Build a $75 Dining Room Table: Free Plans!

I had a glorious nine days off last week that I’d been looking forward to for a month. Leaving work on my last day before vacation was just like

Anyway, I had big plans for my vaycay, people. BIG plans. Since the main level floors had been refinished I could finally start working on the dining room and living room, and I was gunning for this old table, big time.

We were given this table when we bought our our first house three years ago. It has been great for us and I’ll never turn my nose up at free furniture, but my tastes have changed a lot (just look at those chairs) and I wanted something a little bigger, that could seat at least six.

So I did some mathing and decided how big I wanted our new table to be, then sketched out a rough drawing of the table top:

No, no, I’m not an engineer, but thank you for asking! For the base I was inspired by the Hyannis Dining Table from Wicker Emporium, which is gorgeous, but totally out of my price range. I figured I could easily replicate it using 2x4s for the legs and braces and 2x2s for the decorative accent pieces.

I’m so happy with how the table turned out, and I’m especially excited that this is my first build using plans of my own, and that I was able to navigate Google Sketchup enough so that I can share them here! (Please be kind! I’m still learning the program hence the weird-looking pocket holes.) I hope they’re clear, but am happy to answer any questions about the process in the comments.

I started by making my cuts for the table top pieces out of my 2x10s. I used my new Ryobi table saw to make all of the cuts for the 2x10s, and I love it! I’ve always avoided using the table saw but am glad I faced my fears and am getting more comfortable with it.

I sanded all the planks separately before attaching them together using 1 1/2″ pocket holes and 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws. My Kreg Jig was integral to  building this table and I love it more and more every time I use it! I currently have the R3, but am hoping to upgrade to the K4 soon. Look at all those pocket holes!

I beveled the long sides of the table using my table saw for something to do. I was trying to replicate live-edge wood, which it doesn’t at all, but I did end up loving the end result anyway so score?

Next I made the legs. I used 2x4s glued together to cut back on costs, but you could use 4x4s instead if that’s your preference.

I let the legs dry over night, and then assembled the base using pocket holes and wood glue:

This thing is STURDY. Definitely can and will be dancing on it in the very near future.

I finished the top and base separately and waited to attach them together until after moving both pieces inside. For the finish, I used one coat of Minwax Provincial stain. I wiped it off with a rag almost immediately after application so it wouldn’t turn out too dark or saturated.

I love all the variations in the wood! Provincial was a good choice because I wanted something that was darker than my floors, but not so dark that it would have no depth. Once I applied the first coat of poly, it warmed up the wood slightly but didn’t change the color too drastically.

I gave the top seven coats of poly (sanding in between each) but only three on the base, since it won’t see as much wear and tear and I am LAZY.

Looking good, Madam Table (actually not really because this lighting is terrible):

I moved both pieces inside, secured the top to the base using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws and stood back to admire my handiwork.

Since we are too poor to afford  any more than four of those bomb-ass Eiffel chairs, I built a bench using plans for the Ana White Outdoor Sofa with some left over 2x4s. I modified the plans slightly to accommodate for size, and sewed some super-easy (removable!) cushion covers following this impossible to screw up tutorial. Seriously, if you can sew a straight line, you can make these.

I do love the added detail of the table’s beveled edge, especially for how simple it was to achieve using the table saw!

I’m irrationally excited to find the perfect rug for under the table. My life is….wild. If you want to build this table yourself, check out my free plans here! The wood cost around $75 in total and I had all the other supplies for finishing on hand. This is a basic build that (in my humble, unbiased opinion) looks like an expensive piece of furniture and is solid as hell. Framing lumber is a wonderful thing, my friends. Happy building!