An easy build you can complete with less than 1 sheet of plywood in less than a day.
How to Build a LEGO Table
Your kids will love this table to give them solid ground to build their Lego creations, and the top doubles as a great surface to create artwork! This was a half-day build that can be completed with less than a single sheet of plywood and painted with a couple cans of spray paint. In this walkthrough, I'll point out tips to avoid mistakes and provide a link to the plans and cut list.
Though it can be created with only a single sheet of plywood, I opted to build some elements from 1/2" and some from 3/4" to get a good balance between weight and sturdiness.
Tip #1 - Use 3/4" sanded plywood
If you select only 1 sheet of plywood, I recommend using a sanded 3/4" birch plywood. If you are scaling up the size of your table, a combination of 3/4" and 1/2" may be best to prevent the table from getting too heavy.
The table I build is 32" x 18" with a combination of 1/2" & 3/4" pieces. In my FREE DIY plans, I include cut list measurements for using all 1/2", all 3/4" and a combination of the two.
Step 1: Cut LEGO Table Pieces
The toughest part of the entire project is handling the 4x8 sheet of plywood to get it down to a manageable size to make cuts on the table saw. To do this, I used a 20v jig saw, but a circular saw will also do the trick.
Tip #2 - Sand your cut pieces
Plywood can be splintery and sharp. That's not a good combo with furniture for children.
Using 150 grit sandpaper, round smooth out the edges or every piece and round over the corners.
I love using my 20v DeWalt random orbital sander to make quick work of this part. You can pick one of these up for around a hundred bucks - there's an amazon link below. If you aren't planning on using a power sander after this project, I recommend getting a $10 sanding mouse. These are great for small jobs like this. I've added links to both at the bottom.
Step 2: Assemble LEGO Table Box
You'll need 4 pieces cut at a 45° on both ends. I made my end pieces 18" and sides 32" out of 3/4" board. Each piece is 3 1/2" tall.
Tip #2 - Use scrap to hold square
Boxes tend to want to wander out of square. Any small mistake here will get magnified throughout the rest of the project.
To make sure my corners met at a 90°, I held my speed square in the corner while holding the corners in place with a Bessey strap clamp. These make holding boxes together while you add screws a breeze.
Before joining the corners with glue and screws, I screwed a scrap cutoff piece connecting an end and side. This temporarily holds your box from moving out of square.
This can be removed once the Lego panel is installed.
Bonus tip: Pre-drill every screw hole. Plywood is easy to blow out - pre-drilling prevents this.
Step 3: Adding the LEGO Plate Panel
First, make a mark on the inside of the box 1" from the top. This will help you keep a 1" inset all the way around and ensure the table sits level once the legs are installed.
I used 1/2" plywood for my Lego board and cut to 30-1/2" x 16-1/2"
Apply wood glue to the edges of the Lego board panel and align the top with the line marked in the step above.
Pre-drill and screw 1-1/4" screws in from the outside into the center of the Lego board panel.
Tip #3 - Use scraps to hold panel in place
Flip the box upside down and place two 1/2" scraps
stacked on top of each other in each corner. This will allow you to place the Lego board panel (top-side down) into the box and held perfectly on your 1" line.
Bonus tip: use pocket holes on the bottom of the Lego panel so you have a smooth, screw-free exterior surface on the box. My biggest regret when building this table was not using pocket holes. They allow for a much cleaner appearance compared to having screws showing. You can get a starter Kreg jig pocket hole kit for around $30 (link below).
Step 4: Adding the LEGO Table Lid
The top lid covers the entire box measuring 32"x18". I made this out of 1/2" plywood. After cutting to size, place three support pieces (16-1/2" long x 1-1/2" wide) exactly 3/4" from the edges. This secures the top to the box but makes it easy to pull off to access the Lego board.
Tip #4 - Use 3/4" plywood for the support pieces
This was my second mistake - I used 1/2" and had to find some 1" screws to fasten these pieces to the top. Otherwise it the screws would have popped through the top!
Step 5: Build the Table Legs
The legs are made of two pieces of 3/4" plywood cut 24" long.
Leg A is 3-1/2" wide and Leg B is 2-3/4" wide.
Glue the edge of Leg B and clamp it to Leg A to form an L shape of now equal widths.
Make sure the edge of the 2-3/4" piece is sitting on the side of the wider 3-1/2" piece.
This ensures both legs are of equal widths once assembled.
The next step is to add the lower-shelf support blocks to the legs by marking a line 3" from the bottom of all the leg pieces.
There are two support blocks made from 3/4" plywood for each assembled leg.
Support Block A measures 2-3/4" x 1-1/2"
Support Block B measures 2" x 1-1/2"
Glue and place the support blocks up to the 3" mark (leaving a 1/2" from the bottom of the blocks to the bottom of the leg) so that they are flush with the outside edges of the legs.
It is important that your support blocks are exactly flush with each other to ensure the shelf sits level on top of them.
Next, pre-drill holes and use 1-1/4" screws from the inside (block side) to finish joining the blocks to the legs.
Repeat these steps 3 more times to complete 4 legs.
Step 6: Attach the Legs to Table Base
Using wood glue and 1-1/4" screws, mount the legs to the inside corners of the box.
The top of the legs sit against the bottom of the Lego board panel adding additional support.
Step 7: Add Bottom Shelf to the LEGO table
Add wood glue to the top of the shelf support blocks and place the shelf inside the legs on top of the blocks.
Mount the shelf by pre-drilling 2 holes in each corner of the shelf - 1 into each support block on each corner.
Finish by using 1-1/4" screws to secure the shelf to the support blocks.
Step 8: Finishing the Table
Plywood can be rough and sharp on the edges and corners. Use 150 grit sand paper to smooth out the edges and round over all corners if you haven't done this already.
If you are planning to paint or stain the table, do that before adding the Lego sheets (a keen eye on the photo below will notice I learned this the hard way). Adding the Lego sheets last will prevent you from having to mask them off when applying your finish.
I painted mine with Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X spray paint. You can get these on Amazon if you want to buy 6 cans, but they are cheaper at Home Depot (about $5/can at Home Depot).
The first coat took an entire can, but the 2nd coat only used about 1/2, so be sure to buy two if you go with rattle cans.
Protect your finish with at least three coats of polyurethane - this will prevent the table top from getting nicked and scratched up from arts and crafts. Varathane triple thick polyurethane will reduce the number of coats needed for adequate protection.
Step 9: Adding LEGO Sheets
I used an off-brand building brick base plate 10"x10" sheet that came in a 6-pack for about $17. I've provided a link below where you can select which color you'd like to have - I used grey.
Dry fit three 10"x10" Lego Base Plates on top of the Lego sheet panel vertically. This will leave empty space on the side where you'll need to cut 3 more Lego sheets to fit this space.
Measure the open space and cut the remaining pieces to size.
Once you have all of your base plates cut to size, you are ready for the glue up. Spread CA glue (super glue) all over the Lego sheet panel ensuring you get all the edges and corners.
If you use the CA glue kit linked below, it comes with an activator spray that reduces the cure time to 10 seconds.
Tip #5 - Use LEGO bricks
To make sure you have the base plates joined and spaced correctly, place Lego bricks along the seams before gluing them down.
Finish
The build is now finished and ready for your (or your kids') Lego creations! We'd love to see how you're build looks and what modifications you added. Please post your photos in the comments below and to our Facebook page.
Helpful links to Build a DIY LEGO Activity Table
Here are the tools and materials used for this build. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Lekebaby Building Brick Base Plates (Amazon)
Hedgehog Spiral Featherboard (Amazon)
DeWalt 20v MAX XR Jig Saw (Amazon)
mitreapel Super CA Glue & Activator (Amazon)
Titebond 32oz Wood Glue (Amazon)
DeWalt Random Orbital Sander (Amazon)
5" Sanding Mouse (Amazon)
Bessey Strap Claim (Amazon)
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (Amazon)
Varathane Triple Thick Polyurethane (Amazon)
Free Plans
Download printable plans to guide you along this project. Plans include cut list so you won't have to make that second supply run!
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