Our glass patio table shattered and we’d didn’t want to buy an expensive replacement table so we made something even better using cedar and converted this basic glass table into an awesome farmhouse style patio table!
Here is how we did it:
You can watch the step by step at the bottom of the post.
Supplies:
- A table with a shattered table top 😉
- Board (We used cedar boards, 8 ft pre-cut)
- Measuring tape and wood pencil
- Screwdriver
- Screws
- Wood glue (optional)
- Paint brush (to spread the glue)
- Hole saw
- Saw
- Drill
Step 1: Tighten the Screws.
Ensure the base screws are secure and the table doesn’t wobble. This wood top will be much heavier than the glass.
Step 2: Arrange the Cedar Pieces on the Floor.
Lay out the boards on the floor/ground. Place them parallel to each other. Use a straight piece of wood at the end of the boards to keep them aligned.
Step 3: Place the Table Frame on It.
Make sure that you place the frame right in the middle, with the same length remaining on opposite sides.
Step 4: Measure the Width of the Table and Cut Two Pieces of Board Accordingly.
We now need to provide support to the boards. So, we will place a piece of board (luckily we had an extra piece of cedar board) right across the boards. That makes it 2 pieces of board, one at each end. Make sure that there is enough support for all the boards. Nothing should be left hanging with backing.
Step 5: Fix the Pieces of Board at Either End With Wood Glue. (Optional)
This is for extra adhesiveness. You can have fun with drawing glue patterns. 🙂
You can totally skip it too.
Step 6: Secure the Boards With Screws.
The fasteners should be such that they fasten the backing board to the tabletop, but do not show up on the table top. Choose the screws carefully.
You might need to drill from the bottom and the top. So don’t flip the table until you are done drilling from the bottom. Then flip it and drill from the top.
The table’s all done.
To stain/seal or not to, that is the question (that you can ask your kids)! 🙂 Your choice really, since cedar is waterproof by itself.
So we saved on a new table top and got ourselves a sturdy, up-cycled table, for just $70, that’s definitely going to last a lot longer than an expensive glass topped table.
You can watch the step by step video here.
Kerry W. Mann, Jr. moved to a 20-acre homestead in 2015, where he and his family use modern technology, including YouTube and Instructables.com, to learn new skills and teach homestead projects. Connect with Kerry on his Homestead How YouTube page, Instructables, Pinterest, Facebook, and at My Evergreen Homestead. Read all of Kerry’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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