DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

DIY Farmhouse Table

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Off came the old stain!

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

And along the way, I flattened the table!

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

Then I began the aging process, aka cedar-geezering. To properly geezer my cedar, I’d need the following three stains:

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

I started with the Special Walnut, and slapped it on in the normal fashion.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

I let that dry for about an hour, and then I continued my cedar-geezering by lightly applying Varathane Weathered Gray in a splotchy and haphazard manner.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

I wiped the Weathered Gray off immediately.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

I grayed out about 1/4 of the table before starting right in with the Varathane Kona. I just streaked the Kona here and there and immediately worked it in with the rag.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

This process is more art than science, and your own eye must be your guide.

Once I had worked my way around the table, rubbing like a maniac, I pronounced the table well-and-truly Geezered. And man, were my arms tired! I think I geezered myself a little bit.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

To protect this old geezer, I whipped up a batch of wipe-on spar urethane by mixing regular spar urethane with mineral spirits.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

Yeah, yeah, I know. It says right there on the label not to thin it with mineral spirits, but c’mon people. Live a little.

When the table was ready, Handan and I carried it from the garage to the deck. Let me tell you something, folks. This table will withstand the apocalypse. Jeezum Crow, it’s heavy!

When we got to the deck stairs, I collared The Teenager to help on Handan’s side.

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

Up we went and placed it in its new home.

It then proceeded to rain pretty much non-stop for the next week.

Look, pooled water! The spar urethane works!

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com

When the rain cleared, I was able to get some dry pics before the next round of storms rolled through.

It was a lot of work, but we love our new DIY farmhouse table!

DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
DIY farmhouse table with herringbone table top | DIY trestle table with free plans| How to make a herringbone table top | How to get the weathered wood look with stain | How to build an outdoor dining table | DIY dining table with free plans | How to get the aged wood look with stain | #TheNavagePatch #diy #farmhouse #HowTo #diyfurniture #freeplans #myrustoleum | TheNavagePatch.com
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69 Comments

  1. I love this table, and would love to own one. You guys are so lucky, because everything you make turns out fabulous. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Love the table! I can’t believe it there is someone in the world with a brain like mine – Handan! Don’t feel left out Greg, there is someone in the world with a brain like you – my Tony ,shame he doesn’t share your DIY skills.

  3. Your blog writing, designing, building and geezering skills continually amaze me. I follow along your picture path shaking my head in wonder. My hubs has been planning to build a trestle table for a couple of years now. I am printing out your blog pages and bopping him on the head with them this afternoon. Thanks for sharing such great instructions!

  4. Love the table great workmanship, my only concern is usin pressure treated lumber, how safe is the treatment they use to treat the lumber?

  5. LOVE THIS!!! and i love your writing style!! that table looks like it came from restoration hardware!!
    Thanks for the detailed instructions!

  6. ok put a potty in the shed i will pitch a tent in your back yard for the summer, please serve me all my meals on this gorgeous table and my martinis too please xx

  7. Oh, I just love this! What work, but it was so worth it! I love the design. Do you use software to design your pieces? Great work, thanks for the inspiration. 🙂

    1. Thank you, Maria! I use Sketchup to design the pieces. I don’t have an engineer’s mind, so there’s no way I’d be able to do something like this without Sketchup’s help!

  8. Hi,
    I am loving this design and the simplicity of it (because I own very few woodworking tools and while I have put together all sorts of furniture with pre-drilled holes and instructions, this would be my first time creating something of my own)! I intend to add legs to my husband’s grandmother’s table, and would love for you to let me know which pieces/steps I would be able to omit, if that is at all possible! I have looked thru it, but would love to be sure! THANK YOU!!

  9. Can the table be made without The gaps? It will be an indoor table.. also is the cedar more durable? Then the pine ?

    1. It certainly can be made without gaps. Cedar is more weather-resistant than pine, but indoor, there’s really no benefit to it.

  10. Hi, thanks for the inspiration! I made a table similar with a few changes. Wish I could post pictures here to share with you. Took a good 5 1/2 days to build with some family distractions but that’s fine.. we love our new hand built table!

  11. Thanks for the post. I used your awesome post to inspire me to create a similarly designed table that will be on our covered porch. Just a quick few questions for you about the finish. How has it held up over the last 2 years in the weather? Have you had to sand and reapply the polyurethane? Has the Miniwax stain (which it states is for indoor use) caused any issues being outside? I’m debating between your approach with a simple stain/polyurethane combo vs a simple oil on the beautiful cedar.

    1. Hi Mike, the finish held up well for 2 years in the 4 New England seasons and then began to peel. It’s an easy enough job to spot-sand and reapply another couple of coats. Oiled cedar would also look great, and it would require less maintenance. My wife didn’t want the grayed-cedar look though, so that’s why I went with the finish I did. I’m not sure if indoor stain makes a difference or not when also applying spar varnish, but it couldn’t hurt to use an outdoor variety. Since your porch is covered, you won’t have the damaging effects of sun, rain and snow, so whichever route you go, it’ll surely last longer than mine!

  12. Love the table and will be sharing this with my husband, hoping he is up to start this project this weekend! Also I love the Wicker chairs that you have paired with your table, can you tell me where they are from?

    1. Thank you, Celeste, I hope he’s up for it, too! We got those chairs at Walmart – they were pretty inexpensive. Good luck with the build!

  13. Hey Guys!

    Love this table and I already bought most of the materials, but I’m realizing I’d ultimately like it to be longer to accommodate 8 vs. 6. I’m going with a much simpler style for the base but the table top is what I’m concerned about. Any help you’d be able to provide with regard to measurements/additional cuts that would need to be made in order to do that? Was there a formula that you went by to dictate the length? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    1. Hi Jay, unfortunately I don’t have anything like a formula for you. I just laid out the design in Sketchup, plank by plank, until I filled up the available space. Adding a foot to each side shouldn’t be too complicated, but it may take a few extra trips to your saw to keep trimming down until everything fits just right. Try laying the design out on graph paper first to get an approximation of your cuts. Or if you’re handy with any sort of CAD program, you could try it out there. Good luck to you!

  14. Thank you for sharing such detailed plans and instructions. My husband and I just finished building this table and it turned out great. The detailed step by step instructions and images/plans definitely made this a lot easier and the end product beautiful. My husband is very handy and loves woodworking, but he said this one was one of his favorite projects he worked on. I think this table will last for years to come. We also purchased a cover for it since it does rain alot here in Oregon 🙂 but it was all well worth it!

    1. Oh, I’m so happy to hear that, Ellie, especially coming from a seasoned woodworker! Thank you so much for the feedback, and I hope you guys enjoy the table for years to come!

  15. Wow in love with this table! Would you mind giving me rough estimates about how many hours of labor this took, also roughly how much did supplies cost? Lastly, have you or would you consider building and shipping for purchase?!

    1. Thank you, Jenny! Okay, I’m afraid this reply won’t be very helpful to you because, 1) I don’t know how many hours it took – I built the table here and there over the course of many weeks, 2) I don’t have a number for the cost, but you can see the supplies list and figure an estimate from there, and 3) I don’t do custom builds for sale, as all of my free time is spent working on our house and this blog. I’m sorry! Your best bet would be to give the plans to a local builder or handyman and pay him or her to build it for you. That would also save you a bundle on shipping, as this thing is a beast! Good luck to you! 🙂

  16. Omg, this table is amazing. Thank you for posting this DIY. I was searching for aN outdoor table That I loved and couldn’t find one and then I found this page! I immediate ran to the lumber yard and attempted this table. Although not perfect and most definitely my first attempt at building furniture, I love the outcome. Thanks again for sharing your talent!

  17. I’m building the table right now. I’m at a standstill looking for measurements on the top support. How far apart are the 16 3/4 braces?
    Love the design! This is to replace a lightweight table that flew off the deck (umbrella and all) during a wind storm.

      1. Oh good! LOL, I didn’t see this comment, and I just spent the last few minutes pouring over the post and looking for my original plans! 🙂

  18. Came across your design for the table and am currently making it. I modified the base to accept a center mounted umbrella and will extend the top length to 76 inches. I also drilled pocket holes in the top 4×4 supports so I can mount the top from underneath due to the weight. My question is on the staining and finish. You used interior stain and all my searching on the internet says “NO”. However, most of the reviews of exterior stain do not seem to suggest it would perform better. We also like the Kona color as perfect for our home. I would like to use the interior Kona with 3 or 4 coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane for protection and UV. The table will be in the sun for periods when in use, but we also will order a cover for extended times when the table is not in use. Looking for recommendations or opinions on how the interior stain with Helmsman will perform, particularly with fading.

    Thanks for sharing a great design.

    1. Hi Ron, I saw the pics you sent of your table – fantastic job!! As for the stain – we had no issues with fading, but as we’ve moved and no longer have the table, I honestly can’t say how it would have held up after two years. My guess is that a good UV protecting spar urethane will do a good job of protecting the color. As with most outdoor sealants that face the elements, you may have to reapply the urethane every few years.

      1. Thats what I think as well. No different than if I used deck stain (from experience and reviews). I’m going with the Kona. Thanks for the reply. PS. I plan on using an 18 gauge nail gun to set and hold the top diagonal boards. Then I will flip over the top and secure with screws from below. Eliminates the screw heads.

  19. Hello. I love your table! My husband and I just built it and love it ! However I have a question that maybe u can answer. I stained it and sanded it and then applied spar urethane on. When I woke up this morning I realized I hate the finished look and would like to start over. How would u recommend me doing that as I have applied one coat of spar urethane on the table thank u so much.

    1. Hi Lori, do you mean you hate the urethane look or the stain look? Either way, your best bet is to sand down to raw wood and start over. I’ve done it many times on many projects!

  20. This table turned out so beautifully! I am seriously in love with it! I would love to recreate it for my own kitchen here in Ames. This next week we are doing some kitchen cabinet door replacements so maybe once that is finished! Thanks for sharing all your tips and tricks. Can’t wait to give this a try.

  21. Hi, I am thinking of doing this build as well but have a few questions. I have made a few nice projects in the past but this would be one of the more complicated I have tried to handle and want to make sure I have thought everything out with the potential changes I am thinking of doing. Since composite decking boards are not flat on the underside, would there be any issues you can think of with regards to assembly or anything else if I used those instead of cedar? The only thing I can think of is making sure the screws go through the thickest part of the decking, which might be rather difficult since I would drill from the underside. The reason I would do composite decking is longevity and decreased of long term maintenance on the table top. I could then cut down composite cladding for the trim pieces. I have to decide if the beauty of natural wood outweighs the maintenance issue. I also wonder about how you had to sand down spots since everything is not always nice and flush…could not do that with composite.

  22. Great post, and beautiful table! I’m considering attempting it, but wanted your thoughts on one modification: mine needs to fit a curved stone bench built alongside our pool, so the top will need to be a very specific ellipse or lens shape. I think the base should work just fine, and probably the tabletop support as well— but the table surface design might need to be a bit different, as the herringbone with the curves might drive me over the edge! Thoughts on how I might accomplish that tweak? I’m thinking longitudinal planks of cedar built wider-than-necessary, and then cut to shape carefully with a jigsaw and capped with a thinner, slightly bendable edge plate…? Am I biting off more than I can chew?

    1. Hi John, I sold this table when we moved from CT a couple of years ago. While I don’t recall the exact height, it fall into the standard height range of a dining table.

  23. Thanks … one thing … is there a way to get more detailed plans for this project? I tried signing up (for the PW) but i never received any emails (spam or otherwise). Thanks!

    1. Hi John, unfortunately the plans and cut lists included with the post are as much as I have. I’ve had a lot of people email me pics of tables they completed with the plans, so I know it can be done! (and some were much better-looking than mine!)

      1. Thanks … and you’re right … it’s moving along well .. the only thing i’d suggest, is to mention that the 16 3/4″ long 2x4s that make up the table top frame (the ones closes to the short sides), need to rest on top of the 4×4 arms… In the absence of a measurement, I didn’t realize that until after i’d already assembled things.

  24. Thank you… got some good ideas from you.

    Live in Boise – much wind so the base will be from ASH (Heavy and hard) but the topwwill be Cedar.

    1. Hi Wayne, I’m glad to hear it. Just a word of caution – even with PT pine and cedar, this table was extremely heavy. With ash, it will be more so, so you may want to do final assembly in place or have access to some strong people to help move it into place. Good luck, and please send pics of the finished table to greg@thenavagepatch.com – I’d love to see it!