DIY Outdoor Dining Table
Welcome back to week 4 of the One Room Challenge! If you are just tuning in, start with week 1, week 2, and week 3 so you know what’s going on. Since we are making over the backyard and building new furniture, the dining table was at the top of the list this week. To me, this is one of the most important parts of the backyard because it is where we will enjoy summer BBQs and sit around the table having drinks and playing games.
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If you saw the sofas we built last week, you know they were inspired by a high end luxury set that was totally not in the budget. Naturally, I wanted the matching dining table too, so that’s what we built this week. Like last week, it all started with a large wood delivery from a local lumber yard. 
I am not going to do a full tutorial at this time, because well, I only have two weeks left and I need every minute! But don’t worry, I will do one when the ORC is done 😉 But for now, here is the Cliff’s note version.
First, there was a lot of measuring and cutting of wood for the the pedestals, the frame, and the table top.
For the frame of the table, we tried out the famous Kreg Jig for the first time. It’s a pretty handy tool once you have the hang of it and it makes really strong joints. 
And then my favorite part…….the dreaded sanding. Seriously, if I had a genie in a bottle, I would have wished for self sanding wood. Not eternal youth or massive wealth, but self sanding wood. That’s how much fun this was NOT. But now that I am done I would totally wish for eternal youth, haha! The good news is, I should be pretty much done with sanding for a while 🙂 
Even though this part was absolutely AWFUL, I brought it on myself with my wish for these beveled edges. If you are trying to do the math in your head, let me help you out. There are 10 blocks with 12 edges to bevel for a grand total of 120 edges. And that is just for the dining table. I also did this on the two sofas we built which was another 192 edges. I know, I am crazy, but it looks SO much better with the beveled edges. 
Then I stained all the pieces the same color as the sofas. I used a custom tint called Brown Chestnut in this outdoor deck stain to help preserve the wood. I have never used this before but I really liked it! It isn’t really smelly and it penetrates like an oil and cleans up like a water based paint with just soap and water. I used this version of my favorite brush to apply the stain. 
Once all the components where stained, we started to build the table. Because it weighs quite a bit and we made the mistake of building our first sofa in the garage and now cannot move it, true story, we built the table in place on the patio. 
I had plans to make a bench for one side of the table too, but I think we are going to run out of time. So I used six of these chairs instead of four.
Now it just needs to stop snowing every three days so we can actually sit out here and have dinner 😉
Tune in next week to see us tackle some outdoor string lights! I am hoping to stretch them the whole width of the yard, but we will see how that goes. I am crossing my fingers!
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The full tutorial to build this table is now available! Check it out here.
Don’t forget to stop by the One Room Challenge to check out all the other participants. We are all feeling the pressure now, so we can use all the cheer leading we can get 😉
This post, DIY Outdoor Dining Table, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.
Fantastic job!!! I just pinned it for later because I may just build a new dining table like this!
Thank you so much Christina! Please, pin away 🙂
Loving the furniture!!
Thank you Julie! I can’t wait to start using it 😉
How did u secure the legs together?
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for reading! The short answer is they are screwed together from the under side of each piece through holes made with a spade bit halfway through each layer, excluding the very top piece. I know that probably doesn’t make much sense without a picture, but I will be writing a full tutorial once The One Room Challenge is complete. Please check back or sign up for my email notifications so you don’t miss it 🙂
Did you write a tutorial so we can see how you connected the legs?
No, but as I have mentioned in other comments we attached the 6x6s the same way as we did on the Outdoor SofasOutdoor Sofas. Hope that helps!
Do you have to use a certain kind of wood for outdoor use?
Hi Malinda! We did not use special wood for this project but we did stain and seal it with outdoor deck stain. It has only been outside for a few weeks, so I cannot say how it will hold up long term. But the guy at the lumber yard seemed to think it would be ok if sealed well. I would take your specific climate into account though. It is very dry here with little to no rain most of the time.
Can you provide dimensions of this table? length of leg pieces? And has it held up well overtime?
I only built the table last spring so this is the first winter it is weathering, so I cannot attest to is condition at this time. We did cover the top for the winter and it sits under our covered patio. I believe the 6x6s we used for the legs were cut to 20 inches long and the table top itself is 70″x 40″.
Hi Lisa! This table is so pretty. Do you have a tutorial for it? Thanks!
Hi Tracey! Thank you you so much! I did not write a tutorial for the table, but I am considering it due to an increase in interest.
Hi! Wanted to see if you have posted a step by step with what you should be on this table? I am loving it and want one in my backyard!!
Thank you Lindsay! I did not write a tutorial for the table, but I am considering it due to an increase in interest. The base is very similar to my Outdoor Sofa Tutorial though.
Please do the tutorial for the table. I built the sofas and love them. We want to build the table to match. Thanks, stacey
It’s so funny you should say that! I just announced on Instagram today that I am working on getting a tutorial out. Hopefully this week 😉
Do you have a “shopping list” and a cut sheet for this project?
Hi Scott, I do not have a shopping list for this, but I am considering writing a tutorial soon. If you caught my Outdoor Sofa Tutorial, the base is very similar to the arms.
Yes, I seen the sofa build and an actually doing that in the next week.. was just wondering also the “cut list” for measurements of this table base and frame. I’m thinking instead of doing the wood top, doing concrete. But still need the cut sheet for the base and frame.
The 6x6s we used for the legs were cut to 20 inches long and the table top itself is 70″x 40″.
Yes, I seen the sofa tutorial and plan in the next week to build one and make 2 chairs also. But would like a cut sheet for the table. Thinking about doing a concrete top for it, but would like measurements for the base and frame. Thank you
The 6x6s we used for the legs were cut to 20 inches long and the table top itself is 70″x 40″. I have also thought about redoing the top in concrete. I would love to know how yours turns out!
For this year, I’m throwing composite decking on it for the table top. The concrete top will be a project for next year. Think I’ll do a couple end tables first to practice on. And I used an electric hand planer to put the bevel on the boards. I could do a 6x6x8 all 4 corners in about 5min. I did it before cutting to length then after stacking did the outer edges.
That’s a good idea! I have never really worked with concrete but have always wanted to give it a try 😉 man, the efficiency you have created really makes me want to buy a plainer! Shoot me some pictures when it’s complete, I’d love to see it!
Do you know cost wise how much the table would be to make? I saw that you said the sofas were $230 roughly.
It was about the same price to do the table as the sofas, but ultimately it will depend on pricing at your local lumber yard.
I just cut all material for a sofa and 2 chairs. By reducing the length of the arms by a half inch to 31.5″ I was able to use 6x6x8 and saved $10 per timber! I also used a hand planer to put the bevel on the edge of the 6×6 timbers. I beveled before cutting to length. 3 passes per edge. Made for much faster work.
The table is next. Did you use 2×6 for the frame? I plan to use white composite decking for the top. To hopefully make it easier to clean and not have to restain the top from sun and weather every other year.
That’s awesome! I wish we had a plainer for this project. For the table frame we used 2x4s. I have actually been considering swapping the planked top with concrete to make it easier to clean. I have heard the composite decking gets really hot, but don’t have any personal experience with it.
How did you attach the 6x6s to the table frame? L brackets?
We attached them with the Kreg Jig. In pictures 10-12 you can see where the holes are in the frame and go right into the 6x6s. There are 8 screws per table leg.
How did you connect the 6×6’s together?
We attached the 6x6s the same way as we did on the Outdoor SofasOutdoor Sofas.
Did you use a router for the beveled edges?
Did you use a router for the beveled edges?
No, I used a belt sander. You can read more about how I did it in my Sofa tutorial as they are very similar.
I made this table it was fairly easy I used different 6×6 for the legs to add some character to it. I used pressure treated and sanded off the red stain then sealed it and it looks fantastic thank you for the DIY also made your couch and I made a love seat just changed measurements. It turned out great. Thank you again!
I’m so happy to hear that and you are so welcome! I love helping people create spaces they enjoy! 🙂
Nice job! One quick tip if you have the tool. You can use a dremal multi piece tool with the wood cutting flat blade and you can accomplish the same look very quickly will much less dust by angling the tool on the edges at a 45 degree angle and it will cut like butter. I built the sofa and chairs using your plans and used this tool and it was super easy.
Thank you so much Matt! We do not have that tool, but if I ever have to do this again I will definitely look into purchasing it 😉 I am so glad the sofa plans were helpful!
Hello, I was wondering if I could use this format/base of the table but instead of the wood top do a concrete top? Similar to a hurricane table.
Do you think it’ll hold? I would use 6×4’s.
Thank you
I cannot say for sure but I would definitely be concerned about weight distribution, it being top heavy, overall weight and mobility, and the concrete potentially cracking. I have never worked with concrete in an application like this so I cannot say one way or another. If you decide to try concrete, you might look into a concrete skim coat application rather than a solid concrete top.
Love your table, thank you for sharing.
Do you think you could put 3 of your chairs on each side? I need a table that will sit 8. I’ve been wanting to make a wooden table, and as it turns out using the exact same chairs that you have.
Thank you so much! I don’t think you could fit 3 chairs on each side comfortably without changing the table dimensions. I say this because I believe two of the seats would then run into the base or rather the people sitting in the chairs would hit their knees on the base. I think you could definitely make the table larger to accommodate the extra chairs though. I wrote a full tutorial on how this one was built, maybe that will help you decide 😉