Small-Space DIY: 7 Sawhorse Dining Tables for Impromptu Gatherings

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‘Tis the season for gathering around the table. But if you’re like me, you don’t have a table big enough to accommodate more than two or four people—let alone the space to keep such a table year-round. Luckily there’s a DIY solution: sawhorse tables, assembled from goods from the hardware or lumber store, that can easily flat-pack when not in use. Come time for a celebration, assemble one stand-alone table for an intimate dinner party, or create a long, grand table. Here are 7 favorites from the archives.

paired with cinderblock benches, warm throws, and a canvas dropcloth as a table 9 — Above: Paired with cinderblock benches, warm throws, and a canvas dropcloth as a tablecloth, the simple sawhorse table looks downright festive. Get the step-by-step instructions in The Sawhorse Holiday Table for Less than $100.

for harvest dinner parties in a barn in the hudson valley, ikea’s oddvald 10 — Above: For harvest dinner parties in a barn in the Hudson Valley, Ikea’s Oddvald solid wood trestles and a plank of wood become a side table for dessert and coffee. See more in The High/Low Table: 11 Ideas to Steal from the Hudson Valley. Photograph by Brooke Fitts, courtesy of Ravenwood.

a table with sawhorse supports at ard bia: an eclectic irish restaurant in galw 11 — Above: A table with sawhorse supports at Ard Bia: An Eclectic Irish Restaurant in Galway.

in a painter&#8\2\17;s gallery like dining room in upstate new york, a long 12 — Above: In a painter’s gallery-like dining room in upstate New York, a long, thin dining table is actually joined planks of wood set on sawhorses. Photograph by Alison Engstrom from Hudson Eclectic: An Artist’s Circa-1830 Home in Claverack, New York.

a slim lined table made of sawhorses and a wooden board in a \19\10 house in hu 13 — Above: A slim-lined table made of sawhorses and a wooden board in a 1910 house in Hudson. See more in House Call: 50 Shades of Weathered White in Hudson, NY, from Zio & Sons.

a sawhorse table (with black sawhorse legs) is among the high/low fittings at t 14 — Above: A sawhorse table (with black sawhorse legs) is among the high/low fittings at The Sawmill: A Hostel with Uncommon Style, Northern Sweden Edition.

a small sawhorse table can also tuck away and be used as a desk, as seen sculp 15 — Above: A small sawhorse table can also tuck away and be used as a desk, as seen Sculptor Alex Chinneck’s Renovated Family Home In London. Photograph via The Modern House.

the original flat pack furniture: everything you need to make a sawhorse dining 16 — Above: The original flat-pack furniture: everything you need to make a sawhorse dining table (plus cinderblocks and extra boards, if you need extra seating, too). Photograph from The Sawhorse Holiday Table for Less than $100.

More simple DIYs to get the house ready for the holidays:

DIY: Minimalist Holiday Mantel, $10 Edition
DIY: An Artful Botanical Garland by Måurice in Portland, OR
DIY: A Tabletop Garland of Mistletoe and Meyer Lemons

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