Build Your Own Mid Century Modern Coffee Table for $60

Around 2 years ago, I built my first piece of furniture: a coffee table. Solid wood coffee tables are hella expensive. The most affordable one I could find was still $300. After doing a bunch of research I decided I to build my own. At the time that I built this table, I didn’t own a single saw. I didn’t even have a drill so I had to borrow one from a friend. I had to build this table quickly too because the family I was living with was trying to sell their home and they needed to stage the house on the cheap.

Surprisingly, the table ended up being so successful that my friends, Ryan and Lisa, commissioned me to recreate the same table for their living room a year later. Their table was a little larger, but the build concept was exactly the same. I also had a few more tools this time. They asked me if they could take part in building it and I had no objections to that. The photos below are from their build.

Materials and Cuts:
(2) 1 x 20″ x 48″ pine boards from Lowes (around $15 each)
(2) 1 x 8 x 20″ pine board (I bought one long board and had Lowes cut it because I didn’t have a saw at the time)
1/4 in. dowels ($2.50)
Pre-stain (highly recommended for softwoods like pine for a more even finish)
Stain and Sealer (I used Kona by Rustoleum)
Wood Glue
4 Tapered legs and angled top plates from Lowes (around $6 – $7 each)

Tools:
Doweling jig
Sandpaper
Stain Brush and Rags
Clamps
Measuring Tape
Speed Square (optional, but makes life easier)

1. Drill Holes

The first thing I did was create the box for my table. Using my doweling jig, I drilled 1/4 inch holes on the edges of the 1 x 8 boards. If you don’t have a doweling jig, you can measure it out (it just takes longer). Then I drilled holes on the corresponding inside face of the larger boards. Be careful when you’re doing this because the board is only be 3/4 in. thick and you don’t want to drill all the way through. Mark off your drill bit with tape so you know exactly when to stop drilling. I did a quick dry fit with the dowels to make sure everything was lining up correctly. If you want more information on how to connect boards using dowels, here’s a great tutorial.

2. Glue it up

After everything was fitting well, I did my glue up. I made sure to have plenty of glue since the pine was very absorbant. Be sure to add glue to the dowels as well.

3. Clamp and dry

I clamped everything together. And just to make sure everything was square and level, I took an extra scrap piece of 1 x 8 and inserted it into the box perpendicular to the edge as a support while the glue was drying.

4. Sand it down

After the glue had dried overnight, I sanded the whole table down. At the time I didn’t have a power sander so I just used good old fashioned sandpaper at 220 grit. The second time I built the table with Ryan and Lisa, I used a random orbit sander and it changed my life. If you don’t have an orbital sander, I highly recommend it. (Below is my friend Ryan sanding the edges of their table by hand. Even if you have an orbital sander, I find it best to sand the edges by hand so that you don’t nick the wood)

5. Wipe up the dust

I wiped down the table with tack cloth, but you can use a damp paper towel as well. Just make sure it fully dries before you apply stain.

6. Pre-stain

I applied the pre-stain with a rag. This step isn’t necessary if you’re using a hardwood, but since I used a softwood, this will keep the stain from looking splotchy. (Below is a photo of my friend Lisa applying pre stain on their table)

7. Apply stain

After the pre-stain has soaked into the wood for about 15 minutes, you can apply the stain. I recommend doing this in a well ventilated space but not in direct sunlight. The heat makes the stain dry too fast and it doesn’t coat the wood evenly (We learned this the hard way as you can see Ryan demonstrating below). We brushed on the stain and wiped off the excess with a rag. Be sure to stain the tapered legs as well.

I decided not to add a coat of polyurethane on top of the wood because I loved the matte look of the stain and polyurethane always adds this shiny quality that somehow cheapens the look. Since the stain doubled as a sealer, I figured we were ok. I’ve had my table for 2 years now and I haven’t had any problems. I’ve even put drink glasses directly onto the table and haven’t had any stain lift off. (Although one should always use a coaster, because we aren’t savages.)

8. Mark out the leg locations

Once the stain dried, it was time to mount the legs. I mounted mine 4 inches from the sides and 2 inches from the front. You can mount yours wherever you think they look best. If you got the angled top plates like I did, make sure that the angles are oriented the correct way so that the legs are pointing outwards. A way to ensure this is to attach the legs to your top plates and while you are positioning them onto the table.

9. Drill pilot holes for leg screws

After I marked all my measurements and marked where the holes were, I drilled tiny pilot holes for the screws. Be sure not to drill to far into the wood or else your drill bit will come poking through to the other side. To prevent this, mark your drill bit with some tape to indicate when you should stop.

10. Attach the legs

Screw the top plates on and then attach the legs to the plates.

11. Let the stain cure

Make sure you let the table dry for at least 24 hrs before you bring it inside your home. Otherwise your house will reek from the fumes.

And that’s it! You can build this coffee table with very few tools and a bit of elbow grease. It’s super sturdy, has great storage, and it looks great. Happy Building!

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