If you're like most people, there is an empty spot in your home that needs a piece of furniture, but you don't have a big budget. Get creative, and save money in the process. Many less expensive pieces designed for the garden or porch can pull double duty indoors.

These homeowners wanted a small table to serve as a buffet for their breakfast room, but they couldn't find one that was small, durable, and affordable enough to suit their needs. To solve their problem, we built this table from one of our most popular project plans. If building isn't for you, hire a handyman or friend to put it together.

The Potting Table Project was originally designed and built for our 2001 Savannah Idea House, where it was constructed of pressure-treated pine. By building this version with inexpensive non-pressure-treated pine and painting it to match the cabinets in the adjacent kitchen, we've created a great buffet in just a few hours for less than $50. When the owners tire of the piece or find a more permanent one, they can use the modified potting table somewhere else.

Super-Simple Skirt
The homeowners are using the bottom shelf for storage, so they wanted to skirt the table to conceal unsightly items. Three yards of burlap, at only $2 per yard, is the perfect solution.

The first step to making the skirt is to cut a large rectangle 3 inches longer than the height of the table and 3 inches longer than two sides and the front of the table. Because the homeowners wanted a quick solution, they ironed a hem in the burlap and used masking tape to tack it down. You could also sew a hem.

Place three pieces of self-fastening tape on the two sides and front of the table, and then do the same to the back of the skirt. Starting at one side of the table, attach the skirt to the table, pulling it tight as you press it in place. Note: Masking tape will not hold the hem in place with repeated removal of the skirt.