We were looking for a table with custom dimensions for our little office nook, but it was really hard to find. Most of them were very expensive, too. We decided to make our own table and share it with all of you as well. It's an easy project to do and minimum tools are required. You can also always use substitute tools as opposed to using the exact one we did in the project.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step one: Cut the Wood
You need to cut 4 (2 x 4's) pieces for the legs using a miter saw, or you can have The Home Depot or Lowes cut it for you. You can adjust your own measurements according to the plan above. The plan is according to our space. We drew it in Google Drawings, and you can get that idea and draw your own.
Step Two: Pocket Holes
Drill pocket holes in the legs using a Kreg Jig but if you don't have that tool it's okay too. Tou can use regular nails as well. I am in love with the Kreg Jig though, and I highly recommend the product to everyone as it makes your joints stronger.
Step 3: Put The Leg Together
Once you are done with making the joints, it's time to screw the legs together to make it like a frame. See the picture. It should look like a rectangular box. We also placed scrap wood in the middle just to give extra support to the table, so it will not go wobbly.
Step 4: Attach The Top
Now, since your legs are ready, it's time to attach the top onto the legs, which is also an easy process. You can attach them using a brad nailer or regular nails. We just happened to have those tools but you don't have to buy everything.
Step 5: Cut the lips
In the end, we placed lips or edges around the table to make it both more sturdy and prettier.
Step 6: Sand It
Now, since your table is ready, you need to sand it to paint or stain it. Sanding is a very important part. Otherwise, your paint won't adhere to the wood unless you are chalk painting. We used an electric sander but you can use any 120 grit sanding block from your local store. Just use your elbow grease to sand it nicely.
Step 7: Paint or Stain It
Paint it with whatever paint you would like We wanted to stain it so we used color stain to match with other furniture in the room. We are pretty happy with the project turned out. It saved us tons of money and looks nice in the room as well.
Hope you liked it and I would love to see your project using my plan. You can read the whole blog post in-depth on my blog. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Happy DIY'ing! Love,
Bushra
Comments
Bunnie1978
Tue, 03/13/2012 - 07:11
Nice
That looks very nice. This is the next project on my list I think.
It's really great to see the project with a different kind of finish also. How do feel about the functionality of it now that you have it "up and running" in your living room?
And... how do your kids feel about it?
Any drawbacks to this design for your needs, or tips that you can give me for building it over the next couple weeks?
In reply to Nice by Bunnie1978
Windycrocodille
Tue, 03/13/2012 - 07:53
Thank you!
Thank you for the compliments! So far we absolutely LOVE the functionality! It really is made for easy clean up, slides back and forth nicely (we used wheels that only go one way, not swivels.) and our one year old seems to enjoy it. The table and storage compartment are just short and sturdy enough that she can pull herself up on them and because the storage compartment is not on swivels it doesn't move when she does. She is the first grand-baby on both sides of the family so she has approximately 175 toys that we have to find a place for and they all fit very nicely. With the large storage we have noticed that she is pulling out and playing with different toys that she could never get to or find before. As far as design is concerned we did have to modify it a little bit to work with the tools that were available to us. We wish the side legs were sturdier, even with 6 screws in each side they are still a bit wobbly. With the storage box underneath it helps to support it from swaying but we are still talking about ways to make it better. A possible support beam on the bottom of the back side? All in all we love the piece it fits perfectly into our space and offers a LOT of storage that we didn't have before. My husband and I had tossed around the idea, before we started, of making the piece smaller but we are glad that we didn't.
Suggestions: if you are going to buy based off of the shopping list provided make sure you also buy 2" screws. They forget to include that in the shopping list but include that in the directions. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. It was a really really fun project for us.
In reply to Nice by Bunnie1978
Windycrocodille
Tue, 03/13/2012 - 07:53
Thank you!
Thank you for the compliments! So far we absolutely LOVE the functionality! It really is made for easy clean up, slides back and forth nicely (we used wheels that only go one way, not swivels.) and our one year old seems to enjoy it. The table and storage compartment are just short and sturdy enough that she can pull herself up on them and because the storage compartment is not on swivels it doesn't move when she does. She is the first grand-baby on both sides of the family so she has approximately 175 toys that we have to find a place for and they all fit very nicely. With the large storage we have noticed that she is pulling out and playing with different toys that she could never get to or find before. As far as design is concerned we did have to modify it a little bit to work with the tools that were available to us. We wish the side legs were sturdier, even with 6 screws in each side they are still a bit wobbly. With the storage box underneath it helps to support it from swaying but we are still talking about ways to make it better. A possible support beam on the bottom of the back side? All in all we love the piece it fits perfectly into our space and offers a LOT of storage that we didn't have before. My husband and I had tossed around the idea, before we started, of making the piece smaller but we are glad that we didn't.
Suggestions: if you are going to buy based off of the shopping list provided make sure you also buy 2" screws. They forget to include that in the shopping list but include that in the directions. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. It was a really really fun project for us.
brookifer86
Tue, 03/13/2012 - 09:10
Added Stability
I just finished my Tidy Up Table too (brag post coming!) and I decided to add one L-bracket to each corner because of the wobble. I've also got a baby (7 months) and it's nice to have that added stability just in case. Now the sides are solid as a rock!
Bunnie1978
Tue, 03/13/2012 - 13:08
Yes...
A little bit of medal support would probably be really good... I was actually thinking of modifying the design a little bit already, which will probably serve the end result to provide better stability. I think I'm going to make the storage trundle a little shallower, and put a row of small square drawers above it on each side. That is of course, much more complex, and then detail the trundle with the small squares so it looks like a cabinet of drawers all the way down...
What do you think of that idea? I mentioned that on the plan post too... still kicking it around a bit.