Turn An Old Door Into A Patio Table For Entertaining

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Shopping for new patio furniture can be time-consuming, not to mention expensive if you're after something just a bit different. Why not skip the boredom of the mass-produced patio tables that don't do anything to elevate your space and make your own instead? Now, before you shake your head as you imagine lots of measuring, sawing, and finding just the right timber, here's a project that's easier than you might think. All it takes is a visit to a couple of thrift stores to hunt for an old door that takes your fancy. If you're lucky, you might even have one at the back of the shed that you've totally forgotten about. Believe it or not, a character-filled timber door makes a gorgeous tabletop that will certainly get the conversation going at your next gathering when you're entertaining family and friends. In fact, this might just be another one of those creative patio hacks you didn't know you needed.

The only other things you'll need are materials for the base. Now, you can either make that yourself if you're handy with the woodworking tools, or you can just hunt around for a preloved table that's the right size but is either missing the top or looking a little forlorn and unloved. This is also the perfect way to repurpose an old dining table. If you've found a suitable base that's just a bit smaller than the door you want to use, you can just cut the door down to match.

If you've found a base with legs that's already assembled, all you really have to do is cut the door to size if needed, then attach it to the base before finishing it with paint or stain. But, if you're going to make the base from scratch, the first thing you'll need is four sturdy legs. You should be able to buy these from your local hardware or timber store. If they're not exactly the right height, you may need to trim them down. To attach these to the door, start by gluing them on. If your door is painted, sand where you want the legs to go first because this will ensure that the glue sticks well. After the glue has dried, use screws to secure the legs in place so they're nice and strong.

Next, you'll want to reinforce the entire base by adding some 1-by-4-inch rails in between the legs. To attach these, turn the table upside down so it's resting on the door and measure the four sides in between the legs. Cut your timber pieces to size and glue them in place. As with the legs, you'll want to sand the paint off the door where the glue will be applied. If you've got a handy nail gun, you can now nail the door to the rails to hold everything securely. You might even want to add some braces underneath in the corners for extra stability.

Now that your table is assembled, it's time to put the finishing touches on it. First, you want to fill all the nail holes on the top of the table with Gorilla All Purpose Wood Filler or a similar product to hide the nails. After the filler has dried, grab your trusty sander and sand over the filler to create a smooth finish. Depending on how you want to treat the table top, you might want to give this a light sand too.

Finally, you can either paint your completed table or stain it. How you finish it is entirely up to you. However, keep in mind that you may want to use a waterproof stain or paint if your table is going to be exposed to the elements. The same goes for your wood filler. If you're a little more ambitious, you could give your table a distressed look by applying paint or stain and sanding in certain areas to make these look a little worn.

While this is just one way you can turn an old door into a patio table, there are plenty of ways you can do this, as long as you have that lovely old door for the tabletop. For instance, you could simply use some saw horses as the base and work out how to attach these to the door. Really, all it takes is a little imagination and a hunt around a couple of thrift stores, and soon you'll have an original masterpiece right in your backyard that will serve as a stunning conversation piece when you're entertaining. And, if you've found more than one old door you love, you can easily breathe new life into one of them by turning it into a stunning garden trellis.