Check out this coffee table I made for my friend Cody: 
It started out as cedar fence boards which I got from the orange
store. 
I hand planed them flat, and then edge joined the
top to be about 24” wide. 
Here’s a small sample of the natural stain, iron acetate made by dissolving fine steel wool in vinegar for a few days. 
The leg joints were double dovetails, preventing side wobble in the table.
I cut a rabbet in some scrap ash for the apron clips and screwed them
in from the underside, creating a stable surface. 
Once all the joinery was done, my daughter helped stain and oil the
table, which turned out to be the perfect weathered color with the acetate
stain. 
Two coats of tung oil was enough to make the grain pop without adding too much
depth of finish. 