I know I mentioned in some of my other picnic table plans that octagonal picnic tables with independent benches are my favorite variety. These octagonal picnic table plans are my favorite of them all. Not just because of the design of the top and the optional hole for an umbrella, but because of the modular design. This design includes three separate pieces that can be disassembled to make the the table easier to move, and then reassembled without needing any fasteners to hold it together. It’s all held together by its own weight.

Materials Required

• 24 – non-pressure treated 2x6s @ 8′
• 1 – non-pressure treated 2×4 @ 8′
• 1 – pressure treated 2×8 @ 8′
• 4 – 2×2 @ 6′
• 4 – 1×2 @ 6′
• 5″ carriage bolts, nuts, and washers
• 2 1/2″ deck screws
• Exterior pocket hole screws

Tools Required

• Miter saw
• Jig saw or router
• Drill / Driver combo
• Kreg jig
• 2″ hole saw (optional)
• Sander and sand paper
• Square
• Tape measure

Step 1: Cut the outer sub-frame pieces

For this octagonal picnic table, we are going to start with the outer sub-frame for the top. The sub-frame consists of eight equal length pieces of 2×2, cut to an outside length of 26 3/16″ with a 22 1/2° miter cut on each end. Don’t worry if you can’t get them exactly 26 3/16″ long, you can have them close to that length. It is much more important that they are all the same length so you get a perfect octagon.

You do not have to join these together as of yet, just cut them all to length.

Step 2: Cut the sub-frame supports

The next step is to cut the seven pieces for the sub-frame supports. There are three different components that make up these seven pieces, all of them are cut from 2x6s. All of these pieces have outer ends cut with a point in the middle. Set your miter saw to 67 1/2° to make both cuts of the point. This should result in a 45° outer angle that fits into corner created by two pieces cut in Step 1.

• 1 – long support cut to a total length of 65 1/4″ (we’ll cut the umbrella hole later)
• 2 – short supports cut to a total length of 29 7/8″
• 4 – angle supports cut to a total length of 28 3/4″ and with two 45° cuts on the inside end to make a 90° point.

For the angle supports, we are also going to cut out a 1 1/2″ x 8″ slot starting 4 1/2″ in from the outer point. This slot will accept the seat support posts when the octagonal picnic table is finished, so it has to be wide enough to fit a 2×6. Use either a router with a straight cut bit, or a drill and a jig saw to cut out these slots.

Once you have all of the pieces cut, use the Kreg jig to cut two pocket hole screws on the top side (which will eventually be hidden by the top boards) per the following:

• inside end of the two short supports to attach to the long support
• each angle of the inside end of the angle supports to attach to both the long and short supports
• each angle of the outside of all of the pieces to attach to the outer sub-frame pieces

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Step 3: Cut the six rows of top boards

When making the top you’re going to nees to make six different pieces, eight times. Five of these pieces are cut from 2x6s, while the smallest are cut from a 2×4. All of the ends are cut at the same 67.5 degree angle.

Once the pieces are cut, screw them in from underneath using the deck screws. Start from the center, and leave about 1/8″ gap between each row. The outer most board should overhang the outer sub-frame by about 1″

Step 4: Build the lower seat assembly

Start the lower seat assembly by cutting the pressure treated 2×8 to 23 1/2″ long, with the front two corners cut at 45°. You’ll need four of these, so you should be able to get them all from a single 2×8.

Next cut your eight seat supports from 2x6s. These get screwed into the bases useing three deck for each, aligning them to the square corners of the base. Since you will be scdewing them close to the edge, I recommend pre-drilling the holes at the same angle as the supports slant out.

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Step 5: Seats and posts

Using more 2×6 boards, cut and attach the four posts for the seat assemblies. Again you will use three deck screws up through the base for each post.

The seats themselves are four pieces of 2×6, with 1×2 boards screwed to the bottom using deck screws. You can assemble the separate sides, but do not need to join them or attach them to the seat assemblies yet. We’ll wait until after we have the seat support beams cut and ready in the next step.

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Step 6: Seat support beams

Now it is time to cut the four seat support beams for this octagonal picnic table. There are two pairs of two, with each pair being identical so it’s not a bad idea to gang cut them to help ensure consistency.

These support beams interlock using half lap joints, that is what the cutouts in the middle are for.  So when you are cutting those out, you want to ensure that another 2×6 can fit in each.  Use a jig saw to make these cuts, cleaning them up with a chisel if need be. It is easiest to test these cutouts for size with scrap pieces of 2×6, but you’ll eventually need to ensure the four pieces interlock smoothly.

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Step 7: Attach the beams to the seat assemblies

Now that you have your beams cut, the last step in construction is attaching your seats to your beams, and then also to the seat support posts. Use deck screws going down through the tops of the seats to secure it all together.

Use two careiage bolts through both beams and the support post that goes up in front of the seat to secure the assembly together. Alternatively, use three wood screws through each beam into the seat support post.

Step 8: Put in place and assemble

Now that you have your three modular pieces built, it’s time to put your octagonal picnic table together. Start with the seats with notches in the top of the beam. Then set the other seat over the first so that the beams interlock. Lastly, the table should sit on the four support posts. Make certain the posts go into the slots cut into the angled sub-frame supports.

Step 9: Sand and stain

Now that your new octagonal picnic table is completely built, it’s time to give all of the corners a good sanding to ensure no one gets any splinters. It’s also a good idea to use a good exterior grade stain and sealant to help protect the wood. We didn’t use pressure treated lumber because you don’t want any of the nasty chemicals coming in contact with your food, so you need to add a protective finish to help preserve your hard work.

As always, we hope you find these plans useful. If you have any questions, reach out to us through the comments section below. If you happen to build your own octagonal picnic table from these plans, or use any of our plans, we would love to see the finished product. Please send us a few pics and tell us how your build went through our submit your build page.

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