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You are here: Home / DIY / DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s

DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s

February 29, 2016 By Karen Cooper 15 Comments

This is the table that almost wasn’t.

DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s with vintage door hardware - thediybungalow.com

I hit a few roadblocks in this build.

But I fixed the problems and finished and I have to say…I love this table.

Sofa table with colorful thread - thediybungalow.com

I built this table as part of the Blogging Over Breakfast 2×4 Challenge. The challenge was to build something out of 2x4s – and that’s the only lumber we could use. We could use any kind of handles, knobs, or connectors. But the only wood we could use were 2x4s.

I decided to make a sofa table for our family room. I used to have the vintage ironing board there:

family room with vintage ironing board behind couch - thediybungalow.com

And I liked it there, but I ended up moving it to the living room, and I like it better there. So, we needed a sofa table – someplace to put drinks and remote controls.

DIY sofa table with vintage door hardware - thediybungalow.com

Here’s how I built this table:

MATERIALS (contains affiliate links)

3 8-ft. long 2x4s – I bought white wood 2x4s (total cost: less than $8!)

2-inch deck screws

3-inch deck screws

1 1/2-inch wood screws (to attach vintage hinges to the table top)

Miter saw (or have wood cut at the store) (This RYOBI Sliding Miter Saw with Laser is the miter saw I use and love.)

Drill – The RYOBI One+ 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Drill is my drill that I love and would never live without!

Wood filler

Sander and 220-grit sandpaper

Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint, in “Aged Gray”

Vintage door hardware

CUT LIST

3 48-inch boards: two for the top and one for the middle support

4 30-inch boards for the legs

4 3-inch supports for legs

INSTRUCTIONS

First, decide how big you want your table to be. I measured our couch and also the space behind it, to know how wide to make the table. I determined that I wanted a table that was 48 in. long x 30 in. tall x 2 boards wide (7 inches).  A three-board width would have been too wide for this space.

Then I drew the design for the legs. This gave me the most trouble, because I wanted legs where the widest part of the 2×4 was facing out, so that I could add the vintage door hardware to the front of the legs.

I ended up drawing legs that look like this:

Table legs for DIY sofa table - thediybungalow.com

Don’t worry – I fixed the leg that wasn’t level.

The legs are 29 7/8 in. tall (click HERE to find out why they’re an 1/8 in. short of 30 inches!) and the support between them is 3 inches wide. Here’s how I calculated the size of the support brace for the leg:

Each board is 1 1/2 in. wide (a 2×4 is really 1 1/2 x 3 1/2). The top of the table would be 7 in. wide (2 boards @ 3 1/2 in. each), and I wanted an overhang. So, I made the middle support 3 inches wide. That would give me a 1/2-inch overhang. (7 in. minus 3 in. (1 1/2 times two) = 4 in. minus 1 in. for overhang (1/2 inch on each side) = 3 in. support. Got it?

Next, make your cuts – unless you were smart and had your wood cut at the store. A miter saw is the easiest and most precise for these cuts but, since mine wasn’t working, I used a circular saw.

All organized and ready to build - thediybungalow.com

THIS RYOBI One+ cordless circular saw is the circular saw I use (it rocks!).

Make the legs first. I attached the boards together with 3-in. deck screws. I attached the supports to the first leg first, drilling the screws through the leg into the support (pre-drilling makes this easier but isn’t necessary). Then I attached the second leg, by drilling through the leg into the supports. (You can see the screws in the next photo, for a visual.) The first support I attached level with the top of the legs; the bottom support is 4 inches from the bottom of the leg.

I laid the table-top boards flat on the ground and positioned the legs on them. Make sure the side of the table-top boards you want facing up are actually facing down here.

Use a square and a level and clamps - thediybungalow.com

Attach the legs to the table top with 2-inch deck screws, screwed into the bottom of the table top from inside the leg. Then attach the middle support to the back legs of the table with 2-inch deck screws, screwing in from the back leg into the support.

DIY sofa table built but not painted - thediybungalow.com

Fill in any holes or cracks you don’t want with wood filler and let dry.

I sanded it with 220-grit sandpaper, using my orbital sander for the outside boards and regular sandpaper inside the legs. I wiped the dust off, then painted it with two coats of Rust-Oleum’s Chalked chalky-finish paint in “Aged Gray.”

I found this vintage door hardware in my stash of knobs and hinges and thought it’d be perfect on the table.

Vintage keyhole as sofa table decoration - thediybungalow.com

The keyholes are from a salvage store I went to in Salt Lake City while at the SNAP Conference. The hinges on the edges are from the door I used for the sliding pantry door.

Door hinge on edge of DIY sofa table - thediybungalow.com

Who says that door hardware can’t be table hardware?

Vintage door hinge - thediybungalow.com

Isn’t this hinge gorgeous? It’s also from the Salt Lake City salvage store. I love the details on it.

Family room with DIY sofa table - thediybungalow.com

The table is perfect for this space.

DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s with vintage door hardware - thediybungalow.com

The best part of this project? Two things:

First, the wood cost me less than $8 (!!). I had the screws and tools, and the vintage hardware total was less than $20. So I ended up with a custom table for less than $30.

Second, this project is totally customizable – I used the measurements that worked for my space, but this could be built three boards wide instead, or four, or whatever works for you. I love that.

Pin it to build it later!

DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s - thediybungalow.com

Please visit the other amazing projects in this challenge! You can find them here:

 Loading InLinkz ...

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Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: Furniture, Living/Family Rooms 15 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

« DIY Fail: How NOT to Build a Table
The Friday Five: Five HQ Updates »




Comments

  1. Sharon says

    February 29, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    I love it!! Although, with my small dogs and visiting kids, I think I’ll be on the safe side and try something similar with double the thickness…maybe 4 two-by-fours on top.
    Perfect color for your couch!!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      February 29, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      That makes sense. I just had a really small space, plus my kids are older. If you have four 2x4s as the top, you might want to use a brace or cleat to fasten them together. Since I only had two, I just screwed the leg into each board. It would be more stable with a cleat holding the boards together. If you build it, share with us!!

      Reply
  2. Janice says

    February 29, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    I love the hinges on this project! Pinning for later! Nice job!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      February 29, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      Thank you, Janice!!

      Reply
      • Jonathan says

        December 10, 2019 at 12:58 pm

        That’s a beautiful table. We just got a new couch and my personal DIY goal is to make a console sofa table. I like your design.

        Question, how did the table top 2x4s stay together? Are they attached together by screws? I think i may need a wider table top-3 2x4s, so I am curious how you did it with your design.

        Thank you again for sharing your work

        Jonathan

        Reply
  3. Sara says

    March 1, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    This is so great and so my style! The rusty hardware touches are spot on! Well done.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      March 3, 2016 at 7:25 am

      Thank you, Sara!!

      Reply
  4. Donna of Funky Junk Interiors says

    March 2, 2016 at 1:17 am

    Karen, feel free to scoot this baby right into my home as is… this is so cool! LOVE how slim it is… and the rusty junk… need I say more? 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      March 3, 2016 at 7:25 am

      Thanks, Donna!!

      Reply
  5. Frances says

    April 19, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    I knew I would love this table, and it’s fabulous! I especially like the hardware you’ve used – and such a perfect paint job. I often find if I encounter problems as you did (or make mistakes) during a project it eventually turns out to be a really great result. Well done you’ve made a lovely and unique table there.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      April 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      Thank you so much, Frances! We love it, too!

      Reply
  6. Jessica says

    August 17, 2018 at 6:08 pm

    Love the idea of adding those keyholes as accents… so cool 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      August 24, 2018 at 1:29 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 20 Crafty 2x4 DIY Projects That You Can Easily Make says:
    July 2, 2017 at 10:18 am

    […] Tutorial: http://www.thediybungalow.com […]

    Reply
  2. 18 DIY Sofa Side Tables Perfect to Rest Your Cup of Coffee says:
    July 13, 2017 at 9:20 am

    […] Tutorial: http://www.thediybungalow.com […]

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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