How to Make a Toddler-Size Picnic Table

Kid-size furniture gives children the chance to play and eat on their own without a lot of help from their parents. A kid-size picnic table can equal hours of summer picnics and make-believe games. Handcrafted picnic tables are built tough to withstand your kids and still be around for your grandchildren to enjoy.

Things You'll Need

• 10x6 pressure-treated oak board, 1 inch thick
• Table saw
• Carpenter’s pencil
• Gloves
• Mask
• Goggles
• Rotating power sander
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Polyurethane varnish
• Sponge brush
• Wood glue
• Clamps
• 4 1/2-inch and 1 1/2-inch wood screws
• Power drill with screwdriver bits

Instructions

1. Set the board onto the table saw’s ruler end. Starting from the left, mark out four pieces measuring 3 inches wide by 23 1/2 inches long with 30 degree cuts on the ends (legs), two pieces measuring 3 inches wide by 16 1/2 inches long with 45 degree cuts on the ends (table supports), two pieces measuring 3 inches wide by 33 inches long with 45 degree cuts on the ends (seat supports), one piece measuring 3 inches wide by 24 1/2 inches long (brace), three pieces measuring 6 inches wide by 35 1/2 inches long (table tops) and two pieces measuring 6 inches wide by 35 1/2 inches long (seats).

2. Put on your gloves, mask and goggles, and cut the wood at each of the marked points. Oak is a less allergenic wood, but proper safety equipment should always be worn.

3. Sand down each piece until it is smooth and non-splintering, and then coat each piece with a layer of polyurethane varnish. Leave the wood to dry for the manufacturer's recommended time before you continue.

4. Lay the legs, table supports and seat supports on a flat surface and secure them into position using wood glue. The supports should be on the bottom. Clamp the wood into place and insert the 4 1/2-inch wood screws through the supports at the top and bottom intersecting points of each leg. Countersink all the screws so that they are flush with the wood.

5. Lay the top center table piece into position and secure it with 1 1/2-inch wood screws similar to the supports. Add on the other two table pieces in the same way.

6. Screw on the seat pieces with the 1 1/2-inch wood screws. Place two screws on each side.

References

• Picnic Table SuiteDownloadable Woodworking Plan; Wood Magazine