Weekend Project: DIY Side Table With a Novel Twist
See how to make this clever $30 over-the-sofa table for your coffee and book
I am an outdoor enthusiast and design junkie living in a ranch style house a few miles west of Madison, WI. I attended Harrington College of Design for a short stint and have wished to be in the design field ever since, although the stars haven't aligned just yet. So, to get my fill, I usually spend hours pouring over interior and exterior photos and write for Houzz every couple of weeks. It's been a fun journey.
I am an outdoor enthusiast and design junkie living in a ranch style house... More »
I've always been a big fan of those cool side tables that let you pull your things in a little closer while lounging on the couch. It has just always seemed so convenient to me to have my coffee right over my lap and a place to set my pens and other small things so the cats wouldn't treat them like their precious loot. The only problem with these tables I thought so highly of was the price tag. I really couldn't justify spending more than $100 on a piece of furniture I could easily make and even customize for much much less, so off I went to the hardware store to gather my supplies. $30 and a couple hours later, I had a new favorite piece of furniture. Here's how I did it:
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| The best part about DIY projects is that you can take a general idea and run in any direction you want. I chose to make my table top out of wood that I cut, sanded and painted black. For added visual interest, I glued scraps from an old novel to the surface. Private Comment
Materials and supplies
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| Spray painting requires multiple coats, so I started with this task first. Basically you just have to paint the copper elbows, tube straps and dowels. Private Comment
I used my time between coats to cut, sand and paint my wood. I ended up using a piece of birch that I already had and cut it to about 10" x 21". |
| Once my dowels were dry, I cut them all to size. This task is easiest if you have a clamp you can work with. I wasn't very picky with being specific on dimensions; I just wanted all the pieces to match in length. I found that the easiest way to do this was to measure my first piece, cut it, and then hold it to my next piece while marking with a saw. This is much quicker and easier than measuring everything out. Private Comment
For reference, I cut:
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| This is what I ended up with. I gave them another coat of paint after this and allowed them to dry. Private Comment
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| While I was waiting for my dowels to finish, I cut paper rectangles in various sizes from pages of an old novel I had. I used clear craft glue that I diluted slightly with water to make it easier to work with. Private Comment
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| I like to scatter the pieces and build up the layers of paper while I work, starting with my large scraps first and finishing up with the smaller ones. Private Comment
Once this was finished, I gave it 3 coats of a clear finish. |
| This is what the completed table top looks like. I thought the chapter indicator "14" was cool so I decided to keep it visible. Private Comment
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| By this time my dowels and copper elbows were dry. I assembled them to make sure everything would fit square. Then I took everything apart and used gorilla glue to join them again. I saw that everything sat square again and let it dry for a couple days. Private Comment
When you do this, be sure to lie the base on its side with the 2 long parts on the ground so it doesn't bend as it dries. |
| Once everything was dry, I used screws to attach my tube straps to the underside of my table top to keep it from moving. Private Comment
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And after a couple hours total, this is what I ended up with. Although I can't speak for the maximum weight it can hold, but it holds my coffee and book nicely.
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Comments
scarbowcow says:
That looks great! I'm really impressed that you could just... figure that out and build it. Looks simple when you do it, but I couldn't figure that out 'from scratch' myself. Question: Does the base scratch your lovely wood floors when you move it around? Would it make sense to put felt on the bottom somehow?
6 months ago ·
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Erin Lang Norris says:
scarbowcow- thank you so much for your kind words, i'm glad you enjoyed this. :)
to answer your question, i did add felt to the bottom of mine after i took these photos. it helps a lot!
to answer your question, i did add felt to the bottom of mine after i took these photos. it helps a lot!
6 months ago ·
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ssileno says:
I was just looking at these the other day and thought the $ was so high for something that seemed rather simple..I am going to give this a try this weekend...thanks so much for posting!
6 months ago ·
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duxbay says:
My DIY project... a treasure box made from Old Cove Oysters in Duxbury.
6 months ago ·
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Audrey Hennefer says:
Got this idea from Tiffany at http://www.savvydesignwest.com/.
These are recycled wine corks....
These are recycled wine corks....
6 months ago ·
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scarbowcow says:
Leslie! I love that hanging lamp you made. Something about it is just so...fetching. Delightful. I wish I could add it to my ideabook.
6 months ago ·
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gknee says:
Love this side table idea and so easy! This would work great as a bedside table too.
6 months ago ·
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jayewo says:
Thank you for posting this! I recently moved my couch to a position where there is no room for a coffee table and have been checking out these tables online. It's almost like you read my mind! I can't wait to build one and collage it.
6 months ago ·
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True Interiors, LLC says:
This is very clever! I think it might also look nice to use copper tubing and leave it unpainted. I was also thinking the top could be any variety of things such as old trays or a section of tree trunk or maybe just a clear coat on a piece of OSB would be neat too. Thanks for the inspiration!
6 months ago ·
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Jennifer Fordham says:
it could look great too with an old metal tray as the top part. Time to go salvaging!
5 months ago ·
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