Easy DIY sofa tables
… we splurged during a Boxing Day sale and bought the grey sectional I’d wanted for ages.
We’ve spent the last few months without a coffee table, since our old one no longer fit in the space, and it left us . . . well, really lacking a place to put down a drink.
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| Tutorial for the farmhouse coffee table here |
I still haven’t decided what kind of coffee table I’ll make for our living room, but there was no question that we needed some kind of table close to the sectional. Inspired by a modern slide-under-the-couch table I saw on Pinterest, I thought I’d try building my own version.
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The materials list for this project is really basic: a couple of 2×2 boards and a small piece of wood to serve as a small tabletop. Since I had some scrap wood on hand, I was able to build two of these tables for about $15.
For tools, I used the RYOBI 7.25-inch miter saw and RYOBI drill-driver I got for my birthday.
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| My drill/driver! |
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| My saw! |
(Nerdy woodworking note: Remember how I once said 1×2 boards were my favourite and I was building everything out of them? Well, now I’m obsessed with 2x2s. They don’t split like 1x2s are prone to do, they’re stronger and they have a nice chunkiness to them.)
I made up the ‘plans’ as I went along, and there is almost no measuring required. I just cut down a 2×2 into eight short lengths (half approximately seven inches and half about nine inches) and screwed two ‘longs’ and two ‘shorts’ together to make two wooden squares.
Once I had two squares of wood — a table base and the support for a tabletop — it was time to make the legs of the table.
I was quite scientific about this part. I carried both pieces upstairs, stuck one square under the edge of the sectional, held the other square where I wanted it to be. Then it was just a matter of measuring how long the “joiner pieces” (a.k.a. table legs) needed to be.
(I built one table sofa-arm height, and the other table was designed to fit over the arm of my husband’s gaming chair, so the only difference in their construction is the height of the legs.)
I cut two long lengths of 2×2 to be the two legs, and screwed them into the squares on one side. By adding two legs — instead of four — the table base can slide under a couch or chair, which puts the tabletop snugly over the arm.
The final step was screwing on a square of wood — slightly larger than the original squares, but it doesn’t matter if there’s much overhang — to be the top of the table.
Then I decided to get a little creative and mess around with angled cuts to make some ‘decorations.’ I clicked my mitre saw over to 45 degrees and cut a few scraps to nestle between the legs on an angle, and then screwed them in place.
I painted my first table a pretty blue and then changed my mind once I’d built a second. Now they’re both painted with a soft greige (Fusion Mineral Paint’s Putty) with warm stained tops (Minwax’s Early American). I wanted them to look rustic, so I grabbed the nearest dark paint (Fusion Mineral Paint’s Midnight Blue) and lightly dry-brushed along the edges. I love the effect!
Because these tables will pretty much exclusively be used for cold and hot drinks — hello, ugly condensation rings — I slathered four coats of polyurethane on the tops to protect my staining job.
The new tables are super convenient and I find myself using them multiple times a day for drinks, remotes or the laptop. I love that they’re neutral but still have unique touches — not to mention an indestructible tabletop, no matter how many glasses of ice-cold Diet Coke sit on the surface.
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46 Comments on “Easy DIY sofa tables”
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Heather's Handmade Life 
LOVE This! ..great color combo with the grey couch.
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Thanks, Roberta!
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This is fabulous. Well done and thanks for sharing the instructions.
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Nice project, I think I will do this with my boys ;-). By the way, I met Bill Mills in Calgary when he came out west for a visit at the March for Jesus. I believe he was the mayor of Truro. Don't hear much about the place but it was neat to see Turo on your wall.
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Thanks, Jim! Yes, Bill Mills is still our mayor actually. Small world!
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This is gorgeous. I just got the grey sectional I've been wanting as well. If you would have any interest in building and shipping two more just like this, I would gladly buy!
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Your table is excellent and just what my husband needs. I just need to persuade him to make one!
By the way, did you know that there is a Truro in Great Britain? It is in Cornwall, which is in the South West of England. It is the town where I was born. It is called a city because it has a cathedral but it is a medium sized town by English standards.
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Very nice – and clever! Thanks.
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OMG THAT COUCH! what brand is it? has it held up? (no fraying or pilling?)
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I love the couch too! What brand?
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Thanks, Rachel! The grey sectional is Decor-Rest. We bought it at Leon's.
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The couch is fairly new, Victoria — bought in late December — but it's perfect so far. Very comfortable and we got it scotch-guarded so it's held up to red wine spills, even! It's Decor-Rest from Leons.
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I love these so beautiful! What is the measurement for the top board?
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What are the lengths and angels of the inside pieces?
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Ik ook.graag dat tafeltje laten maken door mijn kleinzoon .
Is jammer nu op vakantie naar zee.
Maar goedwat in het vat zit verzuurt niet zullen maar denken .
Bedankt .
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This was the best tutorial on Pinterest. I like the way you think! I made this for my daughter’s new and very small apartment, and it worked out great. She loves it!
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Awsome! I will make it for my causin!
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I love this! I need this in my small living room, you made it look simple enough for me to try. What are the dimensions of the table top? Thanks so much!!
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Someone is using your images through their online FB store. I thought you should know.
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Oh no! Can you send me a link?
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On Pinterest, your photo links to this site: https://www.etsy.com/listing/562182235/planner-bundle-2019-printable-pdf-daily
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Great job! I will follow your plans to make this for my living room and get rid of my cheesy folding tray tables
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I’m so pleased, Kat! Would love to see a photo when you’re finished.
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I’ve been looking for something like this on Amazon. They are super ugly and very boring. This is so beautiful and personal I am going to make these for my livingroom
! Thank you for the wonderful tutorial!
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Thanks, Karen! Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
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Nice table. tx for posting I may try it for my wife. Quick ? what type of screws did you use?
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Hmm that’s a good question! I think 2.5″ screws for most of it?
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Building a arm table based on your design tonight. Thanks for sharing.
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2020 and I am making 2 for my wife. Thanks for the idea!
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You need to countersink the screws and put some wood plugs or buttons on top .otherwise very nice.
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Thanks for posting this! Making tonight.
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