How to Build an End Table for a TV

Purchase one sheet of 1/2-inch plywood, four 2-inch-by-2-inch lumber beams and and eight 1-inch-by-3-inch lumber beams.

Put on safety glasses. Cut two sections of the 1/2-inch plywood with a circular or table saw. Make one section a 2-foot-by-2-foot square for the tabletop and the other section 16 inches by 16 inches for the bottom shelf.

Cut four 2-inch-by-2-inch beams to 24 inches long to form the table legs.

Cut four 1-inch-by-3-inch beams to 20 inches long and four 1-inch-by-3-inch beams to 16 inches long to form the top and bottom skirts. Fasten beams of the same length together to form two boxes, meaning nail the four 20-inch beams together and the four 16-inch beams together.

Place the tabletop on the floor upside down and nail the 20-inch top skirt box to the tabletop. Place each of the four 2-inch-by-2-inch legs inside the box and nail them to the skirt.

Slide the 16-inch bottom skirt box between the attached four legs about 4 to 6 inches from the bottom of the legs. Nail the 16-inch skirt to the inside of the legs. Turn the end table upright. Situate the 16-inch-by-16-inch bottom shelf on top of the skirt and fasten with a nail gun. This will make the end table sturdy enough to hold a television and provide storage space.

Sand the entire end table by hand or with a sander to smooth. Apply a coat of paint, stain or polyurethane to finish the furniture piece, following the manufacturer's application instructions.