Review: DIY Shanty 2 Chic Farmhouse table

Finally got my farmhouse table and bench done from Shanty 2 Chic . One more bench coming that will be used in our mudroom and then pulled out in case we have extra company. 

Size:

A few thoughts on the plan. I opted to make mine a bit longer by not cutting the 1x6x8's that are used for the top of the table and benches. This gave me a few extra inches which I wanted for my dining room. This is a very large table so make sure you double check your dining room space. Since I made mine larger we figured we can probably fit 12 people at a minimum at this table, with children you could fit a lot more. 

 
A few suggestions:

I didn't use standard 1x6 for the top of the table since I wanted a nice smooth surface for cleaning. Four young children and food don't mix well with cracks and crevices in a table. Using standard boards will look more rustic but is terrible to clean with kids. I opted to use Menards' Select boards. The price is significantly more(about $8 a board). You can see the price difference by clicking here

Total cost:

Total cost for table and two benches(including all the pocket screws is around $300). This price doesn't include needing to buy a Kreg Pocket Jig. I needed the smaller K3 for my 1x6 and the larger Kreg Jig for the 4x4's and 2x4's

I used 1x3's on the sides of the table instead of 2x4's that are in the plan. I wanted to avoid gaps on the edges since there is a lot of food in this area with kids. Another option would be to find a high quality 2x4 which would give it a more chuncky appearance but that would add a lot more cost to the table. 

You can see the 1x3 on the table edge

This is the side of the table from another angle

For the benches I used 2x4s for the edge rather than the 1x3 like I did on the table. It made the bench very sturdy and it would take a lot for a kid to turn this bench on its side(I've had that happen before with other benches :) 

The picture below is of the bench. You can see the difference of using a 2x4 for the edge.

Final finish for the tops of the table and benches: I stained and used 6 coats of tung oil. Loved the matte finish, very smooth and the grain of the wood still pops through. It's also waterproof. We accidentally tried this out when my kids left a wet cloth on the table over night....no damage :)

Legs: I Chose a distressed look. This takes a few more steps

Step 1: Sand and fill all the holes. I used a combination of caulk and wood filler. Since the 4x4 and 2x4 for the legs are not the best quality wood there is a lot of filling. If you're planning to stain them then you'd have to use some type of filler that can be stained or leave the gaps and have it look a lot more rustic. 

Step 2: Stand with any kind of dark stain. This is the color that will pop through your paint

Step 3: Paint( I used a flat paint since I wanted a more matte finish)

Step 4: After paint dries use sand paper to distress the areas you want the color to pop through.

Step 5: use polyacrylic or wax paste for sealing the wood. This will enable you to clean and wipe off the legs when you need to

Slight distressing on the main beam on the bottom of the table.

House projects + little people = creative planning

I love doing projects but the comment I always hear from moms is "I could never do that, I don't have the time".

Reality is that with a busy schedule like mine it would appear that I don't have time either. But with a little creativity and some willingness to go slowly on a project you can do some pretty amazing things. I hate posting things on facebook or instagram when I complete a project because it gives the illusion that I just popped out another "quick" project. The fact is that it may take me weeks to finish something or even months depending on the project.

I thought I'd jot down a day-by-day schedule of how I work on a project. These things don't happen over night and I wish I had an entire day to work on stuff like this but that is not the season of life I am in right now.

Those who accomplish great feats are normally those who are willing to work on a small portion of their project each day. I break down a project by starting with a list of things I would like to get done on the project that week and determine which days I have time to spend on it. Some weeks I have more time than others. The next time I do this I'm hoping to write the actual amount of time I spent(setting up, doing the project and the clean up)

Project: Benches from Shanty 2 Chic. By the way, love their plan. I used their table plan as well.  I made a few tweaks to mine. Love how easy their plans are to follow. 

MONDAY:

I began cutting all the pieces for both benches. I didn't complete all the bench pieces. I had one angled piece I wasn't completely sure how to cut and wanted to ask my husband before I kept chopping up wood :) Maybe worked for an hour before needing to put all the tools away.

TUESDAY:

I cut the small pieces that are pictured on the floor. This took a lot of time because I needed 12 of them and the angles took me longer to cut. Plus, I only had about an hour to set up, cut, and clean up before heading out to instruct a water aerobics class and get my oldest two kiddos to swim team practice.

 WEDNESDAY:

I had a little more time. I was able to get all the pocket holes drilled for the top of the benches. Started to assemble the legs and then promptly broke my drill bit. Had to wait until I could pick up another one to complete the legs. Worked about 2 hours that day. I kept the kids busy using leftover wood to make their own projects for their tree house :) 

Here my daughter was measure to make her own table for her tree house

THURSDAY:

TOO MANY ACTIVITIES. NOTHING DONE :)

FRIDAY:

Worked on assembling more of the legs since I picked up a new drill bit. I opted to caulk the legs since I wanted a more finished look. Since I'm planning to paint them caulk worked really well.

I found that wood filler worked better for the actual screw holes since I could sand filler better than caulk. 

SATURDAY:

Completed assembling the top of the first bench. Trying out the idea of using 2x4's on the side(as the plan shows) rather than using the high quality 1x3's I used on my table. Also, sanded the legs and put a coat of stain on the legs so when I distress the paint I have a nice color coming through. 

UPCOMING WEEK:

My list:

2 coats of paint on bench legs

Distress bench legs

Seal bench legs

Fine grit sand bench top

Stain bench top

Tung oil bench tops

screw legs onto bench

assemble leg pieces for second bench

assemble top of 2nd bench

Caulk 2nd bench legs

Sand 2nd bench legs

Stain 2nd bench legs

paint 2nd bench legs

I may or may not get through this list. As any mom knows you just never know what your week may hold :) My ultimate goal for the month of June is to have both benches completed.  Now when you see my completed benches and table you'll really know that this wasn't some "quick" project. Even though the plan is quite simple and could be completed in a few days, my reality is that I don't have enough time. I take the time I do have and make the best of it :)