DIY Outdoor Farmhouse Table

It’s the spring of outdoor DIY projects and sprucing up our favorite outdoor spaces. From the porch decor makeover to painting the outdoor furniture, there have been much progress in this loved bonus space on our deck.

I am so excited to walk you through how we built this beautiful outdoor dining table. After seeing tons of these outdoor farmhouse tables pop up in decor magazines, it turned out even better than I envisioned! I would classify this as an intermediate woodworking project. There are some basic tools required, but it’s mostly tedious cutting rather than requiring a lot of technical building experience.

Our Project Before

For this table, we utilized a thrift store find to get the chairs and the table legs. But it was definitely needing an update:

The table was in good structural condition. We painted the metal furniture here to give it a refresh, but the top left me desiring something completely different. I also wanted it to better match our existing patio furniture and deck area. This was just too much brown.

Recommended Tools

This particular build is 41×72 inches, not including the wrap around skirting which adds about 1.5 inches to both the length and the width. I chose this size particularly to maximize the long framing boards, which are exactly 6 feet.

Equipment

• Miter Saw
• Pocket Hole Kit
• Outdoor Wood Glue
• Drill and bits
• 1 ¼ Screws for pocket holes – fine thread for hardwood
• Brad Nailer
• Planer – Very optional. This just helps the wood line up on top beautifully with minimal sanding.
• Hole Saw – for Umbrella Hole
• Orbital Sander
• 120 and 220 grit sandpaper
• Carpenter’s Triangle
• Tape Measure

Wood sizes for Purchasing, not Cut Sizes

• 1×4 – (2) 8ft boards, (1) 6ft board, and (3) 4ft boards for frame and skirting
• 1×3 – (2) 6ft boards, (2) 3ft boards
• 2×4 – (3) 6ft boards
• 2×6 – (2) 6ft board and (2) 4 ft boards
• The slats in our example are 1×3, but you can use 1×4. The amount needed will vary a lot based on actual thickness of the boards, where you start and any spacing between the boards. I would recommend at least (10) 8ft boards.
• Table Legs – I give a variety of ideas in the instructions.

DIY Outdoor Dining Table Plans

After sketching out a few designs, I settled on what I am calling a Cross-X pattern. What I love about this pattern is that small differences in board widths won’t be noticeable like with a herringbone or chevron pattern.

If you are wanting to build your own DIY Outdoor Table, the diagrams are below. There are essentially two frames, one on top of the other. One is the support frame which is wider than the top frame.

I use 1×3 boards on the outside of the frame because the skirting adds ¾ of an inch. It’s picky, but looks more balanced. You can use 1x4s if that is what is available but it will change the herringbone pattern length slightly.

Reader’s Note: Because of variances in materials, all measurements except the 2x6s are approximate. I never recommend cutting all your pieces before measuring.

How to Build an Outdoor Dining Table

There are step by step printable instructions at the bottom of this post. I include this section as a step by step of our project along with tips, tricks, and the ideas behind my thinking.

Step 1 – Build the bottom frame

Start by building the bottom frame first. The reason I say this is because this will best determine your final outdoor dining table size. This is also the supporting structure for the whole tabletop. The longest outside 2×6 boards will be exactly 72 inches long. The shorter 2×6 boards are 30 inches.

This will make a patio table that is 42.5×73.5 inches after skirting. If you want to make adjustments to the length or width, this is the time to do so.

After building the outside of the bottom frame, add in the center supports, cut to fit as shown in the second diagram above.

*Pro Tip: To make sure the frame is completely square, use a Square or a Carpenter’s Triangle.

For the support frame, we used a kreg jig to create the frame and screw the boards together. This allows the frame to sit flush and prevent the frame boards from moving.

Step 2: Build the Top Frame

The top frame is built similar to the bottom frame – build the outside square and then add the inside “cross”. The long side also measures 72 inches.

We used a brad nailer to attach the top frame to the support frame, but you could use nails and outdoor wood glue.

Step 3: Add the Slats

Now to lay the pattern! This step took most of a day to do. Starting at the inside corners of each square, we cut one end of the slats at a 45-degree angle with our mitre saw.

Then we laid the board on the table, marked the length, and cut to fit. Because the bottom frame is wider than the top frame, it creates ledges to attach the slats to. We used a brad nailer here as well.

***Pro Tip: The slats should either be completely snug to each other or have a gap for water to drip through. Because we were planning these boards, we elected to put them snuggly into place and use a polyurethane wood glue for extra waterproofing. It was a lot of wood glue!

Step 4: Adding the Skirting

After getting all of the boards in place, we added the skirt with brad nails and glue again.

Then I filled any nail holes or small gaps in the wood with either outdoor wood glue or filler. I finished it off with a thorough sanding.

Step 5: Build the Legs

For this build, we used the legs and base of an old patio table. However, there are several ways to make or find legs that are appropriate.

1. Use 4x4s for the legs (straight down) and then brace them to each other at the bottom for maximum sturdiness.
2. Purchase pre-made table legs. There are many great metal options on Etsy and online including A-Frame, X pattern, and Square.
3. Build an X pattern legs out of wood. Here is a good video tutorial.
4. Add matching benches on either side for an adorable picnic table.

Step 6: Add an Outdoor Umbrella Hole (optional)

We added a 2-inch hole in the center for an outdoor umbrella pole. To do this, we drilled with a hole saw.

Tips for an Expert Patio Table Build

• Prevent cupping by by choosing boards that are quarter sawn. There are other ways to prevent this problem as well. If you are interested in learning more about the problems of cupping, this video explains cupping in detail.
• Be sure to use wood that is appropriate for outdoor use.
• Protect the outer surface from pests and the elements with stain and urethane.
• Use a fine-tooth blade (60+ tooth for an 8 inch blade, but higher is better).

Like this project? Check out more Outdoor DIY ideas:

• How to Spray Paint Outdoor Furniture
• Create a Waterproof Ceiling Outdoors
• Incredible Storage Ideas for Your Deck
• How to Lay a Garden Path (budget friendly)