Decorative basket magazine table

This project is great for almost any room! You can vary the base and basket shape/size to make end tables, great cocktail tables, bedside catch-all's or 3 baskets can be used to create a wonderful bath accessory holder!

Materials:

• sturdy woven basket in choice of shape (shallow with no center handle works best)
• scrap wood for building base or old table (we used a 2x4 frame and enclosed it with pine veneer)
• nails or screws for attaching base
• carpenter's glue
• 6 wooden dowels cut to 1 inch shorter than base if creating the magazine holder section
• drill
• saw for cutting wood for base
• 1 quart paint or stain in choice of color
• 4 decorative wood rosettes
• caulk

STEPS:

1. First, choose a basket for your table top. We've found that a sturdy "tray" type works well for endtables, however, for storing videos and magazines, we went with a sturdy deeper basket with a rustic look.
2. If you have a table that will be used as the base, simply cut the legs down to size depending on the height of your basket and attach the basket to the top with either nails or screws. Then paint the bottom to blend with the new top!
3. If making a base like the one we used here, build a rectangle frame that is 16" by 20" using 2x4 sections as the legs and frame.
4. Cut 2 sections 1/2" plywood to the same dimensions and attach as the top and bottom of the frame.
5. Using a drill with a bit the same size as your dowels, drill 2 rows of 3 holes halfway through the bottom section of the plywood and all the way through the top. This will be for the magazine rack section of the table so measure to make sure the holes are dispersed evenly and will line up with the top holes.
6. Apply a small amount of carpenter's glue in each bottom hole.
7. Insert the dowels through the top holes into the bottom holes.
8. Cut the pine veneer to size and enclose the outside and top layers by nailing or screwing in place.
9. Center the basket on top of the base and use 4 screws to attach basket into the area where the four 2x4's were used in the framework for stability.
10. Attach rosettes with glue for decoration.
11. Caulk any holes or cracked areas before painting.
12. We used 2 coats of burgundy semi-gloss acryllic on the base and walnut stain on the rosettes and dowels.
13. You now have a place for your magazines and extra blankets, videos, cd's or cut glass to fit the center of the basket and you have a new table! Enjoy!