How to make a card table and what is it

Over many centuries, the card table has evolved from a purely utilitarian item into a stylish interior decoration. Now people not only play at it, but also have tea parties or have lunch. You can make a practical version for poker or preference yourself.

History of appearance

In the 16th century, a card game called "ombre" became widely popular in Spain. As A. Dumas writes in his novel "Gabriel Lambert", it was a modified version of another gambling entertainment - bouillotte. It was banned in France under Louis XIV. But playing ombre was allowed, with a limit on the size of the bets. Gradually, this entertainment conquered all of Western Europe, and under Catherine the Great, who lifted Empress Elizabeth's ban on cards, it came to Russia.

For the aristocracy, furniture makers began to make special tables that were comfortable to play at. They were called "card tables". The product was an important attribute of a fashionable living room, indicating the wealth and high social status of the owner of the house.

Traditional tables

The classic card table has the following features:

1. The shape of the tabletop, which assumes that the players are positioned equidistant from each other: a circle, a square or a regular polygon.
2. The absence of crossbars between the legs (prolegs), which allows you to sit on any side.
3. A tabletop covered with soft-lined cloth or leather so that the cards do not slip and do not need to be picked up with a fingernail when taken from the table.
4. Boxes or niches for a deck of cards, chips and other gaming attributes.

There are options for other board games - chess, checkers, go, backgammon, etc. The board is drawn directly on the tabletop, with niches for pieces and chips on each side.

Universal products are also manufactured. They are equipped with a reversible tabletop.

On one side it is covered with cloth with a soft lining, on the other it is smooth with an image of a chessboard or other markings.

Designer options

Models are made in a decorative design.

They may have the following features:

• carved patterns;
• bent or twisted legs;
• inlay of ivory, mother-of-pearl, semi-precious stones, gold or silver;
• shiny polished table top;
• enamel or gilded bronze finish.

Such a table looks elegant and is an important element of the interior. The design and materials are selected in accordance with the style in which the room is decorated.

Usage then and now

In the old days, card tables were used only for games, mainly card games. Over time, these entertainments began to go out of fashion, and the purpose of this piece of furniture changed.

Now you can see it more often:

• flowers in a vase;
• souvenirs;
• magazines and newspapers.

The table is also used as a coffee table, a dining table or for tea parties. With the change in purpose, the need for a strict square or regular polygon shape has disappeared, so modern models in most cases have the form of a rectangle or oval.

Classic features have been preserved in poker tables. They cannot be used for other purposes due to the presence of a playing field covered with cloth on batting or other lining.

What materials are they made of now?

In the old days, gaming tables were made only of wood, but now the list of materials has expanded significantly.

Budget products use laminated chipboard or MDF instead of solid wood tabletops. Such models do not tolerate changes in humidity and temperature well, so they are only suitable for living spaces with the most comfortable conditions.

Solid wood

Today, solid wood tables are considered premium products. This solid, durable furniture looks noble. Most often, it is made in the Empire, Baroque or Classicism styles, harmoniously combining with a classic interior.

The kitchen version has a wooden countertop and a metal frame. Most of these models are equipped with drawers.

The most expensive are antique tables. Such a product can be purchased at an antique exhibition.

Metal

The metal product looks good in a high-tech interior. Often, a frosted glass tabletop is placed on a chrome frame.

Models on 1 leg look interesting. They are lighter than traditional ones, so they can be easily moved to another place.

PVC

Plastic gaming tables are the cheapest. The new product looks beautiful, but its attractiveness is quickly lost due to scratches and deformations.

PVC models have 3 advantages:

• light weight;
• a wide range of colors;
• the ability to imitate the surface of any natural material.

Tables are produced in wood, marble, granite. Among plastic models it is easy to find one suitable for any interior.

There are also combined products – with a PVC tabletop on a metal frame.

Types of card tables

There are 2 types of products:

The second option is used in compact spaces. When folded, the piece of furniture takes up little space and does not clutter the space.

There are several types of designs.

Folding

The most popular representative of this category is the book-table. When folded, it resembles a folio placed on its end with its spine facing up. To put it into working position, the movable parts of the tabletop are lifted on both sides and retractable legs are placed under them. The length of the table increases 4 times.

There are also models that are assembled with corners to the center. For this purpose, they are equipped with special ombra loops.

Sliding

When folded, these models form a compact table with a lid divided in two. A small number of players can play at it.

If new participants arrive, both parts of the tabletop are moved apart and an insert board is placed in the gap between them.

Transformers

Transformers are products with reversible tabletops. One side is covered with cloth and is intended for card games, the other is smooth and is used for tea drinking, eating or, for example, playing chess.

Card table in the interior

In addition to the utilitarian function, the product also performs an aesthetic one. It should harmoniously combine with other furniture and fit well into the style of the room.

Antique execution

An antique table looks good in a classic interior with monumental heavy furniture made of solid wood, a leather sofa and curtains on the windows. Wealthy people buy genuine antiques. Such items are restored: the rotten cloth is changed, the passages left by woodworm are puttied, dirt is removed, etc. If there was an image on the tabletop, for example a landscape, it is also cleaned, and defects are retouched.

It is difficult to find an antique table, as there are few well-preserved examples. Instead, you can buy an imitation.

Externally, such furniture looks like antique furniture:

Most models are designed in calm dark tones with bright elements, for example, the colors of natural stone - turquoise, light green, burgundy. There are also colorful tabletops with patterns, landscapes or pastoral scenes.

Modern table

A product in a modern design will decorate an interior in a high-tech or modern style. Gloss, shine, and smooth surfaces are welcome here. A table with a chromed metal frame and a glass top fits well into this concept.

The color is chosen to match the decor. A green playing field will be an accent spot in a calm high-tech interior, but in some cases it may be dissonant with the surrounding objects. In such a situation, you should buy a transformer with a reversible tabletop, the back side of which is made in black and white tones (chessboard) or another neutral range.

If the owner of the apartment is a supporter of minimalism, he should pay attention to a table with 1 leg. Such models look elegant and take up little space.

Designer delights

For buyers who are inclined to experiment and prefer progressive trends in interior design, manufacturers and individual craftsmen make original tables in an unusual design.

A product made of roughly processed wood looks harmonious in an eco-apartment. A similar, but slightly more refined version will suit a country or Provence-type interior.

An extravagant table with a figured tabletop, carved legs and a patterned sidebar will fit well into a room with an unusual setting.

Fans of marine themes can order a product decorated with mollusk shells and equipped with chips stylized as sea pebbles.

Average cost of card tables

Card table prices vary widely – from 600 rubles to 280 thousand and above. An octagonal poker model sells for an average of 4,000 rubles.

Making a Poker Table with Your Own Hands

A homemade card table is not as beautiful as elegant designer counterparts, but it is more practical and cheaper.

Construction of a card table

The following parameters are considered optimal here:

The height is the same – 750-800 mm.

The tabletop is covered with soft material to make it easier to take cards. The legs are removable. After the game, such a table can be disassembled and placed in the closet.

Selection of materials

To make furniture you will need:

Octagonal table

This model has a wooden frame and a soft armrest. The playing field is covered with cloth.

The side length is 50 cm, the dimensions of the table top are approximately 1250x1250 mm.

Step by step instructions:

1. An octagonal tabletop is cut out from a 21 mm thick plywood sheet.
2. The bases for the supports are screwed to it with self-tapping screws.
3. The legs are screwed on.
4. An 8-sided playing field is cut out from a 10 mm thick plywood sheet with dimensions 200 mm smaller than those of the tabletop.
5. A laminate underlay is placed on it and secured with a construction stapler.
6. The cloth is slightly moistened and stretched onto the field.
7. A 4 mm thick plywood edging is attached around the perimeter of the table top.
8. Laminate is laid on top of it.
9. An armrest is cut out of 10 mm thick plywood.
10. A rounded casing is attached to it from above, and a straight one from the end. To cut the second part at the required angle, a miter box is used.
11. The armrest is covered with isolon. The outer part of the polyethylene foam is attached to the end of the frame, the inner part is wrapped so that the structure can be put on the table.
12. Artificial leather is stretched over the isolon, stitching its edges or fastening them with a stapler. The seams are covered with fragments of the same material.
13. Place the playing field in the center of the tabletop, then screw the armrest to it.

Hexagonal card table

This is a more beautiful option.

It is made in the following sequence:

Classic Poker Table

This option fully complies with the technical requirements of the Federation of Sports Poker.

Manufacturing procedure:

Small poker table

Creating a model designed for a small number of players will require the least amount of effort.

Procedure:

The table is ready, you can start playing.

Photo of card tables