How to Make a DIY Farmhouse Dining Table – Step-by-Step Guide

11 months ago

A piece of furniture such as a DIY Farmhouse Dining Table is the main centerpiece of the kitchen/diner interior. Its shape and size should correspond to the size of the room so that all family members can freely accommodate behind it. It is also important that the table does not interfere with free passage (if your dining room is not particularly roomy), especially if you plan to use a sitting bench with it as well.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Perfect dining room centerpiece  Rustic Farmhouse Table
Perfect dining room centerpiece – Rustic Farmhouse Table

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Currently, the stores offer a wide selection of dining room furniture of various shapes and sizes, made from a variety of materials. Anything from local-made woodworking hand-made’s, and all the way to vintage ones from overseas.

Choosing a table for a small dining room, you have to make a choice – whether you like it when there is a lot of free space, or is it important for you that the furniture is comfortable and spacious. If you can’t find a farmhouse table that’s just perfect for your room — try making it yourself!

If you don’t feel that comfortable with your woodworking tools just yet — consider our previous article on making a Simple Round Wood Table (an example is in the photo below). You can always sell it on a yard sale later on if you’d want to switch it up for a full-fledged big-boy farmhouse table!

The round shape is not the most ergonomic for a small space but contributes to a confidential comfortable atmosphere of communication (and much simpler to make)

The advantages of creating a table with your own hands

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- DIY Rustic Table. Simple, yet elegant
DIY Rustic Table. Simple, yet elegant

Many men who like to craft with their own hands can significantly save the family budget (because finished products are not cheap). Accordingly, you independently select the material for making a high-quality dining table and the necessary fasteners. By showing your design skills, you will assemble an original piece of furniture that perfectly matches the farmhouse-style interior.

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Do not feel that this is a difficult task. The assembly of the dining table does not take so much time – just a few days. A bit more difficult part is making a countertop. It is better to first consult with your woodworker friends involved in such matters, or read-on our awesome article.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- A bit of spare wood, varnish and nails. That's it!
A bit of spare wood, varnish and nails. That’s it!

Building a dining table with your own hands, you will create a unique thing, bring to life an original idea. Maybe, with your light hand, you could eventually organize the production of kitchen tables, and it will grow into a profitable business.

It might also be a nice idea to put a rustic DIY Picture Frame, as it could also be classified as a Farmhouse-style.

Deciding on the design and configuration of our DIY Farmhouse Table

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- You could go round
You could go round

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How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Or squared
Or squared

The design and shape of the rustic farmhouse dining table can be very diverse. Designers, using imagination, bring to life the most unusual ideas.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Or even oval!
Or even oval!

Let’s have a quick go-through of our options

ShapePros & Cons
Round tableIt has smooth lines as if uniting those sitting at such a table. Has several legs or one large one. It is comfortable to sit behind, you will not have any flash-backs related to the place of work or study. There is but one drawback – it cannot be placed tightly against the wall.
OvalAn excellent option for owners of a large dining room, which is divided into a cooking and dining area. Ideal for a big family
SquareThe embodiment of rigor, but at the same time, it is simple and multifunctional. Suitable for small spaces, space-saving is a mast for smaller rooms
RectangularThe most widespread option. It can accommodate many people. It could be placed wherever you’d like – in the center, against the wall, by the window, or on the patio
TriangularSuch a table is quite rare in the kitchen. It is used as an unusual decoration element, for example, as a coffee table. Check out a nice example of that in our last week’s issue’s DIY Coffee Table!
Farmhouse dining table shape options

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How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Wooden farmhouse table with rustic benches for a summer residence
Wooden farmhouse table with rustic benches for a summer residence

Owners of a small dining room prefer to use a foldable-table or a sliding table. Since they can be collapsed, they significantly save space. Other forms of tables are few and far between. If you prefer products of a particularly bizarre shape, it might better to order them from a professional woodworker.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Something like this looks amazing... But, let's face it -- perhaps next time
Something like this looks amazing… But, let’s face it — perhaps next time :’-)

The dining table, like any other furniture, is selected for a specific style of interior. For example, a regular wooden table would work for a classic farmhouse-style. High-tech is characterized by right angles and lines, so tables made of plastic, metal, glass are chosen, with an emphasis on white and gray shades. For the Art-Nouveau style, unusual furniture with ornate lines is used. Eco-style means products made from natural materials.

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Necessary materials

DIY Farmhouse Dining Table materials vary. Here are the most used ones:

  • Chipboard
  • Planks
  • Timber/wood

You can combine them if desired. You will also need corners, hinges (for folding models), rollers, corner fasteners, eccentric bolts, pads, tape for edge decoration, a plastic profile for the tabletop, plugs.

Required tools

A standard set of tools should be plenty enough:

  • Jigsaw
  • Electric drill
  • Hacksaw
  • Screwdriver
  • Parker-screws
  • Electric planer
  • Grinding machine (or Sander)
  • Ruler, pencil

When making more complicated models/shapes, you would obviously additional tools (the sky is the limit).

And while you’re at it, why not craft a quick DIY Key Holder and hang it on a nearby wall!

Table manufacturing process: step by step instructions

How to make a DIY farmhouse table with your own hands? Let’s take a look at a typical dining table. First of all, prepare the tools and materials that will be needed for work. Than draw-up the table plans (aka blueprints if you’re fancy).

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Make a plan of furniture elements. Start with the tabletop, as this is the largest part of the table. It can be rectangular, round, square or oval in shape. If you are planning to make a table of an unusual shape, mark up according to sketches.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 1: Build the tabletop; varnish and let it dry
Step 1: Build the tabletop; varnish and let it dry

Connect the boards with glue and dowels, remove excess glue on the surface, and grind/sand it

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Connect the boards with glue and dowels, remove excess glue on the surface and grind it
Glue, Dowels and Grinding

Then, put a drawing of the side racks on the material – these will be the legs of the future table. Most often they imitate a chess piece (shape-wise, if you turn them upside-down). If you want, you can make another shape at your discretion. The main thing to remember is that the structure must be stable.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 2: Assemble the legs and aprons
Step 2: Assemble the legs and aprons

Next, mark the upper and lower crossbars (aprons), which will connect the racks and thereby ensure the stability of the frame.

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Usually, the legs are located from the edge of the table surface at a distance of 5-8 inches (15-20 cm).

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 3: Create a frame with side-aprons
Step 3: Create a frame with side-aprons
How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Fastening table aprons
Fastening table aprons

At the next step, cut out the elements. Place the material on the table. Cut out the countertop using a jigsaw.

To avoid the chips, put plywood (or just an old newspaper) underneath. Cut out the remaining parts in the same way.

Do not allow material to sag. This may cause the tool to break or break off the cutout element. At the end of cutting the edges of the parts, grind and sand them with a special machine or go over them with sandpaper.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Be careful to not through the tabletop
Step 4: Stabilize it with inner support planks

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How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 4: Stabilize it with inner support planks
Be careful to not through the tabletop

It remains only to process the finished table with varnish or stain or paint, having previously primed.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 5: Varnish legs and aprons and paint the whole thing
Step 5: Varnish legs and aprons and paint the whole thing

Assemble the table as follows:

  • Connect the legs with the aprons
  • Lay the tabletop on the finished base, fix it on the corners
  • Decorate Parker-screws with caps.
  • Well, that’s pretty much it. Your DIY farmhouse dining table is ready!
How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table Plans blueprints – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Step 6: Nail down the tabletop (you can also use Parker-screws)
Step 6: Nail down the tabletop (you can also use Parker-screws)

Here’s what we made during this step-by-step tutorial. As basic as it gets, but relatively simple and fast-to-make.

The chairs are also hand-made — but unfortunately, the how-to for those will come some other time.

How to Make a Dining Farmhouse Table – Step-by-Step DIY Guide -- Our table will most probably go to the terrace
Our table will most probably go to the terrace

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Now, let’s have a quick recap. Just to be sure that everything is in order.

DIY Farmhouse Dining Table – Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Build the tabletop; varnish and let it dry

  2. Assemble the legs and aprons

  3. Create a frame with side-aprons

  4. Stabilize it with inner support planks

  5. Varnish legs and aprons and paint the whole thing

  6. Nail down the tabletop (you can also use Parker-screws)

  7. Done!

    Congrats! Your dining table is now all rustic and ready!

If you want to see more woodworking wizardry — check out our FREE 50 woodworking plans eBook 🙂


P.S. Bonus Ideas for building DIY Farmhouse Dining Tables and using them in the interior of the house and outdoors:

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