Hello creative friends! What better way to pass some extra time on your hands than by doing a quick and easy, feel-good DIY project, especially if you get to use up those scrap wood pieces you have lying around. And you know how I love recycled projects. Today I decided to make a DIY table riser for my farmhouse coffee table. A new table needs new decor… it’s just that way— and coffee table risers are the perfect way to bring some height to a coffee table.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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How To Make DIY Table Risers Out Of Scrap Wood
I mentioned that I used scrap wood and that’s true. It was a leftover from my Laundry Room Renovation but you can use old lumber too.
Gather Your Supplies
- 1X10 poplar wood – 36 inches (use whatever wood you have)
- 220 grit sandpaper or sanding pad
- wood candle cups or (wood spindles cut into pieces work well too for the feet)
- wood glue
- pickling white no pain gel stain
- clear wax
- wax brush
* Start by lightly sanding the wood with 220 grit sandpaper until the wood grain is smooth and clean away the left-over dust with a soft cloth.
STEP 1 DIY Table Risers
Add wood glue to the bottom side of the wood candle cups (Hobby Lobby $4.99) and attach them to all four corners of the board and allow them to dry. These make great feet for a table riser. I wasn’t worried about the wood candle cups’ durability as it serves as décor only and nothing more. When wood glue is used with wood, it creates a tight bond, so I see no reason to use anything else to hold them in place.
STEP 2 DIY Table Risers
I chose a pickling white stain for my table riser to give it that farmhouse vibe. But if you’re into painting, choose your favorite color or do a paint and stain combo. That’s pretty too!
Apply 1 coat of stain with an applicator or soft cotton cloth and wipe away any extra on the surface. I like this transparent stain as it allows the beautiful wood grain to show through. Since this gel stain is oil-based, it will need to dry overnight before applying a topcoat or sealer.
STEP 3 DIY Table Risers
This step isn’t necessary because Gel Stain does not need to be sealed, but I like the feel of wax.
Apply clear wax over the table riser with a quality wax brush and buff with a soft cotton cloth. This will also fill on any open grain in the wood for a super smooth finish.
The Finished Look On My Coffee Table
Seriously, it’s that easy. Making wooden table risers is a great afternoon DIY project when you want to be doing something. And if you have everything on hand, that’s a big SCORE! You can also use a 2X12 board if you want a chunkier look. I plan on trying that too.
And if you decide to make one for yourself, please share it with me. I’d love to see how yours turns out.
Until the next project… xo, Do
Huge table riser fan over here in Delaware!! Your tutorial looks so do-able (wink wink!!) Sharing this to Pinterest!! Thanks for the tutorial!
Hi Cindy! Thank you for the share. 😊 I have an obsession with the 1 board projects, and this one is my fave so far. xo
I love table risers, there are so many ways to use them in your decor. Great blog post, thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Tammy! You were my inspiration for this one. xo