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Three cuts lists, three steps, one genuinely useful object: a 17"-tall block that's a side table beside a chair, a stool when the patio overflows, and a plant stand the rest of the year. The frame is 2x3 — the forgotten stud-aisle size, lighter than 2x4 and chunkier than 2x2 — with a cedar picket top.
The teaching moment is the 1/2" scrap spacer: when attaching the aprons, a piece of 1/2" scrap laid against the leg sets the apron's inset automatically. No measuring, no marking, identical reveals on all eight joints. Every plan with an inset detail is secretly this trick; this one just says it out loud.
The finish schedule is also backwards from most builds, and better for it: sand all the boards, stain them, let them dry, THEN cut and build. Touch-up on cut ends only. On a piece this small the entire finishing job happens flat on sawhorses in ten minutes.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x3, 8 ftStud-length works. The whole frame. | 2 each |
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72"51" of it — the three top boards. | 1 each |
| Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-3/4", star drive | 30 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #8 x 1-3/4", star driveTop boards. | 12 each |
| Wood stainApplied to the sanded boards before cutting. | 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Legs2x3 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 17 1/4" |
| Side aprons2x3 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 14" |
| Aprons and stretcher2x3 | 3 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 13" |
| Top boardsCedar fence picket | 3 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 17" |
Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
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 →
Sand all the boards at 120, stain them, and let them dry — before any cutting. On a project this size, pre-finishing turns the finish work into ten flat minutes, and the only brushwork after assembly is dabbing the cut ends.
Cut the parts, then join each pair of legs with two 14" side aprons: lay a 1/2" piece of scrap against the leg face and rest the apron on it while you drive the 2-3/4" screws — the apron lands inset exactly 1/2", every joint identical, no measuring.
Build the two sets and stand them side by side to confirm they match.
Connect the leg sets with the three 13" pieces — two as aprons up top, one as a low stretcher — same spacer, same screws. Then lay the three picket tops with even gaps and screw down with the 1-3/4" screws.
Touch up the cut ends with stain, and put it next to the best chair on the porch, where it will immediately hold a drink.
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