How to Make Rustic End Tables

Early settlers had no choice but to use whatever wood was available to make crude furniture for their homes. If you are lucky enough to live close to a wooded area, you can replicate these early examples of ingenuity, using just a few logs. These rustic pieces can become the focal point of any room, as they add texture and charm, without changing a room's entire decor. Add an iron drawer pull or a pair of deer antler candlesticks to complete the rustic charm. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Classic Rustic End Table

1

Cut a piece of pine slab to the size you imagine for the table. Bevel cut the top edges to form a more natural look. Use a drawknife to create a smooth finish or to add more texture, depending on the look you want.

2

Cut four pieces of three-fourth-inch pine for the sides of the table. Use a drawknife to smooth the fronts.

3

Cut four logs of equal size, to represent the legs of the table. Use another end table to gauge the length of the legs.

4

Mortise the tops of the legs by making a series of parallel cuts with the table saw to form a 3/4-inch wide groove in two sides of the log. The cuts should be as long as the height of the pine sides. Remove the wood from these grooves with a chisel.

5

Dry-fit the sides into the mortised joints. If the fit is solid, remove the sides and run a bead of glue on the sides and in the joint. Fit the sides back into the joints, and remove any excess glue. Let it dry completely.

6

Run a bead of glue along the top edges of the sides and the tops of the table legs. Set the pine slab on top, and make certain it is centered. Check for level, and adjust the legs, accordingly.

7

Apply a natural wood finish to seal the table.

Primitive Rustic End Table

8

Cut a three-pronged junction of branches from a tree. Each prong should be at least one inch in diameter, and the overall height should be tall enough to act as table legs.

9

Even out the slice of the tree trunk using a belt sander.

10

Drill a hole in the bottom middle section of the underside of the tree trunk, slice then insert a dowel screw.

11

Cut the base to the correct height. Drill a hole in the top center for the dowel screw.

12

Join the top and the bottom, by screwing the legs onto the dowel screw. Check for level.

13

Finish with mineral oil, until the top has dried completely. Then sand the top, fill in any cracks with wood putty and apply a natural wood finish.