Dream Book Design

Drafting Table Turned Dining Table: Easy Version



Back in May J and I shared a fun tutorial with y’all on how to turn a drafting table base in to a dining table. We made our own top for this table because the drafting table top wasn’t big enough for what we were wanting. A lot of you gave us great positive feedback, but were a little overwhelmed at the thought of making your own top. Welp, we solved the problem for you..we made another one, but this time simply used the original top. The whole project took probably three hours!

We found this drafting table on Craigslist and loved the color of it so much! Its a beautiful red wood.


 To make it in to a table suited for your dining room we made just a few changes.

 We simply took the feet off of the and reattached them higher up on the base.  This lowered the table top by 5″ bringing the table height down to 30″, which is standard dining table height.

Base reattached:


The base was attached by the screws on the outside and from the inside of the middle section.  Also (not picture) an L bracket was used on one of the legs to provide more support.


It so very simple to make this in to a dining room table, so now if you find your own drafting table TRY IT! No excuses:):) And since almost all drafting tables are made with at least decent wood, you can always sand it down and re-stain or paint it to whatever color you like. Hope this is an encouragement to you to go out and find your own:)

We sold this baby to one of my best friends Melissa Young, who is responsible for pretty much any photo on this blog that actually looks good:) Here it is in her dining room…and for once she actually just used her iPhone for the photos instead of busting out her uber fancy cameras:


SIDE NOTE- I am going to Buy Buy Baby to start my registry with my mom and MIL today. Any recommendations, or things that are totally stupid that I won’t need?!? Any and all opinions are welcome!

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Hi Adri! Ok, I’ve had a few friends have babies and my husband has 7 nieces and nephews haha! me-none! My sister in law has said her favorite thing was the bumbo. I now have had two moms say they love that. I also heard the baby wipe warmers was kind of a waste of money but then again there are people out there who I’m sure love it so not sure on that. I got my best friend a video monitor at buy buy baby and have heard that not only her but her husband loves it! Hope this helps a little bit! I don’t have any kids- so I’ll be taking notes on what others say! =)
    -Brittany

  2. Christen says

    Definately register for at least 3-5 crib sheets. My daughter threw up a lot and this way I wasn’t constantly doing laundry. I liked my wipe warmer, but you have to make sure you add a little water to the bottom of it or your wipes will dry out. Have fun registering!

  4. Jenny says

    Allow me to express my love of 3 things: The Bumbo and tray, Halo sleepsacks, and the banana toothbrush. My son loved his Bumbo seat because he could see things when he wasn’t ready to sit on his own and I loved it because he stayed in one spot! Halo sleepsacks are amazing! I have at least two in each size and still use them for my 12 month old son. The banana toothbrush…at 6 months my pediatrician told me to start wiping down his gums so that he gets used to me cleaning his mouth when he gets teeth. at 11 months he refused to let me anywhere near his mouth with a washcloth so I pulled out this toothbrush my cousin gave me when I was pregnant. I thought it was weird then but love it now as does my little boy. He even loves to “brush” his own teeth.

    I would also suggest registering for a convertible rear and forward facing car seat. Eventually, your baby will grow out of the infant car seat and the big ones can be pricey, especially if you are still adjusting to the new expenses. Just be sure it can be rear facing as well as forward.

  6. Cassie says

    Things we LOVE:
    Boppy Newborn Lounger. Seriously. Get it. It’s great to have free arms once in a while.
    Boppy. Great for breast feeding and even guests over to visit the baby. Offers comfort, support and stability.
    Dr. Brown’s Glass Bottles. I went through 3 bottle brands before I tried these. The other ones were just as expensive and had great reviews. These are THE best hands down.
    Combi Vibrating Seat. My son is in heaven in this. It sooths him right to sleep when he’s fussy and isn’t interested in being held. It’s hit or miss though. Not every baby loves everything. My son hates his bouncer and swing. Thankfully they were hand me downs!

  8. nichol says

    I have had four kids. Things I would have loved to have had or loved having are:
    HALO SLEEP SACS, a couple in various sizes.
    BOPPY PILLOW and 2 covers
    CRIB SHEETS 4-6 of them
    WATERPROOF MATTRESS COVERS, 2
    BURP CLOTHS, several to save you from changing!
    COOL MIST HUMIDIFIER, it will come in handy when he gets a cold…even as he grows.
    A RADIO OR MUSIC SORCE (with a clock) my babies loved music.
    If you can, borrow or get the big things second hand. They grow so fast, don’t hardly use them, or don’t like them…Minus the crib, highchair, portacrib, swing, carseat, stroller. You can use these for the next child:)

  9. Rachel P says

    I second the sleep sacks. Carters sells some really cute ones. It’s much easier to keep baby warm and snuggly than with a blanket. Also, gowns will be your best friend during late night diaper changes:) No snapping up outfits.

    BBB won’t sell these, but cloth diaper prefolds make the best burp cloths ever.

    As for big stuff: chicco carseats rock. swings are amazing. bouncy seats are a girls best friend.

    Also, get one of those strap on to existing dining room chair highchairs rather than the stand alone.

    http://www.trendybaby.etsy.com

  10. Jennifer says

    I have 4 kids 4 and under, I’d say the things I use the most are the baby swing/vibrating chair, a breast pump (i like the manual kind because I can take it somewhere if I need to) a baby carrier like bjorn or moby, whatever you like.
    I never had a diaper changing station, it was always easier to just change the baby on the couch, or bed, or floor; wherever. Diaper wipe warmers I think are a waste of money in my opinion.
    I like the keyfit 30 carseat the best and I have a phil and ted stroller that I love. Burp rags are a must!!!

  11. Miss Melani says

    I was so overwhelmed with what to get for my 1st baby, now my second is due in 4 weeks, and I have much less “stuff” for her, because we didn’t need a lot of what we got for the 1st. And I thought I was being conservative then, haha. We loved my hubby the most, SwaddleMe wraps, and the sleep sacks for when they are bigger. Someone else said they liked them too. From like 2 days old we could not keep Maddi in a normal swaddle blanket, she would wiggle out. And I live in Phoenix too, so they lighter weight cotton ones were great in Sep. when Maddi was born (vs the fleece ones they also have). We also used old school cloth diapers for burp cloths. A bunch we got at my shower were too small for all the messes we were dealing with, and the 6 cloth diapers we had multiplied within days of bringing Maddi home. Also Mylacom or other gas drops were a life saver. When all else failed and she would not burp, those babies saved us, and Maddi. I also used these crib sheets that just go on top of your pretty ones, it just covers the surface and snaps onto the sides of the crib. So if there is a mess you don’t have to change everything and take the whole mattress out to change the sheet. They were called the “Ultimate Crib Sheet.” OK, those were my 4 favorite things, with way too many words between. But I love to share baby info. So excited for you!

  12. little miss vintage says

    My number one must have baby item is an itzbeen, it will save you during those first few foggy weeks keeping track of when you last fed and changed you’re sweet little boy 🙂 it’s a life saver for sure!

  13. Jenna at Homeslice says

    very cool… it would be beautiful in a home with a hint of rusticity! good luck registering…. it can be frustrating! Just remember you can always take things back, so don’t stress to much. Make sure you get a good monitor, that’s my one piece of advice.