How To Create A DIY Under The Bed Train Table

Do you have a little train enthusiast at home? If so, you’ll love this easy project for a DIY under the bed train table!

A while ago, I constructed this DIY activity table for my kids playroom. It was great! My kids used it constantly to eat snacks, play LEGOs, draw etc.

However, that table had to be moved out to make room for this Pop-A-Shot game. (Side note: It’s actually really fun and I highly recommend it).

A top down view of a train table for kids

But my son loves building roads, cities and LEGOs, and he started asking me for a train table again. So while I knew we didn’t have the space for the giant table I made before – I thought an under the bed version would work pretty well.

Luckily, I saved the table, so all I had to do was remove the legs, cut it down to size and add some caster wheels.

You can spend a fortune on these kids tables if you really want to, but they are really not that hard to put together. And you won’t feel bad when this one gets beat up.

This project is perfect for kids who love trains ( or even LEGOs or road sets ) and it’s a great way to provide them with hours of entertainment. Plus, it’s easy to make and doesn’t require any special tools or skills.

But perhaps the best part of this project is that at the end of the day, you can just shove it under the bed!

You’ll want to measure under the bed to determine how the overall size and shape of your table. I had to fit our table to squeeze in between the two supports under the bed. Once you know the size, you can cut the wood to fit your dimensions. Then, you’ll need to gather some supplies.

Things You’ll Need

3/4 inch plywood
Stop Molding
Wood Glue
Saw ( either a hand saw or power saw or table saw )
Sandpaper or Orbital Sander with 180 grit sandpaper
Paint or Stain (optional)
Caster Wheels
Drill
Screws ( I used 1/2 inch screws to ensure they wouldn’t go through the top )
Tape Measure

Once you have all of your supplies, you’re ready to get started.

DIY Under the Bed Train Table

A tutorial for creating a DIY under the bed train table – perfect for kids!

Total Time: 2 hours

Cut Plywood to size

Look under the bed and using a tape measure, determine the best overall size and shape of your table. Do you want square or rectangle? Does it need to fit under a twin or queen sized bed? Are their leg supports in the way? Use a power saw to cut your plywood to these exact dimensions.
attach molding to sides

Cut the stop molding to size. You want them to overlap slightly in each corner so the two pieces meet and there are no gaps. To achieve this, make sure to either cut the end pieces or side pieces slightly longer than the table to overlap.

Use wood glue to attach the molding to the sides of the plywood board, then carefully brad nail them in a few spots. You want to make sure that your nails didn’t go through the bottom of the plywood. Double-check this at the end and pull out any poking nails.
sand your table

Sand your table really well to ensure little ones don’t get a splinter! I always use an orbital sander as pictured, but you can also use a sanding block as well. I used 180 grit sandpaper.
attach caster wheels

Using a drill and screws, attach your caster wheels to each corner of the table. If your table is little long, you can also add a couple to the center to give it extra support underneath.
Optional (paint or stain)

Final Step! If you want to, you can paint or stain your train table. You can also keep it natural looking which is pretty too. I recommend following up with a quick coat of polyurethane for protection and added durability.