X Sofa Table Tutorial


I didn't know what better name to name this sofa table :) X Sofa Table seemed appropriate. Although, if you look at it from other angles, it's more like an oblong X, but same dif. lol
So, I obviously love making furniture. But, there's only so many things I can make and so many places to put them in my house. I have more than enough sofa tables right now :) But I wanted to make this one really bad. So...luckily, I can decorate my mom's house with the furniture that doesn't fit in my house lol. And...even more luckily. Mother's day was coming up, and my mom just happened to need a new sofa table :) Which was a good thing, because I really liked the way this looked behind my couch and was contemplating keeping it even though I really like my current sofa table too. It would look silly having two sofa tables in one spot ;)
X Sofa Table Tutorial

This project is so super easy to do. It's a great one for beginners. Here's the supply list:
2 1x10 or 1x12 pine boards (depending on how wide you want it)
2 1x6 cedar planks
2 brackets
Drill/Screws
Hammer/nails
Wood glue
Stain
Polyurethane



Step 1: Cut your pine boards to size. For mine, the top piece was 54" and the two legs were 28"
Step 2: Grab your bracket and screw into the shorter edge of one of the legs. Make sure that the end of the bracket is flush with the edge of the wood.
 Step 3: Now put the top piece on the ground, and place the leg piece and bracket on top of it. Make sure the outside of the leg is flush with the edge of the top piece. Screw the bracket into the top piece.
 Step 4: Do Step 2 and 3 above with the other leg.

Step 5: Grab your cedar boards and place them along your table. Make sure the bottom corner of the board is lined up with the bottom corner of the leg, and the top corner is lined up with the top corner where the leg and top meet. Get underneath the plank and mark the angle. My angle was 22.5 degrees. Cut both sides of the board at this angle. I'm not a math genius, but I think this angle might change depending on the height and length you make the table.
 Step 6: Now place a line of wood glue along the pine board and place the cedar plank on top. Then secure with some nails.
Step 7: Repeat Step 5 and 6 on the other side with the second cedar plank.

Step 8: Stain or paint. I finished mine with a dark walnut stain.
 I wanted to add a little character and distress this a bit. But how do you distress something that is already so dark? Well, I figure, I should take the opposite approach of distressing something white to brown. So I distressed this to white. I used a little stamp pad thing that you can get from the scrapbooking department.
 Step 9: Seal it up! Use Polyurethane if you stained it, or Polyacrylic if you painted it.
 The hubs thought this look was weird. But I really like the contrast of the white and brown. Really, it added just enough to make this piece pop.
X Sofa Table Tutorial
 To tie in the white distress marks, I put all white accessories on top. I love how this looks. Now can you see why I would want to keep this for myself? It really made me start to rethink all the furniture in my living room. lol. So much, that I think I may end up making some new side tables in this same look. I'm not sure though...I really like my current side tables ... :) We'll see.
X Sofa Table Tutorial
 Plus, I like how this tied in the side tables with the brown. I just love the contrast of brown wood on white decor. ...I contemplated painting this a mustard yellow to match my mom's house. I even bought the paint. But....truthfully...I was lazy and didn't want to paint. It takes so much longer to paint then stain. So, I went the lazy route and stained...obviously :) Now I have some cute yellow paint to use on something else though :)
X Sofa Table Tutorial
Was this not the easiest project ever? You don't even need a saw for this. If you are going to Home Depot or Lowes anyways to get the wood, you might as well just have them cut the pine boards, and then you can head over to the molding department and use their miter box and hand saw the cedar planks.

And these brackets? You can find them usually on an aisle by the wood or flashing. At least that's where they are at the stores by me.

Total cost for this project if you need buy everything is about $20! (approx. $6 per 1x10 board,  $2 per cedar plank, and $2 per bracket).

Happy building everyone!

linked to: my repurposed life

27 comments

  1. This is so great! I like how narrow it is-might have to give this a try someday! Thanks so much

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  2. SO cute! And you're right--it really does look so simple! I popped over from The Shabby Creek Cottage--thanks for sharing!

    ~Abby =)

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  3. Selene
    So nice! I love that dark color with the whites you have.
    I'm visiting today from Shabby Creek Cottage. I co-host a Linky Party Tuesday (open thru Sat) and I'd love for you to link up! I hope you get a chance to stop by, link up and leave a comment, too!
    ~ Megin of VMG206
    Join me each Tuesday for Brag About It Link Up Party

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  4. What a great idea! Sure beats paying the $100+ for something similar from a store. Yours looks amazing!

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  5. Super sleek and super simple! I like it. And I bet even I could manage to build it, and that's saying something. I'm all thumbs. Austin water damage

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  6. Great idea!! I featured you today on my Kick-Off Friday post! Have a wonderful weekend! http://craftivitydesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/kick-off-friday.html

    Erica @ Craftivity Designs

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  7. Love this! I've been looking for "just the right thing" to go in my entry way. I think this may be it! Plus, if I do finally find the table that's been in my head forever, this one won't cost so much that I'll feel bad about replacing it. Thanks so much for this fabulous idea!!

    Jeannine @ The Concrete Cottage

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  8. This is pretty! What a nice project. Just finishes up the room nicely! Good job!

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  9. Simple design with lots of style! I would probably go crazy and paint it! Glad I found your blog, i'm following along now! Cheers! Cindy @ sunsetcoasting.blogspot.com

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  10. Love it! Do you know how much you spent on everything - mainly the wood and brackets? Thanks!

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  11. Hi Alicia,

    First you have a wonderful site and eye for style. I'm a new follower and made the x table, (with help) over the weekend. I plan to place mine in the entryway but the slightest bump, it shakes. Any idea on how to fix this? I want to place two large candles w/stands on it and would hate for someone to bump it and it crash.

    Any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Also, I purchased my first set of power tools but I was too chicken to use them so I had a neighbor cut my pieces. Did it take you a while to get comfortable with the saw? I read quite a few horror stories online.

    Thanks,
    Angela

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry about your table. I'm not sure about the wobbliness. Mine wasn't wobbly at all. Just go through and check all your screws and nails and make sure they are secure. Also, I would suggest using wood glue everywhere where the two pieces of wood hit. This should help :) Also, make sure your cuts are straight and that your angle on the table itself is exactly 90 degrees on each corner.

      As for the power tools. I think the miter saw is the best thing to get started with. It's not too scary. A little loud though :) I think it's my husband that needs to get more comfortable with me using it lol. It's super easy, just make sure you keep your hands away from the blade.

      I think the only scary power tool that I'm not comfortable with yet is the table saw. I used it a few times, and it was crazy scary, and then it kicked some wood back at me...and well, I haven't used it since. I let my husband handle those cuts when I need them. But luckily, I don't need them much. If you need cuts that only a table saw can do, just have them cut at the home improvement center to save your sanity :) I think the more you use your tools, for the most part, the comfortable you'll be!

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    2. Hi Alicia,

      Thanks for the reply. I did some searching online and came across table levelers. There like tacks. The ones found on the bottom of table legs. Well since im so impatient and ready to showcase my "work of art", lol i made my own using four pieces of magnetic strips. Wobble fixed!

      Thanks a ton for the tutorial. Because if you i have a lovely entry table. Although i went overboard on the stain (three coats). Its still nice. :-)

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  12. I SO have this one bookmarked as a summer project! LOVE it; even someone like me who is not experienced with woodworking can handle this one! (Now I also need to look up a tutorial for some easy but sturdy bookshelves - the apt. is overflowing with books that have no place to live!)

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  13. Love this! I'm tearing down old fencing today and I'm making this ASAP for a entry way parsons table!! You rock...
    Katie@mydiyhabits.com

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  14. I need a sofa table bad. This is so awesome. Pinning!

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  15. Beautiful! If I ever need a sofa table- that would be the one! :)

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  16. Simple and Sensational!! Love it, pinning it.

    <3 Christina @ I Gotta Create!
    Wildly Original link party is open.

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  17. I love this! So easy and it looks amazing! Pinned - It's definitely on the to-do list!
    Found you at House of Hepworths.
    Rachel

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  18. Cute and simple! Looks great:) http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/2013/06/handkerchief-party-bunting.html

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  19. pretty table! It looks so nice with your sofa.
    thanks for linking up at catch as catch can, catching you!

    gail

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  20. Hi Alicia! Your table is gorgeous and I feel like it's something I could actually do. Thank you so much for sharing!I actually featured this on my Friday Favorites post. Have a great weekend!
    http://upcycledtreasures.com/2013/06/5-inspiring-diy-projects/
    ~Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

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  21. Oh my, I am so glad I stayed to look around a bit. I just saw a table exactly like this on Pinterest, without a tutorial of course, and I was contemplating if I was skilled enough to design and plan one on my own. You've saved me the work!

    And on that note -- I work with Cassity over at Remodelaholic.com. We would love to have you as a guest and feature you and this table! If you are interested, will you drop me a line at hello@remodelaholic.com and we can discuss the details?

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  22. Love this! this may be a stupid question, but if i was to make mine the same size as yours, what angle would I tell lowes to cut my cedar boards?

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  23. I went to Home Depot this morning to try to get supplies to build this table and could not, for the life of me, find pine board 1x10 for under 20 bucks. Let alone 6 bucks. Can you point me in the right direction? The Home Depot worker looked at me like I was crazy when I asked her where the 6$ boards were. Thanks, I'm excited to start my very first building project!

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  24. I love your table!! I found it on Remodelaholic (http://www.remodelaholic.com/2013/10/simple-diy-sofa-table/#comment-) and my husband and I built it ourselves!! Well, I did most of the work =). We use it as an entryway table & it looks amazing: http://workhomeplayinla.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/diy-sofaentry-table/

    Thank you!!!

    xo Charli

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happy DIYing! Alicia