Craft An Icy Looking Side Table For A Unique DIY Project

There are plenty of incredible furniture-building hacks that make us want to quit our jobs and do DIY projects full-time, like built-in home office desks and maximized, personalized storage solutions. When it comes to side tables, there are plenty of options that you can purchase already-made or craft yourself using products from places like IKEA or Dollar Tree. However, this icy side table hack is in a league of its own, using interesting glass blocks (in any color) and simple glue to put together a piece that will make your home feel like a mini ice castle. This DIY would be perfect for eccentric homes that showcase quirky elements or for a glamorous or modern style.

The craft is reminiscent of glass block windows and shower walls, which were popular in the '80s but are now seeing a bit of a resurgence. They're also similar to trendy, opalescent and translucent furniture pieces, like vinyl tables and chairs that make a space look modern and fun. This type of furniture also adds a cleaner look to your space, creating the illusion that an area is less crowded thanks to the fact that the material is clear and filters light. You can purchase side tables and coffee tables with this look on sites like Amazon (like the VDGPWA Acrylic Coffee Table for $125), but they will typically cost you in the range of $100 to $500. In comparison, it's less expensive, more eco-friendly, and more fun (if you like DIY projects) to build this yourself using glass instead of buying a pre-made plastic option. 

The Instagram account @LaundryDayHelpers showcased this hack with a simple reel on their page. They used eight square glass blocks (you could purchase the 10-pack of Seves Thick Series Ice Pattern Glass Blocks from Home Depot for $77) and glued them together vertically with what looks to be a silicone glass sealant or caulk. The crafter made four stacks of two bricks each and then adhered the sides to create a square table with an open top. From there, they measured and cut a piece of decorative wood board and used the sealant to place it on the top of the table. While the reel's description says that this is actually a chair, for safety, we'd recommend using it as a side table to hold items like books, a small lamp, or coffee mugs. 

To personalize this hack, you can use your own method for covering the table and making it a functional piece of furniture. Because the Home Depot pack of glass blocks comes with 10 pieces and the table base only requires eight, you could use the remaining two to create a top and bottom for the table — you would just have to configure the stacks of glass blocks differently to leave space. You could also pick a budget-friendly material for the surface, like a Dollar Tree Cooking Concepts Bamboo Cutting Board, in order to keep this craft as cheap as possible. Also consider adding battery-operated lights inside the table to illuminate the glass from within. Or, place the final product in an area of the room that gets sunlight and watch the icy aesthetic lighten up the space.