Building a table for your office has many advantages. It gives you freedom in terms of design, budget, and quality because you can choose all the materials you want to use. Likewise, you can upcycle the old items you have at home, such as your old but sturdy bookcase and cabinet, saving you even more money.
Moreover, you’ll find many instructional videos and articles about table building, how to attach farmhouse table top to base, and other similar information. That said, it will still depend on the design of the table you’re planning to build.
Table Designs Beginners Can Easily Build
When you go around and shop for a table, you’ll find that it comes with several designs. The same goes when you search for DIY table designs. Some are complex and require more skills, materials, and tools. Others are simple and might only involve general measuring, cutting, and attaching steps.
Here are some of the simplest table projects you can create using basic DIY tools and materials:
1. Door Slab Center or Corner Table
What makes this DIY table easy to build is the use of old items you can find collecting dust in your garage or storage space. Your old cabinet or room door will serve as the tabletop. Cut it into a smaller length or use it as is, which is the easier route.
Consider using old wooden crates, drawers, or stools for the legs to maintain the rustic style. If one or all of the materials you need isn’t available, you can find one in thrift stores. Just make sure you check the quality.
2. Small Study or Office Table
As an amateur DIYer, a small-sized square or rectangular table for your kid and small office is always a good idea, especially if you want to build from scratch. All you have to do is measure and cut the tabletop, tabletop frame, and legs. Then, attach the parts using screws or nails.
3. Wooden and Pipe Table
This DIY table will have a top made of wood and legs made of metal pipes. It might sound complicated if you still don’t have the skills to cut and spot weld pipes. However, you can use black iron piping, which you can find in hardware stores, for this project. It will come in a preset threaded length and various joints and flanges you can use.
To build this DIY table, measure and cut your table’s frame and screw them together. Attach your wooden tabletop, pre-cut lumber, or door slab to the frame using nails or screws. Then, assemble the pipes you bought that will serve as legs. Lastly, attach the legs to the completed tabletop with a frame using the flanges that came with your pipes.
4. Coffee or Picnic Table
Put your wooden pallets or crates to good use by upcycling them into a picnic or coffee table. You may also purchase them from construction sites and industrial companies.
Assemble the wooden pallets to achieve the table shape you want. If you’re using wooden crates, attach them side by side with the open area facing outwards. This way, they can serve as an under-table bookshelf or storage area. Then, add casters as legs.
For the tabletop, you can attach a piece of wood or a door slab using screws or nails. You may also consider placing a piece of thick glass over your DIY table.
5. Fold-Out Storage Table
Another worthy project is a fold-out storage table made of an old cabinet or shelf, pipes with interior threading, and caster wheels. To give you an idea of how to build this two-in-one table, here’s a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Remove the original door of your cabinet or shelf if there is one.
Step 2: Install four casters at the bottom.
Step 3: Measure the height of the shelf or cabinet, excluding the wheels. Use these measurements when cutting a thick piece of wood, which will serve as both a door and tabletop.
Step 4: Attach the cut-out wood to the topmost part of the shelf or cabinet’s opening using door hinges.
Step 5: Next, attach two pipe fittings at the interior bottom area of the foldable tabletop. Make sure they won’t cause any trouble or prevent you from folding it completely when you convert the item into a storage cabinet.
Step 6: Cut two pipes that will serve as the foldable table’s legs. They should have a length that will ensure you have a flat, even surface when you lift the “door” or table extension. When using your final project as a table, lift the foldable surface and attach the pipes to the fittings.
Is It Hard To Build a Table?
Building a table is not that hard, as long as you choose designs that require simple techniques such as those discussed earlier. Once you develop and improve your skills, you can start building tables with more complex shapes and multiple features. You can even take on projects that require more power tools, steps, and materials.
