How to make coffee table with your own hands

The coffee table is an indispensable attribute of every home. That’s why in every furniture shop you can find an innumerable number of its varieties for every taste and for a different interior. However, making a coffee table with your own hands is always a tempting idea, and even more attractive is that it does not require special knowledge, skills and special tools for this process. To be convinced of this will help the below presented master-class on making a coffee table made of wood, chipboard and glass.

Making a coffee table from chipboard

If for you in a novelty to create furniture with your own hands, it is recommended not to hurry, and try to make simple models.

As an example, consider the production of the model presented in the photo.

Making such coffee tables doesn’t take much time and expensive materials, and even the most inexperienced master can cope with the task.

Creation of such coffee tables requires only a drill and a screwdriver. All connections will be on self-tapping screws and confirmations.

First of all, it is necessary to take care of the main material, first order a sawing of laminated chipboard. Drawings 1 demonstrate the details and accessories of the table model under consideration. 

The table will consist of the following parts: 

 • table top - 1 pc. (736x736);

 • Straps - 4 pcs. (464x100);

 • shelf - 1 pc. (700x500);

 • bottom - 2 pcs. ( 700x500);

 • wheels or legs - 4 pcs .;

 • plastic corners - 4 pcs .;

 • Self-tapping screws - 16 pcs. (3.5x16 mm);

 • Confirmates - 8 pieces.

All the details that will be visible after the coffee table assembly, should be glued with a melamine edge.

Let's start the assembly, which consists of the following actions:

First of all, you need to make a shelf. Using a jigsaw, you need to repeat the shape that the following diagram represents. For this purpose, saws for work on wood with a small step, to avoid the formation of chips.

2. Using self-tapping screws, you should connect the straps to the table top on the corners of the plastic. Now, on the center of the vertical bars, you should put the shelf previously made. And in order to keep it firmly, you need to fix the part with confirmations, having previously made a hole with a drill (4,5 mm).

3. The bottom must also be attached with the help of confirmations. 

4. If you like mobile coffee tables, then you need to screw on the screws wheels. If you don’t plan to move furniture often, then you can use the accurate legs of the chipboard. To attach them, retreat 1.5 cm from the edge.

5. Finally, don’t forget to hide the attachment points of the parts by self-adhesive. A small coffee table for a living room or another room is quite easy to make, and it doesn’t take much time and effort, but the result will please you for many years.

Master  class on making a wooden table

The design that we propose to consider doesn’t represent anything difficult, so it will be quite easy to build such a coffee table with your own  hands. Of course, if you want, you can diversify this model with shelves, sliding cupboards, etc.

You should prepare such materials and tools:

• Trimming of wooden boards for crossbeams and legs;

• thick boards - 2 pieces;

• grinding machine;

• saw;

• Drill;

• glue;

• stain and lacquer.

We don’t need drawings for manufacturing, because  table will be made according to individual requests, and also depending on the size of the material that is available.

First of all you should cut the boards to  the  correct size , then  glue them together. Then the table top should be shaped like a jig saw or saw. After that the table top needs to be processed with a grinding machine, and with the same machine polish the boards, which will perform the function of the legs and crossbeams.

After this, the details are processed by stains in places, thus creating the effect of antiquity. The ends of the base are also tinted with stain; you can additionally attach decorative butterflies. Now, using plug-in studs and glue, you need to attach the crossbeams to the table top. Then the same fasteners will be needed to fix the legs of the table.

The holes for the fasteners are drilled with a drill, and all the details are carefully treated with glue. The average height of the table shouldn’t exceed 50 cm. On this assembly of a coffee table is finished, it remains to cover the furniture with varnish. As a result of simple work you can get a high-quality coffee table.

Making a glass coffee table

Elegant and style glass coffee table can fit almost in any interior. For such models it’s better to use a frosted glass, because the prints and stains will be not visible on it. The chrome legs will look great with the glass, although the wooden ones also fit, especially if the material predominates in the room.

 You can buy chrome parts in the store; just select the legs of the desired height. The width of the countertop is not recommended more than 1.2 m and for beginners when working with glass it is better to choose the rectangular form of a coffee table for the living room. If you make a table of glass on the basis of the previous master class, the result will be very simple furniture, which is more suitable for the kitchen.

That’s why to use drawings 2.

Before you cut out the glass of the desired shape and size, the material should be placed on a flat surface, measured with a pencil and then cut off the glass. To do this, you need to moisten the glass cutter with vegetable oil, attach the ruler to the markings and then start cutting along the line. As a result, the material will remain a minor notch.

After that, the glass should be placed on the table so that the unnecessary edges were on the weight. You need to knock on the formed lines and then press on them - the glass will break exactly along the cut. You can also cut out other parts of the table using this method. Now you can start processing the edges using a file and then using a grinder with diamond nozzles.

You need to work the edges of the tabletop with felt, pressing a thin layer to the edges of the base of the table for protection. After this, you can start installing the legs .Turn the table top down with the front side, mark out the places for the legs (5 cm from the sides). Separately, each leg should be drilled at the top of the base to attach the sucker. Then you need to apply glue to the suckers and insert the legs into the hole, tightly pressing them. When the glue dries, you can turn over the table and after 48 hours you can use furniture for the intended purpose.