This plan is like a recipe.
It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
DIY Outdoor End Table
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Time: 5 hours
Description: This simple table is made with 2x4s and some basic tools.
Required Tools:
• Circular Saw
• Hand Held Drill
• Drill Bits
• Sander
• Sand Paper
• Square
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Pocket Hole Jig
Required Materials:
• 3 – 8 foot 2x4s from your local home center. Look for straight, flat boards with minimal
knots and no pith (complete circles in the end grain).
Note: A pith is the center of the tree and will cause the board to crack as it dries.
• 2 ½” screws
• 1 ¼” pocket hole screws
• Wood glue
Steps:
1. First take one board and cut the end off to remove the tag and rough end. Use your square to
ensure a square, flat, clean cut.
2. Cut all parts to length using a circular saw and square.
a. Lengths are:
Component Quantity Length
Table Top Boards 5 18”
Legs 4 20 ½”
Long Stretchers 4 13 ½”
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This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
Short Stretchers 3 9½”
Joinery Note: To fasten boards together you can use a pocket hole jig for all joints or just on the
short stretchers and face screw the other boards. For the short stretchers the pocket hole jig is
required because the short stretchers fix to the side of the legs and to face screw them on it
would require very long screws. The long stretchers will be against the thin part of the legs and
can be simply screwed from the outside of the leg if preferred.
3. Drill pocket holes using the pocket hole jig.
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This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
4. At this point it is recommended to sand all faces of every board with 80 grit sand paper to
remove blemishes, mill marks, and stamps. It’s easier to sand parts now prior to assembly when
you can still get to the inside portions of the boards.
5. Apply glue to the face of the joints and clamp the pieces together, then screw the pocket hole
screws in. Clamping the boards together prevents the screws from moving the boards around
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This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
which can cause misalignment.
6. Complete two sides using the short stretchers and legs, then connect the two sides with the long
stretchers. For all boards make sure the top of the leg and the top of the stretcher line up.
7. Attach the lower stretchers using two of the top boards to prop the stretchers up, thereby lifting
them 3 ½” up from the bottom of the legs. Apply glue and line the boards up with the inside face
Page 4 of 7
This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
of the legs. If you have clamps you can clamp these in place before driving the pocket holes in.
8. To attach the top boards you can simply place the boards on, lining them up on one end and
spacing them evenly (you can slide a screw in between the boards on each end to achieve even
spacing.) Then sink screws through the top into the stretchers.
a. If you prefer not to have screws showing on top, place all the top boards upside down on
a table, evenly space them and line up the ends, then flip the entire base upside down
on top. Mark where the boards will land to guide where the pocket holes need to be
drilled, then flip the base back over and drill the pocket holes, two per board and 4 on
the sides. Then flip the base back and sink screws into the pocket holes to secure the top
boards.
Page 5 of 7
This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
9. Apply glue to the final lower stretcher and place it in between the other two lower stretchers
directly in the middle, 6 ¾” in from the legs. Either clamp in place or put an offcut under the
stretcher to hold it up. Pre-drill through the face of the long stretchers and sink two screws on
each side to hold it in place. Alternatively, you can pocket hole this stretcher in place as well.
10. Paint or stain and top coat as desired.
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This plan is like a recipe. It is meant to guide you and help you avoid building yourself into a
corner but you can make changes as you see fit.
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