Easy $15 Round DIY Accent Table Tutorial

6 Materials
$15
45 Minutes
Easy

I am excited to be sharing this DIY accent table tutorial with you today! It’s a perfect quick and easy DIY project anyone can do. It’ll only cost you $15 and less than 30 minutes to build (NO TOOLS REQUIRED). These are my favorite types of DIY projects. They take little to no effort to create and compliment a space beautifully on a BUDGET!

The Story Behind this Side TableMy goal here is to turn these supplies into a chic and minimalist side table for my living room. My living room isn’t huge and I wanted to make sure there are enough tables for anyone visiting. We only have a coffee table in our living room and because of the size of our sectional couch, we don’t have any end tables. I researched so many types of end tables online and even ventured out to local stores to find the perfect fit.

One thing I realized during all of this shopping and research… SIDE TABLES ARE SO OVERPRICED!

I didn’t want to spend upwards of $70+ to get an accent table for my space. It’s challenges like these that always flip my creativity switch! I went into full blown DIY accent table research mode. How could I make my own, make it look chic, and fit into a tiny budget without sacrificing quality?

I ended up stumbling onto some cute Dollar Tree bowl diy side tables on TikTok and really liked that idea. I fully thought I would be making that idea into a reality. That is until I went to Walmart for something I found the most perfect plastic ribbed planters to make my project an even greater reality! This would be a simple design, but would make a BIG impact and fits into my farmhouse style decor but brings a Nordic vibe to the space.

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What You Need – Materials List

  • 2 – 10” white/cream ribbed $5 planters from Walmart (I found them in store and not online) – If you can’t find these exact planters that I found, you can find something similar or of a different color and use spray paint to achieve whatever color you are looking for.
  • 1 Wood plaque from Dollar Tree (In the $5 section)
  • Hot glue gun
  • Gorilla glue sticks
  • Behr water-based wood stain rustic effects “Rustic Brown” – I got mine from Home Depot. Here is a similar stain from Rustoleum.
  • Foam paint brush

RELATED: HOW TO MAKE ARTWORK WITH AN EASY-TO-MAKE GALLERY SIGN


Now onto the full step-by-step instructions…

Step 1 – Attach the Planter Pots

During this step you will first take the stickers off the bottoms of the planters and make sure your hot glue gun is ready to use. I swear by these Gorilla Glue sticks they have an amazing grip to them.

Put enough glue on the base of one planter to be able to press the other base to hold it in place. Keep in mind, you don’t want any glue to spill out on the sides. Since this is a heavy duty glue stick, it’s a lot harder to remove if you have overflow.

Once the bottoms of each planter are firmly attached, allow it time to cure and dry. Shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes or so.

Step 2 – Stain the Wood Top

I love water-based wood stains and Behr has a great one in the color Rustic Brown that I thought would be perfect for this project in my living room. Ofcourse, you can choose to not stain it or go a different direction.

What I love most about water-based stains is that it takes little to no time to dry and it is way less messy. No gloves required like you would with oil-based stain. PLUS, no overwhelming smell either.

The directions on the stain I used was to apply the stain with the grain of the wood round top, allow it to sit for 5 minutes and then wipe the excess away.

I did this a couple of times to achieve the level of rustic brown that I wanted for this diy end table. I let this sit for about 5 minutes once I was happy with the unique look and level of stain achieved.

If you wanted to, using sandpaper to go back and age down this top could be an option to give it a more rustic look.


RELATED: LOOK-FOR-LESS HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER


Step 3 – Attach the Top to the Table Base

Once I was ready, I used a little bit of my Gorilla glue on the bottom of the round wood top so that it would stay put when I attached it to the upside of my planter diy accent table. The glue set pretty quickly so I had to make this step quick and make sure it was evenly spaced all the way around.

If this table was going to live outside on my screened in patio or deck, I would have added an additional step. I would want to make sure the top was covered with a clear top coat to protect the wood. But indoors we have no weather (duh) and coasters to protect the table surface.

Once the top was secure, I was ready to enjoy this new accent table in my living room!

Step 4 – Enjoy This Easy DIY Accent Table

This table is the perfect size and compliments this little nook perfectly! The leather chair was handed down to me by my grandparents, and I love that by adding this table and a cable knit pouf that I am more drawn to this space.

I can see myself enjoying having company over, or simply reading a book or working on my laptop. The best part about this small furniture piece is that it was easy to make, budget friendly, and had a high end look to it.

I could also see this project being used as diy nightstands for a small space or as matching side tables. What it loses in the way of storage it makes up for with the style it creates!

RELATED: DIY FARMHOUSE WALL ART LOOK-FOR-LESS


What do you think of this creation? Would you try it in your home? Please let me know in the comments below.

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Meredith - Arts & Classy
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Tailwagger88 Tailwagger88 on Aug 14, 2022

    How do you keep it from tipping over??

    It’s so lightweight..

  • Kathy Wiley Kathy Wiley on Aug 09, 2023

    Could you have put a small hinge so you could put small stuff in


  • Glenda Glenda on Aug 13, 2023

    What measurement is the 10” for…is it the diameter of the top (opening) or the height? Can you give measurements for both please? I’m trying to find something inexpensive online and I don’t want to end up with the wrong height and width.

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  • C. D. Scallan C. D. Scallan on Aug 13, 2023

    Our dollar store also sells metal/galvanized looking waste paper bins that would be great for a project like this if you wanted a more industrial look.

  • Ann69234472 Ann69234472 on Aug 13, 2023

    I would also put a wooden base under it!

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