Sustainable side table made from scrap wood and PET plastic bottles. This side table is easy to make and has proven to be very sturdy despite only being held together using plastic bottles and wooden pegs. It's the perfect height for for using when you are sitting on the couch or a stool. There is an added shelf below the table that offers extra storage for whatever you want, and it even has a fruit tray.
Scrap Wood
C clamps
Scissors
Cutting Knife
Heat gun
Screws (Not necessary)
Stanley Staw
Measure tape and rulers
Drill
Hammer
Sandpaper
File
Palette knife
Safety goggles
Wood glue
Wooden pegs
We initially we didn't have a solid plan and we just experimented with ideas until we got inspiration for a design. We then planned out the dimensions on a sheet of paper, which we ended up changing, and then continued to build the table. We ran into a few issues that we didn't plan for which lead to some improvisation
In our design we used all of the plastic joint methods to make legs using sleeves, connect the table top to the frame using sits, and connecting the legs to the frame using fastening technique.
The full method of to build this table is linked at the bottom of the page
At the beginning of the process, we experimented with using plastic as a joint to connect pieces of wood. At the same time, we began to find scrap woods and figure out how each tool works. At the beginning, we had trouble finding a table to because it was either too thin or to small. Eventually, we found a table top that was deep, sturdy and reasonably sized. It didn’t take long for us to build the table; however, it took a bit of trial and error before we could make the final product. Often times, we would have to create the same joint multiple times because the bottle was too small and so the grip made by the plastic wasn’t strong enough and would easily slip off the wood. We had trouble figuring out what to use instead of screws when we couldn’t use plastic, we found a very thin and circular pole that could be used as a peg to hold two pieces of wood together (with the help of wood glue). Once we had finished building the table, it wasn’t as stable as it could have been so we added leg support underneath the table. There was enough space on the support so we put a piece of wood on it so it could also be a shelf.