How to Make Furniture Legs

Building your own furniture is a great way to save money on home decorating. You can make beautiful carved furniture legs from a plain block of wood. To update the appearance of your existing furniture, replace the legs with a set of your own personally designed furniture legs. All it takes is some wood and a few common power tools and you can give any piece of furniture a fresh new look.

Things You'll Need

• 2-inch by 2-inch blocks of wood
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Electric or hand saw
• Wood lathe
• Sandpaper
• Electric drill
• Cloth
• Wood stain
• Paint brush or sponge
• Varnish

Instructions

1. Decide how high you want your furniture to be. If you are building legs for an existing piece of furniture, like a computer desk or table, be sure the legs will be sturdy enough to support its weight. Use a tape measure and pencil to mark the desired height on four pieces of 2-inch by 2-inch wood. Cut the wood pieces along this marking with an electric or hand saw.

2. Mark your design on the wood block with a pencil. Use a wood lathe to spin the block and carve out the design. Lathes come with a variety of carving attachments, from a wide, flat chisel to a narrow, pointed tool, allowing you to make the design as elaborate as you wish. After using the lathe, turn the power switch off and allow the spindle to come to a complete stop before touching the wood.

3. Sand down the table legs, starting with medium grain sandpaper and finishing up with fine grain to make a soft, smooth surface. Lightly sand inside any carvings you have made in the wood. You want to rough up the surface, but not press so hard that you flatten out your design.

4. Mark an X shape on the top end of each furniture leg. The point where the two lines intersect will be the exact middle of the leg. Use an electric drill to make an inch deep hole at the center of the X. This is where the screw will go when the legs are attached to the piece of furniture.

5. Use a moistened, soft cloth to apply a coat of wood stain to each leg. Rub the cloth down each leg piece, going along with the grain of the wood. Let the stain dry for at least 24 hours. Apply a coat of varnish with a sponge or paint brush, making sure to get the varnish into any crevices or carvings. Let the furniture legs dry for 24-48 hours before attaching them to your furniture.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety goggles and a dust mask when using power tools or working with stains and varnishes. Never wear loose items around a wood lathe. Necklaces, long sleeves, or gloves can get caught on the spindle as it spins at high speed.