DIY Coffee Table With a Mosaic Accent

Build the Coffee Table

• 1

  Place a 2-by-4-foot piece of wood, 2 inches thick, on the floor with the topside facing down. This is the table top.

• 2

  Set two 37-inch-long two-by-fours and two 16-inch-long two-by-fours, called rails, on the back side of the table top. Set the boards so they are centered on the back in a rectangle with the longer boards on the longer sides and the shorter boards on the shorter sides. The ends of the boards will touch at the corners and leave a square space for the legs.

• 3

  Set one 28-inch-long 1-by-1-inch board in the inside center of each 37-inch board and one 6-inch-long 1-by-1-inch board in the inside center of the 16-inch boards. Attach these small boards, called fillets, to the tabletop with 1 ½-inch screws and a cordless drill.

• 4

  Cut 45-degree angles into both ends of four 6-inch long 2-by-2-inch boards with a table saw, making the boards have one shorter side.

• 5

  Place the boards with 45-degree angles, called corner supports, into the inside corners of the rails with the shorter end facing the corner.

• 6

  Use a chisel to cut a 3/8-inch deep groove into one corner of four 16-inch 2-by-2-inch boards, called legs. The groove must start 2 1/2 inches from the end.

• 7

  Place the legs into the open square of the outside corners of the rails with the grooves facing the corner supports.

• 8

  Clamp the legs to the corner supports. Drill a 1/4-inch hole in the center of the legs through the corner supports. Insert a 6-inch bolt through each leg into each corner support and attach washers and nuts for tightening.

• 9

  Turn the table over.

Place Mosaic Accent

• 10

  Cut a 1/2-inch deep dado 1 inch from the edge on all sides of the tabletop using a router.

• 11

  Chisel out the 1-inch strip from the edges of the table. Chisel carefully to not create divots or bumps in the edge groove.

• 12

  Place mosaic grout into the groove and place mosaic tiles into the grout in the design you want. Remove excess grout that pushes up between tiles by wiping the tiles with a wrung-out sponge. Apply grout rounded on the edges to make smooth edges. Allow the grout to dry for 24 hours, then buff the tile with a clean cloth.

• 13

  Apply clear tile sealant over mosaic art and let that dry for 24 hours before using the table.