Want to make your house even homier? A console table is a quick way to make any living room or entryway feel cozy. To give the table a more contemporary vibe, hang a round mirror above it, and display a unique vase off to the side. You could also increase the functionality of the table by adding hooks to the side of the apron for storing coats, purses or dog leashes.
The focal point of this project is the upcycled spindles, which are typically used in deck railings or staircases. Spindles have a similar aesthetic as table legs, but their length makes them ideal for creating a tall console table. They might look old-fashioned at first, but a little paint and stain can make all the difference. Finishing the tabletop with a warm, bright stain gives the piece a fresh feel, especially when paired with contrasting chalk paint on the table legs.
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Materials
- Long spindles, 4
- Wood board cut to the desired size of your tabletop
- 3/8-inch-thick-by-4-inch-wide wood planks for aprons, 2
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- Small corner braces, 8
- Screws, 16 (included with braces)
- Wood glue
- Power drill
- Small drill bit
- Phillips-head bit
- Minwax Wood Finish Interior Penetrating Stain in “Golden Oak”
- Paintbrush
- Rag
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Hazy”
- Painter’s tape
- Wood board cut to the desired size of your tabletop
- 3/8-inch-thick-by-4-inch-wide wood planks for aprons, 2
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- Small corner braces, 8
- Screws, 16 (included with braces)
- Wood glue
- Power drill
- Small drill bit
- Phillips-head bit
- Minwax Wood Finish Interior Penetrating Stain in “Golden Oak”
- Paintbrush
- Rag
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Hazy”
- Painter’s tape
Instructions
1. Turn your tabletop wood upside down. Take a piece of apron wood, and line it up with the long side of the tabletop to form a 90-degree angle. Position the apron wood, so it’s 1 inch away from the edge of the tabletop. With a pencil, draw a line all the way down the tabletop on both sides of the apron wood. Repeat for all four sides of the tabletop.
2. The lines' intersection marks where the spindle legs will go. Measure the distance between each leg. Mark the apron wood, and cut it to size so it fits between each leg on all sides. After cutting, you should have four pieces: two longer pieces and two shorter pieces. Sand the sides and edges of the pieces.
3. Start the assembly. Position the aprons where you made the marks in step 1. There should be a space outside two aprons where one table leg will go. Glue the aprons in place to hold their position.
4. Position a spindle in each of the corners outside two aprons. Glue the spindles in place to create table legs. Allow the glue to dry.
5. Position the braces inside the aprons. Each apron should have a brace in the middle connecting it to the tabletop and a brace in the corner connecting it to the adjacent apron. Mark spots for the pilot holes, and remove the braces. Drill the pilot holes. Replace the braces, and screw them into place. Repeat until you’ve screwed all eight braces in place.
6. Stain the tabletop with “Golden Oak.”As you stain, wipe off the excess stain with a rag. Allow it to dry.
7. Paint the table legs and apron with “Hazy” or the chalk paint color of your choice. Use painter’s tape to prevent paint from getting on the bottom of the tabletop. Allow the paint to dry.
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