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Super-Simple Coffee Table
Even if you’ve never built furniture before, you can create this coffee table.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 3.3–6.5 hours
- Cost
- $$
Cut list
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legs | 4 | 1" × 1" × 15" | — | ☐ |
| End Apron | 2 | 3/4" × 3" × 21" | — | ☐ |
| Side Apron | 2 | 3/4" × 3" × 45" | — | ☐ |
| Stretcher | 2 | 1" × 2" × 22" | — | ☐ |
| Top | 1 | 3" × 24" × 48" | — | ☐ |
| Side Edging | 2 | 3/4" × 1" × 49" | — | ☐ |
| End Edging | 2 | 3/4" × 1" × 22" | — | ☐ |
Materials
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Board, 2x2 36" | 2 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x3 48" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x4 48" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x4 96" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x2 96" | 2 board | ☐ |
| Plywood, 3/4" Thick Quarter Sheet | 1 board | ☐ |
| 1 1/4" pocket hole screws | 70 each | ☐ |
| Wood Glue | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools
- Drill / Driver
- Miter Saw
- Random Orbit Sander
- Tape Measure — optional
Instructions
1. Create the Legs
- Cut four Legs to length from 2x2 boards, as shown in the cutting diagram.
- Then cut the bevel on the bottom end of each leg. You can do this easily with a miter saw. With your pocket hole jig set up for 3/4" material, drill pocket holes in the ends of all four pieces, as shown. Make sure you are placing the pocket holes in the leg face shown so that you’ll end up with two sets of “mirror image” legs.
Tip: Lay Out Parts to Avoid Confusion Sometimes, similar parts have to be made differently depending on where they are located. That’s the case with these coffee table legs. They all need a single pocket hole on one inside face. To avoid confusion, position the parts how they’ll be oriented, and then mark them so you can keep them sorted out.
2. Make the End Aprons
Cut two End Aprons to length from 1x4 boards, as shown in the cutting diagram. With your pocket hole jig set up for 3/4" material, drill pocket holes in both Aprons, as shown.
3. Create the Ends
Now you can attach the End Aprons to the Legs using 1 1/4" fine-thread pocket hole screws. Make sure you have the pocket holes in the Aprons oriented correctly for attaching the table top later.
4. Make Side Aprons and Stretchers
- Cut two Side Aprons to length from 1x4 boards, as shown in the cutting diagram.
- Then cut two Stretchers from 1x3 boards. With your pocket hole jig set up for 3/4" material, drill pocket holes in the pieces, as shown.
5. Assemble the Aprons and Stretchers
Now you can attach the Stretchers to the Aprons using 1 1/4" fine-thread pocket hole screws. Make sure that the pocket holes are all oriented in the proper direction for attaching the table top later.
6. Assemble To Make the Table Base
Now you can attach the Apron/Stretcher assembly to the End assemblies you made earlier to create the table base. Use 1 1/4" fine-thread pocket hole screws.
7. Make a Table Top
Now you can make the table Top. The easiest way is to simply purchase a pre-cut quarter-sheet of 3/4" plywood. Or cut the Top to size from a larger sheet. With your pocket hole jig set up for 3/4" material, drill pocket holes in the Top, as shown.
8. Make Solid-Wood Edging
Now, to dress up the Top, cut two pieces of Side Edging and two pieces of End Edging to length from 1x2 boards, as shown in the cutting diagram. Note that the ends get bevel cut at 45°. You don’t need a miter saw that has a tilting head for cutting bevels, though. Just stand each piece on edge and set your miter saw to cut a 45° miter.
9. Attach the Edging
Now you can attach the Edging using 1 1/4" fine-thread pocket hole screws, as shown. Align the corners carefully, and add a bit of wood glue to help keep them tight.
10. Put It All Together
After you give everything a final sanding, you can attach the Top assembly to the table base using 1 1/4" fine-thread pocket hole screws, as shown. Then paint, stain, or finish the coffee table to suit your tastes.
