I designed this DIY wine bar so that the base can be made entirely out of 2x4s. I made a concrete countertop for it but it could also be made with wood countertops consisting of 2x4s. The wine rack system is quite versatile and could easily be adapted to create a wine storage system for an entire wall or cellar.

SUPPLIES:

2x4
Available at Home Depot
I bought a bunch of 2x4s from Home Depot. I picked nice, straight ones out of the pile every time I stopped by until I had a stockpile of about 25 at my workshop. This design requires 22 8-foot long 2x4s but I like to have a few extra.

3/4” Plywood
Available at Home Depot
I used some scraps of 3/4” plywood that I had leftover from a different project to make the core in the concrete countertop.

Quikrete 5000
Available at Home Depot
I used 2 bags of Quikrete 5000 concrete mix to make the concrete countertop.

Steel Mesh
Available at Home Depot
I used steel mesh to reinforce the concrete countertops.

3/4” Melamine
Available at Home Depot
I used melamine to make the molds for the concrete countertops.

Minimax Polycrylic
Available at Home Depot
I used Miniwax polycrylic to seal the plywood.

Varathane Wood Stain “Antique White”
Available at Home Depot
I wanted a stain that would remove the yellowish honey color of the 2x4s. I tested out Varathane Wood Stain in “Antique White” and really like how it gave the wood a modern Scandinavian look.

TOOLS:

RYOBI Table Saw
Available at Home Depot











RYOBI Compound Miter Saw
Available at Home Depot











RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill
Available at Home Depot











RYOBI Circular Saw
Available at Home Depot











RYOBI Angle Grinder
Available at Home Depot











Download the DIY Concrete Wine Bar PDF »

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Cut the 2x4s.
I used my compound miter saw to cut the 2x4s to length. I cut 20 pieces that were 29” long and 4 pieces that were 45” long. I used my table saw to remove ¼” from either side of the 29” long 2x4s. Most 2x4s have rounded edges and I wanted to remove them so that I could make clean modern looking slabs.





STEP 2: Glue the side panels together.
I glued the 2x4s into slabs that are 7 pieces wide. I used clamps to squeeze them together and remove the warping. I let the glue cure for 24 hours before removing the clamps and scraping off the excess glue with a chisel. I then lightly sanded the slabs.







STEP 3: Cut recesses in the side panels.
I set my circular saw blade to a depth of 1-1/2” and then made a series of cuts to remove material in the side panels. I then used a chisel to remove the slivers of wood that were left. I used the cuts in the first panel to mark the location in the 2nd panel to make sure that they were aligned. I used a speed square to make sure that I got the first cut exactly where I wanted it.











STEP 4: Glue on more 2x4s.
Once I had cut the recesses for the wine racks I glued three more pieces of 2x4. Once that glue had dried I filled in the cracks with wood putty and then sanded the panels until they were smooth.









STEP 5: Drill the racks.
I clamped the 45” long 2x4s together and then drilled holes in between them. I used a 1-1/2” diameter bit for the front of the bottles and a 3-1/2” diameter hole saw for the back. Once I had drilled on the holes I then trimmed off ¼” on each side with the table saw.





STEP 6: Sand the racks.
I used both hand held sand paper and my orbital sander to sand down the rack pieces.





STEP 7: Assemble.
I cut short pieces of 2x4 to go in between the racks and completely fill the recesses that I cut in the side panels. I screwed through the racks and into these short pieces of 2x4 before gluing and screwing these racks into the side panels.









STEP 8: Make a template for the countertop.
I used some scraps of ¼” thick plywood and my hot glue gun to make a template for the countertop. I want the countertop to fit flush over the base so making a template is a good idea.





STEP 9: Make the mold.
I ripped 3-1/2” wide strips of ¾” thick melamine on my table saw. I used the template that I made to measure the lengths for the side pieces of the mold before cutting the pieces with my miter saw. I placed the pieces around the template and then glued them down along the outside of the mold with my hot glue gun. I glued down a few scrap pieces of 2x4 for additional support. I sealed the inside of the mold with silicone.











STEP 10: Make the plywood core.
I cut 2 pieces of plywood to fit inside the mold with about 1-1/2” of between them and the walls of the mold. I glued and screwed these pieces together before sealing them with minwax polycrylic. I sealed them so that they will not suck water away from the concrete as it cures. I cut a piece of steel mesh with wire cutters and then used screws and wire to suspend it about ½” from the surface of the plywood.











STEP 11: Mix and pour the concrete.
I suspended the plywood core on some strips of plywood so that I would have a way to keep it level to the surface of the mold. I mixed and poured two bags of Quikrete 5000. I used a hoe to push the wet concrete down to the bottom of the mold. Once the mold was about three quarters of the way full I placed the plywood core and then filled in around the edges with wet concrete. The plywood core kept floating up so I used some weights to hold it down. I vibrated the mold with an orbital sander with no pad to try and get as many air bubles as possible.















STEP 12: Stain the base.
While I was waiting for the concrete to cure, I stained the base with Varathane Wood Stain in “Antique White.” I really like the modern Scandinavian look of this stain.



STEP 13: Remove the slab from the mold.
I let the concrete cure 4 full days before removing it from the mold and placing it on the base. The plywood core spans between the side panels of the base. I screwed some L brackets to both the side panels and the plywood core to make sure the top won’t slide off.











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