It’s surprisingly simple to make your own coffee table. When the furniture stores don’t have what you need, you can just design and make your own.
1. Choose a Design
The coffee table design you choose should suit your home. It should also be something that you can build yourself. If you have no experience with iron, it’s probably not the best medium to work with.
2. Figure Out the Dimensions
Measure the open space in your living room. You will need to leave at least a couple of feet of space around the table. The top of the table should not be more than two inches below the sofa seat.
Most tables are between 16-18 inches high, but if your couch is taller, you will need to add height to the coffee table.
3. Gather Your Materials
You will finish your table faster if you have everything you need before you start. Choose your wood and finishes. Keep everything on hand so you are able to work until the project is finished without stopping because you don’t have something.
4. Measure and Cut
Measuring is the most important part of any large project. Double check all your measurements before cutting anything. It’s easy to make a mistake and you will be hard-pressed to fix it if you have cut the wood too short.
5. Assemble Your Table
Putting the coffee table together is the biggest chore. It can be difficult if you are new to woodworking. Make sure you have solid joints or the table will be wobbly. You may want to add cross bars to make it sturdier. It’s a good idea to use screws, since they are easier to take out if you need to take the table apart again.
6. Make Adjustments
With the table assembled, you can check to see if there are any tweaks to be made. If the legs are uneven, for example, this is a good time to adjust them. You can also use wood filler to hide any screw or nail holes.
7. Sand the Coffee Table
Your table will now need to be sanded. Start with a fairly rough sandpaper to get rid of spots and any major grooves or scratches. Then you can go ahead and use a smaller grit. The smallest grit sandpaper is used for the final polish on the table. When done correctly, sanding should leave the surface smooth and silky.
8. Paint or Varnish
Decide whether you want to use paint or varnish. Paint allows you to give the materials a good layer of color while varnish is transparent. Varnish may add some tint to the wood, but it tends to allow the wood grain to shine through.
You can also stain the wood to give it color or tone before adding varnish to seal it. Do a couple of coats to be sure the wood is well protected.
9. Add Embellishments
Photo credit: pinterest
Your coffee table should be ready for use at this point, but you can give it a more personalized touch. Add some decoupage images or try your hand at panting some designs. If anything doesn’t work, you can always repaint the wood.
10. Put Your Table to Use
Once your table is dry and complete, you can start to use it. Chances are, you’ll want to make another table, since this is such a simple project.
Create your own coffee table to get exactly what you want. You can tailor the design to fit your home décor and add any embellishments you like. The end result is a table that is unique and personal.
