Don't forget to stop by and Like my and Follow me on New: Check out the new Inspiration Page! See what other readers have created.I've finally finished my coffee table and I'm so excited toI'd love to say it's perfect but like with any art project, given the chance to do it over again I would change up a few steps. it's still pretty cool! leg of our old coffee table is about to give out. kitchen table is where my laptop sits along with my printer, usually parts/materials to a half dozen upcoming projects, unopened mail... and opened mail, magazines for ideas and well, you get the point. table is the "dining room table". So the legs get a lot of wear and tear from being pushed in and scooted out for meal times. of whether your an artist or creative, I refuse to pay $500+ for a newMy first thought was making a pallet coffee table. are free and with a few scrapes of wood you could throw it togetherBUT, everyone's doing that now, so I had to find something

I started sketching out some drawings for building my own table and then the idea came to me and I knew it was something original. I saw online someone had taken an old wine crate and put casters on theI believe they were using it for some kind of storage container but it got me thinking..... Wooden Crates ~ I already had one on hand from so I bought 3Using their 40% coupon for each crate they came to just over $7(I'd love to make a table with actual vintage wine crates) ~ Two 1x4 ~ I used Pine but it shouldn't matter 4 Casters ~ {Update: check out how I've made } I already had these on hand but this is one thing I wouldI thought about trying to rust these a little but I actually wanted the functionality to be able to un/lock the wheels and I was afraid intentionally rusting them would cause some problems. time I'll look for casters that are all black or have a rustic look. ~ Images (not necessary if you use a real wine crate) - I found one on and a few others online

~ Stain ~ Vinegar, steel wool and brewed tea {See my for more options} ~ A variety of screws, nails, L brackets, and bolts not intentionally being vague but unless you go out to buy these exact crates from then your measurements are going to be completely I figured out the arrangement of the crates. Don't worry about the hole in the middle, I'll get to it. first step should have been to stain all the crates before I startedWould have made that job a whole lot easier. However, I started by building a frame. This would not only be a solid foundation but it would give me a piece of wood much thicker than the crates to screw in the casters. first nailed the crates to hold them in place temporarily. back with screws and removed the nails when I was done. Bob Ross, "There are no mistake, only happy accidents." That hole in the middle... what to do with it? Make it one of the features! thought about making it a planter box but remembered all the times we've

throw magazines, books, PS3 remotes (Honey!) onto the table and figured a plant wouldn't survive. So I thought I'd tie it together with my . Unfortunately I'm out of rocks so I had to improvise. I transferred over my wine images. wine ice cream sold in storesAgain, I need to change the order of2009 best wine listOnce I stained the wood the images were almost completelybest wine list bay areaBut at the time they looked great! My has now been posted.One week before staining I put about 2 cups of vinegar in a container along with a steel pad (SOS pad) and let it sit for a week. Right before I planned to stain I heated about 4 cups of water until it was almost boiling and then steeped 2 bags of tea. flavor of tea doesn't matter considering a used Lipton's Mango Team.

Definitely made the basement smell good.) After the tea has steeped for a bit use a paint brush and coat your wood with the tea. The 4 cups I used was just enough to cover all the wood and a little more. Grab another brush and use yourIt should be a nice, murky brown by now. The wood will look almost black. had a slight panic attack and tried to quickly wipe away the stain (which, by the way, doesn't help). Feeling defeated I continued on, counting the amount of money and time I'd already invested only to have to start over. stress too much if it's darker than you think you'll like. next 24 hours the stain really soaked into the wood and the color sanding.... *insert major groan*! I don't know why but this is the worst part for me. Maybe it's because every year since turning 25 my allergies get worse and worse. But in all honesty I hated it beforeI think my hatred has only increased since then because now I know I HAVE to wear a mask which I always considered optional before.

I threw the casters on the bottom and was starting to get pretty pumped about the table. Just a few more steps. {Update: check out how I've made rustic looking casters } I went back and tried to redo my wineSome of them worked. I had one side so messed up I was about it pull my hair out! This side will face away from the main traffic in the living room. Last but not least, polyurethane. Next time (if I choose to create another for some reason) I would use a lighter stain and I would like to try a beeswax sealer. haven't found it in any store but I did find how to make your own on I've scoured the internet trying to find a Wine Crate Coffee Table and have not been able to find one like mine. to feel like an idiot if one of you come back saying you found one) While this project cost more than I typically like to spend, it was definitely NOT anywhere close to crossing over into double digits never mind closing in on a grand! Here are a few more shots with some of my items added in.