Happier Homemaker Farmhouse Table

Attach the shortest 2x4 end stretchers together first, forming the two short leg-and-stretcher units. A nailer works well here since the small nails are easy to hide, but screws work too, driven from the inside faces where they won't show.

Attach the end stretcher units to the first set of legs with screws and glue.

Attach the second set of legs to the outsides of the first, screwing face to face — this is what turns two 2x4s into one substantial-reading post per corner.

Attach the end aprons on top, on the outsides of the leg sets. If you're using pocket holes, drill 1-1/2" pocket holes facing upward on the insides of the aprons now — you'll need them to attach the tabletop in a later step.

Stand the frame up and check it for square by measuring both diagonals — adjust until they match before moving on to the tabletop supports.

Add the 2x2 supports under where the tabletop will sit. These give you something to register the tabletop boards against as you lay them, which is what keeps five wide boards landing close and even across the width instead of drifting apart.

If you have a pocket-hole jig, you can build the tabletop as one joined unit first and then attach the whole thing to the aprons at once.

Lay the tabletop boards down and set the frame on top. Starting at the middle board and working outward in both directions, screw down from underneath, minimizing gaps as you go.

For indoor use, keep the boards tight together. For exterior use, run a deliberate 1/4" gap between boards for water drainage instead. You can also drive a few screws from the top into the end aprons in a deliberate pattern for extra hold.

Sand, fill any visible fasteners, and finish to suit where the table lives — interior stain and topcoat indoors, or a genuine exterior finish if the table gets rained on.