If you want truly unique and innovative furniture designs, more often than not, you will need to craft it yourself. Using something that you might normally throw away in a craft project not only helps the environment but makes something that was once unwanted junk, beautiful and new. Doing this will also showcase your innovativeness and will give you something to do in your spare time as well. Do you have have a door you want to trash? Instead of junking it, use it to make your own special coffee table!
What it will look like
Your self-styled coffee table will have a cabinet door as the top. The panels which are usually recessed can function as trays. You can add a shelf below if there is some leftover wood. Get a few table legs; steel ones will give a modern look. Thus, you’ll have a practically brand new coffee table almost for free.
Materials required
- A cabinet or cupboard door
- Grooved floorboards
- Cat’s paw type of pry bar
- Tape measure
- Clamps
- Drill
- Circular saw, or a table saw
- Natural wax for a top coat
- Table legs
- Nails for woodworking
How to go about making a door coffee table
If there are protruding nails, a cat’s paw can help remove them. If it was a double-door cupboard, then they’ll be a piece to hide the gap between the doors.
For a level surface, smoothen out the area after removing the piece. It could also be retained and used as an outer rim.
The table leg positions should be marked out first. Make sure you don’t secure them too close together, or the table will wobble. Eight inches is the maximum they should be from the table ends.
Carefully mark where you have the drill the screw holes. The length of the screws should, of course, be less than the door’s thickness. So that you don’t drill all the way to the top, wrap some tape around the drill’s bit so that you can gauge the depth. Hold the legs steady and drive in the screws making sure not to knick the surface.
If you want a shelf at the bottom to stack magazines on, you’ll need to fit two tongue and groove types of floorboards together and mark the width of the shelf on their backs. Make sure the shelf is shorter in size compared to the table as it’ll give a recessed look.
Use a circular saw or a table saw to get rid of extra groove or tongue and then cut them to length. Fit both the boards together and clamp them securely. Attach them to the shelf bracket and drill holes for half-inch screws.
For a lovely soft sheen, add a top coat that will seal the wood as well. Use a wax-based conditioner for this purpose. It will prevent the wood from looking too dry.
The finished product will be a real eye-grabber as well as a conversation piece for your guests since it will be unique and handcrafted by you.
This is a really cool idea for a coffee table! Thank you so much for sharing the how to. It would be a fun project to do with my son.
Making a coffee table from a door would be a fun project to do as a family!
This is actually really clever. I love upcycle ideas like this!
It’s so much better to upcycle than throw it away
I love the idea of reusing an old door. Gorgeous design!
You could even cut the doors in half and turn them into end tables
I love this idea so much. My local Restore always has really interesting doors.
I have never been to restore before. We will need to check it out
Looks so unique! This would definitely be rustic! Thank you for sharing!
It’s the perfect style for that Farmhouse look!
I love this neat and clean coffee table idea. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you like this DIY coffee table ideas
The one in the second video is more my style, but I suspect the first video would be the most popular because the ‘distressed’ look is so big. I do like how they left the door knob on. That’s great.
I’m definitely into the distressed rustic look with furniture
How incredibly gorgeous! It looks a little labor-intensive compared to the DIY projects that I usually tackle, but I can only imagine how rewarding it must be to have that finished product.
Thank you for this inspiring and wonderful post! I’d love to try it out some day… With a little help from a friend (or two), probably. 🙂
This is such a neat idea. I will have to remember it. We don’t have a coffee table right now but if we decide to get one, I think making one like this would be a great way to go.
It would be a fun project! I also think if you didn’t have a cabinet on hand you could probably find one at a thrift shop or yard sale too.
You always come up with some really fun and interesting projects. Although this not something I would do or could use at the moment, it is still a pretty cool idea. 🙂
Thank you!
Thank you!