Coffee table from offcuts

In the process of constructing the entertainment deck we were left with quite a few decking plank offcuts. It’s a shame to let good wood go to waste, so I decided to put together a coffee table to see how it turned out …

This coffee table is so easy to make you can knock it together in an hour if you already have the timber cut to size. There are no measurements – you can make the table as small, or as large, as required.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
ESTIMATED TIME: A Day
MATERIALS:

• Pine – cut to size at your local Builders Warehouse
• Cut screws
• Ponal wood glue
• Drill/Driver and assorted screw bits
• Sander and 180-grit sanding pads
• Rust-Oleum Painters Touch
• Glass – cut to size at your local Builders Warehouse

The design of the table is really very simple. Start by building the top frame (bottom left) then arrange the offcuts on a thin piece of board (bottom right) and add legs to the frame.

The offcut design is supported by thin cleats attached to the inside of the frame, fastened at a depth that allows the thin board, displayed offcuts, and a 5mm piece of glass, to sit flush on the top.
Spray the entire frame with 2 coats of Rust-Oleum Painters Touch, pop in the pre-cut glass top, and voila – you have a simple coffee table.

Design tip:
We used some available offcuts for the design inside the table, but you could also create your own personal display. Display a collage of your favourite photos, add an arrangement of shells.