$50 DIY Pedestal Side Table

I love pedestal tables. But the design can get pretty complicated. I wanted this table to have a beautiful design, but still be quick and easy enough to build with just a Miter Saw. The best part is the material costs. You can build 2 of these for less than $100. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Step 1: Assemble 2 X-shaped Bases

This table was built primarily with 1x3 dimensional lumber and my Miter Saw. I used Select Pine. The X-shaped Base and Top are exactly the same, except the bottom X gets feet.

You can download the Printable Plans and see the full tutorial on my site, here.

Step 2: Assemble the Post and Attach to X Bases

3 - 1x3's are glued and brad nailed together to make the post. Pocket holes and glue are used to attach the X Base and Top to the post.

Step 3: Use Wood Filler, Sand, and Finish Table

Cove Molding, 1/2" x 3/4" Pine, and 2x2's are used to finish off the design. Fill all nail holes and gaps with wood filler. Then sand everything smooth before finishing. When I'm painting wood, I only finish to 120 or 150-grit. When staining, I'll go to 220 on Pine.

I finished the table with 2 shades of paint to get a distressed look. A cream color was applied to the whole table. Then a slightly darker light grey color was lightly dry brushed on with a chip brush. I then went back and lightly brushed the original cream back over that.

I finished with 2 coats of water-based poly in Matte.

Step 4: Distress and Attach Round Top

The top is a pre-made wood round sold at Home Depot and Lowes. Buying this instead of making one speeds this whole build up and they're pretty cheap too. To give it a more finished look, I distressed the wood round with a small screwdriver and hammer. Then applied 2 coats of Watco Danish Oil in Medium Walnut.

You can watch a 1-minute look at how I finished the top above.

Step 5: That's It!

Your $50 table is done and ready to use.

Don't forget, full tutorial and printable plans are available here.

You can also find the tutorial for that little DIY Ottoman on my site. :)

Comments

[TinaT42]

What a great build. I've been looking at several options to build a small kitchen table since my eat-in area is relatively small. My decor is more on the rustic side, so it could use my router to smooth the hard corners. Not needing it to be as ornate, I could actually spend less. These types of bases/pedestals can run upwards of $100 for something decent, so making it for a bit less than $50 means more money to spend on quality wood for the top. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Abbotts At Home]

I'd love to see a picture when you're done! If you go for a bigger top, just be sure to increase the size of the x-bases or it could flip when you put weight on the edge of the top. I always to keep bases close to top size. But, you probably know that. :)
This could look really cool with a rustic style. You could even save more money by using knotty wood. Good luck!