Coffee table made from car tyres

Old car tyres don't have to land on the garbage, they can also be simply upcycled. This guide shows how to turn seemingly useless things into new pieces of art with just a few means.

What you need

  • Spray gun for lacquers and varnishes, e.g. Wood&Metal Sprayer W 150
  • Jigsaw (if the wooden boards are not yet cut)
  • File (if the wooden boards are not yet cut)
  • drill
  • cordless screwdriver
  • Hot glue gun with min. 6 adhesive sticks
  • scissors
  • 1 x used car tyre
  • 2 x 6 mm chipboard panels approx. 70 x 70 cm (suitable for the outer dimensions of the tyre) or finished round panels from the joiner
  • 6 x Torx screws
  • 50 m of 12 mm diameter hemp rope
  • 50 ml clear varnish
  • 50 ml coloured varnish in desired colour

Video guide

By viewing the video you agree that your data will be transmitted to YouTube and that you have read the privacy policy .

If you don’t have any old tyres at home, you can get them for free from your local scrap dealer.

Step-by-step guide for building a coffee table from car tyres

Step 1 of 6: Preparation of the tyre

Schritt 2

Clean the tyre. It should be dust-free and dry.

Step 2 of 6: Sawing the wood panels

Schritt 4

Get two 6 mm thick chipboard panels from a DIY store. Cut them to the circumference of the tyre (external dimension). For the round shape, draw a circle on the panels. Our tip: Simply screw a screw into the middle of the panel and tie a piece of string to a pencil. This means that you can have a compass for the required radius in no time at all. Then cut the boards with an electric jigsaw. Alternatively, you can have the panels cut to size by a carpenter.

Schritt 5

Get two 6 mm thick chipboard panels from a DIY store. Cut them to the circumference of the tyre (external dimension). For the round shape, draw a circle on the panels. Our tip: Simply screw a screw into the middle of the panel and tie a piece of string to a pencil. This means that you can have a compass for the required radius in no time at all. Then cut the boards with an electric jigsaw. Alternatively, you can have the panels cut to size by a carpenter.

Schritt 6

Get two 6 mm thick chipboard panels from a DIY store. Cut them to the circumference of the tyre (external dimension). For the round shape, draw a circle on the panels. Our tip: Simply screw a screw into the middle of the panel and tie a piece of string to a pencil. This means that you can have a compass for the required radius in no time at all. Then cut the boards with an electric jigsaw. Alternatively, you can have the panels cut to size by a carpenter.

Schritt 7

Get two 6 mm thick chipboard panels from a DIY store. Cut them to the circumference of the tyre (external dimension). For the round shape, draw a circle on the panels. Our tip: Simply screw a screw into the middle of the panel and tie a piece of string to a pencil. This means that you can have a compass for the required radius in no time at all. Then cut the boards with an electric jigsaw. Alternatively, you can have the panels cut to size by a carpenter.

Step 3 of 6: Fixing of the wooden panels

Schritt 8

Drill three holes evenly spaced into the wooden panels so that they can be attached to the tyre. Screw the panel onto the tyre with a cordless screwdriver and repeat the two procedures on the other side of the tyre.

Schritt 9

Drill three holes evenly spaced into the wooden panels so that they can be attached to the tyre. Screw the panel onto the tyre with a cordless screwdriver and repeat the two procedures on the other side of the tyre.

Step 4 of 6: Sticking on the string

Schritt 10

Start in the middle of the wooden panel and make one circle at a time. Make sure that you use sufficient adhesive to ensure that it sticks properly. It is not necessary to glue the lower wooden panel. Cut the rope at the end.

Schritt 11

Start in the middle of the wooden panel and make one circle at a time. Make sure that you use sufficient adhesive to ensure that it sticks properly. It is not necessary to glue the lower wooden panel. Cut the rope at the end.

Schritt 12

Start in the middle of the wooden panel and make one circle at a time. Make sure that you use sufficient adhesive to ensure that it sticks properly. It is not necessary to glue the lower wooden panel. Cut the rope at the end.

Schritt 13

Start in the middle of the wooden panel and make one circle at a time. Make sure that you use sufficient adhesive to ensure that it sticks properly. It is not necessary to glue the lower wooden panel. Cut the rope at the end.

Step 5 of 6: Prepare the sprayer

Schritt 14

The sprayer is ready for use in just a few easy steps. Fill the paint into the paint container until it is 3/4 full and dilute the material according to the manufarer’s instructions. Use the enclosed stirrer, where each notch represents a dilution of 10%. The suction pipe can be aligned according to the desired working direction, backwards for working overhead and forwards for working beneath you. In addition, the spray jet is also adjustable in three ways - horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Perform a spray test to find the settings that are right for you.

Step 6 of 6: Let's have some spraying fun

Schritt 15

Spray a clear varnish to seal the hemp rope. This preserves the natural look of the coffee table. For the coloured part, select your desired colour. Mask the part that is not to be sprayed with tape and a plastic sheet. Always change the spraying direction once you are past the edge of the object. This avoids thicker layers when changing direction. Maintain a uniform distance of 5-15 cm. Tip: Paint applied too thickly can lead to runs, it is better to spray two thin coats than one thick one. After spraying, allow the paint to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Schritt 16

Spray a clear varnish to seal the hemp rope. This preserves the natural look of the coffee table. For the coloured part, select your desired colour. Mask the part that is not to be sprayed with tape and a plastic sheet. Always change the spraying direction once you are past the edge of the object. This avoids thicker layers when changing direction. Maintain a uniform distance of 5-15 cm. Tip: Paint applied too thickly can lead to runs, it is better to spray two thin coats than one thick one. After spraying, allow the paint to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The result

More projects