Octagon Picnic Table with Accent Ring Plan

The self-contained table and bench design provides a lot of seating space in a relatively small area. . .the table is under 7' wide from bench to bench, while the table top is 4-1/2' across, giving you over 16 square feet of table top space. Each seated adult has approximately 22" of table width to themselves. Note the decorative ring around the edge of the table top, it's a feature not found in many picnic tables of this sort and you can always eliminate the ring.

The plan you receive folds out to a substantial 38" x 25" blueprint and includes: a list of the materials you need, cutting diagrams, professional measured drawings, many photos during construction, and detailed instructions. You'll need a weekend, but the plans make it easy. Look at Richard Dodds and his boys who turned it into a family project, attaching the eating surface.
All lumber for this project was specifically chosen to be common construction grade sizes, so anyone can easily find it at a local "home" store. This feature and the fact that you could build this table with a nothing more than a hand-held circular saw makes it an ideal project for most every handyperson. Build it for yourself, or build them for friends -- tables just like these go for upwards of $800 in some areas, but we all know 2x4's aren't that expensive.