I have been compensated for this post.  However, all ideas, thoughts, and opinions are 100% my own.

I am pretty excited to share today’s project with you. Mostly because it is so simple to create, yet so useful in today’s world! Arrow Fastener sent me a box of goodies that I think everyone should have in their home – Staple Guns and a High/Low Temp Glue Gun. Seriously, these babies are great for lots of projects around a home! I used those, along with a table saw and sander to create this simple DIY Lap Desk. However, if you don’t have access to a table saw I’ll share below how you can still create a Lap Desk on your own.

DIY Lap Desk for LaptopIf you’re like me and have a laptop, I bet you find yourself laying in bed or sitting on the couch with it and half the time you’re contorted at odd angles, or the laptop is warming your legs so that you’re dying from the heat! Since I’m constantly on my computer blogging, and I’m usually doing it from my couch, I decided that I really needed something that would allow me to be a bit more comfortable, if not 100% ergonomic. PLUS I wanted to be able to use it with my iPad, so I added a little extra piece that allows me to do just that!

Lap Desk for iPad

My solution, a super simple DIY Lap Desk! I used the Glue Gun Arrow Fastener sent me, a piece of plywood, a foam chair pad, Gorilla Glue and some home decor fabric. Before I share the tutorial I want to share a few things I learned:

1. I cut my lap desk to be 18×15. Once I got to Joann’s to purchase the foam, I found that they had a 17″ x 15″ one available for $10 or a 22″ x 22″ one for $12. I ended up having to go with the more expensive one and cutting it down, not hard, but an added step. The foam was on sale for 50% off, but if it isn’t, make sure to grab a coupon or download the Joann app so you can get a better deal on it, to make this project more economical!

2. I had plywood hanging out in my garage that I used. If you don’t have access to a table saw, you can purchase wood from Home Depot or Lowe’s and have them cut it to your dimensions for you. OR you can buy a plain, wooden cutting board and that would work perfectly and you can skip the cutting, staining and polying steps!

How to Make a Lap Desk

First, you will need to cut your piece of wood. I went with 18″ wide by 15″ tall. This is the perfect size to accommodate my 17″ laptop. I enlisted the help of my little sister, who is currently in wood shop to help me with the table saw. It was great seeing her put her new found skills to work!

Sanding WoodAfter we cut the piece of wood, she sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper. I had her round the top edges and also the corners. We sanded both sides of the board to see which one looked the best, but you really only need to do the top side and the edges.

iPad Lap Desk

Safety First!

For the iPad catcher, we cut a small piece of plywood to about 10″ wide x .75″ tall. We sanded it down and rounded the top edges.

Lap Desk TopI used Gorilla Glue and glued the iPad catcher to the bottom of the board, about 1″ up from the bottom. Keep in mind that Gorilla Glue expands and turns white, so use just a thin line down the middle. Let dry for one hour.

DIY Lap DeskDIY Lap DeskI bought a 22″ x 22″ x 2″ foam seat pad for the pillow portion of the lap desk. I laid the board on the foam and traced around it. Using my electric knife, I cut the foam to size. Set this aside and grab your board.

Minwax Wipe-On Stain in MapleNow it’s time to stain the board in a well ventilated area. I went with a maple finish.

After the stain has dried, apply a coat of Polyurethane. Follow the directions on the can for dry time. Mine was fast drying, so after 4 hours I added a second coat.

As the poly is drying, we’ll finish up the pillow.

No Sew DIY Lap DeskI purchased a yard (you only need a 1/2 yard) of home decor fabric and laid it out on the ground. I cut around the board, leaving about 4″ of extra fabric all the way around.

Lap Desk PillowNow you are going to wrap the foam similar to how you would a present and hot glue it in place.

Lap DeskOnce the polyurethane is dried on the board, it is time to attach the two components together. Using Gorilla Glue, glue the foam pillow to the bottom of the board, making sure all edges are lined up. I glued the heck out of this puppy making sure to get the middle of the pillow AND about an inch from the edge. Once I adhered it to the board, I checked how well the edges were stuck and any that weren’t right to the edge, I used the glue gun, just so there was a nice seal around the pillow edge. I then piled a computer and some books on top and let dry for one hour.

DIY Lap Desk #ArrowFastenerThat’s it! Now I have a great lap desk for using my laptop or watching movies on my iPad, and the lip keeps the ipad from falling off the desk!

Lap Desk Tutorial #ArrowFastenerYou could totally get even more creative and add a monogram or stencil to the top of the desk before adding the poly for an even more custom look. Really, there are tons of options for customizing this useful desk!

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