How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

wine barrel table

I have always wanted to make one of these wine barrel tables from the first time I saw them. I wanted my table to be more fine furniture and I wanted to make it personal to me.

 Because I have made a few of these tables I did not always remember to take photos along the way.  So for this tutorial, I will combine all the tables together which should cover all the step on how to build one.  They are all built the same I just made the tops different.  So that is why some of the photos will look like another wine barrel.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

How to make a wine barrel table

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How to remove stains and smells from the wine barrel

My wine barrel had been used for red wine and had a very strong smell on the inside.  I fill the barrel up with water and a cup of bleach and let it sit for a day.  This did work to a certain degree but it did still have a slight red wine smell. (this was fixed later). I divided my barrel in half making sure the plug hole is at the bottom of the one half.  It will look silly having a plug hole in the side of your table.  I drilled holes into the bands and added screws to keep the bands in place and to stop the barrel from falling apart once cut. I have learnt there is always a way to divide the barrel in half without cutting any of the wood staves.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

Cutting the wine barrel in half

It is a good idea to put some ratchet straps around the wine barrel before you cut the bands. You need the wine barrel to stay together until you have cut the top and the bottom. You can use an angle grinder and a cutting disc to cut the bands.

Wine barrel table

Once the bands were cut I  drilled a pilot hole (which will be hidden when it is put together)in the top and the bottom so I could get the blade of the jigsaw in to start cutting them.  You now have your 2 halves.  I put the wine barrel face down on a table so it was easier for me to sand the surface. My first barrel I sanded it before I cut it using a belt sander this works great just it is hard to keep the barrel from rolling about.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

Sanding the wine barrel

I used 120 grit sanding disc on an orbital sander to smooth the wood and remove all the rough edges.  I was trying to sand close to that bands and I found the sanding discs were catching on the bands and ripping. So I removed the bands in the middle NOT the top and bottom ones or your barrel will fall to pieces. It is a good idea if you are going to remove the bands to number them so you know where they go when you put them back together.

Making the arch legs

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

Next, you need to make your arch which is the hardest part of making this table. You need to use thick wood for this step because it needs to support the weight of the wine barrel.  Mine was 4 cm thick.  I did not have wood thick enough, so I glued two pieces together to get the thickness I wanted. Decide where you want to position the legs first and mark the place on the barrel this is important when you are making the slope later. Divide the barrel width in 2 to get the middle, measure the depth of the barrel and add the height you want it to be lifted off the floor.  This table was 40 mm. 

wooden compass

Cutting the arch

Find the centre of your piece of wood and draw the arch with a compass. I used a large wooden one that I made.   Leaving a little extra on either side so you can add a slope if you want it the same as mine.  I was not to keen on the square legs. To cut the arch I used a jigsaw.  Because a wine barrel slopes your legs also need to have a slope in them for the wine barrel to sit nice.  If you are skilled enough with a jigsaw (which I am not) you can set the jigsaw blade to cut at the angle of your wine barrel, so you have less sanding to do. I used the compass again to add a slope on the sides and cut them with a jigsaw. The total length of the legs was 880 mm.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

Getting a better fit around the wine barrel

To give the legs a nicer finish I used an old bed slat which I cut to 884 mm(L) x 80 mm (W) x 20 mm (Thick) which will leave a 20 mm gap all the way around. I used a wood router and a round-over bit to remove the edges for a nicer look.  I centred the leg in the middle of the base and clamped it in place while I drilled holes in the bottom and screwed them all together. Because the surface on some of the barrel was not level I had to do a lot of sanding. To make this job go faster I used an angle grinder with a sanding disc. You have to keep sanding the slope on the inside of the legs until you have a nice fit.

Wine Barrel Table

Make sure you use the markings you added for placement in the beginning. Next, I stained the wine barrel using cedar stain and added 2 coats of satin polyurethane. I sanded the bands using 180 grit sandpaper and painted them with black spray paint.

How to make a Wine Barrel Table

Decorating the bands

The bands looked a bit plain so drilled hole in every stave and added truss head screws as decoration. This will also keep the bands in place if the wood shrinks. To fit the wine barrel to the legs I made sure it was level first and then pre-drilled holes through the inside of the barrel into the centre of the legs.  I used a small drill bit first to make sure I was in the correct place.  If you make a mistake it is easy to hide a small hole on the inside.  Once I had the correct position I used large screws and screwed them together.  I added 4 screws to each leg.  To get the rest of the smell out of the barrel I sanded the inside and sealed it with 2 coats of satin polyurethane.

How to make aWine Barrel Table

I was not 100% sure if the legs would be strong enough to hold the weight of the wine barrel. On the first one, I made so I added a support beam under the wine barrel between the legs as per the image below.  Theses I screwed in place from the top and the sides.  The last few I made never had the support and they were fine.


How to make aWine Barrel Table

Making the apron

To make a lip for the lid to sit. I cut wood 2 x 780 mm x 90 mm x 20 mm and 2 x 880 mm x 90 mm x 20 mm.  To joined them all together I added pocket holes using a jig and used wood glue and screws to put them together. Next, you line the lip up in the correct place and drill holes through the lip into the wine barrel.   I used a wood router with a round-over bit to remove all the edges for a nicer look.

How to make a Wine Barrel Table

I filled the screw holes with wood filler and stained the lip and added 2 coats of satin polyurethane.  On the inside of the wine barrel, I also added a piece of wood which I glued in place and added screw just to keep the wine barrel in shape.  I was not sure if it would move

How to make a Wine Barrel Table

Making the tabletop

My tabletop was a total cop-out because I did not build it.  I always use recycled tabletop that I get for free and Facebook marketplace.  I like my tabletops to be thick because they look more expensive.  If you want to see how I made one thicker this wine barrel table.  This is the only image below I have of the table.  Back in the day when I had no workshop, this was how I had to sand my table so I did not hurt my back. I used a wet cloth and a hot iron to steam most of the dents out.  Once dry I sanded down the surface starting with 120 grit and ending with 320 grit sandpaper.

How to make a Wine Barrel Table

Attaching the tabletop

To add the tabletop  I centred my tabletop on the lip and marked out where the hinges needed to be. I used a hammer and a chisel to sink the hinges into the lip, and screwed it all together. My son was the hand model in this picture.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

Creating the decal

To make the tabletop personal to me I designed a decal in Microsoft word and had it made online. To keep in the theme of the wine barrel I designed a logo as if I owned a winery. I added our Family name to it as well as the year we got married. I stained the table and added 1 coat of satin polyurethane.  The reason I sealed it first was on the test run I did the stain ate into the decal and it lifted while the resin was drying. I applied the decal to the table and sealed it with epoxy resin. Pour the resin according to manufacturers instructions.  The photos do not do the table justice. It was so hard to photograph because the surface is like glass and kept reflecting the light.  If you are lucky enough to own a  Cricut Explore Air™ 2 machines you can make your own decal, but it is very important that the decal has no border or background. To finish off the look I added a few cast-iron studs to the sides.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

The coffee table has plenty of storage, mine is used as a toy box.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

How to make a Wine Barrel Table

Wine Barrel coffee table I made for my sister with a family tree design and the year she was married. it is not the best picture because if the light in her house.

How to make a Personalized Wine Barrel Table

More wine barrel projects

Wine barrel table with built-in wine/Ice bucket

How to make a wine barrel table

Firewood stand

Wine barrel projects ideas

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34 Comments

  • Reply
    Emilia M Birtch
    November 24, 2016 at 4:22 am

    Unique and beautiful wood finish should open up a unique furniture shop these creations I think the customer would love!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      December 2, 2016 at 6:56 am

      Thank you, a great compliment

    • Reply
      Donald Jones
      January 14, 2019 at 6:54 pm

      I’m a bachelor, living alone, and I really like the ‘manliness’ of your barrel table. Doesn’t hurt that it really looks terrific in fit and finish either. Such a great idea.

      • Reply
        Anita Holland
        January 18, 2019 at 5:03 am

        Thank you, It is one of my pride and joys being the first one I made.

  • Reply
    Crystal
    January 26, 2018 at 3:07 am

    This is amazing. Would love to see one of these with hinges to utilize the space inside the barrel!! I live in an old brick house that has the smallest rooms you could imagine, so my husband and I have to think about utilizing every little bit of space we can get! Thanks for tutorial!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      January 28, 2018 at 10:30 am

      Thank you Crystal, My table does have hinges and storage inside. I use mine as a toy box for when my niece comes to visit. Sorry about the mess, but it will give you an idea what the inside looks like. Have a look at the post added a picture in.

  • Reply
    TR
    July 29, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Great idea… Folks please finish the inside of the lid when making this so your project looks complete..

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      July 29, 2019 at 4:49 am

      Thank you. I did leave the inside because I made a mistake and poured the resin on the top first. The resin poured perfectly first time, no dust or bubble which is a near miracle as far as resin goes. So I was not going to tempt fate and risk damaging the top surface. But yes I do agree do the underneath first.

  • Reply
    Debbie-Dabble
    August 18, 2019 at 10:19 pm

    WOW!!! This is absolutely amazing!! Love the look of the stain on it! Gorgeous! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      August 19, 2019 at 7:45 am

      Thank you so much for the lovely comment. The table is my pride and joy.

  • Reply
    Debra Jerry
    August 24, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    Wow, Anita! This is just beautiful! Pinned.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      August 24, 2019 at 12:55 pm

      Thank you so much, it is one of my favourite projects because it is unique to me.

  • Reply
    Amy Johnson
    August 30, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    This is so stunning! What beautiful craftsmanship. And I love the added bonus of storage!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      August 31, 2019 at 2:46 am

      Thank you so much Amy, It is one of my projects I am most proud out. A family heirloom my kids can fight over.

  • Reply
    Dylan Peterson
    September 9, 2019 at 7:04 pm

    It’s cool that support beams can be added to wine barrels to help support their weight when being used as tables. My sister has been telling me about how she wants to get some decorative tables for an Italian restaurant that she wants to open in a few months, and I think that wine barrel tables could be the perfect aesthetic for her. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for someone who can build these kinds of tables for her.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      September 11, 2019 at 1:29 am

      Thank you so much for popping by. This wine barrel is my pride and joy.

  • Reply
    Treat and Trick
    September 25, 2019 at 12:22 am

    This is so unique and beautiful! Thanks for visiting and commenting on my post..

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      September 26, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      Thank you so much, and you are very welcome.

  • Reply
    Pat
    October 28, 2019 at 10:04 pm

    Hi Anita, Love this idea. We have been attempting making wine barrel furniture and love this decal. But I am curious. You said you designed it in word and ordered it on line. I just bought a cricut maker and wondering why this could not be designed in design space and I note some people make stencils and some make it with vinyl and polyurethane over the vinyl. Which would you suggest. I love your decal, how would I go about designing that in design space, any hints would be eagerly accepted. Love your work.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      October 28, 2019 at 11:53 pm

      Hi Pat, I made this table years ago before I even knew what a Cricut or silhouette was 🙂 I have a Cricut now, and you could definitely do this in design space. I use my Cricut in a lot of my projects if you look on my website under the Cricut category. You can design it in design space and cut it using oracle 651. You do need to seal the table first with the polyurethane before you add the decal. The stain will eat into the decal if you don’t. You can find all the images if you search free clipart and just convert the images into SVG files using inkscape which is free. I design all my own images this way. Once you have the SVG files you can add them to design space and cut them. Let me know if you need any more help, I will be happy to assist you.

  • Reply
    M. Vanbellinghen
    January 26, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    Je suis menuisier et j’ai rarement vu une table barrique de vin aussi belle ! Bravo Anita, excellent travail.
    I’m a woodworker and I´ve never seen such a beautiful wine barrel table. Bravo Anita.
    Great job

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      January 27, 2020 at 1:30 am

      Thank you so much, It was one of the first builds that I kept for myself. My kids are already fighting over who will be getting it next. lol

  • Reply
    Sara
    June 28, 2021 at 8:59 pm

    So beautiful and what amazing storage; I wouldn’t have thought to hinge it! I don’t think the table top is a cop-out at all; it’s far better to save a piece from landfill than to make one new!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      June 29, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      Thank you Sara, I could not think of another way to attach the lid so I had to hinge it.

  • Reply
    Maria
    June 29, 2021 at 12:25 am

    What a unique wine barrel table. Love everything about it.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      June 29, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      Thank you so much Maria, It has pride of place on my lounge.

  • Reply
    Libbie@alifeunfolding
    June 29, 2021 at 2:37 am

    What a great project. The wood is just beautiful!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      June 29, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      Thank you so much Libbie, the liquid glass that I put over the surface made it look stunning.

  • Reply
    Dee
    June 29, 2021 at 1:48 pm

    Wow that is really something! Such a good detailed post, a tremendous amount of work but it turned out fantastic! Congratulations!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      June 29, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      Thank you Dee, I love trying to come up with new ideas. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Reply
    Janet
    June 29, 2021 at 8:57 pm

    You are so creative…love what you do!

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      July 2, 2021 at 8:00 am

      Thank you so much Janet, that is really kind of you to say.

  • Reply
    Rosemary Palmer
    July 5, 2021 at 4:53 am

    Love this – I’ve always wanted a barrel from Jack Daniels, just a couple hours from here.

    • Reply
      Anita Holland
      July 5, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      Thank you so much Rosemary, I have made a few pieces of furniture from them.

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