Create Your Own Coffee Table

Skill Level: Intermediate

How to recycle a palette to create a personal and functional piece of furniture.

Things You´ll Need

  • Pallete
  • Ruler or meter
  • 4 wheels
  • Pencil
  • Masking Tape
  • Outdoor matt varnish

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Prep Your Palettes

A pallet maybe too big for your lounge and you may want to cut it to size. To reduce the size and maintain the strength of the pallet, cut them through the middle, making the centre of the pallet your new edge.
To keep edges straight and flush, draw a line across, following the middle length of wood on the pallet.

Following the line you just drew, cut each individual board.

Step 2. Sand Down All Sides

Sand down all edges of the pallets, as well as the top – getting rid of potential splinters and grime at the same time.

Step 3. Screw Them Together

Once you have done the same thing to your second pallet, screw these together.

To make this “pairing” as discreet as possible, try to screw diagonally near the joints

Step 4. Attach The Wheels

Screw each wheel on with large screws into the blocks with a washer for each.

If the wooden corner blocks are too small, you can consider screwing the wheels on two lengths of wood and screwing these onto the pallet.

Step 5. Personalise It

Now onto making it more personal!

Depending on your living room, your style and your taste – you might want to keep the whole look bare and minimal, which means you could varnish your table now.

If you prefer a bit of colour, get your masking tape out – and decide on what paint effect you want. You could go from painting the whole things to just the top, or with stripes... we chose just the edges – therefore masking anything off that wasn’t directly side facing.

Step 6. Get Painting!

Get painting!

Use at least 2 to 3 coats as this is a coffee table, it will take some knocking about…
Once the paint is dry – remove the tape.

Don’t be too keen, try it on a small bit first, and make sure everywhere is 100% dry to avoid paint bleed!
To protect your hands from any potential shards and the table from any major stains, varnish it.

There are loads of different types of varnishes – You could use an outdoor matt varnish so I know it will be hard wearing and super water proof.

Once all is dry – you can finally make yourself a cup of coffee and put your feet up (on your new coffee table!!)
If your living room is big enough, try making a second one – they look great in groups too.