How to Build an Outdoor Coffee Table Easy

  • By: Monica Shulz

Who doesn’t like enjoying their coffee outdoors? You too can have a piping hot cup of coffee in your garden or patio. But to do so, you would first need a sturdy coffee table that can hold your coffee. Although you can buy one from any furniture store, you can also save money and build one on your own! 

Here’s an easy way to build your very own outdoor coffee table!

Materials Required

First thing’s first; to build your own coffee table, you need to get some materials:

  1. Framing Lumber
  2. Deck screws
  3. Nails
  4. Weather-resistant screws
  5. Stain for the exterior
  6. Wood filler
  7. Wood glue

You can easily find these at your nearest hardware store.

Tools Required

You won’t be able to construct a table without the following:

  1. Jig
  2. Saw
  3. Drill
  4. Nailer
  5. Clamps
  6. Measuring tape

How to Construct the Coffee Table

To construct an outdoor coffee table, follow these steps:

Making Lumber Cuts For The Table

The first thing you would need to do is to make lumber cuts for your outdoor coffee table. To do so, take a saw and start cutting the lumber into rough chunks. You would need to make cuts from the 2x3s into 6 pieces. The 6 pieces should be at least 14.5 inches long. Along with this, make 45-degree cuts for two 42 inches lumbers as well as two pieces of 17.5 inches lumber.

Assembling The Top Frame For The Outdoor Coffee Table

Once you have cut the lumber, it’s time for you to assemble the table’s top frame. Using a jig, add a pocket hole on each side of the 17.5-inch board. Since we cut these boards at a 45-degree angle, they would be wide enough for one pocket hole only. This is why you need to make sure that the holes line up properly.

Putting It Together

After you have lined up the boards properly, join the 17.5-inch board with the 42-inch board. Attach the two boards using wood glue. Clamp the boards together to make sure they’re firmly attached. Then, using a nailer and nails, secure the two boards together. Do the same steps for the remaining sides to form a frame.

Adding Slat Board To The Frame

Using a measuring tape, measure the distance between the side frames and then cut the lumber according to this measurement. After cutting, add 2 pocket holes to each end of the board. If you want, you can even stain your wood at this point. Once that’s done, use screws to attach the slat boards while placing a 0.5-inch distance between each board.

Crafting The Table Legs

To work on the table legs, use the 14.5-inch boards and add pocket holes to them. Repeat the step for all 4 legs. Attach the table legs to the top frame, using screws and a drill. Make sure that all legs are attached perpendicularly.

Final Touches

Once your frame is attached to the legs, sand and file the table. Add one last coat of wood stain. If you want, you can even paint the table accordingly. Your coffee table is ready to be placed outdoors!

Conclusion

Once you’ve built your own coffee table, you can enjoy plenty of time outdoors. Just make sure that you follow all the steps properly!

To view more crafts, check out the author of this video, who has a YouTube channel by the name of The dwarf-sized Workshop. It is a growing community where hobbyists can learn all about woodworking!

Photo by The dwarf-sized Workshop / CC BY 3.0