A Gorgeous DIY Console Table

There are times when the shopping trips work out and you find the perfect piece of furniture, then there are other times when you search endlessly only to be left feeling defeated. So instead you break out the power tools, a little bit of skill and make your own DIY Console Table.

That pretty much sums up our hunt for a light-colored console table that was modern in style with a little bit of rustic flair.

I had this picture in my head of what I wanted it to look like yet nothing I found even came close. So after coming up empty-handed, I propositioned Wayne, ” Do you think we can make this”?

I knew if we made it ourselves we would end up with a much better piece of furniture, one that would last a lifetime vs the particle board nonsense they usually try to pass off as furniture.

Originally we planned to use reclaimed cargo flooring from an old boxcar from Vintage Reclaimed Lumber, If you are local this store is amazing and not only can they build the items for you but they also sell the lumber so you can DIY your own if that is more your style.

This lumber is exquisite and I have been swooning over it for years but going into this I knew I would need two similar console tables due to the way our house is set up and by the time I finished adding up the cost for two console tables I was seeing stars!

Listen, I am all for investing in quality pieces but most of the time I am a cheapskate. There are some things that I will fork over a hefty amount of dough for but two console tables isn’t one of them. Girl please, I’ve got countertops to buy!

So after several weekends on the fence, we finally bit the bullet and took off to Home Depot to purchase supplies, I figured we would save some money and just try to make the new wood look old.

So many of you guys have literally gone crazy for this table and I am so happy you love it as much as I do! If you have never done a DIY project then don’t fret because this one is so easy I feel like anyone could do it. Honestly, when put into words it looks much harder than it really is.

Time: 5 Hours Cost: $100 Difficulty: Medium

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DIY Console Table Tool List

Miter Saw Or Skill Saw

Drill

Sander

Drill Bit that will go through metal

Brad Nailer or Hammer and Finish Nails

DIY Console Table Supply List

1-2X12 (TOP)

1-2×10 (LEGS)

1-2X6  (APRON)

Brad Nails (impact) or Finish Nails (hammer) ( several for each leg & apron)

1-Box of 1/4″ x 1″ Hex Screws Galvanized (Lag Screws)

4- Simpson Strong-Tie Angle- A-21

4- Simpson Strong-Tie Angle A-24

1 Quart- Minwax Classic Gray Stain

1 Quart – Minwax Polyurethane Top Coat

120- grit Sandpaper or Sanding Pads

1- Long Screw (for beating up the wood)

1- Scrap Piece Of Wood

1- Long Screw For Marking Up Wood

Lint Free Rags or Cloth

Note: We built our table to fit inside an alcove we have in our entryway, you will have enough material to make yours a little bit larger if you prefer. Please read all directions thoroughly before shopping!  (60″ L x 30″ H) 

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STEP ONE: First you will need to determine the finished height and width of the table, do this before you go shopping, it will most likely save you some money and you won’t end up with extra material like we did.

STEP TWO: Once you know your measurements write them down somewhere. Also, this table is built with legs that sit at an angle, we went with a 10-degree angle, you can go as far as low as 8 degrees but I loved the way 10 looked.

STEP THREE: Time for your first cut, cut the 2×12 the appropriate length. You will want to make sure your cuts are square and that you do your best to cut any warping out during this step. Hint: Cut the straightest section of your board.

STEP FOUR: Now you are ready to cut the legs, this step is the most important step. They must be cut at a 10-degree angle with each leg being cut the opposite direction. So the right and left side, top and bottom will be cut at a 10-degree angle. This is very important otherwise your legs will not lean the correct way. Once they are cut do a mock-up to see how far apart you want the legs, we left a foot of overhang on each side.

STEP FIVE: Cut your apron the desired length.

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STEP SIX: Sand each piece lightly, being sure to go over the entire thing as well as any marks or imperfections such as pencil marks until they disappear.

STEP SEVEN: Stick the long screw in the vise grips and lock them so it is holding the screw tightly in place.

STEP EIGHT: Starting at one side run the screw horizontally along the wood. There was no science behind this I simply made lots of scratches along the wood to make it look like railcar flooring. One thing I learned was that 18 wheeler cargo flooring will have the scratches going vertically and railcar cargo flooring will have scratches going horizontally due to the door placement and how the cargo is pulled out. So I made all of my scratches horizontal. Sometimes I wonder if I got a little carried away but I love the look of the table. Note I made my scratches as deep as  I could so stain would collect in those gouges. 

STEP NINE: Sand each piece lightly again.

STEP TEN: Make sure all sanding dust and any debris are off of each piece by wiping it down with a lint-free cloth.

NOTE: You will need to make the holes in the angle bigger with your drill bit to allow room for the galvanized screws to go in. We used  one screw on each of the small pieces of angle and three on each of the larger pieces of angle.

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STEP ELEVEN: Lay the top board flat and decide where you will place the legs. We left one foot of overhang on each side, using the brad nailer, tack your leg into place. Then add the A-24 (smaller steel angle) and galvanized screws, attaching the leg to the tabletop.

STEP TWELVE: Repeat step eleven on the back of the leg.

STEP THIRTEEN: Repeat steps eleven and twelve on the opposite leg.

STEP FOURTEEN: Flip the table right side up and test the durability. If the table is wobbly you will need to add some brad nails, attaching the table top and legs together to make it more sturdy. Also at this point, the table should be level, our saw blade was a little messed up so we ended up with more wobble in our table so we made it as level as possible and then used felt pads underneath.

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STEP FIFTEEN: Attach the apron to the table top using the A-24 (bigger of the two) angle pieces and galvanized screws. Adding one angle front and back and on each side. Add a few brad nails if needed.

STEP SIXTEEN: Woohoo! Your table is officially together and you are almost ready for stain! But first go back over the table with a rag to make sure all marks and dust are clear.

STEP SEVENTEEN: Make sure to stir not shake your stain before application, shaking creates air bubbles and you don’t want that.

STEP EIGHTEEN: Using a lint free cloth, dip the cloth into the stain and rub the stain onto the table following the grain of the wood until the entire thing is covered. You will want to watch for drips and immediately rub them in to prevent them from being visible once you’ve finished. After you have finished allow the table to dry for several days or the (allotted timeframe on the stain)

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Congrats, if you’ve made it this far you have a gorgeous new console table and now its time to style this beauty. Choosing a large piece of art can often make a bigger impact than lots of small pieces.

When hanging art you typically want the center to hit right at 60″. For our table I chose to style it with twin lamps and a family photo, then I placed baskets underneath for a little extra storage.

Note: You can find all products and materials linked in the original post in the link below!

Materials used for this project:

• Lumber   (home depot)
• Galvanized screws   (home depot)