How to Build Glass Table Bases

Construct a base from a kit if your taste is more country than IKEA and you need a style that fits the personality of your home. Follow directions that come with these traditional, lathe-turned wood kits. Choose these types of components if you seek a properly proportioned look and you don’t have the well-stocked toolbox or skills needed to build something complex. Join together the components and stain the wood legs. Seal the base before sliding your glass tabletop onto the support structure. Whether you’re a fan of walnut or redwood, a beautiful stain will shine through once you’ve topped the base with your glass.

Rescue a tree base from an arborist to create a rustic table base like those found south of the border. Browse tree trunks before they go into the wood chopper or are split into logs for fireplaces. Assess the surface of the one you like since your glass tabletop requires an even surface if it's to avoid wobbling. Bring a level with you to the arborist and place the trunk you select on a flat surface. Ask for a trim if the base isn't even. Sand the base lightly before either staining and sealing it, or just sealing it, so you're able to see the tree rings and grain through your glass tabletop once it's finished.

Re-purpose salvage to make a glass table base that complements your sleek, modern or quirky furnishings. Start your search for resources at local thrift stores, junkyards and garage sales. Keep an open mind when you troll for treasures, remembering to select only base materials that can support your glass tabletop. Examine such items as distressed metal oil drums, chipped statues, tarnished tire stackers or industrial bracing that can be rehabilitated. Use an appropriate commercial restoration product to clean up or refinish the piece up before giving it a place of honor beneath your glass tabletop.

Make a dramatic statement by illuminating your table base. Identify an adjacent power source so you don't wind up with exposed electrical cords. Select and refinish your industrial artifact using a commercial cleaner. Achieve a romantic effect by wrapping strings of lights around the framework, or undertake a more expansive approach by using a hammer and ice pick to tap uniform holes into a recycled metal vessel to replicate the look of vintage tin light fixtures. Lower the pierced base over your lighting source and plug it in. Alternately, wrap a piece of salvage in a lightweight, flame-retardant textile so when the interior lights are activated, the base glows beneath the glass tabletop.