Do it Yourself: Basic Picnic Table

Building a picnic table is a fun woodworking project that you can do with your children. It is fairly simple and will allow you the chance to teach woodworking lessons as well as tool safety, while giving them the opportunity to explore something new and see if they find it interesting. Only basic tools are required to build a picnic table, and the project shouldn't take more than half a day. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Cut your boards to the lengths you need with a handsaw or circular saw.

2

Miter the ends of four 2-by-8-by-30-inch boards to make the legs of the table. Make the angles on the end of each board opposite. Miter at a 22 degree angle.

3

Place a 26-inch two-by-four on the ground so that its length is up and down. Place five two-by-six boards side-by-side so that their length is side to side. Place the boards over the two-by-four so that it's in the center. Nail the two-by-six boards to the two-by-four.

4

Build the bottom of the table. Place two of the two-by-eight boards on the ground so that the bottom miter cuts are flat up against a board and so they are leaning toward each other. The board will keep them at the correct position. Do the same with the other two mitered boards.

5

Make a mark on each mitered leg. Measure from the bottom up at a distance of 15 inches. Place the two-by-eight 60-inch boards across the two mitered boards at the mark. Attach clamps to secure them, and drill two holes through the cross boards and into each of the leg boards.

6

Insert bolts through the legs and cross board and screw a nut on the other end of each.

7

Nail a 26-inch two-by-four at the top of the legs. These will help support the table and legs.

8

Stand up the leg frames and set them parallel to each other. Place the table top across the leg frames. You will need someone to help you. Make sure the leg frames are about 60 inches apart and perpendicular to the wood table slats. Nail through the table slats into the leg frames.

9

Cut 2 two-by-four pieces to a length of 10 inches. Place one of the two-by-four pieces on the ground so that its length is up and down. Lay two of the two-by-six boards down side-by-side over the two-by-four so that it is in the center at a perpendicular angle. Nail through the two-by-six boards into the board underneath to create a brace. Do this again with the remaining two boards.

10

Place the two-by-six boards you just connected to the leg frames. There are board pieces sticking out from the bottom of the leg frames about 15 inches off the ground. Place the slats across these boards and nail them down to form the benches.