Hey friends! I am loving my new coffee table! I’ve been wanting a new coffee table for sometime now, but with lumber prices so high I have been putting it off. When I saw 2 x 6 drop under $8 in the last few weeks I decided to jump on it! I was able to build this entire coffee table with seven 2 x 6 boards. That makes the total lumber cost around $60! I love how it turned out!

Ripping the lumber

One of our favorite tips for working with 2x dimensional lumber is ripping the edges off with a table saw. Not only does this give it a more custom professional finish, it also allows you to cut boards in different dimensions. As you will see in the cut list of these plans, I ripped boards to 5 inches, 4 3/8 inches, and 2 inches. That allowed me to build much less expensively and also allows you to change up your design quite a bit!

I like to make my cross cuts first which makes the boards shorter to run through the table saw. That is just a personal preference because the boards can get really heavy trying to run the entire lengths through the table saw.

Kreg Jig Pocket Holes

This plan uses several pocket holes. Whenever I am creating a piece with a lot of pocket holes, I use my Kreg Foreman. This thing is amazing!  You can see the reel I shared about my Foreman below! This thing is such a timesaver and so easy to use. You can see it here on Amazon! Every pocket hole on this table is 1 1/2”. You can also use your 720PRO, K5 or any other Kreg Jig model you have to create your pocket holes.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Chp5dKiDZ-v/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Step 1

Once you have your cuts made and your pocket holes created, it’s time to start assembly. The first step is to attach your breadboards to your leg pieces using wood glue and 2 1/2” pocket hole screws. The top bread board will be flush with the top of the leg pieces and the base of the bottom breadboard will start 3” from the base of the legs. You will create two leg assemblies identical to each other.

Step 2

Next, create two apron frames. These are the 2” wide boards. Connect the longer boards to the shorter boards using wood glue and 2 1/2” pocket hole screws.

Step 3

Now you will attach the apron frames to both leg assemblies to create the body of the table. Attach the bottom apron frame to the bottom breadboards using wood glue and 2 1/2” screws through the bottom of the apron frame and into the breadboards. I used my Kreg QuickFlip to make this part really simple.  You can see it HERE on Amazon.  Also, add a screw on the inside of the apron frame and into each leg piece.   Attach the top apron frame the same way to the top breadboards and each leg piece. Note the placement of the frames in the picture.

Step 4

Plank the top of the coffee table next. These boards are ripped to 5″ wide each. Attach each board together using 2 1/2” pocket hole screws.

Step 5

The base shelf of the coffee table will be planked the same way. These boards are ripped slightly smaller to fit the space evenly. Attach each board together using 2 1/2” pocket hole screws.

Step 6

Now you will attach the top planks and the bottom planks to the body of the coffee table. Attach the planks to each breadboard using 2 1/2” pocket hole screws. Then, take 2 1/2”screws through the apron frames and into the bottom of the planks. The bottom planks were slightly trickier to attach, so I used a clamp to help hold them in place while I attached the screws.

Step 7

The final assembly step is to add the decorative pieces to each leg. These are 1/4” thick pieces of the 2” boards. Each piece is 1 1/2“ x 2“.   Attach them in place using wood glue and 1.25” brad or pin nails into each leg.

Staining the Coffee Table

I chose to mix two different stains to create this color. I mixed Willow Gray by Varathane with Early American by Rustoleum. One of my favorite things to do is mix stain to create custom finishes and get the perfect color for your space and project. It’s super simple with these stains. You just pour them together and mix them until they’re blended.

Love my new Coffee Table!!

Look how cute she turned out!

DIY Coffee Table FREE Plans!

You can download and print the FREE plans HERE!

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6 Comments

  1. I love the new page – instructions are very clear and you have great ideas. The only critique I have is that the page have so many adds that some videos don’t work or my browser will freeze and crash. (Multiple devices, multiple locations).
    Thanks for all you do