DIY Coffee Table

After months and months of begging, I finally convinced handy hubby to build a coffee table for our TV room! He built it in a few hours one Saturday and I took over and got the whole table stained using my go to stain mix. This was definitely a quick weekend project and all materials were purchased at our local Home Depot. For under $100, we now have a beautiful coffee table in this space and I can’t wait to style it! This is a beginner project so scroll down for the step by step DIY so you too can build your own!

**Our finished coffee table measures 50″ long by 27″ wide by 17″ high and these plans are based off of those measurements.**

STEP ONE: Cut and build the base. These will be the legs for your table. We used 2″x2″ square pieces for the legs and cut them approximately 16″ high. Then we screwed each leg to a 1.5″ x 1.5″ square piece. This will be the long sides of the skirt of the table.

STEP TWO: Next we did the top. Each plank of wood measured 5.5″ wide and was 1.25″ thick. We first cut 5 planks 39″ long each. These were glued and screwed together. Then each end piece was cut 27″ long and then glued and screwed to each end.

STEP THREE: Attach the legs to the top. Then finish the skirt by cutting two pieces to fit in between each end {see below}. Again, just glue and screw. We placed the skirt so there was about a 2-3″ overhang.

STEP FOUR: After sanding, we prepped the piece for staining. I always clean it down with a wet cloth to get any dust and dirt off. I love using these premium cut wiping cloths, found at Home Depot and always wear gloves. Then I stain the entire piece with one coat Minwax Provincial. I do the underneath of the table first and then flip it over and do the top.

STEP FIVE: After letting that coat completely dry, I apply another coat of Minwax Classic Gray. This really cuts out any red or orange undertones that may come out in the wood and really softens the whole piece up. I LOVE this stain combo and have used it on almost every piece of furniture we have built in our home.

STEP SIX: I alway finish off our furniture pieces with a few coats of a water based polyurethane in a matte finish. The water based finish really protects it against any accidental spills and makes it easy to wipe down with a cloth. I love the one by General Finishes.

Here are a few pics of the piece all finished up in our space!