You can call this a true DIY...

My needs for a nightstand are pretty simple.

1)  I'm blind as a bat.  I can't walk 3 feet without hurting myself without any vision correction... so I wear my glasses or contacts until I close my eyes for the night.  So, I need a place to put my glasses.

2)  I need a lamp, so that I can read, then shut the light off without moving from bed.

3)  Sometimes I need a drink of water in the middle of the night, so someplace I can reach over and grab my glass of some good H2O.

So, here's what it initially looked like.  Can you say poor DIY?

The steps were for Zoro, who is not coordinated enough to jump up onto the bed.  I bought them from Petsmart for frigging $40... can you say rip off? Then, you can say "RIP OFF!" again when I tell you that he was not only uncoordinated enough to not be able to jump up on the bed... but uncoordinated enough to not be able to learn how to use these stairs.  After trying to teach him how to use them for 3 months, I couldn't return the stairs...... so I started to use them as my nightstand. 

Except... it's too low.  So I took a box with my backup ink cartridge, stacked it on top, and said, "This makes it my perfect height! YAY!"  and did a little dance. FML.

Now, after living like this for oh, a year and a half, I was beginning to think that I should do something about it when......I was at Marshall's I found the perfect nightstand.  On clearance.  Solid wood, dark stained like my bed.  $149.99.  I saw it, I grabbed a store employee and I had it in my car faster than Bolt running 100m in the Olympics.

So without further interruption, I present to you my new setup.

Cost Breakdown:

The lamp: The base at Target on clearance - $15; $10 lamp shade from HomeGoods - $25
Jewelry tree I've had since I was in school
Glass Jewelry box (HomeGoods) - $10
Pinboard (TJMaxx) - $14
The hook - I've had since I don't even remember when.
Nightstand (TJMaxx) - $150

TOTAL:  $199

Pretty good for under $200?