Coffee Table Projects

Most living rooms have a coffee table, which offers a place to display magazines and books, and space to hold a coffee cup when the neighbors visit. It also allows you to show off a favorite Zen garden or candle display. For those who would like a more personalized coffee table to adorn their space, many coffee table projects exist that will allow you to show off your coffee table items in the best light. Does this Spark an idea?

Making a Coffee Table

Some people need to start with the basics and for them that means making a coffee table. There are a number of reasons to make a coffee table, which range from wanting to make one that specifically fits your tastes to giving the home crafter a worthwhile project to do. When creating a custom coffee table, it behooves you to look through decorating magazines and books. This allows you to pick out the features from several different coffee tables that you'd like to incorporate into your own table. After you have the elements in place, draw out your designs along with the specifications on grid paper before embarking on the coffee table project.

Decoupage

Decoupage is a favorite technique among crafters because of its ease of use and the endless flexibility it provides in terms of decorative features. Decoupage is the process of gluing magazine illustrations, family photos, fancy wrapping paper or stationary or any other decorative paper to a surface---in this case the coffee table. Because coffee tables usually sit in the living room, a table displaying family photos adds a nice touch and offers you a different way to display photos rather than the standard method of framing them.

Mosaic

Some savvy crafters have learned to recycle bits of broken ceramic plates or bits of pottery into some beautiful projects. This technique is called mosaic and it has been around for thousands of years. To create a mosaic table you can either make the table from scratch or you can add tiles to an existing table. If you add tiles to an existing table, be sure to add a wood "lip" around the outside edges of the table so you have reinforcements for your mosaic designs. Use your bits of broken ceramic plus some mosaic grout to add designs like red roosters, American flags or floral patterns to your table.

Painted and Stenciled

According to Brian Dakss on the "CBS News" website, painted coffee tables can add a bit of flair to this standard piece of living room furniture. Painted coffee tables work well with rustic or country styles and can be painted in the colors you've chosen specifically for your living room. Adding decorative stenciling to the top of the table provides additional adornment and allows you to pull your table further into the decorating theme you've chosen for the room, because you can select stencil patterns that match your decorating motif.