MY DIY | Wood Slab Coffee table

DIY PROJECT, Home DIY

Hey all! I am back from a glorious social-media-free long weekend feeling refreshed. Thanks so much for all the nice words and comments on last week’s post, and I am so sorry to hear that some of you are going through the same thing, it’s the worst. Now back to DIYing! I posted about my coffee table in my apartment tour post, and shared the story behind the wood slab, now it’s on to how to create your own. I was super excited when I found out that my local second hand store started selling unfinish wood. After finding the perfect piece, we got out the power tools to cut it down to size. More step after the break…

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I enlisted my Dad to come down to the studio with all his tools, and he was in charge of drilling in all the screws to hold the hairpin legs in place. Thrifting tip: I alway buy old furniture with hairpin legs, and take off the legs and repurpose. It’s usually cheaper then buying just the legs online!

Next came the sanding…oh, the sanding. This took awhile, even with the power sander, because we wanted to get out all the grooves that were made when cutting the slab. That way the top surface would be completely flat. Be patient and stick with it, because it looks so great when it’s smooth!

Next, wipe down your surface to remove all the sanding dust.

I wanted a stain that would enhance the natural color of the wood, so went with Minwax Wood Finish- Natural, and I absolutely  love how the color turned out. It brought out all the character in the slab, giving it more depth and interest. Stir the stain thoroughly before applying it in the direction of the grain with a rag. Let it sit for 5-15 minutes for a rich, darker color. Use a clean cloth to remove the stain that has not been absorbed into the wood, while blending light and dark areas. Let dry for at least 8 hours.

Once dry, add the Minwax Polyurethane finish in Clear Satin. Stir well and apply a thin coat in the direction of the wood grain. Let it dry for 2 hours and then sand with a fine sandpaper to ensure an even finish. Apply a second and third coat, and let dry for 3 hours. Done!

This post was made in partnership with Minwax® Products. Thank so much for supporting my amazing sponsors who make I SPY DIY possible! For more woodworking/wood staining inspiration head over to the Mixwax Facebook page and “LIKE’ them!