This skinny sofa table DIY is one of my favorite DIY projects and I think it will be yours too. This post shares how to make a simple sofa table that is the perfect solution for displaying decor in your family room.
This narrow console table fits nicely behind a couch and can be made for less than $50.
Full Disclosure: This post sharing how to make your own DIY Sofa Table contains Amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will receive a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you.
Why You’ll Love this Skinny Sofa Table DIY
This narrow table is perfect for displaying all of your favorite decors. There is plenty of room on top of the table as well as extra storage in between the center of the legs for baskets. It is the perfect space for all of the things that can’t fit on your side tables or coffee table.
When I decided to make my own DIY console table, I knew I wanted to build something that would fit in the narrow space behind the couch but I also wanted it wide enough to display all of my family room decor.
I have accumulated a lot of nick-nacks over a long time and figured the perfect place to display them would be behind the sofa. This is a space that otherwise would have gone unused, so in an attempt to do the most with what I have, I decided to remove the dead space.
After reading through the detailed instructions below and making a trip to the hardware store you will be well on your way to building this easy DIY console table. This is an easy project that will put the back of your sofa to good use.
Creating a DIY Console Table Plan
The first step in making a beautiful sofa table is to measure your sofa. Since there is no hard and fast rule for sofa sizes you will need to figure out how much space you will need to cover.
While I wanted to make the most of this piece of furniture I also wanted this to be a simple project that would ultimately be the perfect console table at an affordable price.
These DIY sofa table plans are for a narrow sofa table that is the perfect size with a simple design.
The best part is that you can customize this piece to fit in with your decor by painting the wood pieces with a different wood stain or creating a rustic sofa table that fits in well with the farmhouse style.
Skinny Sofa Table DIY
While these plans seem like a lot on paper, I promise you that this is such an easy skinny sofa table DIY to recreate. Read through the instructions and visualize the plan before beginning for the best results.
For step 1, you will need six, 2 x 2’s out of which you will cut 8 pieces to 39 and 3/4 inches, six pieces to 29 and 1/2 inches, and six pieces at 9 and 1/4 inches.
The next step you will be using the six 29-inch pieces and the six 9 and 1/4-inch pieces to build three rectangles using 2 and 1/2-inch screws and drilling pilot holes first, to be careful not to split the wood.
Next, you will connect two of your rectangles together at all four corners using four of your long pieces.
Then take the other four long pieces and connect them to the third rectangle. Next, join the open end of the long pieces that you connected to the third rectangle to the first piece that you completed using 2-inch braces.
Cut the 2 x 8 to seven feet.
Lay it on a flat surface and lay the completed base on top of it. It is really important that your surface is flat because this piece will be wobbly if it is not.
Make sure all edges are flush and then using the same method, drill pilot holes using a drill bit and put a screw in to secure the wood to the stand.
Skinny Sofa Table DIY Staining Tips
Before staining, I made sure to put down some rags to catch drips and stained the entire sofa table using a foam brush. This helped but I still had a few drips here and there that bled through.
Since this was done outside I wasn’t too worried about a big mess because our driveway isn’t in the best shape anyway. If your driveway has not been through a Derecho you may want to protect it before working on this project.
I tried my best to go light on each coat so I could tell when to stop. I didn’t want to go too dark and regret my decision so I went slowly knowing I could always add more but it is impossible to take it back once the wood is stained.
I really like being able to see the wood grains and knots so I keep that in mind when choosing wood as well as when deciding which side to face up or down during the building process.
Also, keep in mind that you may move the table and the back could be exposed at some point, so be sure to paint it evenly on each side.
DIY Console Table Ideas for Decorating
Another great thing about this DIY Sofa Table is that you can use the bottom area for storage. Try putting baskets with extra pillows on one side and a basket with blankets on the other.
This DIY Sofa Table is the perfect way to display your favorite nick-nacks and add a cozy feel to your living room.
The wooden frame is sturdy enough to hold heavier items on the table top and long enough to display a lot of items like coffee mugs, candles, or whatever you want to put on display in your home.
As someone who is never satisfied with my interior design ideas, I rearrange the furniture a lot so I like versatile tables that can be used as room dividers or as a sidebar in a dining room.
You could even use this free console table plan to create something with more storage. Add in some corner brackets to hold up a bottom shelf or leave it the way it is without any extra steps and recreate this wooden sofa table exactly as shown.
Tools Needed for this DIY Project
To make the job easier, below are some tools that I used in this DIY project. You can get similar results using other things of course but this is here as a reference in case you want to make this DIY Sofa Table exactly how we did.
Click over and see what power tools and supplies we used, make a purchase if you want, or just use it as a reference for buying at your favorite home improvement store.
We picked up the wood at Home Depot because they had everything we needed and lots of affordable options to choose from for our next project. While we usually prefer to do our shopping at Menards, we have found after many projects that it takes a whole day just to sift through their wood pile for good pieces.
They usually seem to have better deals than other hardware stores in my area but I hate sifting through pieces of wood only to be disappointed with the quality time and time again.
So when we ran to another store for a circular saw they had on sale we got everything we needed for this and many other DIY projects to come.
I can’t pass up a good deal and with prices constantly rising this seemed like the time to stock up on wood screws, wood glue, and wood filler while we were there.
More Easy DIY Projects You’ll Love
I am always thinking of ways to repurpose items already in my home or ways to transform pieces that I picked up at garage sales and thrift stores. It seems like I am always working on some kind of DIY project.
The good news is that I always share what I learned along the way as well as tutorials for the projects that I think would work great for others. So be sure to check out some of my favorite furniture makeovers, DIY projects, and repurposing projects below.
This DIY Pallet Coffee Table Tutorial is a fun project that uses pieces of wood that would have otherwise gone wasted. This DIY salvage sofa table may look familiar because these two projects were created to complement each other.
Create your own DIY European Mount easily with this step-by-step tutorial loaded with tips to make your deer skull mount an eye-catching piece of decor.
This DIY Lantern Makeover turns a garage sale find into a beautiful item to display inside your home, it would look great on a modern sofa table or on your porch.
This DIY furniture makeover shares how to transform an entertainment center and give it a new purpose as a buffet or sideboard. This furniture piece gets a new look and new purpose with this fun furniture makeover project.
I hope you enjoyed this sofa table tutorial and share it with your friends on your favorite social media. Leave me a comment below to tell me about your DIY Sofa Table project, I can’t wait to hear all about how your thin sofa table came out!
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Are you working on any fun projects? I would love to hear about them in the comments below. Feel free to share your behind sofa table on Instagram and tag @TheHobbyWife use #TheHobbyWife so I get alerted and can check them out!
I can’t wait to see what you are working on and be sure to share your couch table with me, I would love to see the different variations on this skinny console table.
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This is absolutely fabulous!! It looks better than anything I could find at IKEA and love how you make it sound so easy. You have incredible talent woman and you need to do more for you. Stop denying yourself pleasures in life!!!
You are too kind! Glad you liked the project.