DIY furniture

Easy DIY Patriotic Crate Side Table

Make an Easy Crate Side Table.

This easy-to-make rustic side table is made of a wooden crate turned upside down and simple wooden legs that are attached inside the crate. I had fun decorating it with a red, white, and blue theme in honor of the Fourth of July holiday here in the States.  Decorated to your liking, it could be a lovely side table for use in a child’s bedroom, in a nook by the recliner, or even as a plant stand next to a sunny window.


 

DIY patriotic red, white, and blue side table made with a crate turned upside down and wood legs.
DIY crate side table red and white crate with white star.
DIY furniture side table crate.

 

This is an easy DIY furniture project that can be made in less than a day, and that includes paint and glue dry times!  Here we go.

The Easy DIY Patriotic Crate Side Table project has four parts:

  • Cut, sand, and finish the legs
  • Paint and distress the crate
  • Attach the legs to the crate
  • Make the star, paint, and attach to the crate

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Rustic Modern Pedestal Bistro Table

DIY bistro table. Rustic modern style with industrial pipe and weighted bowl base.

This DIY bistro table is just the right size for one or two people and would work great for a small dining space or to create a cozy nook in a wide open patio, deck, or yard. The pedestal base is made of an industrial galvanized steel plumbing pipe and a wooden serving bowl, turned upside down and weighted with concrete for stability. The table top is a store-bought pine panel.


DIY patio furniture bistro table
DIY Bistro Table table top view with tea set
base of pedestal base of DIY bistro table

This is the first dining table that I have made, and I’m happy with how it turned out. The table is standard height, 30 inches high, and the table top is 24 inches diameter. The bowl that I used for the bottom of the base has a diameter of 12 inches. When I was “designing” the table, I scoured the internet for information on how wide the base should be relative to the table top diameter to reduce the possibility of the table tipping over. What I found out is there are no hard rules on the ratio of the base to the table top. But, generally, the base diameter (what sits on the floor) should be at least half the diameter of the table top. Variables that affect the ratio, while I don’t understand it all, include the weight of the base, the weight of the table top, and the height of the table top off the floor.

Why am I telling you all this? The bowl that you use will probably be different from mine, with different dimensions and may hold more or less weight in the form of concrete. My table seems very stable, so you will probably be okay if you stick with the dimensions that I used. But if you want a larger-diameter bistro table (for instance 30 inches diameter) or you want a bar height table (36 inches), I suggest getting a bigger wood bowl to use in the pedestal or install a “foot” underneath your bowl to increase the base diameter.

The Rustic Modern Pedestal Bistro Table project has six main parts:

  • Preparing the wooden bowl for adding concrete
  • Weighting the wooden bowl with concrete and finishing the bowl
  • Painting the plumbing pipe and flanges
  • Cutting flattening cleats and attaching them to the table top
  • Sanding and finishing the table top
  • Assembling the table

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Easy IKEA Hack Side Table: Frosta Stool + Aptitlig Chopping Board

DIY side table project ikea hack.  Frosta stool legs and Aptitlig chopping board table top.

Here is another easy DIY side table and my first IKEA hack. (Well, it’s my second IKEA hack if you count the mid-century modern inspired cement replacement sofa legs. Check the cement legs project out here.) For this DIY furniture project I used the legs from an IKEA Frosta stool.  The IKEA Aptitlig chopping board made a great bamboo table top to go with the interesting Frosta bentwood legs.


 

Easy IKEA Hack DIY side table made with frosta stool and aptitlig chopping board

I decided to do another project for my new “Easy” category of furniture-making adventures.  I’m really enjoying getting projects done in quick order and hope you appreciate it too!

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Folding X-Base Coffee Table with Metal Tube Legs

Upcycle your TV tray! DIY folding coffee table with x-base legs.

For this DIY project, I upcycled the legs from an inexpensive TV tray table and used two pine stair risers as the table top.


DIY x base folding coffee table made with tray table base and stair risers.

I’m really excited about this x-base coffee table because it folds like a tray table, making it a snap to store when it is not being used.  Wouldn’t this be nice for a small living room–you can get it out when you want it, and put it away when you don’t.

DIY coffee table furniture project x base

Because the entire legs/base is from a tray table, this coffee table is about as sturdy as a tray table.  Keep that in mind, and see if it meets your needs.

Here is my folding coffee table loaded up with about 60 pounds of goods, so I feel okay about putting a laptop on it, and some books, a drink, a remote, and kicking back with my feet on the thing. But I’m not going to sit on it or let my children sit on it (they’re teenagers). You get my point.

w_flatDSC_5168ab

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