DIY Live Edge Coffee Table

As you know, we recently moved to a new apartment and I have been itching to make a new coffee table for the space that can double as a place to eat as well (studio living, for the win)! So, after sourcing a super funky slab at a local lumber dealer I knew I just had to turn it into a live edge coffee table, ASAP. If you’ve been here for a while then you already know what a sucker I am for live edge projects, especially when they are crawling with character. This was a project that took me a few weekends to create, but all of the TLC was so worth it! Even cooler, it will probably last us a lifetime and a half thanks to my friends at Rust-oleum!

How To Make A Live Edge Coffee Table

This project is sponsored by Rust-oleum. For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Want to see this project in action? Check it out on my YouTube channel & subscribe!

I have good news and bad news about this project. The good news is that the table turned out AH-mazing. The bad news is that even though I made it for our new apartment, my mom loved it so much that she stole it.

I seriously love funky live edge slabs of wood… and I totally scored when I stumbled upon a local lumber dealer (1 Of A Kind Live Edge Slabs) and his collection of wood cookies. I have been wanting to create my own version of a funky round table for the longest, and this was the perfect opportunity to do it. Here’s how I made it happen!

What I Used:

Tools
Router (Optional) & Straight Cut Bit
Sander
Bowtie Inlay Kit (Optional)
Epoxy Mixing Tools
Wire Brush/Attachment

Materials
Live Edge Lumber
Varathane Super Glaze in Aged Brown
Varathane Super Glaze in Clear
Metal Table Legs

The Steps:

1. First thing I had to do was flatten the slab. This can be done so many different ways, but for this particular slab, I used a combination of a sander and a router with a sled (I used my friend Brandon’s tutorial to make my sled)!

2. I had lots of voids and holes that went all the way through my slab that I wanted to preserve. So, to do this, I taped up the underside of the slab (to stop the epoxy resin from leaking through) and then mixed up a small batch of Varathane Super Glaze in Aged Brown.

This stuff rocks! The pigment is already pre-mixed into the resin, so you get a consistent color every time! It’s also a 1:1 ratio which means I just had to mix up equal parts of the resin and the accelerator and just mix them together by hand!

I did two pours in the voids and they cured perfectly!

3. After the epoxy cured, I did one more round of flattening and sanding and I also took some time here to clean up the live edge.

4. My slab had a pretty epic crack in it, so I decided to add a few decorative wood bow ties to prevent the crack from spreading even more. I used a router and a bow tie template for this and it made such a huge difference (you can see this in action on the YouTube video)!

5. After installing the bow ties, I gave the slab a final sanding to 220 grit and then it was time to finish! I mixed up another batch of Varathane Super Glaze in Aged Brown and poured it over the entire slab (the color was perfection). I then spread it over the table top and it self-leveled beautifully!

My slab was definitely a bit thirsty, so I added a second coat in clear and it dried beautifully!

6. After the slab was finished, all that was left was to add some gorgeous table legs (these were designed my by friend Chris at Four Eyes Furniture)!

I am so excited about the way this table turned out! I think it looks so awesome. The color, the shape, the finish… it’s all perfect!