DIY Faux Planked Tabletop

Hello Lolly Jane readers! I’m Amy and I blog about design, DIY, food, and “all things home” over at Home Remedies. I’m so happy to be back, sharing another quick and easy DIY project with you.  

Awhile back  a sweet friend of mine asked me to help her freshen up her newly purchased home. As a new homeowner moving from a small apartment to a larger single family home, she had a lot of space to fill on a relatively small budget. Filling the house with all new furniture was just too expensive, so we decided to get creative with some of her existing pieces. My friend loved the look of her rustic, planked dining room table and asked if I could help her achieve a similar look with her sturdy, but outdated coffee table. Closer inspection of the dining table revealed that the “planks” were not really planks at all, but simply deep grooves cut into a solid piece of wood, giving the illusion of planks! I wondered if I could do the same thing with the coffee table, using the existing wood top. Painting the base of the table and “planking” the top would give this piece the updated, fresh look we were after. 

After doing a little research on the internet, I was happy to find a great tutorial (by Maison de Pax), that served as a guide, and with a bit of tweaking, I was able to adapt it to my own quick and easy project. 

So let’s get started.  The supplies needed for this project are :

• Table with a solid wood top 
• Circular saw
• Hand saw
• Tape measure 
• Pencil or pen 
• Electric sander and sandpaper
• Yardstick
• Clamps
• Paint and/or stain in your choice of color (I used Minwax stain in Provincial and Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting)
• Topcoat, if desired
• Paint brushes and rags

First, the table base was painted with white chalk paint, distressed, and a coat of wax was applied. 

I then measured and marked the tabletop “planks”. This table was 36″ square so I made six 6″ wide planks (6 planks x 6″ = 36″). *Don’t forget to continue your lines down the edges of your tabletop!

Next, using my yardstick and metal clamps, I made a “guide” for the circular saw – to help keep the cuts as straight as possible.

Using the circular saw set at 1/8″ deep, hubby made the cuts, slowly and carefully.

Once the cuts were made on the tabletop, I used the hand saw to cut the grooves into the edges. You could use your circular saw but neither hubby or I felt comfortable doing this and the hand saw worked just fine.

I wanted a more “rustic” look for the faux planks, so the old orange-y finish was sanded off. I then distressed the tabletop using a hammer, a screwdriver and a metal drill bit. 

Next, I applied the stain, making sure to get into the grooves between the faux planks (two coats were applied).

Allow the stain to dry completely, then apply the topcoat of your choice.

That’s it! 

I told you it was easy! And now my friend has a “brand new” faux planked coffee table for very little money! 

My friend loves her new coffee table, and I hope you enjoyed this project, too!  Thanks so much for letting me share with you today! I’d love it if you would follow me over at Home Remedies where you’ll find more quick and easy DIY and home decor projects.

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Until next time!

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