You read that correctly -- a dining table for under $200.
Quarantine really inspired us to get our house to look the way we wanted. The bulky, dark dining set we had been using for the last eight years didn't really match our style. If you're like us, your house is sprinkled with hand-me-down and second hand furniture from the early years of adulthood. In fact, when we moved in together this dining set was the first real purchase we made as a couple. We got it for a steal because the person selling it was relocating for work and needed to unload it quickly. It was a great set for us, but it was finally time for an update.
As two young parents were in search for a table that matched our aesthetic, was durable, and didn't break the bank. We referred to this as a unicorn table because it didn't seem to exist. After many hours of online research, we decided that if we wanted a dining table that would meet all of our needs, we would have to make it ourselves. So we did!
Once we sold our dining set, we headed straight to buy any materials we didn't already have at home. Here's the materials list:
Materials:
* 2 4"x4"x8' untreated, kiln-dried douglas fir lumber
* 4 1"x4"x8' square edge white wood
* 6 1"x6"x12' square edge white wood
* 1 4'x8' sheet of 1/2 inch OSB
* 1 2"x3"x10' framing stud - we had this as a piece of scrap lying around, but wanted to include it on the list in case you don't have access to scrap wood
* 1 1/4" 18 gauge brad nails
* 1 1/4" Kreg pocket screw
* 4 2 1/2" lag bolts
* Titebond II glue - Don't skimp on this! We ended up having to purchase more glue after we underestimated how much we needed. In hindsight, we would have purchased a gallon of the Titebond II and a glu-bot so we didn't waste any.
* Wood Stain - we used Minwax Dark Walnut
* Finish - we used a satin polyurethane because we wanted a glossier finish that was easier to clean, but you can use any stain you like
Tools:
* Miter Saw
* Circular Saw
* Table Saw - You can definitely do this project without a table saw, but we made a makeshift table saw by attaching a circular saw upside down to a piece of plywood and screwing down a parallel fence. This is obviously not recommended for everyone because of safety reasons. If you don't have a table saw, you can also purchase 1x3s instead of 1x6s or manually rip (a field term for cut with the grain) 1x6s to create the 1x3s. Lowe's and Home Depot typically have varying rules on how many cuts or the smallest cuts they will do for you in-store. The stores by us won't do anything smaller than 12 inches, so we did all final cuts on our own.
* Block Plane
* Brad Nailer
* Random Orbit Sander
* Tape Measure
* Combination Square
* Bench Plane (optional)
* Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
* Drill/Driver
Here's a step-by-step guide on how we completed our finished looked:
Step 1: Figure out what dimensions will best fit your space. We went with 39 1/2" W x 85" L. It was important to us to have a table large enough to seat eight chairs, but wanted to make sure it didn't over power our dining room area. I am a super visual person, so we used this guide we found online to help us decide on the overall size.
Step 2: Figure out how much wood you'll need for your table, and any other materials that you may not already own. Math is not my strong suit so I relied on JP for this one. And, for what it's worth, we needed to buy more 1x6"s to complete the herringbone pattern. Somewhere we managed to only get enough for about 2/3 of the table. But who doesn't love an extra trip to the hardware store? Total we spent about $160 on materials, but keep in mind we already owned the tools and some of the hardware. The cost of materials will vary based on your store and selection of products.
Step 3: Cut the sheet of OSB to match the size of your table, minus 1 1/2" to account for the trim. In our case, due to the lack of table saw (see above), we had Home Depot cut the sheet of OSB down to 83 1/2"x38". This sheet is going to become the footprint for the table. If you choose to have them do this part for you, don't forget to take your off-cuts from the store; they make great straight edges for squaring up the table later.
Step 4: Cut the legs to length. Using the 4"x4"x8' douglas fir lumber and a miter saw, cut the legs to their final length. This will be less than the height of the table by about 1 1/4" based on the thickness of the top. We wanted our table to be about 31" tall. Taking into account the 1/2" OSB and the 3/4" herringbone top, we cut all four legs to 29 3/4". We added a taper to all four sides of each leg to lighten the look and remove some of the bulkiness. To do this we used a combination square set to 5/8" and marked the bottom of each leg where it will be the thinnest. Then we adjusted the combination square to 9" and marked down from the top of the leg where the taper would begin, then connected the two points on each face. We used a circular saw to make the initial taper cuts, and a bench plane (because that's what we had on hand) to smooth them out. This was a bit of a pain to get the consistent taper we wanted, so for an easier taper we'd recommend using a table saw with a tape ring jig or a band saw.
Step 5: Cut the 1"x4"x8's to create the apron of the table. Using two of the boards, cut two pieces equal to the length and width of the apron. Depending on how much overhang you'd like and the thickness of the legs, this measurement will be shorter than the length of the finished table. We went with an overhang of about 1 1/2" wide-wise and 6" length-wise. Our boards came out to around 67" L and 29" W.
Step 6: Assemble the base. Using the Kreg pocket hole jig, pre-drill holes in the ends of your four apron pieces. Using the 1 1/4" Kreg pocket screws, attach the apron pieces to the legs. Make sure you know which faces of the legs you'd like to face outward before you attach the apron. We tried to match the grain direction on all four legs to give a more uniform look.
Step 7: Cut the cross braces. Measure the width between the pieces of the apron that run length-wise. Using the 2"x3"s, cut two cross braces and attached them evenly spaced between inside the apron.
*Not pictured* We went back and added corner braces with the left over 2"x3" lumber. We cut four pieces to run diagonally across the corners and mitered the edges to 45 degrees for a flush fit against the apron. We attached the ends with 1 1/4" screws and drove a lag bolt into each leg for stability.
Step 8: Now it's time to cut the pieces for the herringbone pattern - this is a two parter.
a. We went with a four column pattern, but this can easily be done with three or five. It'll depend on the look you're going for, how big or small you want the pattern to be, and the size of your table. It's very important to make sure that the pieces that make up the pattern are consistent in both length and width. Do not guesstimate. We took the 1"x6"x12's, and using a stop block on the miter saw (we screwed a sacrificial fence to the miter saw and put a clamp 15" from the blade), cut all six 1"x6"x12's.
b. Once you've cut all of the boards to length, you can then rip them all to their final width using a table saw. Again, this is entirely up to your desired look, but we went with 2 1/2".
Step 9: Piece together the #herringbone pattern. Place the OSB on top of the table base. Since we did a four column pattern, we started by finding the center of the OSB and marking it as our reference point. We marked the center of the first board on the end grain and lined it up with the mark on the OSB at a 45 degree angle. Liberally apply the Titebond II glue -- we started by applying it directly to each board, but ended up using a silicone brush to spread it out across the OSB by the end of it. Making sure the first board is positioned exactly where you want it is imperative. It is the basis for how the rest of the pattern will come together. We used a clamp to secure the boards in place while the glue was fresh. Once the first board was set, we continued the pattern until the sheet was covered. Any smaller gaps we filled with cut-offs or scrap pieces. Once the pattern was completed we applied downward pressure to hold the boards in place overnight. We were happy to have so many of our kids' items; they came in handy.
Step 10: Trim the overhang. Carefully flip the table top over, good side down onto your work bench (it will be heavy!). Using your off-cuts from the OSB, clamp them parallel to the edge of the table to guide your circular saw along the straight edge. Marvel at the results!
Step 11: Fill in any spaces between the boards. You may notice gaps between some of the boards -- that's okay. Because wood is a natural material, there will be imperfections and not all of the boards will fit together perfectly flush. We filled them by rubbing a combination of glue and sawdust by hand into each groove and allowing it to dry. Step 12: Attach the table top to the base. Flip the table top over, good side down onto a flat surface. Attach the base to the underside of the table top with pocket holes and screws. Use your combination square to set a consistent overhang. Step 13: Cut and attach the face trim to the table top. With the remaining two 1"x4"s, rip them to the thickness of your table. Our's is 1 1/4" thick. Attach the slats around the edge using 1 1/4" brad nails. You can miter the corners if you want, but we did a butt joint. Step 14: Sanding. Oh so much sanding. Using the random orbit sander, we started with an 80 grit sandpaper and worked our way up to 220 grit sandpaper. Total we used four different grits (80, 120, 180, 220). Step 15: Stain your table. Apply the stain of your choosing evenly to the table. We stained the base of the table first and worked our way up to the top. Our stain was Minwax's Dark Walnut. Follow the instructions on your stain for drying time. It took our table about a day and a half to dry completely.
Step 16: Apply finish! You may choose any finish you like. We went with a satin polyurethane because we wanted a glossier finish, durability, and easy to clean table. We applied two coats to the base and four coats to the top. For best results, we recommend sanding lightly in between coats with 220 grit sandpaper. All in all this #DIY project took us about a week. We capitalized on the time we had during naps and after our kids went to bed to get a majority of the work done. We stained and applied finish during the day, but the applications took only 15-20 minutes each not including drying time. This is definitely a project that could be knocked out in a long weekend if you don't have kids, or if you have childcare.
Here's the finished product!
- Karly
Want more projects like this? Let us know in the comments!👇