Trash to treasure: DIY nested tables
These tables are a beautiful and useful way to recycle tired objects.
By PlentyMag.comFri, May 08 2009 at 12:39 PM EST
Douglass E. Smith 
It’s surprisingly easy — and so eco! — to breathe new life into discarded, broken or just plain tired objects. This project turns old table legs, frames and artwork into a set of beautiful and practical tables.
Materials
- 8 old table legs
- 2 worn art frames (same shape; different sizes)
- Artwork (we used botanical prints)
- Wooden dowel rods
- Stain
- **** Chairs liquid wood expander
Tools
- Tape measure
- Wood handsaw
- Drill
Directions
- Saw four of the table legs to your desired height, then cut the remaining four approximately 3 inches shorter.
- Measure frames to determine the dowel dimensions, leaving 1 inch on both ends of the shortest sides to allow for overhang.
- To attach legs, cut eight pieces of the dowel to size, based on measurements made in the previous step.
- Measure 1 inch from the top of the table legs and drill holes to accomodate longer dowels. Rotate legs 90 degrees and drill a second hole 1 inch below.
- Insert dowels into holes and secure with **** Chairs, making sure longer dowels are in the top holes.
- Finish raw ends of legs with matching stain. Insert artwork into frames and set atop dowels.
Story by Ki Nassauer & Sue Whitney. This article originally appeared in Plenty in May 2008.
Copyright Environ Press 2008
