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A square coffee table with a lower shelf whose signature move is the legs: thick 2x6 posts that pass up through notched cutouts in the corner boards of the top, so the leg tops read as part of the surface. It looks like joinery and is really just careful jigsaw work.
The key is matching the notch to the leg. Measure the actual end of your 2x6 — it should be 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" — and mark that shape on the ends of the four corner 1x12 boards, then cut just inside the pencil line so the leg fits snug. Cut proud and sand to fit rather than cutting to the line and leaving a gap.
Everything else is fit-to-size: cut the 1x3 side aprons to the measured distance between your notches, and the 1x2 cross supports to the inside frame (about 29-1/4"). One builder's tip worth keeping: when you screw the legs on, cant them a hair outward. A dead-vertical leg on a slightly-out-of-flat floor rocks; a whisper of outward splay plants all four feet.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x12, 8 ftTop and shelf boards. | 2 each |
| 1x3, 6 ftTop frame aprons. | 2 each |
| 1x2, 8 ftCross supports and shelf frame. | 3 each |
| 2x6, 8 ftThe chunky legs. | 1 each |
| Self-tapping star-bit screws, 2" | 16 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Top boards1x12The four corner ends get notched 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" for the legs. | 3 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 34" |
| Legs2x6 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 18" |
| Top side aprons1x3Cut to the measured distance between the notches. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Cross supports1x2Cut to fit the inside frame (~29-1/4"). | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Shelf frame1x2Cut to fit inside the legs. | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
2 boards
2 boards
2 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Measure the end of your 2x6 — it should be 1-1/2" x 5-1/2". Mark that shape on the ends of four of the 1x12 top boards and cut the notches with a jigsaw, staying just inside your pencil lines so the legs fit snug. Sand to a tight fit rather than cutting to the line and leaving gaps.
Measure between your cutouts and cut the 1x3 side aprons to that length for a perfect fit around the leg notches.
Join the 1x3 frame boards together with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue into a square frame. Don't attach it to the 1x12s yet — dry-fit it on the top boards to confirm the notches and frame line up.
Measure the inside of the frame, perpendicular to the 1x12 grain, and cut the 1x2 cross supports to fit — about 29-1/4". Attach them to the inside of the 1x3 frame with glue and brads. These stiffen the top and give the boards something to fasten to.
On a very level surface, attach the 2x6 legs to the top frame through the 1x3s with 2" screws. Drive them at a slight outward angle — that tiny splay is what keeps the finished table from rocking on an imperfect floor.
Build the bottom shelf the same as the top, except use 1x2 for the outer frame instead of 1x3. Set it inside the legs at your chosen height and attach with 2" screws. Sand everything and finish.
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