How to Build a Nesting Table

Nesting Tables

Nesting tables are an excellent use of space. A small office or home benefits greatly from the ability to store multiple tables as, in effect, a single table. Nesting tables sit one under the other, each one smaller than the one before. When needed, they can be pulled out and arranged around a room. Nesting tables can be made from easily available materials. They can be produced in any style and can complement any decor. Let us see how to build a nesting table.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 16 wooden 2-by-4s in graduated lengths 4 wooden boards in graduated sizes Nails Wood putty Sandpaper Wood stain Varnish

1. Cut a wooden board to the size of about 3-by-3 feet. Trim four 2-by-4s to a height of 30 inches.

2. Center each of the four 2-by-4s near one of the four corners of the wooden board. Nail each of the 2-by-4s to the board from the opposite side of the board.

3. Stand your first nesting table on its feet. Fill the nail holes with wood putty. Smooth out the putty with sandpaper.

4. Build three more tables exactly like the first, except smaller. Make the board, or top, of each nesting table about 6 inches shorter on each side than the one before. Make the legs of each nesting table 3 or 4 inches shorter than the one before.

5. Sand off any rough spots on your four nesting tables. Coat the tables with wood stain. Let dry and varnish.

Tips & Warnings

• Nesting tables may be stained or varnished in any color. The finish can even be transparent. The kind of "wet look" that is produced by tung oil is also quite appealing. Try out different shapes for your table top. Make circular tables or triangular corner tables. Shapes that fit neatly in a corner will save you even more space.

• Dimensions must be consistent within each nesting table and should be proportionate---or graduated---between the tables. In other words, if your second table is 10 percent smaller than your first, then the third table should be 10 percent smaller than your second.

Resources

• Home Depot wood, stain, hardware and other decor supplies
• Lowes wood, stain, hardware, and other decor supplies
• Touch of Class nesting tables and other furnishings and decor