{"id":1532,"date":"2026-09-21T14:21:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2026-09-21T14:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:22:24","slug":"10-2x3-side-table","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/10-2x3-side-table\/","title":{"rendered":"$10 Side Table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Build a simple wood side table using just three 2x3s and straightforward cuts. Angled legs, lower stretchers, and a glued-up wood top create a sturdy table while keeping the lumber cost under $10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZXsYqQEAewI?si=EC9J3kJrRj5U8ddP&amp;start=388\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2&#215;3 studs (3)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wood glue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wood screws<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wood filler<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>80-grit and 120-grit sandpaper<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cedar-tone exterior wood finish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Miter or circular saw<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drill\/driver<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bar clamps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smaller clamps for assembly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Random orbital sander<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tape measure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speed square<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cut two long aprons at 13 3\/4&#8243;, two short aprons at 12&#8243;, and two lower stretchers at 13 7\/8&#8243;. Cut four legs at 20&#8243;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mark a 10\u00b0 angle on each leg using a rafter square. Cut both ends of each leg at 10\u00b0 with the cuts parallel so the legs sit flat while splaying outward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assemble the aprons into the upper table frame using butt joints and wood glue. Clamp the frame square and allow the glue to set.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cut seven tabletop pieces at 15 3\/4&#8243;. Glue the strips edge-to-edge and clamp them together with bar clamps. Let the frame and tabletop dry overnight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Position the four legs against the inside of the upper frame with the angled ends oriented consistently. Predrill, then glue and screw each leg to the frame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Install the two 13 7\/8&#8243; lower stretchers between the legs for additional stability. Predrill before driving the screws to reduce the chance of splitting the 2x3s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trim the glued-up tabletop as needed to square the edges. Sand the top and table base with 80-grit followed by 120-grit sandpaper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Center the tabletop on the base and secure it from underneath with angled screws so no fasteners are visible from the top.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fill visible screw holes and imperfections with wood filler. Once dry, sand the filled areas smooth and complete any final finish sanding.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Actual 2&#215;3 dimensions can vary, so verify your lumber before making the final cuts and adjust dimensions if needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the 10\u00b0 cuts on each leg parallel and oriented the same way so the table sits evenly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bar clamps are recommended for getting a flatter, tighter tabletop glue-up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Predrill all screw locations, especially near the ends of the boards, to help prevent splitting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A cut-list optimizer can help plan the cuts across all three 2x3s and reduce waste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Difficulty: Beginner<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Estimated Time: 1-2 days<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Easy \u2022 1-2 days \u2022 3 boards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-build-plans"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9065-e-web.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1532"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1535,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532\/revisions\/1535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}