Elevate your outdoor space with a DIY concrete side table – top has stylish fluted corners and a hole for umbrella! Step-by-step guide!

Hey there, DIY enthusiasts and patio perfectionists! Do you ever dream of creating that magazine-worthy outdoor space, but your wallet screams “nope”!

I know, outdoor furniture, especially stylish furniture, is soooo budget-busting!

Well, fret no more! 

Today I’m all about a fantastic diy project that transforms a humble planter into a great concrete topped side table. PLUS, it doubles as an umbrella stand for those sunny days. 

It’s a fun way to upcycle, save some cash, and add a unique piece to your outdoor oasis. 

And the best part? 

Previous concrete experience or special skills are not necessary – so grab your gloves, get ready to get a little creative, and let’s build something amazing!

Full Disclosure: My first attempt did not turn out well! Thrilled with my second. I’m including all the lessons learned from the Fail, so you don’t have to repeat my education and will have great results the first time.

And if that’s not enough, it’s even better!!!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

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Let’s Get Right To Your DIY Concrete Table Top

Materials and Supplies-

• Planter to be your table base, this is the one I have
• 3/4-inch Melamine the size of your desired table top, plus edges, See Note *
• 3 long (1 1/2-inch or longer) finishing nails
• Assorted scrap dowels and trim for shaping corners, optional
• Gorilla glue, Super glue or wood glue
• Plastic sink drain pipe (for umbrella hole) I used this one. See Note **
• Wood Screws
• Silicone caulk, black is preferred, I used this one
• Painter’s tape, optional
• 5 Gallon Bucket, or tall bucket that will fit inside planter
• Concrete Mix, this is the one I used for the top, and this one for the umbrella bucket. See Note ***
• Release agent, or mineral oil
• Concrete sealer

• Circular Saw or table saw
• Miter saw
• Hammer
• Drill, bits and phillips bit
• Brad nailer, optional
• Caulk finishing tool, or use the rounded end of a artist paintbrush as I did
• Level
• Face masks and eye protection
• Mixing Paddle for a drill or spade
• Concrete trowel
• Rubber mallet
• Orbital sander and polishing pad
• Dremel with barrel sanding attachements, optional

* NOTE: Yes, you can make your form out of smooth wood you might have laying around, but the melamine is easier to work with to assure a smooth surface. Concrete does not stick to the melamine. If you are using wood, it must be super smooth, even the slightest grain texture will show in top of the concrete. And you must use a concrete release or substitute. I substituted wood oil and WD-40 on my first attempt. It worked, but not great. And my pretty wood is now relegated to the scrap wood pile. Pictures of the first sad attempt are at the bottom of the post.

** NOTE: Make sure this drain pipe fits your umbrella pole. substitute some PVC pipe if not and you just won’t have a plastic flange at the top.

** NOTE: I used Rapid Set, Cement All, mainly for the smooth finish and light color. The down side is it sets very fast, so you have to work quickly. We were not fast enough on our first attempt. I used the less expensive Fast Setting Quikcrete for the 5-gallon bucket umbrella stand to suit inside the planter because I didn’t acre about the color.

SHOPPING TIP: Click to order online from Home Depot for in-store pickup, and they will bring it out the heavy bags and load it in your car for you.

Step 1) Plan Your Table-

I opted for a square planter rather than round or oval, because I knew making a concrete form square would be the easiest. And I was not experienced at this. 

I also wanted this side table to sit between the Adirondack chairs on our DG (decomposed granite) patio we added couple of years ago. I wanted the table to be a bit taller than the arms of the chairs. 

I brought home two options from Home Depot. I thought for sure I wanted to square one with the detailing. The Hubs liked that one also because it was thicker and very substantial. And that’s where I think it was all wrong.

It was just too boxy and too substantial. 

The tapering of the other one, gave it a bit more graceful shape that I am drawn to. I may cut a hole in the bottom and turn it upside down so it is wider at the base and tapers in to the top. But for now, this is how I’m using it for the base of the table.

Once I had the planter, then I could determine a table size. I went with 20-inch square.

NOTE: Depending on the size and the thickness of your concrete top, you may need to add some reinforcement with remesh sheet or fiber mesh reinforcement. My small table top did not need any.

Step 2) Assemble Your Concrete Form-

Just a reminder, the bottom of your form is actually the top of your table. You need to be thinking in reverse.

Cut your Melamine to the finished size you want the top of the table.

Now, before you attach the sides, is the best time to mark the center of your table. Lay a straight edge diagonally corner to corner, draw a line in the approximate middle. Repeat across the other corners. Where the lines cross is the center of the table. You’ll need this marking in the next step.

Then cut four sides and draw a line 3/8-inch in along one long side.

Most instructions will tell you to cut two sides the length of the top and the other two that same length plus the thickness of the two sides it will be overlapping. I went rouge on these standard instructions.

It was easier for me to cut four approximately the same length and several inches longer than one table side length. I didn’t need to be super accurate and we then had “handles” to help carry our form once it was filled and heavy. We also used these “handles” when we jostled the form right after spreading the concrete to eliminate air bubbles.

The sides were all approximately 24 x 2-inches.

Stand a side next to the base and use long screws to attach the sides. Be sure to drill pilot holes to prevent splitting. Attach the next side with one side matching up the other previous long edge.

Step 3) Add the Umbrella Hole and Optionally Flute the Corners-

For the Umbrella Hole-

For the umbrella hole, cut the sink drain pipe an inch or so longer than the table depth. So I cut mine about 3 1/2 – 4-inches long from the flanged edge.

With the flanged edge on the concrete form, center the pipe around the center marking you made in the last step. Trace the inside of the pipe on the form. Set the pipe aside and nail three long nails spaced on the circle. Fit the pipe over these to hold your umbrella hole in place.

Now for the Fluted Corners–

Arrange different shapes to fill the corners, making sure that they meet up to the side of the frame. 

Keep in mind, you need to think in terms of negative space:

• the more you fill the corner, the more cut out there will be in the concrete
• play with scraps of wood trim and dowels to get the look you want
• when you are ready to place the corner pieces only attach them to one side of the form

I decided on a piece of 1-inch corner trim with a 7/8-inch dowel in the corner and then a length  of 1/2-inch quarter round on each side.

To hold these in place, I started by using the brad nailer on ONE SIDE of the corner trim. If I had attached both sides, I would not have been able to take apart the form to remove it from around the dried table top.

Next, I held the large dowel in place, marking the dowel where it meets the corner trim. Then I added the dowel into the corner using two thin lines of gorilla glue on the dowel.

Lastly, I added Gorilla Glue to JUST ONE SIDE of the quarter round and placed this glued side against the form walls nice and tight to the towel.

Step 4) Caulk the Frame-

This is a very important step! This is what gives the edges of the table a nice smooth, slightly rounded finish. This step also determines just how rounded those edges will be.

PRO TIP: Use a colored silicone caulk so you can see it much easier. 

Apply a thin line of caulk along the side and base seam from one corner to the next. While it is still wet, I used the end of an artist paint brush to smooth out the line. Try to make it the full length, before picking up and wiping off with a damp paper towel or shop rag.

PRO TIP: The wider the tool, the more rounded the edge will be.

Then repeat for each of the sides of the frame. Finish with all the vertical seams in your corners. 

NOTE: I chose not to caulk between the base and the curved fluting of the corners. I thought I’d end up making it sloppier.

I’m glad I didn’t because they turned out very well without. A couple of small protrusions, I was able to sand off very easily.

The goal here is to have a thin white line (the melamine showing through)on each side of the caulked seam. It will look messy, but let it dry like that.

Once the caulk is dry, use a razor blade scraper to remove those strips of excess caulk on the outside of the thin white line.

SIDE NOTE: You can optionally use painters tape to mask off the seams, apply the caulk, run your chosen caulk tool over the seams and then pull the tape while the caulk is still wet.

Now your melamine form is ready.

Step 5) Mix and Pour Your Concrete-

Before you start mixing your concrete:

1. get your form set and level in all directions
2. apply any release agents you may need
3. wipe and vacuum it out

I did not use a release agent or substitute on the melamine, but I added some WD-40 to the fluted corners since they are wood.

Read the instructions on the bag of your concrete mixture to help you determine how much mix you’ll need and correspondingly how much water. 

Based on some YouTube videos I had watched, I thought I could work in small batches. NOT true, probably because I wasn’t experienced and because I used the super fast setting concrete mix. 

I also discovered, that without their experience, I really needed to measure the water so I knew how much I should be using — at least until I become experienced with concrete.

So for the second attempt, I used a 5 gallon bucket to mix. I also bought a mixing paddle for my drill — WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!  And I premeasured my water into a separate container and had a bit extra in another container on hand, just in case.

Starting with water, we alternated concrete mix and water. We worked fast and mixed 80% of the bag with 80% of the total water. It was still drying faster than we like so I added in a bit of extra water.

We quickly poured the concrete to cover the bottom of the form, carefully shaking the form using our “extended side handles” and gently tapping with the rubber mallet to make sure there were no bubbles. At the same time we continued to keep pouring more wet concrete taking it to the top of the sides of the mold. I used a concrete trowel to smooth it fairly well. 

I was not overly concerned about the top of the concrete being perfectly smooth as that is going to be the bottom of the table top.

Step 6) Dry, Release, Sand, Polish-

It’s important to let your concrete dry undisturbed. Again, check your bag to see recommended drying and curing times.

In an effort to slow down the drying process to hopefully eliminate cracks, it is suggested to cover your poured masterpiece with plastic sheeting to hold the moisture in.

I waited overnight before releasing it from the frame.

To release, just remove the screws holding the frame together. Two of my sides fell right away. Two others, I tapped with the rubber mallet and they pulled right away. This is another time that having the longer sides really paid off with a handle to gently pull the side panel off.

I had read NOT to use a metal spatula to separate the concrete top from the form. So I carefully flipped the whole top over and removed the melamine base by lifting the corners.

I admit to quite a gleeful screech when it released and saw how perfectly this table top came out!!! It is so fun and gratifying!

Isn’t she pretty!!! I am so amazed at how smooth she is. And you can see how the center is still drying at this point.

The drain pipe pushed up through the whole. But that’s what I intended it to do. It falls right back into place when you place your concrete table top on the planter. 

You don’t need the pipe now that the hole is made, but I’m leaving mine in for a bit of a finished look and to protect the concrete lip from chipping when the umbrella is being battered around in the wind.

There are a couple of spots on the sides where the concrete was bit rough as well as the bottom edge, so I smoothed them down with some 220 grit sandpaper. Then I used a polishing pad on my orbital sander to give the top just a bit of a glow, not quite a shine.

Step 7) Cure and Seal-

​It’s important to let concrete cure before heavy use. Curing strengthens the concrete. Then after it cures, seal it. 

Again, the back of your specific concrete mix will tell you the recommended cure time.

There are many sealer options. Both surface and penetrating sealers, water-based, acrylic and solvent-based sealers. Some for interior only. Just like with your concrete mix, check the label of your sealer to determine the number of coats, time between coats, cure time for the sealer.

Lessons Learned From My First Attempt (Fail)

Can you even believe the difference!!!!

And look how rough the top is even though I butcher block oil and WD-40 as release agents. I think it’s the difference between a wood form and a melamine form.

Experience is the best teacher, right?

I knew my second attempt had to be better, but I was so pleasantly surprised with how significant the difference is.

So let’s take some lessons from my first concrete table top experience:

1. Use melamine for the form
2. Mix the concrete in one batch (of course this is for a small 20 x 20 x 1.5 – inch table top)
3. Use a scale to determine what 80% of the bag is
4. Use a 5-gallon bucket for mixing
5. Use a mixer paddle with a drill!!!
6. Pre-measure the water, based on the mix instructions, and have a bit extra on hand
7. Mixing and pouring is a 2-person job (actually there were the same two of us with the first attempt, but I wanted to put this tin here for extra emphasis)
8. Work quickly

How To Know Which Concrete Mix to Use

I am not highly experienced in this medium (but, you can bet you’ll see more concrete creations from me very soon) so I searched out someone who is, someone who’s experience I could trust, and I found Ellen at Artsy Pretty Plants with a great guide for mixes.

Now, are you intrigued by the possibilities of concrete for elevated crafts and more? GREAT!

Jump over and check out all the cool ways my Handcrafted Society friends used concrete this month. Be sure and tell them “Hi!” from me.

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This was such a fun project, and I am thrilled with the results even though I had to do it twice to get these results. But now I know — and so do you!!

Don’t hesitate with questions!