DIY Sawhorse Table
Last summer as we were moving our outdoor farmhouse table back up to our deck (after repainting the deck floor), the legs fell apart completely. It had finally succumbed to the brutal Indiana winters. 🙁
I went into instant panic mode, thinking about the Sunday dinner we were hosting the next day. What would we eat on? Think Nicole, Think! How can I salvage what’s left of this table? With Home Depot closing in less than an hour, I had an idea. Thankfully, the table top was still good-we just needed legs.
I was back in less than an hour with two sawhorses….
Attach the tabletop to the sawhorses and voila–a sawhorse table! So easy!
What if I don’t have a tabletop? You may be asking. Then what?
Two solutions:
One: Find an old barn door and attach with screws. This was one of my first tables I built. Five years later, she’s still good as new….
Two: Let’s build one! Wait! It really is an easy build! Don’t quit-you’ve got this!
HOW TO BUILD A SAWHORSE TABLE TOP
Materials Needed:
2X8 pine boards (the width and type of wood is really personal preference)
Pocket hole screws
Stain or paint
Tools Needed:
Miter saw
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Step One: Determine the width and length of your tabletop
To figure out how many boards you need for the width of your table top: divide 7.5 into your desired width. (You may wonder why 7.5? 2×8’s are actually 7.5″ wide; 2×4’s = 3.5″ wide; 1×6’s = 5.5″ wide and so on). So, if you want to build a tabletop with a 3ft 9in. width, you would need six 2×8 pine boards. (7.5 times 6=approx. 3ft9in.)
If you were wanting a 4ft table top width, you’ll need to do a little more cutting and a little more math. Just take:
4ft times 12″ (to convert your measurements to inches) = 48″
Divide that by 7.5 = 6.4 (this is the number of boards you need-so round it up to 7 boards).
THEN divide 48 by 7 = approx. 6 3/4….this is the width you will rip each of your boards using a table saw or circular saw. (If you don’t have a table saw or circular saw, stick to measurements that will divide evenly into your number of boards).
Sidenote: Math was my worst subject! Just ask my math-whiz dad-haha! So, if I can figure this out, you can too!! Hopefully, I explained it well. If not, don’t ever hesitate to ask questions in the comments below, I try to check them daily and will get back to you.
Now that we’ve determined the width of our table top and ripped our boards (if necessary), we are ready for the length cuts.
Easy as pie–if you want a 6ft table, cut all of your 2x’s to 6ft, using a miter saw.
Step Two: Lay out your boards
I like to lay out all of my boards and see which ones are going to fit best next to one another.
Step Three: Drill pocket holes and attach
Using your kreg jig, drill pocket holes on the long side of each of your boards (as shown below)….
Next, attach each board using pocket hole screws.
If you want to add a little more character, attach an apron to your table top. Simply cut 2×4’s to the length and width of your table top and attach with 2.5″ screws…..
Step Four: Sand and paint
Now you’re ready to sand, using a 60-grit and then a 220-grit to give it that smooth furniture finish.
And lastly, your ready for paint or stain.
It really is that simple! Attach it to your sawhorses (from the underneath-so as not to ruin your tabletop with the screw heads) with 2.5″ to 3″ screws and you have a fully functional, beautiful table! One that you built! 
Until next time,
Happy Building, Friend!!
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Other table posts:
How to Give Your Dining Table a Farmhouse Table Makeover
11 Modern Farmhouse Table Design Ideas That Are Timeless
How to Make a Farmhouse Pallet Coffee Table
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