DIY Sewing Table

Sewing is one of the oldest trades and usually the first sort of cottage industry to emerge in an industrializing society. We all need clothing, and the industry that makes that clothing is one of the more essential to society. Yet today, that work is carried out by major corporations, with most of the actual work being done overseas.

Yet, while there is no “need” to make our clothing today, many women and a few men enjoy making clothing as a hobby. Sewing can be relaxing for these people and give them a sense of accomplishment. It’s also an excellent way for someone to develop their style, wearing what they want rather than just what they can find in the stores.

While one can easily sew on the dining room table, people who get into sewing like having a permanent setup just like anyone else who has any other hobby. The argument can fairly be made that if a man has a workshop for his woodworking and his wife wants a sewing room, there’s no reason for him to not make her one.

Any sewing table will consist of two basic sections: the tabletop and storage. A third thing to consider is adding a lift for the sewing machine so that it can be stored inside the sewing table, clearing the tabletop for working space.

It Starts with a Table

Any sewing machine table starts with the idea of a table. So, let’s talk about making a basic table. Some of this might change when the storage is designed, but starting with a basic table gives us an understanding of everything the table needs to be functional.

Any table consists of a tabletop and legs. Legs can refer to a number of different things, from four individual legs on the corner to a central pillar that supports everything. But the four legs at the corners are the common way to go for a worktable like this. Not only is that easier to build, but it will result in a much more stable table, an important consideration.

Let me interject a note here before going on. If cabinetry is added to the table, which it most likely will be, it will probably replace at least two of the legs. If cabinets are added on both sides, like what would be found on a double-pedestal desk, then the cabinetry will take over the function of all four legs.

Tabletop

A sewing table can be literally any size, from something that’s only about 16” x 36” up to a full sheet of 4’x 8’ plywood. They can even be L-shaped. How big any particular sewing table ends up being depends more on the available space than anything else. Generally speaking, sewing tables end up in a room used for other things, so a large table might only be used in cases where there’s an actual sewing room in the house.

I will say this from experience, though: the larger the table, the better. A large table is not so much needed for the actual sewing as for laying out, cutting, and pinning the project being sewn. If not enough space is available, the table ends up becoming an irritant rather than a help.

As with any other table, just about any wood product can be used for the tabletop. For a nicer sewing table, it would make sense to use hardwood plywood or laminate boards together to make it. But if functionality is the focus, then MDF with hardwood edges is ideal.

If a bigger sewing table is needed but there isn’t enough room to keep it set up all the time, make the tabletop so that a portion or portions of it fold over and lay flat on the table. That would allow them to be folded up when not in use, saving space. Some leg or support would be required for that folding portion when used.

A thick tabletop is not needed, as it won’t be supporting a lot of weight. If that’s all that’s wanted, then edge banding or wood edging can be used on the edges of the MDF. On the other hand, it’s nice to make the edge thicker than the ¾” MDF being used for the table’s surface. Hardwood 1”x 2”s can be ripped down thinner and then rabbitted to insert the edge of the MDF into, then planed smooth with the surface.

Another consideration that works well is covering the tabletop with thick fabric. This allows the tabletop to be used as an ironing board, which can be advantageous when trying to sew a project; before gluing on the fabric, round the table’s edges with a router so that they don’t wear through the fabric. Then, the fabric can be glued to the surface with spray adhesive, wrapping it around the edges to the bottom side.

Attaching the Legs

The legs are not actually attached to the tabletop for most tables, as that wouldn’t be very strong. Instead, they are attached to a skirt mounted on the tabletop’s bottom. This skirt is usually 3” to 4” high, and made of nominal 1” material, mounted perpendicular to the surface of the table. Skirting can be installed directly on the table’s edge, but it is usually inset by a few inches. For appearance’s sake, it should be mitered, but a simple butt joint is serviceable.

The skirt is necessary because the table legs will wobble and eventually break away from the tabletop if connected directly. There are two reasons for this. One is that the glue is applied to the end grain of the legs themselves, which doesn’t hold as well. The other reason is that there is nothing to give the table any structural strength, preventing it from moving back and forth. It’s not exactly visible, but the skirt provides what is essentially a triangular bracing for the leg, giving it strength.

The boards making up the skirt should be glued and fastened to the tabletop. This can be done by nailing through the tabletop itself. Another option is to use a pocket screw from below, leaving the tabletop unmarred. If screws are used, they should be deck screws, as those have a deeper thread, a necessity for MDF. In any case, wood glue needs to be used, along with the fasteners.

The legs can then be attached to the inside of the corners made in the skirt. Many commercially manufactured tables use a diagonal block across the corner of the skirt, trapping the leg in place. But it works just about as well to nail through the skirt into the leg from both sides. Be sure to glue the leg to the skirt for maximum strength.

There are countless options for the legs themselves. A simple 2”x 2” or 3”x 3” can be used. It’s also possible to buy turned legs. If nobody cares about how it looks, 2”x 4” s make strong legs.

What About Cabinetry?

Countless options exist for adding cabinets to the sewing table. A lot depends on the woodworker’s skill and how much time they’re willing to put into the project. Shelves and cubby holes are easy ways to add storage space if making drawers is too much of an investment. Baskets or bins can be placed in the cubbyholes to store smaller items.

However, drawers are better, especially specialty drawers made for specific sewing items. Adding drawers especially made for filing patterns, keeping findings, and other necessities is all but essential for a good sewing table. Spool holders for thread can be even better, setting the table apart as a sewing table and making it easier to use.

It’s best to use drawer slides on the drawers rather than just allowing for a wood-to-wood slide. While most items stored in the sewing table are lightweight, drawer slides still make it easier to open and shut the drawers, making the table easier to use.

The Sewing Machine Itself

Probably the most essential part of building any sewing table is having somewhere for the sewing machine to sit. Some old-fashioned sewing machines used to be manufactured without much of a lower cover, with the idea that they would be set into a table. But today’s machines don’t typically have that option. But it’s still nice to set it down on the table so that the sewing machine bed and needle throat plate are flush with the tabletop.

This is most easily done by using the sewing machine itself as a pattern to determine how big a cutout to make for it. Round the edges to match the sewing machine and attach a shelf just far enough under the tabletop so that the machine’s bed can sit at the right height.

To add this shelf, all that’s needed are two spacers ripped from some dimensional lumber and a piece of plywood bigger than the opening in the tabletop. It’s best to run the two support pieces so that they are parallel with the ends of the sewing machine, not the sides. That leaves the front side open so that the bobbin case can be accessed.

It’s not all that common anymore, but the old-time sewing machine tables had a hinged piece of the tabletop, about two to three inches across, that went the width of the machine. This could then be flipped up, out of the way, so that the bobbin could be changed. This is an easy addition, which makes it much easier to work with the machine. If this is not done, the machine must be lifted from the table to change the bobbin.

Another way this can be made is to remove the bed extension cover, as is needed for access to the bobbin cover. Then the cut is flip-up cover so that it fills that area, as well. This provides more flexibility and makes it even easier to change the bobbin, as that cover needs to be removed to have access.

Of course, we can avoid hinging that part by making the same piece as an insert set in place after the sewing machine is in place. That might save some difficulty in making things fit together and still be quite functional.

Adding in a Lift Mechanism

Some people like to keep their sewing machine out of sight when it is not in use. This is especially true if the sewing machine table is going to be put in a room that is used for other things, like the family room of the home. Chances are that the table will be used for other things as well in that case.

Probably the easiest way to accomplish that is to lift the machine out of the table and have a cubbyhole for it to be stored in. An insert can then be made to go in the hole where the sewing machine fits. But that’s not the only option to be considered.

There are commercially manufactured sewing machine lifts designed to mount inside a sewing machine table. These lift mechanisms allow the sewing machine to be lifted and lowered easily. The lift mechanism needs some structural elements to attach to, but nothing stronger than a 1”x 2”. When in the lowered position, the opening can be covered.

For those who don’t want to pay for one of those mechanisms, there are some different things that people have done to design their lift. Probably the easiest of these is to use a car jack, like a scissors jack. A similar mechanism, with a larger table, exists commercially and is used in factories. The significant advantage of using that, rather than a car jack, is that it wouldn’t need any guides to hold the sewing machine straight and level, like would be necessary with a car jack.