The kitchen table we got secondhand had one leg that never touched the floor. Every meal, someone would lean an elbow and the whole thing would rock, spilling drinks. I almost replaced it before I realized the fix costs about two dollars.

Find the short leg first

Press down on each corner one at a time. The leg that rocks is your culprit. Flip the table over and look for a missing pad or a worn foot. Sometimes a single felt pad stacked under the short leg is all it takes.

The quick fixes, ranked

• Felt pads: peel and stick one or two under the short leg. Instantly silent and protects the floor.
• A cork slice or folded sugar packet: a temporary fix that has gotten me through more than one dinner party.
• Adjustable feet: screw these into the leg base for a permanent fix on tables that wobble on uneven floors.

The sugar packet trick sounds like a joke, but it works in a pinch. I folded one, wedged it under the leg at a holiday dinner, and nobody mentioned the wobbly table again all night.

For a permanent job, wood glue and a thin shim will close a real gap. Just glue the shim to the short leg, let it dry, and sand it flush. It is a ten minute fix that makes the table feel brand new.