DIY: Mock Pallet End Table Top

I have a slight obsession with pallets that are turned into coffee tables. I think it's amazingly resourceful and looks wonderful, if you have the right pallet. We are planning on attempting a pallet coffee table for the new house but we have never been big into coffee tables, mostly because the dogs like to run around. What I really wanted to do was create end tables out of pallets but something that size is really hard to come by. So a few weeks back I had an idea to create an end table that looks like a pallet out of furring strips and some 2x4 studs. It was a super simple project and I'm excited to share it with you.

For this project we bought:

• 2- 2x4x8
• 3- Furring Strips 1x3x8
• Plus wood for legs (will get to that later)

Cut List

• 2  - 2x4 @ 24" (for table top support)
• 3 - 2x4 @ 21" (again for table top support)
• 9 - 1x3 @ 24" (for table top)

Tools we needed

• Miter Saw
• Drill
• Counter sink bit
• Phillips head bit
• 7/64" drill bit*
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Hammer
• 12- 2" wood screws
• 27- 1 1/4" finishing nails

* Just needs to be a little bit smaller than the screw

First Andy and I measured and cut all the wood, (yes I used the saw and I was proud). 

Then we arranged the 24" 2x4's and the 21" 2x4's like so: 

Basically, we created a box out of the 4 pieces and then added a brace in between to stabilize the table top.
Andy then used the drill bit to drill a guide hole for the screw, used the counter sink so the screw head would sit flush with the table, then actually screwed it in. He repeated this process two times at each of the four corners and also two times on each side of the brace beam.

You can see the counter sink next to where he is drilling. 

Actually screwing the pieces together.

Once that was completed we had to nail the table top on. With this portion we just laid out the nine 24" 1x3's across the table and arranged them so that the spaces were even. This was, for us, just a trial and error process. We could have used less 1x3's and had bigger spaces in the table top or we could have used more and had zero spaces in the table top. It's really whatever you prefer. We preferred something like this:

Once we figured out how we wanted the spaces we made a little mark on each side of the base where we wanted each piece of wood, this made it easier when we started nailing them all. We just nailed each piece three times. Once on either side and one in the middle where the support beam is. We used finishing nails because it gave it a cleaner look but you could also use standard nails to make it more pallet like.

Voila we had a table top. Which is where this project stops. See, we want these to be our end tables but we don't have a couch for our great room yet, so we really want them to sit flush (or at least) close to our couch so we are waiting on the leg portion of this project until we figure out what size our couch is going to be. I promise to post a link to the leg portion of this project when we get to it.