Kids Workbench From Old Table
11 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Medium
This kids workbench is built on one of those old ugly end tables that probably everyone had in the 90’s. I originally used it for a base of a train table for my boys but it turned out that they preferred building their tracks on the floor. So the table sat in the closet, taking up space. I knew I could give this sad table a new purpose in life by building a kids workbench on top of it.
I had leftover pegboard hardware from my Craft Room Pegboard project so I just used that, but you can get the hardware pretty cheaply. I also found a lot of tools at Walmart for $10 but we had the IKEA ones too which I love.
Here’s how to make one:
- One old end table or coffee table with utilitarian legs (straight and flat)
- 1×6’s cut to the length of the table plus two inches (for overhang). You will have to determine how many you need to cover your table top width.
- Pegboard cut to the length of the table with about the same width to make a square
- 4 1×2’s to frame the pegboard
- Plywood cut to the size of the length and width of the table legs
- 1/2×2 cut to the length of the width between table legs, lengthwise
- 2 1×2’s cut to the length of the width between table legs, widthwise
- L Brackets & Screws
- 2 1×2’s cut to about 36 inches
- Sign: 1×4 cut to the length of your pegboard
- Silver & Gold Paint
Here’s what I started out with, before going to the store for the wood and hardware. I cut the pegboard to the size I wanted. It was smaller than the table, and in the instructions above I said you should cut it to the length of the table. Either way you choose to do it is not a big deal, it will still look good.
After I got all the supplies and cut it to size, I stained it with a dark walnut color. I then made the frame for the pegboard. This wood is 1/2 x 2, which after doing this, I wouldn’t recommend. It was difficult to put together without splitting the wood. I think 1×2’s would look great and be sturdier. If you have a Kreg Jig (which I didn’t at the time), you could put this together with pocket screws. Then screw the pegboard (which I painted metallic silver–thank you Martha Stewart Metallic paint) straight to the frame, so it covers the entire back of the frame.
For the tabletop, I actually tried to glue it down first and then screw it in place. But I am impatient and didn’t want to wait for the glue to dry. So if you are impatient like me, skip the glueing and you’ll be okay. If you are patient, I would glue and clamp it down for several hours and THEN screw in place. My impatience cost me and now my board are screwed on slightly crooked. But my 4-year-old was also helping me so I guess you just learn to love the imperfections.
For the lower shelf, I used the brackets to secure the 1×2’s that go across the width of the table. Then I put my little plywood shelf on top (you could screw it in but I skipped that step since we don’t move this thing all the time.) I put the front face wood in front of the plywood (the 1/2×2). It was cut and fit so tightly I didn’t even need to secure it, but you could use glue and finish nails.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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