How to Build a Medieval Coffee Table

If you are into medieval style you may not realize that there are several ways to give your home a medieval look that is actually very simple and homemade. You can make a great looking medieval coffee table with some simple wood, screws and a little imagination. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Getting the right wood will be essential to building your medieval coffee table. To find the best assortment, visit a lumberyard. Before leaving however, you should sit down and make a drawing or list of how big you want the table. Once you get to the lumberyard, look for thick pine or oak boards. You want them to have a rustic feeling when you look at them. The best choices for the legs of your table are probably 4-inch by 4-inch boards or something similarly thick. For the top of the table, look for planks that are closer to 2-inch by 6-inch or even a 4-inch by 6-inch plank. The size is up to you. Get as many as you need to meet your decided tabletop size. You will also need to get 2-inch by 4-inch planks for the table's under frame; two long boards should be fine.

2

Make sure to have a power drill, a table saw or skill saw and a variety of long screws. Make sure that the lengths of your screws are enough to go through the thickness of the boards you have chosen. Now that you have all of these things you can begin cutting the boards. A good measurement for the 4-inch by 4-inch board is 18 inches but if you want them taller go right ahead. Depending on how long and wide you want the table top that is how long you will cut the planks. This will also effect the under boards for your frame. For the sake of this article we will say you want the top 18 inches by 36 inches. This means you will cut your four under boards at 10 inches and 28 inches.

3

Attach the 10-inch frame board to the legs. Make sure that the frame board is flush to the edge of the legs to make a perfectly straight line across the top. Make sure you are using at least 6-inch long screws. Before screwing the three pieces together, make sure the frame board is also even with the leg on the outer edge. The inside of the leg and board should form a 90-degree angle. Screw two or three screws through the leg and into the frame board, making an upside down U. Do this for all four legs and two shorter frame boards. Add the longer frame boards between the legs making a rectangle shape.

4

Screw the tabletop planks to the legs. Keep the planks flush with the sides of the frame board and legs and make sure to leave a small amount of space in between, maybe of an inch at the most. This will ensure that your wood has space to swell and shrink if the weather changes. Once you have all of the planks in place you should have a solid rustic looking medieval coffee table.

5

Put the coffee table over the edge by adding some extras to really give it that medieval look. Use iron forged screws and spikes. These usually dont cost much and look very authentic. Take them and evenly drive them into your tabletop possibly four to each plank to give them a great look. Use a darker antique looking stain in order to give the table a rustic almost ancient look. Lastly you can have a bit of fun by looking up medieval crests or even your own personal family crest. These could be painted on the tabletop if you are feeling creative.