DIY Live Edge Wood Table
-
4-20 hours
•
-
Intermediate
•
- 300-500
A live edge wood table keeps the essence of the rough tree features, bringing a natural element to your furniture and your space. Live edge wood tables are quite expensive if you find them online or in a local woodworking or furniture store. To cut costs and earn a sense of pride in your labors, DIY a live edge wood table instead of buying a ready-made one so you can display your creation front and center.
Step 1 - Establish Size and Shape
To begin the process, measure the space where you want the table. Decide if round, square, or rectangular is what you’re after based on the size and shape of the surrounding furniture in the room. With measurements in hand you’ll know what size and shape of wood to shop for.
Step 2 - Estimate Cost
There are many factors that will determine the cost of your final project. Do a search online and you’ll find a prebuilt live edge wood table can run over $1,000. You can likely source the materials and buy one yourself for around $300-400, depending on the type and size of wood as well as the materials for the base.
Step 3 - Select Type of Lumber
Review images of live edge wood tables in various sizes and designs. Then choose the type of wood that most appeals to you. Burl is the most expensive option because the look relies on a specific type of growth on the tree in order to achieve the look. Tree rounds are more common and are a standard circle shape cut through the width of the tree that highlights the ring patterns.
A tree slab also shows the grain of the wood, but it is cut lengthwise to create longer, rectangular boards. The disadvantage of the tree slab is that the live edge is lost on the longest sides, with only the ends showing the tree’s true outer edge. Regardless of cut and shape you will also need to consider what type of tree you want, of which there are endless options.
Step 4 - Find Lumber
To find the perfect tabletop wood, scour the internet. Search online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay, Facebook, and Craigslist. Look frequently with different search criteria for the best results.
If you don’t have luck with precut pieces, and you're not living in a wooded area where you can fell your own tree, connect with tree removal companies in your area to work out a deal.
Step 5 - Dry the Wood
Make sure your wood is kiln dried for you begin your project to avoid warping and other moisture issues. Use a moisture meter to verify the moisture content is in the six to eight percent range. Then acclimate your slabs indoors for a few weeks before starting work.
Step 6 - Fill Holes and Gaps
Depending on the finished look you desire, you can fill gaps and cracks by pouring epoxy into them and allowing it to set.
Step 7 - Smooth the Edges
Most people choose to smooth the edges of their table by first removing the bark, which often falls off eventually anyway. Shave the bark off the edges with a blade or chisel and then sand all surfaces smooth.
Step 8 - Seal the Wood
Now that your wood looks like a table top, seal it to protect the surface and bring out the natural features of the wood. Wipe the surface with denatured alcohol to remove any dust and then brush on a coat of amber shellac. Allow the shellac to completely dry and sand lightly before adding a tung oil/varnish blend finish. You can apply additional coats as desired.
Step 9 - Choose Base
Finally, attach a base. You can order, build, or customize metal or wood legs or even a pillar-style mount. The variations are infinite and the process is part of what makes your table one of a kind.
With your project complete, put it in place and savor the savings as well as the beauty of your live edge wood table.
-
![Dawn Hammon]()
Dawn Hammon has thrived in freelance writing and editor roles for nearly a decade. She has lived, worked, and attended school in Oregon for many years. Dawn currently spends her days convincing her children she is still smarter than them while creating new experiences with her husband of 24 years.  Her multiple interests have led her to frequently undergo home improvement projects. She enjoys sharing the hard-earned knowledge that comes with it with the audience of DoItYourself.com. Dawn and her sister make up a power-tool loving duo that teaches classes to local women with the goal of empowering them to tackle their fears and become comfortable with power tools. Tapping into her enthusiasm for saving money and devotion to sustainable practices, Dawn has recently launched a passion project aimed at connecting eco-friendly products and socially-responsible companies with consumers interested in making conscientious purchases, better informing themselves about products on the market, and taking a stand in favor of helping to save the planet. When she is not providing stellar online content for local, national, and international businesses or trolling the internet for organic cotton clothing, you might find her backpacking nearby hills and valleys, traveling to remote parts of the globe, or expanding her vocabulary in a competitive game of Scrabble. Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, which these days she mostly uses to provide therapy for her kids and spouse. Most recently, I worked for a small local professional organizing and estate sale company for four years where I learned a ton about organizing and/or disposing of just about anything. She was raised in a tool-oriented, hands-on, DIY family. Her dad worked in the floor covering business and owned local floor covering businesses, so of course selling floor covering was one of her first jobs. Her brother was a contractor for about 30 years and site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity. I worked with him often, building decks, painting houses, framing in buildings, etc. With her sister, she holds power tool classes to empower women who are scared or have never used them. Not quite homesteaders, she did grow up with a farm, tractors, motorcycles, expansive gardens, hay fields, barns, and lots of repairs to do. Plus she and her family preserved foods, raised cattle and pigs, chopped and hauled firewood, and performed regular maintenance on two households, outbuildings, fencing, etc. As an adult, she has owned two houses. The first one she personally ripped out a galley kitchen and opened it up to the living area, plus updated every door, floor covering, and piece of trim in the place. In her current home, she's tackled everything from installing real hardwood flooring to revamping the landscape.
