How to make a coffee table by shopping your home
It’s all about the accessories. That’s the key to making a house a home, isn’t it? But is there anything more satisfying than taking unused, useless, and unneeded things from your home and turning them into something amazing?
Yes there is! It does that and spends very little money on it. If that’s your bag and you’re looking for a brand new table to support your coffee cup, then read on and try this super easy craft that’s a fraction of the price of the best coffee tables in stores.
you will need
A piece of wood, fiberboard or MDF. You can reuse an old piece of wood or get something from a lumberyard
cardboard tubes (opens in new tab)You can take some from an old poster and crop them or buy them
hand saw (opens in new tab)
construction pencil
mouse grinder (opens in new tab)
spray paint (opens in new tab) or colour (opens in new tab)
ruler/straight piece of wood/level (opens in new tab)
tape measure (opens in new tab)
screwdriver (opens in new tab) or Rechargeable drill (opens in new tab)
4 screws
awl (opens in new tab)or you can use a skewer
Workbench (opens in new tab) (Optional)
time and cost
Difficulty level: Easy!
Time: about an hour, plus time to dry
Costs: You can make this easy DIY project as cheap as chips by shopping at home and using a spare piece of wood, old poster tubes, leftover paint or a test pot and a few screws. If you don’t have any of these things, then head to a wood recycling center to keep costs down. All in all if you need to buy stuff you see around $15/£15.
How to make a coffee table out of wood and cardboard tubes
The most important thing when making your table are the legs as you need to make sure they are the same size so the table is stable and not wobbly. I used leftover poster tubes that were already the right size for a small table so I didn’t have to cut them. You can of course trim them, but make sure to measure twice before you cut them and ideally have a mate hold them while you do it so you know you’re doing it accurately.
You will need the caps of the tubes to attach the legs to the table top, but it is best to leave the caps down as well as this will make the table more stable. They are painted over so that they are not noticeable.
1. Measure and cut your wood
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
Choose the size of the table you would like, I went with 60x40cm (24×16 inches) here, but the great thing about making your own table is you can choose the size that suits you and fits your space.
Once you’ve chosen your size, measure your wood with a tape measure and mark where you need to cut with a pencil. Make sure the line is straight using either an old piece of wood like a wooden slat or a spirit level like this one from Amazon Basics (opens in new tab) or a ruler and then cut it with a handsaw.
When you cut the wood, be sure to hold it or have someone hold it to keep it from slipping. Also, make sure your fingers are out of the way!
2. Draw instructions for attaching your table legs
While we’re not attaching the legs yet, we’re going to mark where we want them because we’ll need to use the points of the corners to make sure each leg is in the same place.
First, take your ruler, level, or piece of wood (anything to make a straight line) and draw diagonally across the table from corner to corner, being careful to draw correctly from point to point. When you’re done, you’ll have marked a cross on the tabletop. Now choose where you want the legs; everyone must be the same distance from the corner of the table. Be careful not to place the legs too close to the center or the table will tip over (I used 8cm/3in for mine). Take your tape measure and measure your chosen distance along the diagonal line you drew (this will ensure all legs are bolted at the same angle) from the top of each corner. We’ll come back to this when we finish the table top to have.
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
3. Draw a guide to round the corners of your table
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
It’s important to round off the corners of your tabletop, firstly it looks a lot more fabulous and secondly it’s a lot safer, especially if you have children around who might bump into it. You want to make sure each corner is rounded the same way and to the same size, so draw a guide to help with that.
Use the round lid of your cardboard tube as a template to draw the guide. Place the lid one corner at a time and draw around the side with your pencil. This will mark a curve that can serve as a guide for where you want to saw and sand each corner. Make sure each curve you draw is the same distance from the corner so they look even.
4. Cut and sand the corners and edges
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
Once you’ve marked a guide for cutting each corner, use your saw (opens in new tab)and slowly cut each corner, cutting straight across the highest point of the curve you drew. This removes the top of the corner; You now need to sand down the rest of the tip to round it off. It’s best to use a mouse grinder like this one from Black and Decker (opens in new tab) that will make a quick job of it. You can also sand each edge of the table to make it a bit more rounded, giving it a nice finish. Now your table top is ready!
5. Make a starting hole to attach your table legs
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
Using your awl (which is a handy tool that pokes holes), make a hole as a starter to screw in your legs. To do this, place the awl on the spot you marked for each leg on your table top and press firmly, repeat for each corner. Then place the awl in the center of each lid and press down firmly. They now have starting holes for each leg, making them easier to screw in.
6. Attach the table legs
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
You will attach the lid of the cardboard tube to the table top and then attach the tube to the lid. To do this, take a lid and place it over the mark you made; The top of the lid must face the tabletop. Insert the screw (this assortment from Mr Pen (opens in new tab) is super handy) into the hole and use a washer if needed to make it tighter.
Screw in the screw carefully to avoid piercing the table. If the screw easily goes through to the other side, unscrew it by flipping your drill bit and sanding down the top of the table to avoid damaging the wood. Now put the tube back on the lid and repeat for each leg, once the last tube is back on you now have your table!
7. Decorate your table
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)
Now your table is ready and you can make it look like a million bucks! Be sure to wipe it clean before decorating so you have a smooth surface and there is no dust on the paint. I chose to keep it simple but you can choose whatever decoration you like.
When choosing decorations for your table, remember that you need something suitable for both wood and cardboard. I chose cream colored spray paint like this one from Rustoleum (opens in new tab) for a cheap, quick and easy makeover that will look fabulous in any room. You can use color or even mix materials by applying color to the tabletop and wrapping brown strings around each leg for a boho look. Alternatively if you want to make it fun you can paint the top of the table and add some decoupage before finishing with PVA glue to seal.
Then you are done! Give yourself a high five! You just made your own table by shopping at home, or at most for the same price as a couple of coffees!
(Image credit: Kate Sandhu)