Patio side table

I’ve seen DIY patio side tables everywhere and loved the viral Walmart planter… so this one came together pretty easily.

I’ve mostly seen this planter used with a pizza pan, but I wanted something that would give me more surface area, would be sturdier, and would match the wood in my shade umbrella. So, I used these wood rounds instead.

The wood rounds I bought are strong and sturdy, but unfinished and rough. I used 220 grit sand paper to give them a quick sand, applied a coat of pre-stain, and the waited for it to dry before applying the stain. I chose the Varathane wood stain in Natural.

I applied the pre-stain with one foam brush, waited for about a minute, and wiped the pre-stain off with a lint-free rag before letting it dry. I repeated the process with the wood stain and another foam brush.

After I’d applied and wiped away the stain (don’t forget to stain the sides of the wood round!), I had to wait for an hour before I could start the last step. Because these side tables are going to be OUTDOOR side tables, I need them to stand up to the elements (heat, sun, rain, bugs, etc.). So, I applied a durable finish them (I used Minwax Helmsman spar urethane).

To do this:

I gave the wood rounds a quick sand with a 320 grit sanding sponge, wiped the dust off with a lint-free rag (a T-shirt will work too), and used a chip brush to apply the first coat of my outdoor finish to the stained side of the wood round. The spar urethane is a little thick, sticky, and has a strong smell, so apply in a well ventilated area! (I was outside.) Wait at least 4 hours before lightly sanding again (with the 320 grit sanding sponge) and applying a second coat.

After another 4 hours, give a final light sand to the stained, finished top and side. Then, repeat the steps (prestain, stain, finish) for the bottom side of the wood round.

Because of the time it takes for the spar urethane to dry and because you have to do one side of the wood round and then repeat everything for the other side, this turned into a weekend project for me. But I was so excited to see the finished wood round and to put my side table together!

I LOVE this side table! It gives me storage and because I took the time to finish the wood rounds, it’s durable and will be able to withstand the elements.