Since we needed a coffee table (and we needed one with character) so I decided to build a unique one. I had seen tables at bars with bottle caps and things on the surface which were covered with acrylic. I wanted to do something similar but with a flag. Here is the picture of the result.
The legs are cedar posts that were left over when my parents built their house. I notched them on top and then made a frame with more reclaimed cedar. The table top is a thin sheet of plywood with cedar trim around the edges. The flag was stretched over another piece of plywood cut to fit inside the trim. I used spray adhesive to attach the flag to the board then glued the board down to the table top.
I thought about the table top a lot and decided to simply buy a sheet of plexiglass to use as the surface. I couldn't find the acrylic I needed to pour over the surface, and it was pretty expensive to order. As of last year, this table was used in my living room in my apartment. Recently I sold it over craigslist. Total cost of this project was about $25. All of the wood was scrap or reclaimed. Most of the cost was the flag, the adhesive, and the stain. I sold it for a lot more ;)
