Lovely Weeds: Lovely Little Workhorse

This great little workbench was made completely with scraps and in under an hour! It's a very simple design, but it's sturdy, it's stable, it's beautiful, and it already has a new home!

I created it to sell in our local Oktoberfest Arts & Crafts Fair, which was held this past weekend.

I started with four 2x4 boards cut at 36". I made the table standard countertop height so that it could serve multiple functions as a kitchen island, a workbench, or a craft table.

I used 1x4s for the aprons, cut at 30" and 20". I attached them to the sides to create legs, making sure to check that they were level and square.

I'm sure you see the nasty stain on the far left piece of 1x4. The wood came to me with a little bit of water damage, but I'm not one to turn my nose up at free wood without giving it a shot. The damage was on the surface and sanded away to reveal beautifully clean and healthy wood.

I inset the 2x4s a half inch to account for the 20" apron sections. I wanted them to line up nicely. A very important step here is to drill pilot holes before screwing your 1x4 into the 2x4. If you cut out that step, there is a very good chance you will split the apron and have a nasty crack running through your board. I'm all for a rustic look, but that affects the structure and stability of the piece. We're far too talented for that ;).

Put the measuring tape away and simply use the 20" piece of 1x4 to use as a spacer. Work smarter not harder! (I won't admit how long it took me to pick up on that little tip...)

Attach your 20" apron pieces to each side, then join to the other set of legs to complete your base.

This is where it gets a little less technical, and a little more use-what-you-have. I used scraps of construction-grade lumber to create the base, knowing I would paint and distress it in the finishing stage. I chose to use pallet boards to create a rustic top for the piece. I have learned from experience that pallet boards aren't always a perfect match for my Kreg jig, so I chose a simple cross board to join them in the center.

Once turned over, I centered the top with a 1 1/2" overhang on the 30" sides, and a 3" overhang on the 20" sides. After drilling countersunk pilot holes, I attached the top to the base. For added stability and to up the function factor, I added a shelf 1' from the bottom of the base. I don't have pictures of this step for you, but I attached a piece of 1x2 to the inside of the legs and added more pallet boards with about a 2" space between each one.

For the finish, I added a shabby coat of black paint and sanded the whole thing into submission (see my finish tips here). The pallet boards had a beautiful warm color that I didn't want to alter one bit, so I added a coat of poly to seal them.

And there ya have it! A very functional and lovely little workhorse. It was the very first thing to sell at the Oktoberfest (meaning I probably priced it much too low), but I was thrilled to see that the new owner already had plans for it.

What do you think? How could you use a little table like this? I love hearing your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!