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Home » DIY Projects » $30 DIY Sofa/Console Table Tutorial

$30 DIY Sofa/Console Table Tutorial

June 23, 2015 | By Jenna Sue DIY Projects

I made it home safe from Seattle and it’s right back to work! I mentioned earlier that I was staying with my cousin and helping her update her living room there. It was a pretty hectic week with both of us having to work and make a few last minute shopping trips in Seattle traffic, but we were able to accomplish a good amount and set aside time for some fun outings as well (more photos to come Friday!)

The project I am most proud of (and excited to share with you guys) is this sofa table I built:

How to make your own custom console table for $30!

I say proud because I figured out a way to build it using only a drill & screws (and a basic saw to cut a few small pieces of wood!) That means 95% of you can do this too. By yourself. In one day, for $30 or less.

Materials

  • 2x2x8′ furring strips (qty 8)
  • 2x12x10‘ (qty 1)
  • Screws (2.5-3″ long)
  • Wood glue
  • Wood stain or paint

Tools

  • Drill
  • Saw (miter, chop saw or miter box)
  • Kreg Jig (or simple brackets)
  • Sand paper (or electric sander)

My cousin had a long sofa (just over 9 feet wide) and was using an end table that was blocking part of the walkway, so I thought the perfect solution would be a long narrow table behind the sofa for more convenient storage.

I was having trouble finding a simple plan I liked online, and knew this table definitely had to be customized so I decided to come up with my own. We were also working with a budget so I wanted to do this as inexpensively as possible.

I drew a quick sketch to illustrate my idea (excuse the roughness of it):

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I was envisioning a very simple, modern style table constructed using 2×2’s and a 2×12″ for the top portion. The drawing isn’t super accurate as there should be 2×2’s horizontally at the top for reinforcement (below the 2×12) but you get the idea. I knew 2x2x8′ furring strips were under $2 each and the 2x12x10‘ was only around $12, making this project about as cheap as you can get for such a large table.

This can be done a lot simpler and for even less if you plan on making a shorter table by eliminating the middle piece. I put it in there for stability, but if the table was shorter than ~6 feet or so, I’d leave it out.

Here’s what we brought back from the hardware store—a 2x12x10′ and eight 2x2x8′s. Simple stuff.

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My cousin had very limited, basic tools in her garage which proved to be a challenge but fortunately we were able to borrow a neighbor’s saw to make the smaller cuts, and we had the the 2×12 cut to 9′ for us.

You’ll end up with three different sizes—the long horizontal pieces, the vertical legs, and the shorter pieces to connect the legs (these will be different depending on the size of your table).

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First it’s time to assemble the rectangles! I grabbed four pieces and arranged them:

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You’ll need to drill pilot holes so the wood doesn’t split—that’s a very important step especially with this type of wood that splinters easily and since the pieces are so narrow. I was able to find 3 drill bits in the garage and luckily one of them ended up working. You want it to be just a bit smaller than the width your screw.

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I bought 2.5″ screws for this project which worked fine but 3″ may have been even better. First I aligned my two pieces into place and drilled my pilot hole through both. I made sure to do this towards one end of the board instead of the center, since I would have to insert another screw in the same area for the horizontal pieces and there needed to be enough room for both screws to pass through without hitting each other.

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Then I applied the glue onto the end of a short piece…

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After setting it back into position, the first screw went in:

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I did this on each end (3 more times) until my rectangle was built:

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And then built the remaining two pieces. Step 1 complete!

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This is where it gets a little trickier when you’re working by yourself. You have to start balancing things and holding them into position while attaching them together with glue and screws. I had no clamps or flat surface to work on, and the drill I was using didn’t have a lot of power, and the drill bits didn’t fit the screw heads perfectly so there was some frustration involved. If I can do it under these conditions, you definitely can too!

The next step is to attach the long horizontal pieces. I propped up my rectangle and got the pieces into place, then repeated the attachment process with my pilot hole, wood glue and screw. It seemed to work fine…

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But when I lifted it up to flip it over and add the other two horizontal pieces, I found they were wobbly so I had to reinforce it with a second screw. One screw works fine for the smaller lengths of wood but just doesn’t cut it for the longer pieces. And I made sure to counter sink them so that a) they’d grab a little more of the wood and b) I could fill the holes so there weren’t any visible screws.

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Two screws did the trick, and I then attached the second rectangle to the opposite end.

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I flipped that piece over and attached the last two horizontal pieces the same way. If you were building a smaller table, this would be your last step before adding the top and it would be pretty much the easiest project ever.

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But I had the dilemma of attaching a whole other section without a Kreg Jig or anything of the sort, so I ended up buying 2″ brackets:

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This part was definitely the biggest challenge of the entire project. Even with two screws holding the longer pieces together, they’re quite long so they don’t stay perfectly straight and I had to hold everything into place while keeping them elevated and drilling pilot holes, applying glue, lining up the brackets and attaching the screws.

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Somehow I made it all happen. Precise measurements and cutting is a crucial step, otherwise everything may not all fit together!

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Also, these furring strips aren’t perfect, but luckily dark stain goes a looong way to hide imperfections. I didn’t even have wood filler so I used drywall mud + sawdust and you can’t tell at all with the finished product.

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After the brackets went on and the base of the table was finished, it was a huge relief!

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The next part was easy—add some wood glue to the top:

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Then lift your 2×12″ into place.

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And secure it with screws from underneath. I used 8 in total.

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Then it was all about the finishing touches. There was no electric sander available so I picked up some 80 grit and went over each piece by hand. Labor of love, baby.

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After it was all smooth and splinter-free, I applied a dark walnut stain which coordinates nicely with the warm woods in her home.

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Finally, I brushed a shellac onto the top piece (for extra durability) and used a matte wax on the base since it’s easier/faster and that part doesn’t need the same level of protection as the top.

IMG_6947

We hauled it upstairs to the living room and set it in place. And it’s perfect.

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Her home is a split level so it’s one of the first things you see when you walk upstairs into the living room:

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The back wall hides half of it, but it’s such a versatile piece that can be moved anywhere and travel to new homes in the future.

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And they get a fun area to display pretty things.

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I’m just a little bit jealous and know exactly what I’ll be making for myself the next time I need a table!

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Now I’m passing on the challenge to you—if you have a way to cut wood and a drill, you can make it too!

This has to be one of my top 3 furniture builds ever and it was so rewarding to see how much my cousin loved it and how happy she is to have it in her home. And I hope this will inspire you to take action as well and try something new!

Hope you’re all enjoying the first official week of summer—make sure to keep up with everything that’s been going on over on instagram and I’ll be back Friday with more photos.

If you like this project, check out these popular beginner budget DIYs from my Project Library!

  1. $10 canvas floating frame
  2. How to realistically age wood (the easy way!)
  3. Easy string light planters
  4. Board + Batten tutorial
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Previous Post: « Guest Bathroom Vanity Refinish: Weathered Wood & Lime Paint
Next Post: Budget Boy’s Room Makeover »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leah says

    September 12, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    Hi was just wondering if you think there’d be any stability issues if I did this 8″ depth instead of your 12″?

    • jennasuedesign says

      September 12, 2016 at 7:55 pm

      That’s a good question… I think as long as the boards are straight and there’s center support you’d be fine!

  2. Kimberly says

    August 19, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    HI there! Just wanted to say thanks for this awesome tutorial! I made one today and it took about 2 hours. I am a beginner and was able to make it thanks to your detailed tutorial :-)) Oh and when I purchased the wood and a couple other items I needed to make this, my total after tax was exactly $30!!! So funny!

  3. Julia says

    August 16, 2016 at 11:14 pm

    Love it – good of you to mention your frustrations too – I felt your pain having battled with the wrong equipment many times before – adds to the value of the table. Oh to have a cousin like you!

  4. Blanca says

    August 6, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Thank you very much for sharing this beautiful piece of furniture with us. We’re making this table for sure!

  5. Tamara says

    July 25, 2016 at 8:43 am

    I need that same size table!!! What measurements did you get the 2x2x8s cut down too?

  6. Angela says

    May 2, 2016 at 6:29 am

    It looks like you used 8 2×2 to assemble the base, cut into 3 different lengths. 6 of the short and medium to make the rectangle and then 8 long to attach to the rectangles. What are the measurements of each of the 3 cuts. I don’t have any to cut it but home depot will measure and make all the cuts for the 2x2s. Just want to make sure of the measurements

    • jennasuedesign says

      May 2, 2016 at 7:53 am

      Sorry I don’t have access to the piece, but you can customize it to any length you want!

  7. Rebecca Gunder says

    March 19, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    Outstanding! Loved your improvising with dry wall mud and saw dust. Necessity is the mother of invention. Nicely done.

  8. Jenny Paul says

    March 17, 2016 at 4:30 am

    Great Tutorial, love the way you elaborate everything :), I would like to make table for my living room. I have a question, where did you buy these sort of wood pieces and how much strong and durable these are?

  9. Amber D. says

    January 28, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    Haha! I love the Sofa table but honestly I came here to see if in the comments you mention where you couch is from cause I love it! 🙂

    • stephanie says

      September 4, 2016 at 1:03 pm

      Looks like Ikea’s Karlstad.

  10. Lisa says

    December 11, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    This is awesome! I asked for a jig saw for christmas, so I see one of these in my future. My slight modification might be to build two identical tables that could be placed next to one another instead of one long table. Here’s why: Our sectional is also really long and I think if I make it the full length it will be a difficult piece of furniture to move into or out of the room. And, since it will be behind the couch (invisible except for the top) it won’t be noticeable and having two piece means flexibility if I decide to use them elsewhere later. But, for the small cost, not going to worry about that too much. Thanks!

  11. Jaimee S says

    November 29, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    I am so excited that I stumbled across your blog post! My husband, dad and I made this table this weekend and it is now in our home! We stained it “weathered Grey” .. It is 88″ long and 30″ tall perfect measurements for our sofa. Thank you thank you!!
    Jaimee

  12. Tracy says

    November 23, 2015 at 8:00 am

    Hi Jenna Sue 🙂
    I found your blog through a google search for “behind sofa console table.” Just wanted to let you know that I’ve never seen your blog before, and I’m loving it!! Instead of purchasing a console table, I am going to build one with my 10 yr old son using my “tech class skills” brought back from my high school years, lol. You have inspired me not only by reminding me that I do have these skills, but the style you used is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Unfortunately, buying one is expensive, especially this time of the year…..and now I can have one that fits just what I need! So, all-in-all, here is my humble “Thank You,” and I hope that this also inspires you to keep on posting. Millions of us search things every day, but it’s rare that we stop to tell that person what they’ve done unknowingly.
    So, off I go to draw up plans for our build…..and I will be resting my java on that table while I read more of your lovely blog later.
    *Hugs*

  13. kari says

    November 18, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    So glad I found this, I want to build two of these to go around my sectional!! I love it and I love that its not perfect, because it looks so rustic. Looks amazing!!

  14. Josh says

    October 13, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    Looks great. Can you tell me where the couch is from? It is just what we are looking for, our living room has the same layout. Thanks!

  15. Cynthia Reid says

    September 21, 2015 at 5:00 am

    Do you think it would be stable enough if I were to make this only using one row of the smaller connecting pieces on the bottom? So that I could have seating with it?

    • jennasuedesign says

      September 21, 2015 at 6:42 am

      Hmm I wouldn’t think so. Especially not if it’s anywhere near as long as mine.

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Hi, I’m Jenna and I’ve been designing and DIY’ing my way through homes since 2008. Join me as I learn, share my experience, and hopefully encourage/inspire you along the way!

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