Build an Upholstered Table

Free Furniture Plans to Build an Upholstered Table

My teenage daughter, The Han, is a student in the Gifted and Talented program at her school. She came home one day and mentioned that as a project for her class, she needs to build a table. Awesome! This is where the free furniture plans to build an upholstered table were born. This little side table could also double as a stool when extra seating is required, and features a tufted top.

Materials:

• 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws (<– affiliate link!)
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper (100, 150, 220 grits)
• Finishing supplies (primer & paint, or stain, sealer)

For the top:

• Upholstery fabric of choice
• 1″ upholstery foam
• 3/4″ screws
• 3/4″ washers
• 3/4″ covered button kit

Lumber:

• 1 – 1×3 at 6′
• 1 – 2×2 at 6′
• 1 – 2′ x 2′ sheet of 3/4″ plywood

Cut List:

• 4 – 2×2 at 17-1/4″ – Legs
• 4 – 1×3 at 17″ – Aprons
• 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 20″ x 20″ – Top/Seat

Notes:

The Han did most of the work herself with the exception of cutting and assembling the table. The frame will be assembled and finished first, then the upholstered top will be attached.

Step One

Cut the pieces for the legs. The example has a taper cut in two faces of each leg both of which face to the inside.

Step Two

Cut the pieces for the aprons. With the pocket hole jig set for 3/4″ material, drill pocket holes in each end as well as one long edge of each piece. Secure to the legs using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws, positioning the aprons 1/4″ back from the outside face of each leg.

Step Three

Thoroughly sand the frame and finish the frame as desired. The Han chose to stain the frame to her table using Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Carrington followed by three coats of Rust-Oleum Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin.

Step Four

Cut the piece for the top. Cut a piece of 1″ upholstery foam to cover the top and sides of the top, securing to the underside of the piece using staples.

Position the fabric on top of the foam and mark the position of the tufts.

I found a super-easy tufting tutorial from Pneumatic Addict and decided to try that method. Position a washer over the mark for the tuft and drive a screw through the washer very slowly (to keep the fabric from twisting around the screw)!

Secure the fabric to the bottom of the plywood using staples.

Cover the buttons with scraps of fabric and glue them into position over the washers.

Step Five

Position the top on the frame and secure it in place using 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws through the aprons.

These free furniture plans to build an upholstered table are perfect for the beginner. The plans are simple to follow and the table plus the upholstery are easy to construct. Need help? Let me know at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot} com.

For the record, The Han got an excellent grade on her table as well as a huge hug from the teacher for using a fabric with owls – the teacher’s favorite!

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Art is Beauty, One Project Closer

Originally posted 2014-02-03 08:00:02.