Dragonfly Side Table

Angles and an artful inlay set this Arts & Crafts-inspired design apart.

- By Willie Sandry

I’ve been fascinated by interesting little tabouret tables lately, and it seems the more complicated the design, the more I’m intrigued. Tapered sides, angled joinery, and curved shapes all tend to invite the eye for a closer look. This small side table is an original design and is unique because it doesn’t have square legs. Rather, it uses solid side panels for structural support, which actually simplifies construction. If this table had square legs attached to the panels, it would require compound angles on the legs. By using solid panels instead, there are only simple angles, with no compound angles to contend with.

I first imagined the dragonfly wedges after building a dining table in 2012. Instead of the usual single wedged tenons, I made two opposing wedges, driven toward each other. I remember thinking it looked reminiscent of a dragonfly, and just needed a few tweaks to complete the effect. It wasn’t until I built this dragonfly side table that I had a chance to implement the idea.

Start with the Panels

Make the three panels required for the table—you’ll need two side panels, and a tabletop panel. The one-inch thick side panels are 201/4 long x 16 wide. If you leave the side panels a little extra-long, it's helpful when it comes time to bevel the top and bottom edges. The tabletop panel is 3/4 thick and 18 1/2 square. Glue the panels together and set them aside to dry.