Metal Legs From a Plastic Chair Become Table Legs

11 Materials
$5
1 Day
Easy
It all started with a nasty blue, plastic chair I got for free at a garage sale, and for good reason. I made the mistake of trying to paint it and while I like red, I didn't like it on the chair. I wasted an entire can and only covered the seat side. It was just too scratched up and frayed. You know how plastic "frays" sort of?
I'd already sanded down the rusty legs spray painting them in a stainless steel color and they looked wonderful
When thinking about what to do now that I'm out a chair seat, I thought table. A side table for our couch since Joe took care of the other end when he made this table.


I had a scrap piece of wood that fit perfectly and in testing out how I wanted the legs centered, I ended up focusing more on centering that flat piece of metal in between the legs. Just take that into consideration if you make it.
Above is if I was trying to center the legs which is what I really wanted. Below is if I'm trying to center the base (what touches the table).
I sanded & re-stained the scrap wood piece and drew out some curved corners to match our other end table using a roll of duct tape. Unfortunately the rounded corners were a slight afterthought and I cut them on our band saw after I'd already re-stained. It just took more time.
I decided to use tube straps to attach the legs to the wooden top due to the fact there was a gap. Below, the top bar is the gap I'm talking about. It doesn't touch the wooden top. At first I thought I'd have to wedge a piece of wood in between the wood top and the base which I honestly didn't feel like doing so the tube straps were a lifesaver.
I eyeballed where to put the straps and drilled pilot holes first followed by securing them down with screws
So, not bad at all for basically free, maybe under $5 AND it takes all of 10 minutes outside of staining, sanding, poly-ing, and rounding the corners. I don't think you can beat that for such a unique look. I think it fits in with many different decor styles. Considering my style is mish mosh, it fits in perfectly ;) Be sure to visit the blog for this and other projects!
Suggested materials:
  • Metal Chair Legs   (Garage Sale)
  • Scrap Wood Top   (Habitat for Humanity)
  • 1/2" Tube Straps   (Menards)
See all materials
Angie @ Ambient Wares
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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