How to Make a Dining Table Sketch

Designing your own dining table to make it more unique and give it a personal touch is a great way to have something worthy of becoming an heirloom that you can pass on to the next generation. You can start your design by with a dining table sketch using paper and pencil or using furniture design software. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Find inspiration by going to furniture stores or by looking at your friend's dining table. A possible source of inspiration would be going to furniture maker shops, looking at museum or estate homes that display one of a kind dining tables. Take pictures and compile them in a scrapbook or journal for reference later on. Go online and research different styles of dining tables and find what suits you best. Read interior design and furniture making books and magazines.

2

Get a piece of paper and a sharp pencil. Start sketching your ideal dining table. You can start with a piece to practice on, for example, among the pictures you have taken for inspiration. Choose one that you like best and start sketching the table on your drawing pad as you look at the piece. You can also do this by looking at the actual piece--practice with your own table at home. As you gradually get used to drawing a dining table, you can start getting creative by designing your own piece.

3

Determine which style of table you want to design. You can choose from classical, traditional, mission, craftsman, contemporary and ultra modern. You can also decide on choosing styles that are known through history, such as Victorian, Louise XVI, Edwardian, Georgian, Greek or even Roman style. If you want to experiment, mix different styles. Just be sure to make the design cohesive by matching materials and finishes.

4

Draw the table top first. Choose the shape of the table top. Think of the number of people you envision your dining table should accommodate. Choose a round, oblong, square or rectangular shaped table top. Do not add any details until you know what type of material to use. Choose from a glass, ceramic or wooden top. Most contemporary styles use glass tops. The ultra modern ones also make use of plastic-type material, such as those mass produced in the late 1950s to the early 1960s.

5

Start adding the details. Draw the grains on the wooden table. For a wooden tabletop, you would want to show the grain of the wood when you draw. Whether horizontally, vertically, diagonally or if you want the grain to meet at the center. There are also different types of cut or installment for the wooden tabletop. You can choose a whole piece of wood, a wood cut in three pieces, possibly adding extra table leafs for expansion, or choose to install those arranged in planks like a farm or picnic table.

6

Add carving details to wooden tables. You may want to add extra details or molding on the sides of the table--draw that detail or design on your table drawing. You can also add inlaid design that you can put on top of the wooden top. Use different tones or paint color to show the details.

7

Add etching details on a glass top or if you wish to leave it plain, show what kind of glass cut and glass finish you would use. Do you want a single or double beveled edge? Reflect your choice on your drawing. You can also choose between a smoked glass or clear glass for your glass tabletop.

8

Add the tile details on a ceramic or tile topped table. Choose a mosaic type design or use square hand painted tiles that will show a bigger picture like a puzzle, for example a picture of a barn with farm animals or a vineyard. You can keep the choices plain by choosing ceramic tiles finished with a color of your choice. Use different colored pencil to reflect these details on your drawing.

9

Add the legs. Determine if you want a pedestal type table, a table with four legs or a table with two wide column bases or a trestle. The style should match or complement the tabletop. Should it be a curved leg or a straight leg, will it be embellished with carvings or will it be made of iron or steel?

10

Label your design with a date. Make sure to make reference to the style, finish and materials used. Put a date and affix your signature.

11

Place it in a folder, but before you do, make extra copies using a photo copying machine and then file separately in a safe and secure place.

12

If you don't feel that you are able to sketch your design on paper using your own hands, you can use a furniture design software, such as Sketchlist 3D. Be sure to save your finished drawing on your computer, a CD or a USB flash drive. Print out a copy. Label it clearly, make copies and keep in a safe place.