![]() ![]() The final step is to drill a hole through the center of the table and then drill a long 3 inch screw through the hole from the bottom up through the top of the table. Wouldn’t this look adorable with a tiny red & white checkered tablecloth? Next attach the bench seats to the top of the long braces and attach the hanger to one end of the tabletop. Next attach the legs to the table top by nailing them to the sides of the short braces that you attached to the underside of the table. You want the braces to stick out far enough so that the bench seats can rest on them. Form an “A” shape with the legs and place the long braces at about the 1/2 way point. You could also screw the braces to the underside of the tabletop, just be sure to pre-drill holes first, to prevent spitting the wood. I applied a little wood glue and nailed them in place. ![]() I secured them about a 1/2 inch from the end of the tabletop edge. I used two pieces of wood for the top and the braces hold them together. Start by attaching the short braces to the underside of the tabletop. Once the paint has dried it’s time to assemble the picnic table. That way if there is any overspray, its gone the next time the lawn gets a trim. I like to lay out a tarp on the lawn in the backyard for my spray painting projects. Since my wood pieces were all different colors I elected to paint mine before assembling the table. ![]() You can leave the wood raw and let it weather naturally outdoors if you prefer. Once you have cut your pieces of scrap wood to length, it’s time to spray paint it. MDF will warp if it gets wet and will not hold up well when exposed to weather. TIP: Since this will be outdoors, be sure to use real wood scraps and not MDF. It really depends on the scrap pieces of wood you have on hand. You can make your table a little larger or smaller, there is no exact science to making one. I am happy with the size of the overall piece. Below is the cut list I used for the table I made. To start you will need to cut your wood to length. Honestly, the part that took the longest? Waiting for the paint to dry. I was able to complete this little project in an afternoon. I used scrap wood that we had leftover from other projects, plus I used up some 1/2 empty cans of spray paint, some nails and screws. The best part? This project didn’t cost me a dime! I had everything I needed in my garage and I’m betting you probably do to. Not bad for a novice that gets intimidated from the loud noises that power tools make, LOL. He would get an A++, I give myself a respectable B+. To be honest, if he had made it for me it would be squared and rock solid. I have to confess that this project tested my carpentry skills, but I was determined to do this on my own, without my husbands help. ![]() Larry, this project is taylor made just for you buddy! ☺️ Sorry Larry, those feeders are for our feathered friends! He’s constantly up in our oak trees trying to figure out a way to get into the bird feeders. I’ve always felt just a bit sorry for Larry, our resident squirrel. Wild Turkeys are frequent visitors to Nature Way. When I came across a post on Facebook about a California man making squirrel picnic tables, I knew immediately that I had to make one of my own! We are so blessed to have an amazing parade of animals in our backyard, deer, coyotes, Jack rabbits, wild Turkeys, and more birds than I could ever list that pay us visits here at Nature Way. I will look at something and think to myself, how hard can that possibly be? Well my poor husband has come to my rescue more times than I care to admit. Sometimes my can do attitude is more ambitious than my skill set and it bites me in the butt. Maybe it’s the Hungarian in me but when I come across something that tickles my fancy I have to figure out how to make it myself. ![]()
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