A couple gals have asked me to post quick tutes for projects I have made in the past that they love. I am terrible at taking photos of "before" (my piles of junk) and during the assembly process....usually I'm just so excited to get done!
This project was inspired by a problem I always have....knocking my glasses off my beside table while feeling around for them so I can actually see.
For this project you will need an old wood soda bottle crate or milk bottle crate. Any wood box would do really, but i love those old crates and they are a great vintage touch to add to any decor. Sometimes these old crates can get pretty pricey so another idea is to ask a wine shop or liquor store for a wood box and paint it the way you want then add a vintage logo to it. I scored ours at a yard sale. Jeremy bought a bunch of tools and the old guy he was bargaining with "threw it in for the little lady". Thanks Babe! I love that you get me junk to work with!!
And 4 "legs". Get creative here! Suggestions of materials to use are:
- Simple 2x2 pieces of lumber - cheap and easy to paint an accent color to make your graphic really pop
- Sturdy branches about 2" in diameter (try manzanita/madrone!) - great for that rustic lodge look
- Galvanized Pipe or Electric EMT - get that sleek industrial look that's so popular
- Stairway spindles - cheap find at materials junk stores (mine were $1 for both)
- Table or chair legs - just because the table's broken doesn't mean its junk!
- 4 wood screws - long enough to go through your crate and into the legs about 1.5" for sturdiness
- 4 fender washers - with holes smaller than your screw heads to keep the screws from pulling through your crate with use
- Drill and bit just smaller than the screws you're using
- Nail on non-scratch feet to protect your flooring from the wood legs (if using the pipe or EMT, I suggest pipe caps with some small circles of heavy felt glued to the bottom)
- Saw if you need to cut the legs down to size
- screwdriver
- level
- measuring tape
- COFFEE! (hahaha)
I measured our bed to see how high I wanted the table to be and proceeded from there. It worked out perfect that if I cut each on my spindles in half it would be about the right height.
*warning* from experience I have learned that no 2 identical pieces of wood/pipe/fabric have identical measurements. Be sure to measure from both ends before cutting something in half to assure that one isn't just a touch shorter that the other. Nobody loves a wonky table!
I measured out my spindles for the cut length and chopped them into 4 legs.
My placement for the corners took a little finesse as this particular box has a metal band on each side. I measured the distance for each drill point to attach the legs and marked it well, then also measured the distance between the marks to square it all off.
Measure the legs and mark center on them as well. My box is old, so the edges were a little rounded. I would suggest checking and double checking the leg placement before drilling any holes so that you like the way it looks before it's too late to go back. In this case without checking first I would have had corners sticking out all over had I not checked the leg placement and re-marked everything before drilling. If you decide to use pipe this would be an especially important step to make sure the flanges don't hang over your edges.
Pre-drill all holes in the box and the legs to prevent splitting. You may also want to use a very small bit and pre-drill the holes for nailing on the feet so they just take soft hammering to put them on.
Attach the feet to the legs and begin assembly.
Put the fender washer and screw down through the box bottom and into the leg. Using a manual screwdriver instead of an electric one will also help prevent any splitting. Attach all the legs then check that its level.
Admire your new table!
Love love love!! Now to find an old crate...
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