Easy Outdoor End Tables

This past month I’ve been working on the finishing touches to our back porch decor. Earlier this spring I splurged on new furniture, rugs and outdoor curtains then decided to use my thrifty/DIY spirit to complete the rest. My biggest need was tables (both end and coffee) and I was determined to shop my home to see if I could figure out a solution with out spending a dime. 

HI! My name is Kera. I started Haute House Love as a home design and consulting business back in 2018 and have recently started blogging. I create content around simple DIY, woodworking projects and home inspiration. I would love to connect with you on Instagram where I share a LOT of my day to day projects. Now, let’s get to it!!

I began my search in my home decor closet and came up with an empty crate that I could use for a table base. I found a few pieces of scrap wood and other supplies in my garage and started working! This is what I came up with…

Supplies Needed:

• A sturdy crate (old or new)
• Two pieces of scrap wood (approx 10-12” wide and at least 20” long.)
• Sanding Blocks
• Spray Paint
• Wood Glue
• Brad Nailer
• Wood Filler
• Stain of Choice
• Spray Polycrylic (or waterproof sealant if table will be exposed to the elements)

Step 1:

Sand down any rough edges on the crate. When the crate is smooth apply spray paint in desired color followed by a spray polycrylic to seal the paint.

Step 2:

While the paint/sealant dried I began prepping the table top. I cut a 10” scrap of poplar board down to two 20” pieces and sanded them until smooth.  (At this point you could use a pocket hole jig to screw your boards together but at the time of this project I didn’t own one.)

I then stained the wood. 

Step 3:

When the crate and wood pieces were dry I flipped the crate upside down and glued the wood “top” to the bottom of the crate and secured the pieces in place with my brad nailer.

I filled and sanded the holes and added a second coat of stain followed by a coat of Polycrylic to seal. When everything dried I had a beautiful (and easy) end table for my back porch! 

This project took about an hour of hands on time to complete. If you decided to try this project (or a variation of it) I would love to hear about it!