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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Do It Yourself – Rustic Coffee Table

Let me start by saying we’re not furniture makers by any means, but I must say that this coffee table turned out exactly as I had envisioned.
Once again Mr. Charming took an idea and brought it to life.
Rustic Coffee Table 1a
The bulk of this table was finished in a weekend.  I’d say you could whip up one of these in 3 – 4 days.
It starts with a pile of pine boards.  You can choose how many or how wide you’d like them.
There are 4 (1” x 8”) boards on top and 3 wider (1” x 10”) boards for the bottom shelf.
Rustic coffee table 2
We tried to use Pine for everything, although the 1 x 2 pieces were hard to find in pine so we used Poplar.  It’s best to keep all your wood uniform for the best staining results, although a true rustic table could be made from all sorts of reclaimed wood, so I didn’t worry about it.
rustic coffee table legs-tile 1
To join the boards together we used metal strapping and then added a piece of plywood for stability.
rustic coffee table boards
Secure legs to the bottom of the table top with scrap pieces of  2 “x 2”.  Use wood glue and screws screwing into legs and table top.
rustic coffee table legs 2
rustic coffee table table top
rustic coffee table table top 2
We removed the middle strap to allow for a piece of plywood.  The plywood adds a ton of stability to the bottom.  You can sit on the table and not worry about it bowing. The plywood was glued with construction adhesive as well as screwed down.
rustic coffee table 3
Attach the pieces for the bottom shelf of the table the same way.  We didn’t use the strapping here, just plywood.  Cut out corners to fit the legs.
rustic coffee table 4
Once all your pieces are assembled it’s time to sand.
rustic coffee table 5
These pine boards were really rough and required a heavy grit sanding paper to begin with, moving to a finer grit for finishing.  I also tried to pick the boards that had the most interesting grain or knots.  Just be sure the knots are stable and wont fall out.
rustic coffee table sanding-vert
I’m not completely sure why I didn’t get a picture of the staining process except to say that I was so eager for this part that I jumped right in and realized afterwards. Minwax walnut stain and a satin finish were used for the entire table.  After the stain had dried I sanded everything down to achieve the worn and rustic look.  One coat of satin finish applied and then sanded down. A second coat was applied attain a smoother and more durable finish. It’s best to stain and finish before attaching the  shelf.  I also gave both table top and shelf a coat of Minwax Past Finishing Wax.  I want to ensure that any drops or water will bead up and not penetrate the surface.
minwax walnut gel stain-vert
rustic coffee table minwax paste
Once the two pieces stained and finished, the supports for the bottom shelf were added to the legs.  Again scrap 2 x 2 pieces will do for this.  Add wheels and you’re done.
rustic coffee table shelf1
Here we have the before picture.   An older, hand-me-down table that while it was nice in it’s day, has been heavily used in the past few years.
old coffee table
And our new rustic table with basket storage.
rustic coffee table5
rustic coffee table 6
In our house, that particular table will always be pushed further away, pulled closer, or moved to the other couch, and to prevent dragging marks on the carpet, the wheels were a definite must.
rustic coffee table7
rustic coffee table8
rustic coffee table9
I just love all the knots in this pine, they add so much interest.
rustic coffee table10
I’m a huge fan of lots of storage space, so I wanted to have some storage on this table.  I opted for baskets that will hold extra blankets, tv remotes, magazines and of course nail polish and laptops that seem to accumulate in this area. (Love my girls!)
rustic coffee table 11
rustic coffee table12
rustic coffee table13
rustic coffee table15
rustic coffee table16
rustic coffee table17
I’ll wait a week before I tell Mr. Charming we need a matching end table. Flirt male

Check out HomeEsthetics for more incredible, inexpensive, DIY coffee table ideas.


53 comments:

  1. Thanks for detailed instructions with photos. Where did you get or when did you make the driftwood basket? Heidi

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  2. Wow, you did an amazing job. It looks store bought!

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  3. Beautiful. You should be proud!

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  4. Thank you for adding it to the list and for joining us on the 1st Thursday SWEET HAUTE Share linky party! I really really LOVE your project and all of your work as well.

    Christina

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  5. Love this! Looks like it came from Pottery Barn! Stop by my Friday's Five Features and link up this post (and others)! http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2013/08/fridays-five-features-no-3.html

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  6. I love it! It gives the room a whole new feel.

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  7. I love it Lisa ~ it is perfect for that room and the baskets are great for hiding things away! Another A+ ~ are you sure I cannot have him for at least a weekend??

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  8. You both did a great job...it updated things beautifully!

    XO,
    Christine

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  9. I love this! Could you give us an idea of how much it cost to make?

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    1. Hi Kim
      It was less than $100. That factors in lumber, hardware,stain, finish and wheels. Lumber was very inexpensive, but the 4 x 4 posts were a little more costly.

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  10. Love it, it turned out so pretty. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  11. This table is so beautifully rustic and right up my alley. Your turorial is flawless as well. I've pinned this. Thanks for sharing on Not Just a House Tuesday Link Party!

    Crystal

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  12. Lisa, that's amazing! Y'all did a great job - it turned out beautifully!

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  13. This my friend ROCKS! WOW, what a nice job you did. I love the look and the finish. Great idea with the wheels too!

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  14. this looks amazing! you guys did a great job thanks for the tutorial, I might have to try this!

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  15. What was the estimated cost to make this?

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    1. With storage baskets included it came to just under $100

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  16. This is Beautiful! you really did a great job:)

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  17. Looks good. Would have liked to see your measurements. Might want to make one for my place....

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    1. The table is 4 ft long, 29 inches wide and 18" high. But obviously you can make this table as big or small as you need to fit your space.

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    2. Is that 18" high with or without the wheels? Love the table. Very nice work!

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    3. Yes, sorry, 18" high with the wheels.

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    4. Bit confused. If you used (4) 1x8 boards for top of the table. How could it only be 29'' wide? Wouldnt it be 32'' wide?

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    5. Lumber is never exactly the measurements that they indicate. A very dry 1 x 8 can actually measure 3/4" x 7-1/4 or 7-1/2. I bought 1 x 8' but when the table was all done it actually measured smaller. If you measure a 1 x 8 in the store or even a 2 x 4 you'll always see variations in measurements.

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  18. I love this post! My husband is in the process of building me the table! :) Where did you find the large baskets?

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  19. I love this post! My husband is in the process of building the table. Where did you find the baskets? They seem to fit nicely in the space and look like they can hold larger blankets.

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    1. Hi Stephanie.... I got the baskets at Michaels Craft Store (make sure you bring your coupons!)

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  20. Wow, such a beautiful table! I love the grain in that pine!

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  21. Beautiful table! Did you do something with the grain before the stain? The grain looks dark and defined, is that just from the walnut stain?

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    1. Hello Jay. Other than a very good sanding before staining, I didn't use anything other than the walnut stain. I sanded after the stain had dried and with that, a lot of the stain was lightened except for the grain. That's it!

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  22. Awesome table! Great work!

    How many coats of stain were used prior to the satin? Just 1?

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    1. Hi Josh. Because I wanted a worn look, I applied one coat of stain only.

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  23. Where did you get the 4x4 post from? Im having a hard time finding it..

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    1. Actually they came from a different lumber yard than the usual Home Depot or Lowes. Here in Ontario, I got them at Fairbank Lumber. You may need to scout around a larger lumber yard for those. I did find them at Home Depot in cedar, but that would have taken the stain totally different.

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  24. I really like the finish on your table. My wife wants a rustic end table and your post was the first one to come up in my Google search. The table looks great in your space. Great job!

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  25. I really like the finish on your table. My wife wants a rustic end table and your post was the first one to come up in my Google search. The table looks great in your space. Great job!

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  26. What type of sanding tool did you use, or what this done by hand?

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    1. I actually use a DeWalt 1/4 sheet Palm Sander. Great for smaller jobs like these.

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  27. This table came out beautifully! I love the stain you chose. I've never waxed over my finished product, but I bet that would definitely help add another layer of protection. I'm like you, I like to wait and tell my husband what projects I want to add to our collection. Usually it's after he's decided that he really likes something and then he's more agreeable to building more;) I would love for you to link this up tonight to the Thursday S.T.Y.L.E. Link Party I cohost. It starts at 6:00 MST. http://addicted2diy.com

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  28. Gorgeous! Thanks so much for linking up at Thursday STYLE!

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  29. Love your table! Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Thursday STYLE.

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  30. How sturdy are the legs since it looks like they're not connected the table top but just connected to the 2x2 scrap which is connected to the table top?

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    1. You can actually sit on this table, that's how sturdy it is.

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    2. You can sit on this table, that's how sturdy it is. I must reiterate that we are not furniture makers by any means, but I will not post anything that has not been tried, tested and proven.

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  31. Could you post the measurements you used for each piece of wood, and the number of pieces for each size? I don't have a saw myself, so would need the hardware store to cut the piece of wood for me.I would love to build this for my living room.

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  32. Could you post a "shopping list" for us? I would love to build this, but don't know how many pieces, and what sizes to cut each piece.

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    1. Hello Amanda. As we didn't keep those type of spec's it's a little hard to make an accurate list for you, but I can try to work something out for you to follow. Thanks

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  33. Excellent looking coffee table. The tutorial is great and exceptionally detailed which will certainly will help a novice woodworker like me to accomplish a usable table. Thanks. I am going to build a console table for the dining room.

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  34. That's great information. Thanks for sharing this blog. I did a search and found your blog and glowing review. It's been a big help! Thanx!

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  35. Excellent build. Fantastic and simple. I was waiting for something like this and perhaps I will shamelessly copy your design of the table.
    Lynn

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  36. Great DIY!
    The result create the rustic space. I really love this DIY. Thanks your share!

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