DIY Wood Countertop

We’re on a roll now! That’s two projects completed in the last week or so for the laundry room!

When we originally installed the cabinets, we made a small counter out of scrap wood while I pondered on another solution. And then it just sat like that. Because I’m lazy.

But after being inspired by the little trim fix in the space, I got all kinds of motivation to finally tackle this project.

Because my counter would be small (27″ x 25″), I just used wood glue and clamping to build it. This is also a very sporadically used space with no sink. I would not recommend this method for a kitchen or bathroom counter. In that case, you would definitely want to use hardware in addition to glue (pocket holes are great for this).

I decided to use 1x3s because I wanted a lot of planks…but this does take more time. You could definitely do this project with 1x8s or even 1x6s if you like wide planks. The 1x3s allowed me to get close to 25″ on my depth with 10 planks, and I didn’t have to cut any lengthwise (no slivers at the end!).

Speaking of cutting, I picked out (4) 1x3x8s at Home Depot and had them cut me (12) 27″ planks from the lumber. Those folks are nice like that

I arranged 10 of the planks in the order I liked, varying the knots across the counter for the most interesting look.

Then I applied the glue and began clamping in sections. I only had a few clamps, so some areas got taped. Once the sections dried, I glued them all together and taped to secure. Let this dry overnight.

As for the finish, I really like the look of butcher block, but ultimately I abandoned that idea for a simpler allover stain. I used several different Old Masters stains I had on hand and a little black paint as well. I love mixing stains like that to get a custom result. I stained an additional plank to attach later as a backsplash.

Once I liked the stain, I let it dry overnight and then applied a coat of Tung Oil. It’s simple and brings out a natural shine. Again, if you’re making a countertop for a sink space, you’ll definitely want to use a more durable finish like Waterlox.

Here she is, in place! I was planning to drill some holes and screw it in place, but it doesn’t really move much because of the tight fit right now. We will see how it holds up and tack it down if needed.