1) Tabletop or floor?
If floor:
2) What height?
3) What angle top?
4) What angle footrest?
5) How large a top surface?
6) How large a lip?
7) Do you want a closable top compartment?
8) If yes to 7, hinged top, hinged front or hinged side?
9) Do you want to keep seforim in the shtender?
10) If yes to 9, how many and how large?
The wood used is usually shelving pine and/or plywood. Don’t use pressed wood or particleboard of any type.
If you want to stain and varnish plywood, birch is nice, for painting luan is fine. Scraps are cheaper than a full sheet.
Molding, 1×2, iron-on or stick-on edging can also be used for the exposed plywood ends.
Go to yeshivos and shuls with a tape measure and sketch-pad, measure and draw designs you like, and (of course) try on shtenders for size, both while seated and while standing.
Circular saw
Drill
Electric screwdriver
Manual screwdriver
Router (sometimes, for notching or a decorative edge)
Hammer
Compound miter saw (makes cutting angles much easier)
Measuring tape
C-clamps (for holding work in place before fastening and after gluing)
Countersink drill bit(s) (depending on how well-finished you want the completed product to be)
Chisel (for hinges)
Once you have a design in mind, come back with more specific questions.