patio table...

I think our most incredible backyard DIY project was making our patio table....and it was easy! As I said before, we found the table top at IKEA. It was a butcher block/kitchen counter top that we found in the "as is" section in IKEA... this is where most things are somewhat used, broken or returned then discounted. We found the table top for 23% off... which we thought was okay, but still a little high. So Matt asked the guy at the counter if he would be willing to go cheaper.... a little haggling...and voila! 50% off! Brand new it would have been $129 and we bought it for $65! It has a few cracks, but nothing too obvious.

::the old patio table::

The table worked great, it was free with the house...but it needed to be updated. My wonderful mom, dad, and sister working on cupcake flags for the wedding....smiles and all. How amazing.

::our new patio table::

[ when its just the two of us, which is most of the time we can just overlook our yard and watch the dogs, then when we have friends over we can bring out the extra chairs and pull the table into the middle of the patio to seat 6!]

::inspiration::

There are a few restaurants in town that use huge planks of wood, all glued together, with a thick urethane on them for their table tops. We love this look. Usually they are tall, bar height... and you can see the knots in the wood, they are beautiful. We wanted to mimic this. Something hearty that would withstand the outdoors, look natural, a little rustic, and unique. Then we just needed table legs. I had seen this bookshelf from pipes a while back... and thought about having the same look for our table. I wasn't sure if it was financially feasible...but... it is!

here.



here.

here.

...drew up some sketches and dimensions in my handy journal before going to home depot...

::tools/supplies::

-obnoxious yellow gloves...great to grip the pipes to tighten.

-screw driver

-drill

-synthetic 3" brush
-urethane: 1 quart of outdoor spar
-sandpaper 320 grit
-16 zinc #12 screws

...table top before the finish...

...isn't that price great?!...

...matt staining the wood in the garage, in between each of the 3 coats he sanded it with 320 grit paper...

::the pipe materials::

-black iron pipes

1x 48" long 1/2" diameter

4 x 8" long 3/4" diameter

4 x 8" long 1/2" diameter

4 x 12" long 1/2" diameter

4 x 3/4" and 1/2" Ts

2 x 1/2" Ts
8 x flanges

Total cost of pipes= $90

* there were other options at the store too...galvanized pipe and brass, but we liked the looks of the dark metal for our table top wood grain*

Table Total= $155

We knew in making this table that it would be a little more expensive than a thrifty table bought on overstock...but we thought this one will hold up for longer, and be the style we love... instead of a table we just like.

...matt just jumped right in and started assembling...

...Voila! About 10 minutes later the base was done and some tweaking needed to be done in order to compensate for the uneven ground...

::the chairs::

We found 4 wrought iron chairs and one bench at costco...amazingly. They were just the style we wanted... something a little updated and something less bulky than the patio furniture sets they sell at the normal stores like home depot or target. And they fit perfectly and comfortably with our custom table, that was just luck.
4 chairs @ 19.99 each & 1 bench @ 39.99
Total for seating= $120
 We were contemplating between two comparable choices at Target and Home Depot. The target chairs were $40/ chair, and Home Depot's were $30/ chair...both of which were lighter weight than the costco ones, but we also saved ourselves about $40-80 on chairs alone.

[we will be able to use the bench around the table too]

Great deal...now the only thing I need to do is find cushions... turquoise or khaki?! Handmade or bought?!

::the table cover::

So we made the table, it turned out much prettier than we had ever imagined, and now with rainy spring here...we are scared to death to leave it outside. Silly right?! Of course it will get weathered, but maybe just not yet. So I made a table cover for our patio table. I ran over to Target, purchased an $8 green oilcloth table cloth that was 108"x 72". They have a lot of fun designed ones to choose from, but I am not that bold yet. Because our table is a funny dimension... 73" by 25" I needed a long table cloth that I could just sew up the ends on. So I did just that. I also threw in some gravel into the sides when I was sewing the seams to weight down the cover for windy nights. Done in about 5 minutes. Easy. Not super pretty...but it's not for when we are outside.

[the table cover at night, with my lovely assistant, Emma, who matches the wrought iron very nicely]