DIY: The Sawhorse Holiday Table for Less than $100

In need of an instant holiday dining table? If you lack space for large furniture and are expecting guests, this easy-to-make, instant dining table might be the answer. Assembled from basic construction materials, the table and bench set cost less than $100, and most of it can be flat packed for future use–or deconstructed and used for other projects.

Finished Look

Above: The just-assembled table and benches, all made from standard building supplies. Draping the designs in textiles that you have on hand, such as a drop cloth, adds the finishing touch. Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker’s camera.

Materials

• Eight Gray Concrete Half Blocks, measuring 8 x 8 x 8; $1.31 each from The Home Depot.
• Two Signature Development 29 Inch Sawhorses; $18.98 each from The Home Depot.
• Five planks of #2 Whitewood Pine Board, measuring 1 x 12 x 4; $7.16 each from The Home Depot.
• Sandpaper, such as the Norton 120-Grit Medium Premium Sanding Sheets; $3.97 for a pack of 3 from The Home Depot.
• Sibiu Canvas Drop Cloth to use as a tablecloth; $15.98 from The Home Depot.

Instructions

Step One: Sand the edges of each plank of wood and both sawhorses (which are likely to be on the rougher side).

Step Two: Set up your sawhorses in the middle of the room; make sure that there’s enough space for the benches to fit on either side, and for guests to get in and out–once the table is set up, you’re committed to its location. Position three planks of pine board across the top of the sawhorses to form a tabletop that sits firmly.

Step Three: On either side of the table, stack two sets of two cinder blocks and add a single plank of pine to each to form two 12-foot-long benches.

Step Four: Cover the table with a drop cloth and drape the benches with wool throws, tablecloths, or any other textiles you happen to have around.

Above: Now your that your sawhorse table is put together, dress it up for dinner.

Above: Celebrate your results with a strand of holiday lights, such as the LED Warm White Electric String Light; $38.98 for 20 feet from The Home Depot.

–Alexa Hotz