How to Make a Hidden Keyboard Desk Drawer

Measure the width of your keyboard. If you want your mouse pad on the hidden drawer, include that measurement as well.

Add 2 to 4 inches to the measurement for the total length of the drawer.

Measure the required length on the stair riser and cut it.

Sand any burrs off of the cut edge.

Cut a piece of 1-by-1 to match the width of the riser.

Attach the 1-by-1 to the back of the riser with wood glue. This will prevent the keyboard from sliding backward and crashing down onto your feet.

Cut two 16-inch sections of 2-by-4. Sand one end of each (these will be the faces, which will lie flush with the desk surface).

Paint or stain all of the wood to the desired color.

Attach the drawer piece of a cabinet slide to the side of the stair riser. The front of the slide should be flush with the front edge of the riser, extending back past the rear edge. Attach the second drawer piece to the other side.

Attach the cabinet side of the slides to the 2-by-4 boards. Set the boards standing up on the desk with the faces toward you. The slides will be on the bottom inside corners, holding the stair riser between them.

Insert the stair riser slides into the 2-by-4 slides. Make sure that everything moves properly.

Slide the riser all the way back into the 2-by-4 sides an hold the unit under the desk. The front edge should be positioned a few inches back from the front of the desk to hide the drawer.

Mark the location of the sides on the bottom of the desk with a pencil.

Drill a few pilot holes through the desk for each 2-by-4, using the lines that you have drawn as a guide.

Insert screws into the pilot holes on the top of the desk. Screw them through the desk and into the 2-by-4 boards, holding the hidden drawer in place. Countersink the screws slightly below the surface of the desk.

Fill in the countersunk screws with wood putty. Allow it to set, then sand it smooth and paint or stain it to match the desk.