Learn how to build a large outdoor patio dining set for your family
We recently put a brand new screened-in porch and deck on to our house. This was the first time in a LONG time that this was not a DIY project that we wanted to tackle. We absolutely LOVE this outdoor space, but we needed ideas for what to build with our leftover composite decking.
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Ideas for leftover composite decking
There are many different project ideas that can be made with our leftover composite decking. One of these projects was to create a DIY outdoor table that would be able to sit more than 10 people.
We decided on making two smaller and skinnier composite decking outdoor tables instead of one large one. We thought this would be more versatile and would not be too heavy for moving around.
If you are looking for another DIY table, we also recently just made our own DIY folding tables out of plywood. This cheap folding table is to be used in our basement for my husband’s poker and game nights. If we end up needing to sit more people outside, we plan on using these as well!
To buy or not to buy an outdoor table?
If you shop around for different outdoor tables, they can be quite pricey. So we knew when we saw the stack of leftover composite decking that we would figure out a way to make our own outdoor table that would be WAY MORE BUDGET-FRIENDLY!
I just couldn’t bring myself to buy a new table when we could make one!
I am totally a DIY paint girl or repurpose something into something amazing girl! Luckily for me, my husband loves to build new things sometimes using materials we already have.
In this case, we had a lot of leftover composite decking to use and it was the perfect project for him!
Supplies :
-Composite Decking: I absolutely love the color and boards we picked out for deck and knew we had to use the leftover composite decking boards we had.
-Pressure-Treated 2″ x 4″ x 16′ (quantity needed 3)
-Pressure-Treated Posts 4″ x 4″ x 16′ (quantity needed 2)
-3″ Screws (my husband really recommends these screws for outdoor projects and pressured-treated wood)
-Painter’s Tape
Composite decking outdoor table tutorial
1. Figure out the dimensions you want to have for your outdoor dining table. Each outdoor table is 70 1/2 ” long x 32 1/4″ wide x 29 1/2″ tall.
Here is an article about how to help determine the right size table for your indoor or outdoor space.
Shopping for outdoor dining tables
I really loved this table set from Target, it just wasn’t going to be large enough for what we wanted.
I also considered the following tables
White Wash Seville Outdoor Table-World Market
Leads Gray 7-piece Dining Table-Home Depot
Better Homes and Gardens 5-piece with Sectional-Walmart
You can see some of our other favorite products on our page here.
We made two of these tables so that we could put them together and really fit our extended family!
How to determine the height of your outdoor table?
Tip: If you already have chairs, make sure that you are building the height of the table to accommodate those chairs (like ours) or any standard outdoor chair or stool. We also made composite decking benches that you can see at the end of the post.
Here you can see the end height or our table and my husband sitting at our DIY bench. This may help you see the leg clearance and if you need to adjust the original height of the table due to your seating choice. An average table is normally anywhere from 28-30″ with chairs ranging in height in the 18″ range. Our bench is actually 17″ tall with a table that is 30 1/2″ which fits my husband well, but maybe I would have liked the table to be maybe a 1/2 inch shorter due to the fact that I am shorter.
2. Miter outside composite decking edges of the outdoor table. We decided to create a picture frame on the outside and fill it in with the other pieces.
You will have to do some math to decide the length of your table and how many full pieces of composite decking you will fit in the inside frame.
3. Cut composite decking to fill the inside. We cut our small pieces to 21 1/4″. It took 11 pieces to fill our “picture frame”. We put our inside table pieces going horizontal to use the smaller leftover pieces of composite decking.
**However: please note that I wish we would have changed this design and made the inside slates going vertical. It was very difficult to have all the composite decking lay flat and we have some spots that stick up a little. It is nothing a little placemat won’t be able to fix, but you can learn from our mistakes.
4. Layout all pieces of your outdoor tabletop to see how it all fits together. For each table, we made 71 1/2″ long and 32″ wide. We wanted a longer and skinnier table for our space.
5. Gather pressure-treated posts. We used sturdy posts because my husband liked the look of a thicker base. I am pretty sure this table could have been built with cheaper pressure-treated 2 x 4s.
6. Use the saw to cut the posts. We cut our posts to 29 1/2″ tall.
7. Build the frame for under your DIY outdoor table. We used pressure-treated 2 x 4s to create a rectangular base at the size of 27″ x 66 3/4″.
8. Drill 3″ screws to attach frame together and then attach posts.
Make sure you do not use just any steel 3″ screws because the metal will corrode over time.
My husband’s favorite drill is this one. You will need to drill pilot holes before you can put in the screws.
Tip: Use clamps to secure the post to the table frame. (See picture below)
9. This is a simple step: Flip the frame over (don’t mind our trash can overflowing!).
10. Add 2x4s inside the table frame so that the composite tabletop can be attached there. Our 2x4s were 7″ less than the frame. Ours were cut to 20 1/2″ x 59 3/4″.
11. Use the drill and screws to attach the composite decking picture frame to the pressure-treated wood frame.
12. Use construction adhesive to attach the inside pieces of composite decking.
13. Flip outdoor patio table over and use painter’s tape to frame out the composite decking tabletop and pressure-treated wood.
14. Use a paintbrush and use an exterior stain in the color of your choice. I did a lot of research to see if I could use interior stain because I LOVE the look of this color (we have used on numerous projects in our house).
However, you would need to do another coat of special polyurethane. We decided we only wanted to paint the exterior stain on the outdoor table post once and that we wanted as much protection as possible with the least amount of maintenance.
So we just ended up going with an outdoor stain (one that you would even use on decking).
15. Let the DIY outdoor table dry and then flip over and set-up in your outdoor space. We also made DIY outdoor benches using the same steps list above but on a smaller scale.
Related Reading: Looking for more weekend DIY Projects? Check out our post on 50 Home DIY Projects!
Composite decking outdoor benches
We loved this process so much…
Or at least how much money it was saving us, that we decided to make two outdoor benches out of composite decking. We used 3 pieces of composite decking on top and cut them to 48″ long and made them 16 1/2″ tall.
Our Related Outdoor Posts
Amazing Screened-In Porch Ideas (see the rest of our deck and outdoor porch that we love)
DIY Children’s Climbing Rock Wall (One of the BEST DIY Outdoor Projects)
Pin for later!
People now have somewhere to dine outside!
Our two DIY outdoor dining tables were so awesome to use the other night! We were able to sit with our whole immediate family and friends. The kids loved the benches and being able to eat outdoors.
What is your favorite outdoor dining space project? If you like this project, you may also like seeing some of the amazing flower pots we made to plant things that would help repel mosquitos.
Follow us on Pinterest or Facebook for more DIY inspiration!
Brian Bayer
Tuesday 27th of April 2021
So if I understand this correctly, the leg post was 29 1/2 inches tall. The composite decking is 1 inch which puts the total height of the table at 30 1/2 inches? That also gives the clearance for chairs under the table for sitting at around 26 inches After you take away the 3 1/2 inches for the 2 x 4 frame and the 1 inch thickness for the composite deck? Did you find any difficulty finding chairs that would allow people to sit at a 30 1/2 inch table? I’m a little nervous at going near 30 inches as most outdoor patio chairs would be too low. But I’m also looking to make the clearance from the floor to the bottom of the actual table top at around 26 inches.
Any advice would be appreciated
Brian Bayer
Wednesday 5th of May 2021
@Erin, hello and thank you for the reply! It looks like we are going for a 30 inch high table. I was a little nervous about the 4 1/2 inch barrier from the top of the table but your response about sitting on a 17 inch bench put that at rest. I appreciate the help. My theory is if a standard chair is too low I can always purchase a firm cushion to add height.
Also I looked at the chairs from Amazon you use. They look great for outdoors. 2 questions:
Have you had any rusting from outdoor use? If so I’ll probably need a clear coating spray.
How hot do they get in the summer sun?
Thanks for all the help.
Erin
Saturday 1st of May 2021
Hi Brian. So my first piece of advice would be to find the outdoor chairs you want to add to your set before building. This way you can ensure you are comfortable using your table with the chairs you like. You could easily knock a 1/2 inch off the posts to customize this and make it a little lower, especially if you have 18" height chairs. The average height of a table is 28-30" and the average chairs area are normally around 18" but it can vary.
I will add a picture to the end of the post to show you my husband sitting at the composite bench we made that is 17" ish high. He is very comfortable and has leg room. You will see you could make a bench or chair have an 18-19" height and it could still work well. So I guess it just depends on the chairs you want to use, or you could always make a composite decking bench to go with your outdoor patio table. Good luck with your outdoor table project and we would love to see your finished patio table!
Billie Madhok
Monday 8th of March 2021
I love this, except for those exposed screws on the top of the table. I'll be making something similar, but will be doing a bit of research to find a method that does not show the screws on top. Way to use up leftovers though!
Erin
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
Hi Billie. Yes for some reason my husband liked the look of the exposed screws. Good luck with your outdoor table!
Chad
Wednesday 16th of September 2020
Hi, What would you recommend as a replacement for the composite decking?
It does not seem like any of the hardware stores in my area carry composite decking.
Erin
Thursday 17th of September 2020
Hi Chad. You could always use cedar if you want a nicer or more natural tabletop. However, this would be a more expensive option. Or you could make a pressure-treated wood top table as that is what normal picnic tables are made of.
Mike
Friday 24th of July 2020
Hi there, I have a question about step 10. How did you attach the 2”x4”s to the inside of the frame?
Erin
Sunday 26th of July 2020
Hi Mike. We just screwed the inside frame 2" x 4"s from the outside 2" x 4". Once the tabletop is on and you have stained the pressure-treated wood, you don't even notice the screws.
Jamie
Sunday 19th of July 2020
I just got done building my deck and cross this so I built me a table using this method. I built it a little longer (76”) and wider (36”). I’m waiting for the paint to dry on the frame and then going to attach the deck boards. I did it this way because I wanted the boards underneath to be white instead of the wood color. It looks great so far and it is a little heavy.
Erin
Sunday 19th of July 2020
Hi Jamie. Great idea to create the look of the outdoor table that you want. Yes, these are heavy, but totally sturdy!