DIY Coffee Table Makeover

Since we moved into our house almost 4 years ago, we've had the coffee table I grew up with (above). It's a hexagon shape, which fit nicely along the curves of our sectional couch. However, the legs were wobbly and would occasionally fall off when Molly laid down or rolled over into them. I'd always planned to replace this table eventually, but it was never high on my priority list of home projects. That is until Nora started pulling up.

When the table was in my parents' house and I was in elementary school, my toddling cousin who was just learning to walk toddled toward and then fell into one of the corners, splitting open the skin on his cheekbone just below his eye. It was this experience that made it so important that we get a new table as soon as Nora started standing. 

A round table seemed like the logical solution, and it would fit nicely with the sectional. There are plenty of round coffee tables out there, but I didn't want the "mass-produced" look. I had seen a wooden cable spool used as a coffee table on Pinterest and I couldn't get it out of my head. I had no idea where to find one, so I started looking around online. Most of the ones I could find on eBay or Etsy are only available for local pickup and, of course, they're not around here. So, as I started reading some blogs and forums I discovered a lady who had gotten one for free from Lowe's. I could barely get there fast enough.

When I went down the electric aisle, I found just the size I was looking for. It was a little taller than I needed, but the perfect circumference. There was a bit of cable left on it and after offering to buy the remaining cable in order to get the spool, the store clerk said he would just remove the cable and I could have the spool - for free! I almost died right there in the aisle. I could feel the excitement and wonder sparkling in my eyes when I turned to him and sheepishly said "I can have it?" I couldn't believe it was that easy! He seemed bewildered as to why I would want something so commonplace (in his world), so I explained my project. 

Once I got the spool home, it sat like this for a few days while I decided how I was going to refinish it. I didn't like the new wood look, but I didn't want to stain it either. I finally decided on a tea stain using a tea base followed by a steel wool and vinegar solution. This ends up giving the wood an aged look, as if it has been weathered for years. There are about a million online tutorials that tell you how to do this, and I read several before starting, but here is a simple one I referred back to a couple of times: http://www.instructables.com/id/tea-staining/. It's a really easy process.

After cutting the spool down to size and staining it, the most difficult part of the whole thing was putting it back together! It turns out the center is not just one cylinder of wood pieces, it's several individual pieces that have to fit in a groove on the insides of both end pieces. Needless to say, the rebuilding part took some patience, but we did it. Check out the finished product: