diagonally across the top, and make sure the back brace is fitted tightly — the brace is what stops the stand from racking sideways. If it still rocks, trim the long leg rather than shimming it, because shims work loose and a monitor must never sit on a wobbly base.

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