Build this super easy outdoor table for less than $120 using just a few tools & wood glue
This post is sponsored by Titebond Wood Glue, but all opinions are absolutely my own!
It is finally getting to be a bearable temperature outside here in the south and you know what that means…
Outdoor eating, entertaining, and gathering!
Outside is my favorite place once we reach non melting weather and I knew this would be especially true at our new farmhouse. So once I felt even an ounce of a breeze I ran to Lowes and got supplies for the easiest table build on the planet.
UPDATE: I have finally added the plans to build benches that match this table build!
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Table Supplies:
- Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue
- (6) 2 x 4 x 10
- (6) 2 x 6 x 10
- 2 ¾” Exterior Wood Screws
- Stain
Tools Needed:
Cut List: (10’ Table)
- (8) 2 x 4 x 28 ½” (Table Legs)
- (1) 2 x 4 x 25 ½” (Middle Support)
- (2) 2 x 4 x 103 ½” (Side Aprons)
- (1) 2 x 4 x 108” (Bottom Stretcher)
- (6) 2 x 6 x 10 (Table Top Uncut)
How To Build A 10 Foot Outdoor Table
- The first thing I do for wood projects if possible is to cut spacers. I like to do this when I am building multiples of one thing or if the project has two sides that need to mirror each other. (A good example of this is my DIY walk-in closet shelving renovation)
For this project I used a scrap piece of ¾” thick MDF, (2) 3 ½” spacers, & (2) 12 ½” spacers
- Next we made all of our cuts from the cutlist above using a miter saw, but a circular will work fine too!
Assembling The Legs
- Start with the 28 ½” leg pieces. Each leg will use four pieces.
- Start by assembling the first leg using the ¾ MDF underneath the top piece to indent it a bit.
- Once you have the layout apply Titebond Wood Glue to the top pieces ends.
Titebond III is the wood glue I used specifically for this build because it’s waterproo
- After the glue is applied use a square (essential unless you want a wobbly table) & clamps to connect the top piece to both side pieces.
- Attach these pieces from the outside using 2 ¾” exterior wood screws
- Next, attach the bottom piece to the legs using the 3 ½” spacers to place the bottom board in the right location. Glue, square, & screw this piece in the same way.
This is how one side piece will look once it’s all attached! Build another leg just like this one for the other side.
Assembling The Side Aprons
NOTE: During this portion of assembly the table will be upside down
- The side aprons are the (2) pieces long cut down to 103 ½ “ each. Attach the long pieces to the inside of each leg using the wood glue.
- Use screws to attach the long apron sides after you glue & square them the same way you did the legs. Screw from the inside of the apron pieces to hide the heads.
Installing Bottom Stretcher/Middle Support
- Now it’s time to install the bottom stretcher board. This is the piece cut at 108” & you should have about a ¾” overhand at each end.
Notice this is where we used out 12 ½” spacers to make sure we placed the bottom stretcher in exactly the middle of the table
- Use the wood glue to attach the bottom stretcher to each leg.
- Even though the glue joint is actually stronger than the wood, I am going to use screws to keep the board in place until the glue dries.
- After the bottom stretcher is installed, attach the 23 ½” support piece to the center top of the table. This piece will add extra support for the 2×6 tabletop pieces.
Installing the Tabletop
- The first thing we did was lay out all our 2×6 boards on top of the table to make sure they were all the same length & would fit nicely with even overhangs on the sides & tops.
- Once you have all the spacing set, one board at a time apply glue along the base of the table where the board will lay.
Titebond Wood Glue is rated for indirect food contact so I am not worried about using it for the tabletop boards!
- Our boards were not perfectly straight so we did use a large clamp to close the gap between the boards as we installed them.
- Titebond Wood G
lue is strong enough to stand on its own, but I don’t have clamps that will work with the overhang of the boards so I am adding wood screws to each board while it dries.
This outdoor table is beautiful and large! One of those things Adam isn’t allowed to compliment me with but it’s perfectly acceptable when talking about this table…
Finishing The Table
- Now it’s time to finish the table. Start by filling in the screw holes with sandable wood filler
- Once the filler is dry, sand the entire table down with 220 grit sandpaper.
- Remove the dust with a tack cloth.
- Stain or paint the table with your desired color choice! I love the Minwax color Special Walnut
- After you achieve the look you are going for, apply an exterior polyurethane to seal the wood.
You might be wondering why I didn’t use treated wood… I don’t personally like to use treated lumber for anything we will be eating off of & also it doesn’t finish as nicely. I would rather apply a couple of coats of poly to untreated wood than deal with all of that.
This table is a thing of dreams and we literally assembled it in 2 hours!
Hands down this
Can you keep a secret… We are also building 9 more to use at our wedding in October!
This table cost less than $120 & it was $150 to rent a 6’ one so this just made a lot more sense.
How to Build a Matching Outdoor Bench
Ever since we posted these easy outdoor table build plans I have been getting a lot of requests for the plans to the matching bench. When we originally built these tables for our wedding we made matching 10′ long benches to go with each one.
While that worked really well for the wedding, when we built this same style table more recently, we decided two 5′ benches would work better.
The main reasons we went this route is because we wanted to also use the benches around our fire pit and for other parties. I think both options are great and will look amazing with your outdoor table.
(2) 5′ Bench Supplies:
- (4) 2 x 4 x 8
- (2) 2 x 6 x 10
- 2 ¾” Exterior Wood Screws
- Wood Glue
Cut List for Two Benches:
- (8) 2 x 4 x 7-1/2″ (Support Pieces)
- (8) 2 x 4 x 17″ (Bench Legs)
- (4) 2 x 4 x 4-1/2′ (Apron Pieces)
- (4) 2 x 6 x 5′ (Top of Bench)
Assembling the Bench Legs
Start by assembling the bench leg pieces. Use two of the 17″ long 2x4s for the legs and two of the 7-1/2″ boards for the support pieces.
Set the support pieces on a 3/4″ scrap piece to inset them on the leg pieces.
Attach one of the support pieces at the top of the leg pieces with wood glue and screws.
Attach the second spacer piece 3″ from the bottom of the leg pieces. I like to use scrap wood cut at 3″ for spacers to make setting the support pieces easy.
Each bench will use two of these leg sets.
Installing the Bench Aprons
NOTE: During this portion of assembly the bench will be upside down
Next install the 4-1/2′ apron piece to the inside of each bench leg using the wood glue and screws.
Make sure to clamp the apron to the leg when attaching them together with the screws.
This is how the bench will look with both leg pieces attached to the two aprons.
Installing the Bench Top
Finally it’s time to install the bench top pieces. For the top pieces I used (1) 2x4x10 board cut in half.
I centered the two boards so that the overhang on each side was equal, then attached the board to the aprons and legs with screws.
Easy DIY Outdoor Bench Build
For this outdoor table and benches set I opted to paint them both black instead of staining them.
I started by filling all the screw holes, then sanding all the pieces down with 120, then 220 grit sandpaper.
For these outdoor pieces I chose the same black exterior paint that I used for our DIY Adirondack chairs.
I applied two coats total and topped with an exterior spar-urethane.
This outdoor table and benches set is going to be perfect for all our spring, summer, and fall outdoor dining plans.
Plus because the benches are 5′ each we can also use them around our fire pit!
Let me know what you think of our new easy DIY outdoor table and benches.
You Might Also Like These Outdoor DIY’s:
DIY Plans for Adirondack Chairs
DIY 6′ Outdoor Table + Bench
DIY Backyard Fire Pit: Budget Fire Pit Ideas
Backyard String Lights Ideas
