This easy DIY sofa table with pipe frame is super easy to build and it gives a super cute industrial farmhouse look to any space. If you’re not a fan of power tools, this is the project for you! I have been wanting a sofa table for a while. I love this one from Pottery Barn, but the $800.00 price tag is way out of my budget.
The table is 4′ long, 26 1/2″ tall, and 12″ deep
I love the look of metal and wood together, and I wanted something industrial-looking to match the look of the light fixtures in my kitchen/dining area.
Easy DIY Sofa Table with Pipe Frame
I ran across a few sofa tables online made with wood and plumbing pipe. There are plenty of variations. Mine is not exactly Pottery Barn, but it is close, plus I was able to customize it to the narrow space behind my sofa!
Affiliate links included for your convenience. Click here to read the full disclosure.
Materials Needed
I used galvanized pipe, which is silver in color. You can use black pipe if you prefer. All pieces I am linking here are 3/4″ in diameter and are standard size pieces you can find at any plumbing store or home improvement store.
- (8) 3/4″ Flanges
- (4) 3″ pipe nipples
- (4) 2″ pipe nipples
- (6) T-pieces
- (1) 36″ long piece of pipe threaded on both sides
- (4) 24″ pipe long piece of pipe threaded on both sides. I ended up having these 4 pieces (legs) cut down to 20″ and re-threaded because the table would have been too tall otherwise. They will do this for you for free wherever you buy the pipe or for a minimal charge.
- (1) 2 x 12 x 8 white wood board OR a piece of reclaimed wood. I had Lowe’s cut mine down to 4 feet because their standard size is 8 feet. I ended up using the leftover to build a tree swing.
- Finish of choice. I used dark walnut stain
- Drill and 1″ wood screws
- Sanding sponge or a sander if you have one.
Step 1: Wash the stink out of the pipe
Step 2: Build the Frame
Below is how I put the pieces together to build the frame. No tools 🙂 Start by making two “U” pieces like this:
Flip your “U”s upside down and join them together with the 36” piece. Just screw in, no glue or tools. Are you hooked?
Then screw on the 4 legs and the last 4 flanges and your frame is built! I told ya this was easy!
PS…I know these photos are blurry. This was before I bought half decent camera. Please forgive 🙂
Step 3: Weigh your options: Crossbar up or down? To paint or not to paint?
This frame will work well with the crossbar on top or you could flip it and have the crossbar on the bottom!
I opted to set it with the crossbar on top because I wanted to have space on the bottom for accessories and maybe a couple of cubed ottomans some day!.
At this point you could actually spray paint the frame if you want to! If you choose to paint, make sure you use spray paint suitable for metal. Yes! you can spray metal! I did when I updated my bathroom light fixture.
Ok.Back to the pipe frame. I chose to keep mine unpainted for a more industrial look.
Step 4: Sand and stain the top
I gave the wood a quick sanding until smooth. I used my awesome and amazing battery operated sander which makes the job super quick, but sand paper and a little elbow grease will do the trick just as well. Then I stained the wood top using a dark walnut stain. Reclaimed wood would be awesome for this project if you can get a hold of some! I applied the stain with a paint brush, left it for 5 minutes and wiped the excess. Once it dried, I sanded the edges a bit to distress it!
Step 5: Attach the frame to the wood
Now, the only thing you will need to do is attach the top to the frame. I used 1 inch wood screws through the holes in the flanges. This is the only thing you will need a drill for!
Here’s the finished table! Not bad, huh?!
Share and Pin this tutorial for later! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments! I would love to see your finished product!
And if you like this tutorial, I would LOVE to have you join the Sawdust Sisters DIY Community. You will have access to free plans available only for subscribers.
And if you love building furniture with pipe, you won’t want to miss the tutorial for the pipe bookshelves !
Build away!
~Janice
Pingback: Sofa Table with Pipe Frame: Sawdust Sisters Share |
I love this project! It is exactly what I am looking for! I was wondering though, I tried pricing this and it is around $140 for the project not $70…any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Carrie! Really? Bummer! That is expensive. I would check a local plumbing store to see if the prices for the pipe are better 🙁
Pingback: Industrial Style Tisch Varianten (auch DIY) - Genial Einfach nachzubauen
Can you give me pipe measurements if I’m trying to make the table 70″ long and 31″ high? Thank you!!
Hi Jennifer,
For your dimensions I would just adjust the long pipe pieces and leave the short ones the same. I would cut the crossbar at 60″ and the 4 leg pieces at 24″. I hope this helps!
Hi! I love your table, I was wondering if i need the table 83″in long and 40.5″ tall (including the wood) what would i adjust with your instructions? Thank you!
Hi! Thanks for the kind words. The easiest way to figure this out is to go to a plumbing store and see what their standard piping sizes are. If you need it to be 40.5″ tall, then subtract the width of the wood first (1.5″) which leaves you with 39″ worth of pipe for each leg. You could get 4 longer pieces at 36″, and four 2″ pipe nipples. That should get you the height. For the 83″ overall length you will need to cut your wood at that size, then your crossbar pipe piece would need to be cut to size at the plumbing store. I would have them cut it at 78″. That’ll give you some room at each end of the table. Another option for the crossbar could be to do two pieces and join them in the center with a coupling (similar to a T piece, but with only two holes). That would make your cross bar funkier since it’s such a long piece. I hope this helps!
Thank you for this. I have been wanting to make a sofa table like this topped with Carrera marble left over from my bathroom remodel.. It is great to see it put together. Now I really want to do it.
You’re so welcome!!
Love this design, thank you for sharing!! I replicated this table this weekend and it turned out great!! I used black pipe and honestly, the part that took the longest was washing out the pipes before I assembled them. I wanted a table a little higher than your measurements, but my local Menards carries pre-cut pipes at 24″ for the longer section with 6′ nipples, and I used a 36″ pre-cut pipe for the cross bar. I purchase a beautiful piece of walnut at a local hardwood store that had some bark still left on it and was sanded perfectly smooth on the top! Turned out great and I’ve gotten so many compliments already!! I’ll be looking at your other projects to get inspiration for my next project! Thanks so much!!
Hi Melissa! I’m so glad your table turned out! It sounds beautiful! I agree that cleaning the pipe is eeek. But guess what?? I’m about to share another pipe project and I found a guy who sells the pipe kits already cut and cleaned! Stay tuned! 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback!
Loved the table. Wanted to make one similar to this for behind my sofa. What are the dimensions of your finished table.? Also, you know the approximate cost? Thanks.
Thanks Diane! The table is 4′ long, 26 1/2″ tall, and 12″ deep. I spent around $70 in pipe, but that was a while ago and I purchased through a local plumbing store. Good luck!
How tall would it have been had you not cut it down?
Hi Diane! Had I not cut it down, the table would have been 30 1/2″ tall.
Hey, I just made one for the movie room in my home. It’s 8 1/2 foot long and 3 1/2 feet tall and sits right across the back of some theater seats. I put the crossbar on the lower portion about a foot up so people sitting in the height stools can use it for a foot rest. Makes for a great additional level of “stadium seating” for the movie room. Spent about $150 at Lowe’s for all of it and was money well spent speaking for myself.
I would add pictures but I don’t know how lol
Thanks a lot for your instructional! Was very easy and I love it.
Hi riley! Love the idea of using the bar as a foot rest! Thanks for sharing and I’m so glad you found the tutorial helpful!
Planning on making this with the crossbar near the top to hang some of the throws we use when camped out on the couch. Thank you!
What a great idea, Rosemary! Thanks for stopping by!
Hi! Nice look! Just wondering if you put something on the table after the wood stain to give it a shine? I’d like to do the same thing. Thanks!
Hi Art1 If you like shine you can always brush or spray polyurethane. The have matte and shiny finishes. I actually didn’t put anything on mine. Thanks for the question and good luck with your project!
Pingback: Sofa Table Designs
Pingback: 20 Free DIY Sofa Table Plans To Make Behind the Couch Table