DIY Fluted Side Table Tutorial

We’ve all seen the beautiful, glossy fluted side tables sitting on fancy store shelves. It can be hard to resist buying one that is a perfect fit for your home.

But at what cost?

Store bought furniture can be quite expensive. I’ve found making some of my own furniture to be an effective way to save money while having fun with the process.

In this post, I’ll show you how to make a DIY fluted side table. It’s a simple way to get the chic fluted table you desire, but at a fraction of the cost.

Making your own fluted side table can be a quick, simple, and inexpensive project. All you need are a few basic materials, some of which you may already have lying around at home.

I recently made this fluted side table for the seating area in our master bedroom.

When I started planning the master bedroom makeover over a year ago, I knew that I wanted to include a seating area.

It took me a while to decide what kind of seating I wanted in that area, but I finally settled on doing 2 chairs with a small side table in the center. I loved the idea of having a slat table because it’s chic and modern. I felt that it would tie in perfectly with the cane dressers and nightstands and also fit in with the overall aesthetic of the master bedroom.

My style is transitional and you will typically see traditional classic pieces mixed in with more modern elements throughout my home. The fluted table complements my style well, but I wasn’t keen on spending a ton of money on it. I started to do some research into how to make my own.

There are many different variations of fluted side tables out there. I chose to use the table created by Juniper homes as the inspiration for my piece.

Supplies

12 inch concrete mold
0.5 inch brad nails
Half round molding
Corner bracket
Stain pads
Choice of stain
120 grit sand paper
18 inch pine round for table top
Mitre Saw

shop the supplies needed

How To Make THE DIY Fluted SIDE Table (step by step instructions)

NOTE: You can make this table any height or width that you’d like. The tube for the base comes in a variety of different diameters. For the height, you simply measure and cut to your desired height.

You can also use any type of table top you would like. I chose to use round pine for mine, but I’ve seen other DIY-ers use materials such as marble. The choice of material is entirely up to you and the look you are going for. Keep in mind that the method of attaching the table top to the base will be different depending on your materials.

Step 1- Trim the concrete mold to the desired height.

I started the project by cutting my concrete mold to desired height. (I wanted my table to be 2 feet tall).

Taking into account the width of the table top which is 0.75 inches, I cut my round mold to 23.25 inches to make it an even 2 ft in height.

Cutting the round mold can be tricky so I used some card stock to make a template and drew an even line around the mold.

I cut the mold using a multi-tool.

Step 2- Cut Even Slats To be attached to the concrete mold.

Since I was cutting an even length all around, I used a make-shift stop block on my table saw to get an even cut every time.

Step 3- Attach the slats to the molding

Attach each of the slats to the molding, making sure that they are straight. I used a lever to make sure they were all straight.

Use 1/2 inch brad nails and a nail gun to attach the slats. Repeat this process until entire mold is covered.

Step 4- Fill in the nail holes

Use wood filler to fill in the nail holes.

Step 5- Sand down any rough edges

Sanding is such an important step to make sure your furniture has a smooth finished look.

Step 6- Stain The Wood

Use one coat of your desired stain to stain the wood. I chose to use one coat of natural stain.

Before you stain the wood, make sure that you use a pre-stain conditioner. This will help the stain to adhere better.

Step 7- Attach the corner brackets to the base

Flip the entire mold over and attach the corner brackets to the inside of the base (see picture below).

Once you have attached the brackets, you can then attach the table top to your fluted table.

You can also use wood glue to hold everything together in place of the corner bracket.

Step 8- Make Sure everything is even

One the table top is attached. Make sure it is even using a leveler.

So there you have it! The project is finished and ready to style.

And I know you are probably wondering if the table is sturdy enough to stand on its own or if it will topple over with the gust of the wind.

I can assure you that if you followed the steps above, the table is quite sturdy and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Making the DIY fluted side table may seem like a lot of work at first glance, but in reality it wasn’t all that bad. Plus I saved myself some money.

I love the way that this table looks in our master bedroom and how it pairs nicely with the rest of the furniture.

This table fits in perfectly with my transitional, classic-modern style throughout our home.

This DIY project is not only functional, but adds to the ambiance of the room. You can create this fluted table for pretty much any room in your home. From the living room to the bedroom, it adds a touch of class to your space at an affordable price.

I love that it’s a piece I made myself and not something store bought! I can look at this project for years to come with a sense of joy knowing that I crafted this unique piece myself.