DIY coffee table step by step - instructions with photos, descriptions, diagrams and drawings

Attaching the apron

Cut two more pieces of 5 by 20 cm board, 80 cm long, and two boards of narrower boards equal to the narrow side of the tabletop. The boards must be flush against each other. Apply wood glue to the wide part of the boards and attach them to the edges of the tabletop and screw them in place with self-tapping screws at a 45-degree angle.

Product made from eurolining

This board is equipped with very convenient tongue-and-groove joints. You can assemble a lid from it by fitting the boards tightly to each other quite quickly. The same material is used for the legs. For stability, they are reinforced with sides.

Example of a finished table

We will describe how to make an original coffee table with your own hands from clapboard:

The tabletop can be of any shape. When making a cover of complex shape, it is necessary to prepare a sketch of it and indicate in the drawing the width of the boards from which it will be folded. Then use a jigsaw to cut the parts
Carefully sand each of the resulting workpieces using sandpaper or a screwdriver or drill attachment.
The boards will be connected to each other using a strapping block located on the back side of the tabletop. The principle of such an assembly is similar to the panel one. To strengthen it, the strapping beam is additionally attached to wood glue
After assembling the shield, we begin making the base. Each pair of legs must be connected on both sides with side crossbars. If you don’t have a screwdriver, you can use a regular screwdriver if you first make holes in the wood of a slightly smaller diameter
The legs fastened in pairs are connected to each other with a bar so that its end protrudes from the inner sidewall by 2.5 cm
We attach wheels to the legs for ease of movement. There is no point in saving on this type of fittings - after all, it must withstand considerable weight
To tint, the wood can be covered with stain, matching its color to the color of the rest of the furniture, and then varnished
In a similar way, you can make a coffee table with your own hands from chipboard, plywood or laminate. The principle of its assembly will be similar

Table legs

From a timber with a section of 10 by 10 cm, cut out 4 legs of the future table of the desired height. We recommend choosing a height of 40-45 cm.

Also cut two pieces of 10 cm thick timber 65 cm long and two pieces 48 cm long.

Painting

To make your homemade coffee table look beautiful in photos and in real life, paint its legs and tabletop.

For natural wood, you can use your favorite color of paint or stain and varnish.

Before painting, it is better to sand the wood with sandpaper.

Transformable table

A small coffee table can be made in the form of a transformer, which in a matter of minutes, when unfolded, turns into a full-fledged dining or work table. When folded, a wooden table (see photo), made by yourself, will take up a minimum of free space.

Types of table transformations

There are several types of this type of furniture. May change:

only dimensions (length and width) of the tabletop

Product with adjustable leg heights

table height only: a similar method is used if you want to turn a small coffee table into a taller dining table

Product with double table top and adjustable height

both the height of the legs and the dimensions of the tabletop: a method in which more complex mechanisms are used

Coffee table with lifting lid

a variation of the previous designs is a table with a lifting lid that can be moved to the side; in this case, it is easy to turn it into a working one and lay out documents on it or install a laptop

Main stages of manufacturing

Lifting mechanism

To assemble the structure, you will first need a special mechanism. It's easier to buy it at a furniture store. But if you want, you can assemble it yourself, with your own hands, by cutting out parts from durable metal.

A similar product can be made from 22 mm thick chipboards. You will need 2 plates for an extendable tabletop measuring 750x900 mm, plates used as side racks, 4 furniture corners, support bars. You also need to prepare screws, hinges, washers, nuts and bolts
Cutting parts to assemble such a table must be done with millimeter precision. Otherwise, when unfolding, its flaps will constantly jam
It is better to connect the sides together with a metal tie - corners. This will add strength and reliability to the product.
After connecting the sidewalls, mark the attachment points for the transformation mechanism
Drill through the wood for bolts and nuts
We fasten the mechanism parts and check their operation
The last thing we do is attach the tabletop parts. This must be done using metal corners
We check the operation of the mechanism. If necessary, align the joints

Table made from scrap materials

If you are wondering what you can make a coffee table out of, any available materials will come to your aid. The main thing is that the table has legs and a flat top surface. We offer you several ideas for creating a coffee table from unusual materials.

Coffee table: unusual DIY ideas

The process of creating a coffee table is quite complicated, sometimes even too complicated. But the result is definitely worth it. After all, such homemade interior items always look especially beautiful.

Transformable table made of drawers

You can make a table based on wooden boxes in which fruits and vegetables are transported and stored.

Let's say you found new or vintage drawers, now we'll make a transformable coffee table:

1. Paint or varnish the boxes to your taste, let dry;

2. Lay the drawers on their sides and align them to form a square;

3. Secure the drawers with self-tapping screws.

The upper, flat part of the drawers will become a tabletop, and their side parts can be used to store magazines or teaware. Turn the table over and put it on its end - you get a shelving unit.

Pallet table

If you have a wooden pallet, it can serve as the base for a coffee table. For this craft you will need furniture legs. You can buy them at a hardware or hardware store. You can also cut the legs from the timber yourself.

To make the tabletop smoother, cover it with plexiglass or a piece of polished plywood.

Parts of the table are painted if necessary, and then the legs are screwed in.