Create your dream mid-century modern table with these budget-friendly hacks

Have you ever had your heart set on a table you saw online or maybe at a designer shop, but you just couldn’t stomach the price tag? When looking for the perfect dining table to fill my mid-century modern open concept living space, I kept running into this problem.

When taking on a renovation project, budgets can be tight, a lot of your funds often get soaked up by construction costs. This leaves less money for decorating but the pieces you bring in to furnish and style make such an impact on the way you feel and function in a room. It’s key to look for areas you can save. When it came to the dining table, I knew I needed to save some pennies, but I didn’t want to sacrifice design. I had envisioned the table as a statement piece, so I decided to get crafty and create my own. With a bit of elbow grease, a solid vision, and some tools, I was able to achieve the look I wanted at a fraction of the cost. Now I have a beautiful place for our friends and family to gather around for a meal, conversation, or games.

Old doesn’t mean useless, and this is often the case for me. I love searching secondhand places for great finds that I can transform into unique, custom pieces for my home. I started looking for a second-hand wood table to kick off the project. Fortunately, I found just what I needed on Facebook Marketplace. After negotiating a bit and solidifying a pickup time, I was able to secure the base of this project for $90.

TIP: If you see something you like on Facebook Marketplace, act quickly, be direct with pricing, and know that time is of the essence. Pieces go very quickly; I don’t want you to lose out on what you are looking for.

Next, was the elbow grease step. With a few cuts, some sanding and varnish, the top came out exactly how I had envisioned. I couldn’t be happier about how the legs turned out - the dowels make the perfect statement. They hide the outdated look of the previous legs, making it match the rest of my open living space. To see the full tutorial so you can create this look in your home, watch the complete transformation here.

To create this table on your own, you will need the following tools and supplies:

• Belt sander

• Palm sander

• Skill saw

• Chop saw

• Router

• Nail gun

• Sandpaper (do you want to suggest grits?)

• Wood glue (do you want to say the type?)

• Screws

• Varnish

• Pre-used wood table (we found ours for $90!)

• Wood dowels (we chose oak) 

Then you can begin construction…

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For the top

1.    Remove the braces and legs

2.    Sand down old varnish using the belt sander and palm sander

3.    Cut the edge with a skill saw

4.    Glue the leaf inserts into the table

5.    Use a router to create the new desired angle

6.    Sand with finishing sand paper

7.    Apply the desired varnish

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For the base

1.    Create race track structure with leftover wood as cross braces

2.    Cut half-round oak dowels to the correct height with a chop saw

3.    Secure dowels with a nail gun

4.    Toenail top to base with screws

5.    Finish with more sanding and varnish

This piece finally got the facelift it needed and is now the center of a beautiful space we use to gather for food, conversation, and games. To complete the look, I paired the table with some cute IKEA chairs. Lennon and I have already created many memories around this table and we can’t wait to create more.  

xox DIY MOM xox

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• Parenting Through Play: The Miss Persona Way!

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Parenting Through Play: The Miss Persona Way!

Featuring Lennon’s DIY Treasure Reward Map!

When I’m knee-deep in home renovations and DIY projects,

I know Lennon is watching how I handle stressful situations, the way I pause and reassess if I hit a stumbling block, the energy I put into my work and the way I prioritize down time with her.

And while I’m often immersed in work traditionally viewed as masculine, I want her to know this…

What determines her path in life

is not what others believe she can do,

but what she knows she can do.

Gender-specific roles no longer define our capabilities or determine our journey and outcome. It will be Lennon’s effort, her willingness to work through obstacles, her belief that she is smart and able and worthy that will determine her success.

As a single mom, it’s important for me to ensure she is immersed in a culture that values the contributions of women. Even at her young age, females that model strength, resiliency and critical thinking are important for her personal development. That’s one of the reasons we are both die-hard fans of the daytime Emmy nominated series Miss Persona! The main character is curious, industrious and analyzes problems from every angle before trying to solve them. Lennon also loves Miss Persona’s sidekick Brandon Bear.

What’s not to love?

Cuddly, cute, the perfect size for snuggling and a wonderful little friend to Miss Persona. I want Lennon to know that it’s okay to lean on trusted friends and family as we try and navigate the trials of life.

Inspired by Miss Persona’s whimsical approach to life, I created a reward chart that teaches valuable lessons in responsibility, helps sharpen her problem-solving skills, and prompts her to find resourceful ways to handle complex problems. Win/win situation in my books!

A reward system is a great way to reinforce positive behaviour and keep your child motivated to keep pursuing the changes we want to implement. It helps children grasp accountability in small, digestible ways that are also fun, and in typical mom fashion, teach them something without them even knowing. I’m pretty good at recognizing and praising good behaviour, but a reward chart is a good reminder nonetheless.

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Here’s how we did it: 

• I selected a theme that Lennon identifies with and gets excited about. As I mentioned, we are big fans of Miss Persona so we modelled this project using designs and colours that reflect the look and feel of the show.

• Lennon and I sketched out the plan on brown craft paper to make sure the flow worked for both of us. In true Miss Persona fashion, we got dressed up to play the part of  “inventive cartographers.” Brandon Bear was with us too of course. He’s the unofficial member of our little family and has been tagging along with us on all our adventures.

• We decided on 3 prize stops. She pressed for more (I would have done the same), but this felt like a good number to help motivate and encourage her along her journey. Each phase gets progressively harder, but not so hard that she’ll want to throw in the towel. The premise is to increase responsibility, but still stay within parameters that are attainable.

• Keep the rewards simple but thoughtful. You want your child to know you put some thought and effort into selecting just the right things. They do not have to be expensive, but they should be considerate. Things like hand drawn certificates for activities you can do together, supplies for future craft projects or a book they’ve been wanting are always popular around my house. Choose rewards specific to your child- ones that will keep them motivated to continue putting in the effort.

• The most important thing of course is to have fun along the way and be tolerant. Incorporating chores into daily routines or asserting behavioural changes can be a lot of work for young children who are trying to navigate these adjustments with poise and patience. We need to remember to acknowledge their effort.

Inspired by Miss Persona's whimsical approach to life, I created a reward chart that teaches valuable lessons in responsibility, helps sharpen problem-solvin...

Lennon’s Treasure Reward Map Download; Click the map above to open image in new window.

You can download this free reward chart and personalize it by writing your child’s name at the top in fancy letters. Lennon likes glitter, so her name is adorned in pink and blue sparkles. Be sure to let me know how this is working for you and your family and tag me in your stories so I don’t miss it.

Join us in your best dress up to watch the new season premiere of Miss Persona (December 7th) at 6:30pm EST on Treehouse with new episodes premiering every weekday!