DIY woodwork
Build a handy small table with a shelf—it’ll only take an evening!
This versatile small table is easy to make from pine board or plywood and hairpin legs. Use it as a bedside table or as a small surface in your entryway or living room. This little table fits anywhere you might need it.
Wooden small table with a shelf—supplies:
- 18 mm thick glued laminated timber or plywood
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Circular saw or handsaw
- Sandpaper
- Cordless drill and a small bit
- Furniture paint
- Paintbrush
- 4 hairpin legs
- Screws
You’ll need plywood or pine glulam to make the frame of the small table. You’ll begin by assembling the frame from pieces cut to appropriate sizes. You’ll also need furniture paint and hairpin legs.
Attach the hairpin legs to the corners of the shelf with screws. Ensure the screws are short enough so they don’t go all the way through the shelf.
Wooden small table with a shelf—instructions:
- Measure two 400 × 400 mm pieces and two 400 × 200 mm pieces from the glulam board, and cut them with a circular saw or hand saw. Lightly sand the cut edges with sandpaper.
- Drill small holes for the screws in each corner of both of the larger boards. You don’t need to drill all the way through; these holes simply prevent the board from splitting when you screw.
- Screw the smaller boards onto the underside of one of the larger boards at the corners to form the sides of the shelf.
- Flip the work over. Screw the other larger board by its corners to the side boards to form the top of the shelf.
- Attach the hairpin legs to the underside of the shelf with screws.
- Paint the shelf with furniture paint. The shelf in the photos is painted with furniture paint in the shade “Rosala” by Virtasen.
You can paint the entire table or just parts of it. If you prefer, you can cover the screw holes with wood filler and sand them smooth.
Tips!
- Many hardware stores sell 400 mm wide shelf boards, which you can use to get all the parts you need with just a few cuts.
- You can find hairpin legs in hardware stores and online interior shops.
- If you want to make the surface of the tabletop more durable, paint it or finish it with furniture varnish.
Materials from: Glulam board and hairpin legs from K-Rauta. Furniture paint from Virtasen Maalit. Artwork by Jenni Vakkilainen. Rug from Anno. The small house decoration from IKEA. Wooden rattle from Salakauppa. The light fixture is a photography prop.
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