DIY Resin & Wood Nesting Side Tables

I have this pair of nesting side tables that I kind of hate… in all honesty, I honestly just bought them for the metal base design. The tops are pretty bad, and I’ve wanted to replace them for a long time. So, instead of throwing them out, I decided to upcycle them and replace the tops… and since I have a clear obsession with resin and wood projects, I decided to make them match the resin river table I just made. Luckily, I’ve been partnering with The Home Depot for their ProSpective program and had all the right tools on hand for this project.

DIY Resin & Wood Nesting Side Tables

This post is part of The Home Depot‘s ProSpective program and includes affiliate links. For my full disclosure link, click here.

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

I seriously hate the tops of these nesting tables but am borderline obsessed with the bases… it’s what attracted me to them in the first place. But the tops had to go. That being said, I’ve been wanting to make a side table to match the river table I made, and this felt like the perfect chance.

Here’s the before:

Even better, it totally worked out that I had some new tools and accessories to play with thanks to the ProSpective program, because I misplaced the tools I used to put the tables together in the first place.

Here’s the after!

Best part about this project is that it was a total upcycle. So, if you have a table in your house that needs some love, I hope this gives you some inspiration. Let’s do this!

What You’ll Need:

Tools
Drill/Driver Set (mine were part of this 4 Tool Combo Kit)
Miter Saw
Table Saw (or Circular Saw)
Sander
RYOBI Multi-Material Drill and Drive Kit
BLAZE Distance Level

Materials
Live Edge Slabs
Melamine Boards
Deep Pour Epoxy Resin*
(use code DIYHUNTRESS20 for 20% off)
Resin Tint*
Tyveck Tape
Mixing Buckets
Rubber Gloves

* check out my latest resin & wood table tutorial for my full recommended list of epoxy resin materials and supplies with link!

The Steps:

1. To get started, I wanted to remove the ugly table tops from the awesome bases. I actually lost the tools that came with these tables, so I used my RYOBI Multi-Material Drill and Drive Kit to find a bit that was able to fit in the inserts. I then removed the table tops with my RYOBI drill and set them to the side (they’ll be used as templates later) and kept the bases as well.

I made sure to keep all of the hardware in a zip-loc bag for later!

2. Next, it was time to prep the lumber for the new table tops. I chose a slab of walnut I had saved for a rainy day and ran it through my planer to get it perfectly flat.

3. Once the slab was flat, it was time to remove any bark. I did this using a chisel and a sander.

4. Next I marked my cuts. I laid them out along with some scraps from my resin river table and used the old table tops to mark tentative cuts.

5. I then used a circular saw with a guide to cut my slabs into smaller parts.

6. Once the slabs were ready, it was time to prep the forms for the resin pour. I did this by cutting melamine boards into sizes that would fit both table tops. I was able to reuse some of the forms I used for my river table, which saved me a lot of money!

8. Next, I added Tyveck tape to all of the melamine boards. This will prevent the resin from sticking to the mold.

8. After taping, I assembled the melamine molds. In order to avoid cracking the mold as I drove the screws, I used a 1/8″ drill bit from my RYOBI Multi-Material Drill and Drive Kit to pre drill a hole and then used a countersink bit to make room for the screw to sit flush with the mold.

Tip: Having both a drill and a driver on hand made alternating between the bits so easy!

9. Once the molds were assembled, I used a waterproof silicone caulking to create a bead inside the mold and fill all of the cracks. This will prevent the epoxy from seeping out of the mold.

10. After letting the caulking dry, I began to add my slabs to the mold. I had to cut them to fit, and I alternated them around until I was happy.

11. Once I was happy with my layout, it was time to prep the pour. I started by clamping the slabs to the mold.

12. Next, I sealed the live edge of the wood using a thin coat of epoxy. I let that sit for about 4 hours before beginning my deep pour.

13. Before prepping for my deep pour, I had to make sure my molds were level (this will stop the resin from pooling to one side of the mold). Luckily, I just got my hands on a BLAZE Distance Level which has the feature to find level within a fraction of an inch.

14. Once everything was level, it was time to pour. I used a deep pour epoxy resin system (which you can learn more about in this post) that allowed me to pour up to 1″ at a time. I tinted the resin using a black acrylic paint and a metallic pigment.

15. I then used a torch to pop the bubbles in the freshly poured resin. Once the bubbles were popped, it was time to let it cure (I followed the directions on the particular resin I used).

16. Once the resin cured, it was time to remove the molds. I just did this by unscrewing the melamine boards and prying the piece from the mold with a chisel.

17. Next, I flattened the table tops once more to prepare for them to be cut. I did this using a powered hand planer and a sander.

18. Once both sides of the slabs were flat, I used the existing tabletops to trace my cuts and then used a jigsaw to cut the slabs into circles. I made sure to cut slightly outside the line becuase I wanted to trim them flush with a router.

19. After cutting the table tops, I used my router with a flush trim bit to clean up the edges.

20. Next, I sanded and finished the table tops with an oil-based finish.

21. Last step was to reattach the table tops to the metal bases from the original tables!

So. Much. Better.

In case you forgot… here’s what they looked like before…

… and here’s what they look like now!

I’m so excited to have a matching set of nesting tables for my river coffee table!

I know that epoxy resin projects aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. But, the main reason I shared this project was to show that you don’t need to throw out furniture when you don’t like it. Instead, consider upcycling it or giving it some love. It’s amazing what a small change can do!

Want to save this project for later? Make sure to Pin It!

In the meantime friends, can’t wait to see you again soon with another new project!

I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the promotional program described above (the “Program”). As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.