How to Make a Coffee Table with Lift Top

Having a lift-top coffee table in your living room offers the flexibility of converting your table to a desk. This is especially important for people who work from home and don’t want to place their laptops on their laps and don’t want to crowd their space with many tables. 
Interestingly, building a coffee table with a stylish lift top that meets your needs is achievable. With the right woodworking tools and skills, you can create a bespoke lift-top coffee table for your living room. 
However, you need the right guide to achieve this feat, which is what you will learn in this guide. 
This guide provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to make a coffee table with a lift top.

Tools and Materials Needed

Making your choice of raising coffee table with a lift top requires equipping yourself with the right tools and materials. Here are essential tools and materials for the project:

Tools

• Table saw
• Miter saw
• Clamps
• Drill/driver
• Paintbrush (optional for staining or painting)

Wood

• 3/4″ plywood for the tabletop (at least 2 x 4 ft)
• 1″ × 2″ boards for the trim (about 8ft)
• 1″ × 4″ boards for the legs (four pieces of 6”)
• Sandpaper (150, 220, and 320 grit)
• Wood glue

Hardware

• Piano hinge (2 ft)
• Mounting brackets (four pieces)
• Wood screws
• Washers

Read the Instructions Carefully

Now that you have your tools and materials, it is time to start your coffee-table-making project, and you are starting by reading the instructions provided in this guide. Ensure you follow each step of these instructions, as a slight mistake or skip can truncate your project.

If you encounter any challenges during the course of the project, talk to a professional who can guide you through. 

Choose the Plywood to Size

You need the right plywood size to achieve the coffee table of your choice. Hence, you want to cut your plywood to size. The right sizes of plywood/board for the base are:

• Four pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 36″ plywood for the legs
• Two pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 17″ plywood for the side aprons
• Two pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 15″ for the end aprons

Additionally, you need wood glue, drill, and 2” wood screws to complete this phase. 

Assemble the Table Frame

Start With the Legs and Side Aprons

Start building your coffee table that lifts up with the legs. Place two legs in parallel to each other and apply wood glue to their inner sides. Place one of the boards meant for the side aprons between the legs and ensure each piece accurately aligns with other pieces. Then, secure them using wood screws, leaving about 6 inches between the screws. Continue by repeating the process for the other two legs of the coffee table.

Introduce the End Aprons

Now that you have two legs attached to one side apron, it is time to bring them together with the two end aprons.

Start by adding wood glue to the inner sides of the side apron pieces and placing one of the end plywood pieces between the two side apron boards. Ensure the edges line up and secure with wood screws.

Repeat the process with the other end apron. 

Attach the Bottom Panel

The next step in making an opening coffee table with a lift top is to attach the bottom panel. This part requires the utmost attention as it involves fixing the lift-top mechanism. However, while precision is essential, you will achieve a functional lift top by being careful with the process and following the needed instructions.

The first task here is to find and mark the center of each side of the interior of your coffee table and do the same for the tabletop and the lift-top arms. The marks will guide you on where to install your lift-top mechanism. 

Once this is achieved, secure one lift-tip arm to the top of the coffee table using wood screws and ensure the centers align. Then, achieve the same thing for the second arm. Now, you have the lift-top mechanism attached to the tabletop.

Here is a short video on how to make an opening coffee table. 

Prepare and Attach the Tabletop

By now, you are almost done with building your coffee table with a lift top, and the next step is to make and attach the tabletop.

When preparing your tabletop, ensure you choose a durable material that can withstand elements from daily use. If you are not using plywood, consider oak, walnut, and maple since they are not only durable but also aesthetically pleasing.

Moving forward, cut your tabletop to the right size, and once this is done, it is time to attach it to the body frame of the coffee table.

Place the tabletop onto the table frame, ensuring the centers align. Then, secure the top to the frame using wood glue and screws. However, you may need an assistant to help you hold the top during this process. 

Finishing Touches

You now have your coffee table with a lift top ready for use, but before you go, it is important to add the necessary touches to perfect your craft and ensure your table is protected.

Applying two or three coats of polyurethane or lacquer to your tabletop is excellent in protecting the base frame and top of your table. However, you can choose different colors for the two parts to give your table a unique look.

Tips for maintaining a DIY coffee table

Here are a few tips to maintain your DIY coffee table:

• Understand your coffee table’s material
• Regular cleaning
• Schedule deep cleaning
• Addressing issues early
  

Top picks for WLIVE coffee table –  Easily Assembled 

Let’s face it: while building a coffee table from scratch can be fun and intriguing, it is not all that rosy. Hence, it may make sense to go for a ready-to-use coffee table that requires not much woodworking or assembling skills. 

Here are our top choices of the best coffee tables with lift tops:

Mid-Century Modern Lift Top Coffee Table with 4 Wheels

This wooden coffee table is equipped with two open shelves with plenty of room to take your items. With this storage solution, you have a safe place to keep your laptops, games, and books while enjoying your coffee.

The installation process of this mid-century coffee table is another great reason to make it to our list. Thanks to the assembly instructions that come with the package, you can assemble your table under 30 minutes. Plus, WLIVE customer support is always available to attend to your challenges with assembling the table

Rustic Wood Lift Top Coffee Table with Storage Drawer

One outstanding feature of this round coffee table is that it comes in three colors. From rustic brown to grey to espresso, you can choose the right color that suits your décor. 

It is also worth acknowledging that this rustic coffee table with a lift top is made from quality MDF board coupled with wide, flat wooden legs for stability and durability. 

Here is a short video on how to make assembly this lift top coffee table. 

Square Wood Farmhouse Lift Top Coffee Table

Are you looking for a sophistically-built tabletop with ample storage and a large tabletop? Consider this WLIVE popup coffee table.

Made from engineered wood, oak, and metal, the coffee table is built for stability and durability, ensuring you get the best value for your money. 

Additionally, the table comes with two tabletops, a rare feature in lift-top coffee tables. Plus, with this WLIVE square coffee table, you are not only buying a coffee table but also a large compartment to store your essentials, like toys, pillows, and blankets. 

Conclusion

With the right tools, materials, and skills, building a lift-up table is what you can achieve. With your DIY coffee table, you can enjoy your coffee moments and also work on your laptop or complete related tasks.

However, if you lack the woodworking skill to complete this project, you want to save yourself the hassle and go for a ready-to-use coffee table, we have provided you with a few options.

Check our list of coffee tables.