DIY Sofa Table from 2x4s

This is the table that almost wasn’t.

I hit a few roadblocks in this build.

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

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:

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

The table is perfect for this space.

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!

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