How to Build a Kids Table & Chairs

You are decorating a room for a special child in your life, and you want to add a personal touch by making a table and chair that's perfect for their height. With some simple materials and some measuring tape, you are ready to go. Making your own table and chairs for children saves money and gives you the freedom to design your own furniture according to your environment and specifications. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Table

1

Look around to determine what size your children's table should be. The top of the table should be as large as possible and should allow room for kids to grow.

2

Write down measurements for the length and width of the children's table top, according to your specifications. Also write down the measurements for the table's height.

3

Take a trip to your local home improvement store. This type of store will cut your wood and trim to your specific order size. Order four pieces of trim, two for the length and two for the width. Get some plywood that meets your tabletop measurements, and buy a set of pre-cut table legs according to your required dimensions.

4

Go back home and place the plywood upside-down on a flat surface. Mark the spots where you want the legs to attach, then drill pilot holes for the screws that attach the legs.

5

Attach each leg and insert a screw on each side of the table leg through the top of the leg, at an angle, into the tabletop.

6

Tape your trim around the outside of the table. Drill some pilot holes at both ends of the trim on all table sides. Insert the end screws, then add the rest of the screws to each side at point equidistant from each other. It generally takes three to five screws to attach your trim. Remove the tape when this step is complete.

7

Remove all the splinters on the wood by using medium-grade sandpaper. Add fine detail to your sanding job by using a lightweight sandpaper to take away any scratches left by the medium-grade sandpaper.

8

Prime your table so you can paint it. A primer protects both the wood and the paint that goes on top of it. Paint the table once the primer dries.

Children's Chair

9

Cut some rounded 2 by 4 pieces of lumber into four pieces that meet your personal height requirements for chair legs. The height of the chair legs will vary according to the height of the children at your table and the table height.

10

Use a flatter type of wood and cut a square large enough for your child's seat cover. Cut a "slope" into this seat back with your planing tool. You want the chair seat to have a 3/4- to 1-inch "drop."

11

Decide how thick you want the back of your child's seat to be. Choose wood accordingly, and cut a piece of this wood into a square to meet your own unique specifications.

12

Sand all the wood thoroughly, starting with a rough sandpaper and completing the sanding by using a fine grit. Your goal is to remove all possible splinters in your sanding.

13

Prime the wood and paint it. Be sure it dries thoroughly before completing the next few steps.

14

Notch the tops of each of your chair legs and the back part of the child's chair seat with a saw, chisel or hammer. You want the back piece of the chair to fit securely into the seat.

15

Attach the chair legs to the chair seat using screws or nails and your hammer or screwdriver or nail gun. Secure it tightly so it doesn't move around or wiggle.

16

Cut pieces of felt so they fit on the base of the chair legs. Glue them onto the wood with some wood glue.