Simple DIY Round Coffee Table

Small coffee tables seem to be a staple of DIY projects. So, I decided it was time to have a go at one of my own. I’d made a couple of basic end tables before, but they had both either had square or rectangular tops.

I liked the idea of making a round coffee table. I felt like this represented a bit more of a challenge. It would also look slightly more pleasing on the eye in my opinion.

There are plenty of good Youtube videos on making coffee tables. But, I always feel it’s difficult to find an exact method to replicate. This is largely due to difference in skill levels, materials, and design preference.

I tend to watch a few different videos to see a range of approaches. Then, I’ll come up with my own method. This is usually a combination of a few different approaches. I always like to do some research first though just to see what is out there in terms of ideas.

I had some leftover softwood cladding that I thought would be a suitable material for the table top. It’s easy to cut and slots together nicely using the tongue and groove joints provided. It is very lightweight and reasonably cheap. Fortunately, I had a leftover piece of plywood board. I could use this as a base to mount the cladding to. This would create a solid tabletop that I could attach some legs to.

For the legs, I decided to spend a little bit extra. I bought some metal legs that would be a bit more aesthetically pleasing than basic wooden legs. These legs were bought from B&Q and I was happy with the end result.

I cut my cladding into a square shape and added wood glue in the tongue and groove joints, I then glued the cladding onto the plywood board and clamped it down until the glue had dried.

I then needed to cut the wood into a circle. To measure the circle, I attached a piece of string to a pencil from the centre of the plywood. This allowed me draw the circle and keep the same circumference the whole way around. I then cut the circle with an electric jigsaw, and sanded the edges to create a nice smooth finish.

To finish, I attached the legs to the plywood board underneath using screws provided with the legs, and then added a layer of beeswax and polish to the tabletop. This was quite a quick and easy project, and it was an enjoyable alternative to the previous end tables that I had done before. It seemed to go nicely next to the sofa in the living room, ready for a cup of tea!

The total cost of the table was £20.99 for the legs, as the wood was leftover bits that I already had.