Farmhouse Table

Difficulty

Intermediate

Do you want a farmhouse table, but don't want to spend thousands of dollars? Have you thought about building your own? Thousands of people have with minimal tools and woodworking experience using these very plans!

farmhouse table featured in country living magazine

The Farmhouse Table Story

Beloved for hundreds of years, the Farmhouse Table was usually made by the family that used it, from wood that was locally harvested, using basic tools. Soft woods were easier to use, but the soft wood dents easily, and the tables showed wear, creating that authentic distressed look.

Today, a true farmhouse table is just that - built by hand by the family that uses it, using soft woods, and finished by hand. The tables are meaningful, with each scratch and scuff having a story, each moment creating memory for the family that uses it.

Start your family's Farmhouse Table Story by building your own table, and gathering around it to share a meal, to fold laundry on and do homework on - to create the foundation of your family's home.

The Farmhouse Table Plans

Our Farmhouse Table plans have been built tens of thousands of times and are in homes all over the world. The extremely sturdy, rustic styling is easy to build and authentic to history.

Built out of all off the shelf lumber - builders spend between $50 and $100 making their farmhouse tables.

You just need a saw and a drill to make this farm table.

Special thanks to ssshindler for the featured photo.

This table was also featured in Country Living Magazine! Built by Michael and Emily Knotts, photo by Lucas Allen

The plans for this farmhouse table follow. Also check out these other plans:

Thank you so much for using our plans. If you build, please share a photo and let us know how your build went in the comments or a brag post.

Dimensions

30″ High x 38 1/2″ Wide x 96″ Long

Preparation

Shopping List

8 – 2x4 8 feet long
6 – 2x2s 8 feet long
1 - 2×8 8 feet long
7 – 2x6s 8 feet long
2 3/4″ Self Tapping Wood Screws (About 100) (try spax brand or similar)
4″ Self tapping wood Screws (About 20)

Common Materials

Elmer's Wood Glue

Elmer's Wood Filler

120 grit sandpaper

Cut List

A) 4 - 2×4 @ 28 1/2″ (Outside Legs)

B) 4 – 2×4 @ 28 1/2″ (Inside Legs)

C) 2 -2×4 @ 34 1/2″ (Bottom End Supports for the Stretcher)

D) 1 – 2×4 @ 81″ (Stretcher)

E) 2 – 2×4 @ 81″ (Side Aprons)

F) 2 – 2×4 @ 28 1/2″ (End Aprons)

G) 2 – 2×2 @ 28 1/2″ (Overhang Supports, Ends)

H) 2 – 2×2 @ 78″ (Overhang Supports, Sides)

I) 10 – 2×2 @ 28 1/2″ (Under Tabletop Supports)

J) 2 – 2×8 @ 38 1/2″ (Breadboard Ends)

K) 7 – 2×6 @ 81″ (Tabletop Pieces)

Cutting Instructions

Start by cutting all your boards. The best way to cut is with a compound miter saw. You can also use a circular saw with a guide - good square cuts are very important.

Tools

General Instructions

Always use glue. Use the longest possible screws, and predrill with a countersink bit to hide the screw heads.

Instructions

Step 1

Notch out boards A, the Outside Legs, as shown above. If you do not know how to notch out boards, watch me notch the boards out for my table in my HOW-TO section.

Step 2

Notch out the inside leg as shown above. Make sure you notch both the top and the bottom as shown above. Use the measurements from step 2 to notch the bottom. See the below diagram for a closeup on notching the top.

Step 3

The above diagram show you how to notch out the top of the inside legs.

Step 4

Now screw an inside leg to an outside leg, using glue and 2 3/4″ screws. Be aware of where each leg is placed – it does matter on what sides the inside leg sits. Also, screw through the inside leg into the outside leg to keep your screw holes on the inside.

Step 5

Step 6

Screw the support, C, into the legs, as shown above. Make sure you use 2 screws on the inside leg and 2 screws on the outside legs per side of the end supports. NOTE: If you would like the support to be on the outside, rotate the legs, keeping the inside legs on the inside, and add 4″ to your stretcher, D. This will reduce your leg room for end chairs, but the notch out will be more visible, like my table and the Restoration Hardware table.

Step 7

Put your stretcher in place and screw down.

Step 8

Build your apron on a level surface as shown above, using side apron boards E and end apron boards F.

Step 9

Fit the apron frame into the base of the table as shown above. Use the long screws to screw at an angle through the apron into the legs. Use 3 screws per leg on all legs. Lots of glue here. Now is a good time to check your table for square. Visit the HOW-TO section if you do not know how to check for square.

Step 10

Mark the side apron every 5 3/4″ and place the 2×2 supports, I, as shown above. Remember that a 2×2 is 1 1/2″ wide. This does not have to be exact and the last support will not be exactly 5 3/4″ from the end. Use the 2 3/4″ screws here.

Step 11

Add the overhang supports, G and H, as shown above. Keep the top edges flush, use the 2 3/4″ screws. Make sure you screw these in good.

Step 12

Now the breadboard ends, J. See the below diagram for measurements:

Step 13

Use the long screws to screw the breadboard end into the legs. Then screw from the underside of the overhang support, board G, into the underside of the breadboard end.

Step 14

First mark all the ends of the tabletop boards, K, for the screw pattern. The screw pattern I used was 1″ from the end, and 1″ from each side and one in the middle. Predrill the ends on the marked pattern, as shown above.

Step 15

Then begin adding the tabletop pieces K, starting with the center piece. Screw the center board in place on the ends through the top, pre,drilled and marked in step 15. Then from the underside of the table, screw through the tabletop supports, I, into the underside of the tabletop boards, K.

Step 16

Add the next tabletop boards, K, as shown below. As you screw each board down, take special care to line up the edges with the existing boards. You do not want a gap between the boards on the tabletop. Remember to screw through the top on the ends and then screw through the bottom of the under supports to the underside of the tabletop boards.

After all the boards are screwed in place, then use the long screws to screw through the tabletop boards into the breadboard ends, as shown above.

Finishing Instructions

Finish Used

Fill any wood screw holes with wood filler. Use stain matched wood filler for best stain hiding. For a painted finish, any wood filler works. Overfill the screw holes. Let dry.
Sand the entire table with 120 grit sandpaper, working in the direction of the wood grain.
Refill holes with wood filler if needed.
Sand table with 180 grit sandpaper.
Stain or paint. If the table feels rough between coats, lightly sand with 180 grit sandpaper.
A final coat of poly on the top can help keep the top easy to finish and wipe cleanable.

Project Type

Table Plans

Dining Table Plans

Room

dining room

kitchen

Style

Farmhouse Furniture

Comments

KGJ (not verified)

Sun, 10/14/2012 - 17:23

What kind of wood did you use? Was it pine or something else?

Cottage Panach… (not verified)

Wed, 03/10/2010 - 10:45

Wow Ana ~ right now I am

Wow Ana ~ right now I am doing the ~ I AM NOT WORTHY bow to you! I googled "plans for a farm table" and found your blog ~
You Rock
Maureen

SarahLynne (not verified)

Wed, 04/07/2010 - 17:02

We are hoping to do this

We are hoping to do this table soon. I was wondering if it would look strange to do the top in Oak and the rest in pine? Would that be totally noticeable and not cool?

Clarke (not verified)

Thu, 04/08/2010 - 04:52

You have very good blog with

You have very good blog with images and details. Please keep on posting the more stuff.

Priscilla (not verified)

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 04:31

I've been reading all your

I've been reading all your entries and can't get enough of them! Its making me feel so ambitious - I can't wait for the weekend to start! We just finished building a deck by ourselves, and if I can do that, I'm sure I can make my own patio set! =P Thanks for all your plans and inspiration!

Avi (not verified)

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 08:27

Hi Ana,I am very interested

Hi Ana,

I am very interested in make this table. I would love to make it a bit wider from 38.5" as in the plans to 47.5". I would do that by adding another 2x6 and an additional 2x4 down the middle. I am having a little trouble figuring out the rest of the dimensions for the table bottom ie the end support for the stretcher and end apron.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Avi

Christy (not verified)

Tue, 04/27/2010 - 07:22

I too would love to make this

I too would love to make this table a little wider and possibly shorter. Ana, could you tell us how to modify the plans??? This is on my "to-do" list with many other projects to finish up our remodel but first I plan on making some nightstands and a bench from some of your plans! Thanks Ana for showing me that I don't have to spend tons of money for great furniture!

Avi (not verified)

Wed, 04/28/2010 - 09:09

Ok, I am not professing to be

Ok,

I am not professing to be that great at math but I think I figured out how to make the table 47.5” up from the 38.5” posted. Please feel free to double check my math…I plan on starting this project over the weekend.

Here is my shopping list and cut list:

Shopping List

8 (2x4)
9 (2x2)
1 (2x8)
7 (2x6)

Cut List

A) 4 - 2x4 @28.5" (Outside Legs)

B) 4 - 2x4 @28.5" (Inside Legs)

C) 2 - 2x4 @ 43.5" (Bottom End Support) =(-4" off width of the table which is 47.5")

D) 1 - 2x4 @81" (Stretcher)

E) 2 - 2x4 @81" (Side Aprons)

F) 2 - 2x2 @37.5" (End Aprons) =(-6" off bottom end support from leg to leg which is 43.5")

G) 2 - 2x2 @37.5" (Overhang Support Ends) =(End Apron dimension which is 37.5")

H) 2 - 2x2 @78" (Overhang Support Sides)

I) 10 - 2x2 @47.5" (Under-table Top Supports)

J) 2 - 2x8 @47.5" (Breadboard Ends)

K) 8 - 2x6 @81"
1 - 2x4 @81" (Table Top Pieces) (the 2x4 goes down the middle)