How to Make a Children's Project Table

Most kids love to work on a variety of projects, including painting, sculpting with clay and drawing. These projects, however, can be quite messy at times and the supplies used for them can be difficult to clean out of your dining or kitchen table tops. The solution is to make your own children's project table where your kids can be as creative as they wish and you can keep your furniture in good shape. This project can be made out of scrap wood, with just a little amount of time.

Instructions

Table Frame

1

Measure out four pieces of 1-by-2 inch wood. Two of the pieces should be as long as you want the sides of the table to be and two of the pieces should be as long as you want the ends of the table to be. Mark the pieces of wood with a pencil with your measurements and then cut them with a saw. Cutting the ends at a 45-degree angle will allow them to fit together more snugly.

2

Lay your four pieces of wood on the ground and attach them at the corners with either finishing nails or screws.

3

Attach four wood baseboards to the outside of the wood frame of 1-by2s with finishing nails or screws. The baseboard sections should be as long as the one by twos used for the frame, but stand above the one by twos as high as the thickness of the wood sheet you will use for the tabletop.

4

Attach L-brackets in each corner of the table frame of 1-by-2s and the baseboard pieces with screws. Two L-brackets per corner, evenly spaced, will be sufficient to stabilize the frame.

Table Top

5

Measure the inside dimensions of the baseboard part of the frame for the tabletop.

6

Cut out your tabletop wood with a table saw according to your measurements. If needed, sand the wood after cutting with a fine grade sandpaper, 150 to 180 grit.

7

Slide the tabletop wood into the top of the frame, allowing it to come to rest on the one by twos in the frame.

8

Secure the tabletop to the frame with finishing nails or screws, from the outside of the frame. Secure the tabletop at each corner, on both sides of the corner, to hold the tabletop in place.

Legs

9

Turn the tabletop upside down.

10

Insert wood legs into one of the corners of the bottom of the table. The wooden legs can be any nature and any height that you prefer, but should be of equal height and have squared tops so that they will sit flush with the corners of the tabletop. Four legs are needed.

11

Connect the legs at each corner on both sides of the corner to the frame with screws from the outside of the frame, pushing the screws through the frame and into the legs.

Paint

12

Paint the tabletop with chalkboard paint. Use at least two coats of the chalkboard paint. Allow the first coat to dry before applying the second coat.

13

Paint the outside frame of the table with acrylic paint. Enamel paint will take longer to dry, but it will also be easier to clean.

14

Paint the legs with acrylic paint.