Our last apartment didn't allow for a dining room or kitchen table. When we moved into our new place, all we had was a small craft table. With dinner parties, bridal showers and more on the horizon, we needed a larger table solution, and fast! Here's what we came up with. (And the best part is it's removable and stores easily!)
What You Need
Materials
2 Hollow Core Doors
1 Piano Hinge
6 Wood Screws or Wood Glue
2 - 1x2's
Table Base/Small Table/Pair of Saw Horses
Tools
Drill or Screwdriver
Instructions
1. Lay Doors On Open Floor: This step can also be done by placing the doors on your table top, but it might require additional help to hold them steady. Lay the doors on the floor and match up the two ends, ensuring they are the same length. You can do this with them standing on end, but this will also ensure they're the same thickness as well.
2. Attach Hinge: Lay the two doors on top of each other, so all the ends are flush. You'll be attaching the piano hinge along one long side of the two doors. Attach the first screw at the end of the hinge, and then work your way down the line. The hinge should come with small screws in the package with it, along with 2 extras in case you drop them (which is exactly how many we lost in the process).
3. Lay Hinged Doors On Table Top: Center your doors over your existing tabletop. Leave enough room on all sides for people to sit around, making sure it won't tip over one way or another. The doors are sturdy, but they do need to be centered over the base for safety reasons.
4. Draw A Line: Sit or lay on the floor under the table. Draw a line along the length of each door where they meet the existing table top. (Note: Not across the piano hinge, but running in the same direction)
5. Remove & Attach: Flip the doors over and to the outside of the line you drew, nail or glue down a length of 1x2. The goal is to have it run along the edge of the table, keeping the top from shifting as people sit at it. It prevents it from sliding back and forth if someone bumps it.
6. Replace Top: Put your new tabletop made from doors back on the table base. Ensure that your last step is a good fit.
7. Tablecloth or Paper: Although you can most certainly use a tablecloth to dress your table, we've found that brown or white butchers paper/craft paper/painters covering works wonders. It rolls out, stays for weeks and doesn't snag on the hinge.
8. Remove When Done: When your party or big event is over, simply fold up one door on top of another. You can now store them under your bed, at the back of a closet or in the garage if you have one.
• Related: 6 Ways You Can Create a Makeshift Dining Room Table
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(Images: Sarah Rae Trover)
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Wow, this is great. I have be wanting to try this on my 24"X48" table for a long time. Do you have any problems with people leaning on it and making the doors lift up? Just wondering.
There is a small amount of that when the table is seated with several people (like 8). All it really takes is someone putting all their weight on it and it does pop up...
That said, we've been using our set up on this small craft table since we moved in several months ago and we've really only had to mention to one person to not lounge on it. Other than that it's been great! You could probably use super strength velcro if you wanted a little extra holding power.
Genius! And the velcro suggestion by sarahrae is an inspired bit of cleverness.
If you're worried about it popping up, you should be able to come up with something that could attach to the piece of wood running along the side of the topper to either latch onto the bottom of your existing table or have something that slides up under the existing table to prevent the topper from moving up.
This is a great idea and very doable for someone like me with no building/craft skills whatsoever.
This seems like such a good suggestion for anywhere but especially outdoors since you could have a few table worths together. I have used a door for a desk but never thought before of hinging two together. Very clever!
Looks great!
I'd add just a few suggestions. This will likely scratch up the underlying table top, but if you either put down some sort of cloth first, or get some self-stick felt pads or sheets from a craft store or Home Depot (the will be with the stuff for going under chair legs), you could pad the side that goes down and keep from scratching.
Second, if your existing tabletop is thinner than the 1x2 stops you've put on the ends, you could add 4 more small pieces of 1x2 (2 on each end) with a single screw into the 1x2, so that they pivot and spin into place as latches to keep the top from flipping up.
Wow. Awesome idea.
If you take a crafty turn- turn the doors into a piece of art- so it's a large scale wall art when it's not in use as a table. You're going to cover the doors when they're being used as a table anyway, so there's not so much worry about the work getting damaged.
Great idea on the doors as tabletops! And if you use Owlsandcupcakes's idea, the doors could be painted and used as a folding screen or room divider when they are not being a table. Or stored by folding them up and using them as a smaller sized tabeltop.