Perhaps cheap is a relative term. Years ago we purchased a 4x8 sheet of melamine. It is about an inch thick and cost around $30. I covered the rough edges with quarter-round wood edging which I painted with a glossy white paint. It has worked all these years without fail or splinter. This was raised to work height for cutting, sewing, and storage--a do it all work space. It was held up with old milk crates, boxes of fabric, and empty boxes. A couple years later I purchased inexpensive pre-fab shelving to hold it up. Then when we retired I finally splurged $1500 on pre-fab kitchen base cabinets. We sought out sizes to make a configuration that was both useful and fit under the melamine sheet. It is great storage as I have a combination of drawers and cabinets. The top is large enough to pin-baste a king size quilt with less effort than crawling around on the floor with my old back. I absolutely love my work table.
For my machines we purchased pre made melamine shelving. This is held in place at the correct work height for me by a 2x4 frame and nothing else. My machines sit on top but I do have a few of the clear tables specific to the machines.