How to Build a Wooden Kitchen Table

Build a Table

• 1

  Select the type of wood to make your table. White pine is a versatile and inexpensive hardwood that can be stained light or dark to match your decor. Clear white pine is a bit more expensive, but free of knots.

• 2

  Purchase the wood at a local lumber yard or home improvement store. Select nine 2-by-4 boards for the table top. Choose each piece individually. Look down the length of the board, making sure it is straight. Buy 6-foot-long boards and skip having to cut them to fit.

• 3

  Lay the table top boards on a flat surface parallel to one another. Put most attractive surface on the top.

• 4

  Cut the 12-foot-long 2-by-4 board into three equal pieces. These boards will hold your table top together from the bottom. Lay these cross-boards across your table top boards and screw them together with wood screws. Make sure there are no gaps.

• 5

  Cut the three 1-by-6 boards in half, so they are each 36 inches long. These are your legs. (One 36-inch piece will be leftover.) Pre-drill holes in the cross-boards where you will set your legs. Screw in the legs by attaching two legs at both ends and one directly in the center of the table.

• 6

  Sand all of the surfaces until smooth and ready to stain.

• 7

  Brush an even coat of varnish on all surfaces. Let the varnish dry for the recommended amount of time. Repeat this step until the desired finish is achieved.