Ideas for Homemade Kitchen Tables

Trimmed Door

• Fashion a homey, quirky kitchen table from a wooden door. Trim it shorter if necessary to fit in your kitchen, then sand off any varnish and old paint and apply new paint if desired. As an alternative, cover the door with a collage using magazine photos, newspaper pictures or antique paper ephemera affixed with decoupage paste. Finish the door-table surface with a layer of heavy-duty lacquer to protect it from inevitable scratches. Screw in a set of wooden table legs.

Wall-Mounted Shelf

• Make a small space in the kitchen surprisingly functional by installing a shelf jutting from the wall at about waist height, making a sort of cafe-style kitchen table. You will want an extra-wide shelf for maximum functionality. Paint or refinish the shelf to match your kitchen. Select sturdy shelf supports that will not collapse if someone leans elbows on the table at dinner or slumps half-asleep over a bowl of cereal.

Wooden Table

• Handcraft a kitchen table from recycled wood to demonstrate both your commitment to environmentalism and your impressive woodworking skills. This project is best if you are already a woodworker. Source the wood from somewhere one-of-a-kind, such as a relative's barn that was torn down, a set of wine barrels or an old wooden sign. Cut, nail and sand the table to meet the style and size needs of your home. Wooden tables are classic and functional in kitchens because wood is a durable and attractive surface.

Metal Table

• Make a metal table if you have a yen for sculpting with an acetylene torch and a hunk of metal. A talented metal sculptor could craft an amazing table, complete with feather-like projections sprouting out of the legs or a tabletop shaped like the state in which you live. Once you are satisfied with the sturdiness and artistry of the metal base, transport it to your kitchen and top it with a round piece of thick glass with smooth edges. Such a table is best suited to a household without children.