DIY Copper Pipe Side Table

Take on the perfect DIY project by adding some funky furniture to your living room. All you need is a bit of copper, a few tools and materials, and you'll have a unique side table. We'll break down all the steps so you can make your own copper pipe side table in an afternoon and show it off at your next party.

Skill

Intermediate

Time

Few Hours

Cost

Less Than $500

What You Need for This Project

Tools

Materials

Step by Step Instructions

1
Cut Your Pipes
Steps:

Cut your first 12 ft. copper pipe to the following lengths using your copper tube cutter:

(5) 15 in.

(6) 1 in.

(3) 1/2 in.

(2) 10 in.

(2) 6 in.

Discard the remaining pieces of copper pipe.

Cut the second 12 ft. copper pipe to the following lengths using the copper tube cutter:

(12) 7 3/4 in.

(2) 1 7/8 in.

(2)2 3/4 in.

(2) 5/8 in.

Discard the remaining pieces of copper pipe.

A copper pipe is cut in half using a copper pipe cutter

2
Create Shelf Supports
Steps:

Start by assembling three "H" shaped shelf supports.

Take two 7 3/4 in. pipes and fasten a copper tee fitting between them.

Repeat this step by attaching two more 7 3/4 in. pipes with a copper tee fitting in the middle.

Lay the pipes attached by the tee flat on the ground, and attach a 15 in. pipe through the open joint of the tee fitting.

Do this two more times.

A copper pipe is attached to a shelf support at either end

3
Attach the Front Legs
Steps:

Use one of the "H" shaped shelf supports to attach the front bottom legs.

Take a 6 in. pipe and attach a tee fitting on one end, and a cap on the other.

Attach the middle of the tee fitting to one edge of the "H" shape.

Repeat on the adjacent side.

Attaching the front legs to the H-shaped copper pipe

4
Build the Back Legs
Steps:

Take one of the 2 3/4 in. copper pipe pieces. Attach a cap to one end and a tee fitting to the other.

Attach a 2 5/8 in. pipe to the other side of the tee fitting.

The final product will look like a single copper pipe with a tee fitting in the middle.

On one end, there should also be another tee fitting, which will be used to connect to the "H" shape in the next step. The other end should be capped.

Repeat this step so you have two back legs in total.

A copper pipe with a cap on one end and a tee fitting on the other.

5
Attach the Back Legs
Steps:

Attach the two back legs to the other side of the "H" shelf support.

Be sure the open ends of the tee fittings in the middle are facing each other.

Attach a 15 in. copper pipe as a support beam into the tee fittings.

Attaching the back legs to the H-shaped support

6
Build up the Middle Section
Take four 10 in. copper pipe pieces and attach them to the tops of the four open tee fittings.
Steps:

Attaching copper pipe pieces to tee fittings

7
Put Together the Back Top Pieces
Steps:

Place a cap on a 1 in. pipe piece and attach a tee fitting to the other end.

Place another 1 in. pipe onto the other side of the tee, followed by another tee fitting on the remaining end.

Finally, place a 1 7/8 in. pipe piece followed by another tee fitting.

Repeat this process one more time so you have two back top pieces in total.

Take one of the back top pieces you just made and place the end with the tee fitting onto the 10 in. copper pipe attached in the previous step.

Repeat this on the adjacent side.

Attaching the back top pieces to the rest of the copper pipe assembly

8
Assemble the Front Pieces
Steps:

Next, assemble the two front top pieces.

Place a cap onto the 1 in. pipe and attach a tee fitting to the other end.

Place a 3 1/2 in. pipe onto the other side of the tee fitting, followed by another tee fitting on the other end.

Repeat this once more so you have two top front pieces in total.

Attaching the front top copper pipe pieces

9
Attach Support Pipes
Steps:

Take your second "H" shaped shelf support and insert it into the lower open tee fittings.

Insert a 15 in. support beam across the back.

Attaching an H-shaped support to tee fittings

10
Hammer Time
Steps:

Take your last "H" shaped shelf support and fit it onto the final open tee fittings.

Use your rubber mallet to hammer the top cap of your table on all four legs to ensure the pipe pieces and tee fittings fit together securely.

Fitting an H-shaped shelf support onto the tee fittings

11
Cut the Wood
Steps:

Cut your wood into three pieces so you have three 16 in. by 16 in. pieces.

Use your sanding sponge to sand the rough edges of the boards.

Paint the boards in the style of your choice.

Allow the boards to dry thoroughly. Check the paint can label for how long this will take.

Using your Phillips screwdriver, fasten the boards to the upper and lower centre pipes using two copper 2-hole pipe straps each.

Tip: Place felt pads on the bottoms of the table legs so they don't scratch the floor.

Screwing in a screw to secure the copper pieces holding the wood in place

How To Terms

Tools, products, materials, techniques, building codes, and local regulations change; therefore, Lowe's assumes no liability for omissions, errors, or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures.