Slide under sofa table DIY with remote shelf and magazine rack. Beginners guide.
After moving our living room furniture around, things weren’t fitting quite right. We finally settled on using bar stools as end tables, but after a few months of having to chase them around the house, we had enough.
So we decided to make a pair of slide under sofa tables DIY style. Ones that were thin for the high traffic area, but also functional with a remote shelf and magazine rack.
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More often than not, my husband feels a little roped into these projects. “So you mean I’m going to make them and you’re going to document it?” Uhh… yeah… that sounds about right.
Slide Under Sofa Table DIY | Remote Shelf and Magazine Rack
Material
(Materials may change slightly depending on the size of your sofa. Measure accordingly. Always practice safety when using power tools.)
- 2-2×4
- 1- 1x10x6 board
- 1- 1x5x6 board
- 1- 1x4x6 board
- 8- 2 inch #10 wood screws
- Finishing nails
- Wood glue
- Stain
Tools
- Circular saw
- Table saw (if available, we made due without one)
- Drill
- Hammer
- Sander/Sandpaper
- Stain brush
- Measuring tape
- Square
- Saw horses
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
With these materials we made two slide under sofa tables with a 25 inch clearance for the armrest of our couch. The top and bottom are both 10in x 14in to give us enough room for coffee but also to allow us to use our armrest comfortably.
Measure and cut your boards to length
- 4- 10in x 14in (top and bottom)
- 4- 2x4x24 1/4 in (side support)
- 6- 1x5x14 (magazine rack and back of shelf)
- 2- 1x4x14 (top support for magazine rack)
- 2- 1x4x11 (remote shelf) (measure and cut a hair big for a snug fit)
Start from the base up. We’ll be using screws only on the bottom of each table. Pre drill your holes for the screws (and finishing nails throughout the project) to prevent splitting. Taking care not to pre drill to small or to large.
Attach base to 2×4 side supports, 3/4 inch from the front. (Room for the front of the magazine rack)
Attach front and back of Magazine Rack
Attach the front and back of the magazine rack, with the 5x14in board, using wood glue and clamps. We want to secure the top of the table before we drive in the finishing nails for the magazine rack.
Attach the top of the Table
Keeping everything in uniform, measure 3/4 inch in from the front to match the bottom. Pre drill your holes and attach the top with wood glue and finishing nails.
Secure the magazine rack with finishing nails.
Remote Shelf
Using the 5x14in board, attach the back of the remote shelf with wood glue and finishing nails.
Place 4x11inch remote shelf inside and tap into place. Secure with finishing nails.
Measure to desired height and attach 4x14in board for the top of the magazine rack, with finishing nails.
Sand and Stain
Sand down the entire project and wipe clean before applying stain. Apply stain according to the recommended directions.
Slide Under Sofa Table DIY – Finished Product
These tables were exactly what we needed! We’re still able to reach the recliner button on the sofa, and the 10 inch wide top is perfect for allowing us to use the armrest without interference.
I hope you enjoyed this project and be sure to follow along for other projects I rope my husband into. (Next is a double sided projector screen and picture frame for the spare room. AKA winter movie room)
Sara
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