To stretch your crafting skills while saving money on home decor, consider DIY furniture for your living room. From benches to shelving to accent tables, there are many projects for DIY enthusiasts of all experience levels. Here’s a guide for a new DIY hairpin leg coffee table to get you started:
DIY Furniture materials you’ll need
- Scrap wood or plywood cut to size (your choice)
- Measuring tape
- Metal hairpin legs (found online or from local hardware retailers)
- Screwdriver and wood screws
- Sander or sandpaper
- Wood filler
- Paintbrush
- Paint or finish
DIY Coffee table: Step by step
- The first step in this DIY furniture project is to clean and sand the plywood or scrap wood. Use either an electric sander or sandpaper to buff out any scratches and remove splinters.
- Decide which side of the plywood you want to face up. On the back, measure and drill holes in each corner for attaching the legs.
- Use the included brackets to attach the hairpin legs, applying clamps to hold them in place if necessary.
- Flip the table upright and double check for any wobbling or unevenness in the table legs. It will be easier to fix mistakes before you’ve finished the wood.
- Add a coat of wood filler to smooth out any existing knots or holes in the surface of the wood.
- Once the filler is dry, add your choice of paint or wood stain. Allow it to dry completely before using the table.
Now you have a unique piece of stylish, modern DIY furniture for your living room. You can use this same method to create additional pieces to match. Try making a bench, stool, accent table or dining table. Experiment with different surface materials like concrete, marble, stone or metal. Just make sure to check the specifications on the legs before you start.
While the combination of natural wood and metal hairpin legs is peak mid-century modern style, there are no limits when it comes to DIY furniture. Consider these ideas the next time you want to craft something all your own.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
