DIY FARMHOUSE TABLE TOPPER FOR FOLDING TABLE

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love that it's a day to simply be thankful for all of the good in our lives. Even during tough years, the day has brought solace. I also love that it kicks off a season of celebration. I'm usually able to see friends that live out of state, catch up with coworkers outside of work, and enjoy the music and decor that accompany trips to the store. I love hosting parties, and this is the season of parties.
 
We are hosting Thanksgiving this year, and are having more people than our dining table could hold. We, like most people, have resorted to abutting a folding table to the dining table. The problem is I just hated the look of it. I was hoping to avoid table cloths, and didn't like the idea of some people eating at a real table and some at a plastic table. 
 
Short of making my actual table larger, I needed a solution, I did a deep dive on Pinterest for some solutions found some things that sort of worked, but nothing that was quite what I wanted. Finally, I decided to wing it and made a topper for our folding table to transform it into a farmhouse table. To put it bluntly, I'm in love. In case you are in the same situation, I'm going to share how I did it.

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​This was actually an easier project than I anticipated once I figured out the logistics. My table is 6' by 30 inches (the standard plastic folding table you buy at Cosco or similar stores) so this was made to fit mine, but you should double check your measurements. If you need a folding table this one on Amazon has the same measurements as mine, and you can still get it in time for Thanksgiving!
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You only need a few materials, and while I cut the wood myself to ensure proper measurements, you could conceivably have Home Depot or Lowes cut the wood if you don't have a saw.
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Materials:
 
6 1x6 x 6 boards *
3 1 x 3 x 6
Stain
Nails
Wood Filler 
Sanding Paper
Kreg Jig
1 1/2 pocket hole screws
Circular or Miter Saw
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Start by measuring your table. I measured mine to be 30 inches and convinced myself that I only needed 5 boards ( 5x 6 = 30, right?). The problem is (and I know this but had a memory lapse) boards aren't exactly 6" wide, they're more like 5 7/8 or 5 3/4 depending on where you buy them. This doesn't seem like a big difference but when you take a little bit off the measurement of each board you come up short. I had to make a trip back for the extra board, so learn from my mistakes, buy the 6 boards.
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If you buy them at 6' you don't need to cut them, simply line them up next to each other. Find the best side and then flip them all over.
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If you buy them at 6' you don't need to cut them, simply line them up next to each other. Find the best side and then flip them all over.
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Next, drill pocket holes along one side of each of 5 of the boards. I set my jig to 3/4 inch. I did about 5 holes, each, but you can do as many as you think you need to have a secure connection. ​
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If you don't have a Kreg Jig, you could cut a piece of plywood, place it over the backside of all the boards and nail into the boards from underneath. In all honesty though if you can borrow a Kreg Jig from someone I recommend it, it's the best way to ensure a snug secure fit between all of your boards. I purchased my jig from about $50, they also have it on Amazon for less than I paid. It fits in my tool bag one and I use it all the time. If you do regular projects where you join wood, it's worth it.
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Okay, back to the topper. Once your holes are drilled take your first board and line up your pocket holes with the non-pocket hole side of another board. Using 1 1/2 inch pocket screws, attach the two boards. Continue until all of the boards are attached. Take special care to make sure your boards are lined up perfectly at the end and as flat as possible.
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Now that your boards are attached, flip the whole thing over and place on top of the plastic table. Your boards should be forming a nice flat tabletop.
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To finish the edge take your 1 x 3 by 6' pieces and attach them to the two long sides of the top. I used 1 1/2 inch finishing nails to secure. You may need an extra hand with this to ensure it is level.
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Finally you have to make your two cuts. Measure across the short length of the topper (including the sides you just added). My measurement came out to 34 1/2 inches but yours may be different. Take your remaining 1" x 3" x 6' and measure your two short pieces. Make your two straight cuts and attach them using finishing nails to the end.
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Ta-da! You have a table topper for your folding table! Stain it to your preference (mine is Minewax Dark Walnut to try to match my current table as much as possible). ​
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This was such a fun project, I plan to make more of them. I think you could definitely do some different designs playing off the basic concept. ​
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Now to make some matching benches!
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Do you host Thanksgiving? What is your seating solution?