Make a bedside table for free!
Well... almost free! This project by Matsutake shows how you can make a beautiful bedside table with nothing more than a couple of pieces of pine, a cardboard tube and some cheap vinyl fabric.
HERE'S HOW:
1. Cut your pine top to the size that you want as the diameter for your table. The base will be around half of this size. You can buy laminated pine shelving at your local Builders Warehouse and have them cut it 450mm square for the top and 200mm square for the bottom. At home, use a jigsaw to cut the circular shape. Centrally place your cardboard tube on the underside of the top and top of the base and draw around with a pencil.
2. Screw bits of scap wood inside the drawn circles.
3. Stand up the tube and place the table top on it. Screw through the cardboard into the scrap wood bits. Attach the bottom the same way.
4. I wanted the top super shiny so I used a high gloss paint. You can use Rust-Oleum 2X gloss white for high gloss, semi-gloss for less shine, or matt for a smooth matt finish for your table. And Rust-Oleum comes in a variety of colours. Take outdoors to spray and put down a drop cloth to protect floors and surroundings.
5. While the paint dries, you can cut a million little strips of vinyl. Mine are 5 cm wide and 1 metre long. Obviously the length will be determined by the height of your bedside table.
6. Tack the vinyl strips on with upholstery pins.
7. Wrap one strip around the middle like a belt and temporarily clip the edges of it together with a bulldog or paperclip. Weave the long, hanging strips under the belt.
8. Pull each strip under the table so that they're smooth and tight and temporarily attach with tape until you figure out the spacing and tension you want. When you like the way it looks, you can replace the tape with staples. Also, remove the binder clip from the belt and secure it to the cardboard with tacks.
Thanks Katie for this super-awesome project. Who knew you could make a bedside table for practically nothing and still have it look so good!