Kid-Sized Picnic Table
When the kids need a break, give them the perfect spot for a snack with a kid-sized picnic table.
You’ll need four 1-by-6-by-8s and one 2-by-4-by-10 of pressure-treated wood. You’ll also need 220-grit sandpaper, 2-inch wood screws, wood glue, wood sealer and a miter saw.
Measurement list:
- (6) 1x6s, 35 inches long
- (4) 1x6s, 25 inches long
- (2) 2x4s, 30 inches long
- (2) 2x4s, 21 inches long
Step 1: Measure, mark and cut everything to size using the cut list. Then rotate your miter saw to the 30-degree angle. Cut (4) 25-inch 1x6s on each end so that the angle goes in the same direction, parallel to each other. Line the saw blade up so that you keep all the length. Rotate the saw to the 22.5-degree angle. Cut the ends off all the 2x4s, but keep the ends in opposite directions.
Step 2: To assemble the top, set the shorter 2x4s on your work surface with longer ends facing up. Lay out four of your 35-inch 1x6s on top. Use your tape measure to make sure the overhang is equal on each opposite side. My overhang on the sides of the 2x4s was about 1-5/8″ and the overhang on the ends was about 1/2″. Once you like the positioning, apply wood glue before using exterior screws to attach the 1x6s to the 2x4s. We used 2 screws on each side of each board.
Step 3: Now, turn what you just assembled upside down. Take 2 of the angled 1x6s and attach them with the screws where the boards touch each other in the middle of the 2x4s on each side. These are the legs of the table. Again, the video above will give you a good visual of this step.
Step 4: With the table still upside down, measure from the end of the 1x6s, straight down (not along the edge of the board) 12 inches and make a mark. Since this will be the bench of the table, I used a level to make sure my mark was also level. Then attach the remaining 2x4s on each side where the board sits just above the mark (since the table is still upside down). Once you screw them in, flip it over and the 2x4s should be sitting 12 inches off the ground.
Step 5: Attach the two remaining 1x6s to the top of the 2x4s (1 on each side), pushing them all the way up against the legs. Don’t forget the wood glue!
Step 6: This is optional, but makes the table safer and better looking. Trace the bottom of a can of spray paint on the four edges of the tabletop and the outside edges of each bench. Then use a jigsaw to cut it out and make the edges rounded. Follow that up by sanding what you just cut plus the entire surface and edges of the whole table!
Step 7: Wait until the pressure-treated lumber has cured — typically around 6 weeks — before applying a wood sealer. Just brush the sealer on like paint and let it dry.
Or you could paint the picnic table for a pop of color!
Watch the video above to find out more.
