Building a Little Table and Chair – Fun, Easy and Cheap!

So, a few months back, Shreya let me know she had outgrown her little table and chair and needed a new one. I said, “Ok – I’ll keep my eyes out for one the right size.” She said – “Nani, you can just make me one.” I said, “I never made a table and chair before.” She said, “But you made my playhouse, so you can make a table and chair.”

I thought about it a minute and thought, hmm, why not. It can’t be that hard. Shouldn’t be much harder than sewing and following a pattern. A short google search came up with Ana White’s amazing site and sets of plans for perfect little tables and chairs. And a ton of other amazing things I wanted to build.

I already had a new miter saw, so I knew the cutting would be a breeze. After struggling with the chair, I bought a Kreg jig and Kreg clamp like Ana suggests to use – and the table went together amazingly quick and easily. And it was so strong with those joints that it would hold ME sitting on it. So, that was the beginning of my adventures in woodworking. (Click on the photo to the right to see how the kreg jig works.)

I had intended on painting the whole thing white, but the board I got for the top had such a beautiful grain that I decided to stain the top and paint the bottom (apron and legs.) To match, I stained the seat of the chair and painted the rest. Instead of white, for some reason I went with a nice off white I had and the stain is a gray weathered oak. I finished it with a couple coats of polycrylic.

You can see my brag post on Ana’s site HERE. Shreya uses it for her “schoolwork.” And I can even sit in the chair when we play school together. Since then, I’ve made the toddler bed – and now there’s a request for another chair for when her friend comes over. Plus, I’d like to make a chair and table set to stay here at Nani’s house. Piece of cake!

How To:

You can find the supplies and cut list and instructions on Ana White’s site:

Clara Table – I used a solid table top (24″x36″) instead of piecing the 3 boards. And I adjusted the length and width of the apron to match the table top.
Storage Chair

Supplies:

Here’s the supplies I used. (Affiliate links included. View my complete Disclosure.)

Kreg Jig R3 or Mini Kreg Jig – If you’re a serious woodworker, you can go for the master kit, but the smaller one is fine for the beginner on a budget. That’s what I use.
Kreg Clamp – Don’t make the mistake of trying to use another (cheaper) clamp. I had to go back and buy the Kreg Clamp – it’s the only one that holds the jig perfectly.
Kreg screws – Yep, you need special screws. The driver bit is included with your Kreg jig kit. I used mostly 1 1/4″ screws with the 1″ boards. You want coarse screws for soft wood like pine, and smooth for harder woods like oak.
Minwax Weathered Oak 270 Stain
Kilz Primer
Glidden High Endurance Plus Satin in Canyon Echo (Walmart)
Minwax Polycrylic in Clear Satin
Purdy 2″ angle brush – or any good paintbrush. But this is my favorite.